---
title: "T28 ILD 42 Foam vs T30 ILD 45: Is the Floor Sofa Softer?"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/t28-ild-42-vs-t30-ild-45-sofa-foam/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-09-04"
updated: "2026-09-04"
keywords: "T28 ILD 42 foam, T30 ILD 45 foam, floor sofa foam density, HR cold foam sofa, teddy sofa foam firmness"
---

# Is T28 ILD 42 foam softer than the T30 ILD 45 in the original teddy sofa?

*Two pairs of numbers, a few points apart. Here is what each one measures, and what it does not.*

Also asked as: Is yours the same exact cold foam?; A little bit softer than the official one?

> **The quick answer:** T28 ILD 42 foam is slightly softer on paper than T30 ILD 45, but the workshop says the difference in feel and wear is almost nothing. The floor sofa seats are high-resilience cold foam at about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³) with an ILD of 42, described as firm but comfortable. The back cushions are softer, filled with silicone ball fiber.

![Slate blue linen-look floor sofa with a two-layer base, three back cushions and block arms below a framed kilim panel](https://cushionguide.com/media/modular-floor-sofas/slate-blue-linen-look-floor-sofa-block-arms-1600.webp "A low floor sofa built from stacked box cushions, back cushions and block arms, with no frame at all.")

## Key facts

- Seat foam is high-resilience (HR) cold foam at T28: 28 kg/m³, about 1.75 lb/ft³.
- The seat foam has an ILD of 42, described as firm but comfortable.
- The original designer sofa is cited at T30 (about 1.87 lb/ft³) with ILD 45.
- The workshop says the difference in feel and wear is almost nothing.
- Back cushions are softer, filled with silicone ball fiber.
- Covers use fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239).

## The two foams, number by number

| Number | What it measures | This floor sofa | Original, as cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| T (density) | Weight of the foam per volume; a guide to durability | T28: 28 kg/m³, about 1.75 lb/ft³ | T30: 30 kg/m³, about 1.87 lb/ft³ |
| ILD | Force to press the foam 25 percent down; higher is firmer | 42 | 45 |
| Described feel | How the seat sits | Firm but comfortable | Slightly firmer on paper |

## Three points of ILD, in plain words

[ILD](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#ild) is a push test. The higher the number, the more force it takes to sink in. Around 45 reads as firm. 42 sits just below it, three points softer.

Density is a different question. It tells you how much foam is packed into the block, which speaks to how long it holds up. T28 against T30 is a small step.

The workshop's view is plain: on paper slightly softer, in the room almost no difference in feel or lifespan. It points to reviews from customers who have sat on both. That is the fairest test there is.

You may also see the seat described as 32-density cold foam in some replies. The most precise figures given are T28 and ILD 42.

## What the numbers do not change

- ✓ The seat is [cold foam](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#cold-foam), a high-resilience foam that springs back.
- ✓ The back cushions stay softer, with silicone ball fiber inside.
- ✓ The layout, the height and the way the [modular floor sofa](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/modular-floor-sofas/) comes apart stay the same.
- ✓ The covers use fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239).

## If you want to feel it before you choose

Numbers are a map, not the chair. The [foam firmness finder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/foam-firmness-finder/) puts ILD beside everyday objects, and the [density and firmness Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/foam-density-vs-firmness-ild/) explains why the two figures must be read together.

Where will you sit most, upright or half lying down?

Density is how long.
ILD is how firm.
Feel is the room's own verdict.

> **Tailor's margin:** T28 ILD 42 foam is three ILD points below T30 ILD 45: slightly softer on paper, almost no difference in feel or wear, per the workshop.

> Read foam in pairs: density (T28 = 28 kg/m³) tells you how long it lasts, ILD (42) tells you how firm it sits.
>
> — Hana

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** The original teddy sofa uses T30 foam at ILD 45. Is yours the same, and will it wear out sooner?

**The workshop's answer:** The workshop's foam is T28 at ILD 42, slightly softer on paper. It says the difference is almost nothing and points to reviews from customers who have tried both.

**A common question:** Which foam density goes into the modular teddy sofa?

**The workshop's answer:** High-resilience cold foam, density T28 with ILD 42, described as firm but comfortable. The back cushions are filled with silicone ball fiber. Another reply described the filling as 32-density foam that lasts for years.

**A common question:** How dense and how firm is the floor sofa foam?

**The workshop's answer:** The seat is high-resilience cold foam, quoted as T28 with ILD 42 in one reply and as 32-density cold foam in another. The back cushions are silicone ball fiber for softness, and the covers use fabrics from a mill certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (03.T.3239).

**A common question:** Will the foam smell when the sofa arrives?

**The workshop's answer:** The shop says its foam has no odor and recorded one smell complaint in about 3,000 sofa orders. If yours smells, wash the covers and air the foam for several days; persistent cases got replacement foam.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Is HR cold foam the same thing as high-density foam?

On this sofa, it counts as both. The base mattresses are HR cold foam at T28 and ILD 42, which the workshop also calls high-density foam. Each block sits in its own inner cover under the removable outer cover.

### Do the back cushions use the same foam as the seat?

No. The seat layers are T28 HR cold foam, while the back cushions are softer, filled with silicone ball fiber, so leaning back feels gentler than sitting down.

### What ILD counts as firm?

Roughly 25 to 35 feels medium and 45 to 55 feels firm. An ILD of 42 sits at the soft edge of firm, which matches the workshop's description of the seat as firm but comfortable.

## Related at the atelier

- [Is the floor sofa cold foam or regular high-density foam?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cold-foam-vs-high-density-foam-floor-sofa/): The floor sofa uses cold foam: its base mattresses are HR (high-resilience) cold foam at T28 density with an ILD of 42.
- [What density foam is inside a floor sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-foam-density/): Floor sofa seat mattresses use 28-density high-density foam, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³): a medium-hard flexi foam that stays comfortable and lasts for years without collapsing.
- [Does the new foam smell when it arrives?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/new-foam-cushion-smell-airing-out/): The workshop says its cushion foam has no odor, and it has recorded only one smell complaint in about 3,000 sofa orders.
- [Modular Floor Sofa in Slate Blue: One Plain Among Patterns](https://cushionguide.com/readings/slate-blue-linen-look-floor-sofa-block-arms/): When you mix patterns around a modular floor sofa, keep the sofa itself plain and let the art and rug carry the pattern.
- [Modular Floor Sofa in Cream and Rust Velvet, No Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-rust-velvet-floor-sofa-pampas-jute-rug/): A two-color velvet modular floor sofa usually looks best without piping, because the change from cream to rust already draws the line where the pieces meet.
- [Modular Floor Sofa in Sage and Cream Velvet, Among Plants](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-velvet-floor-sofa-botanical-plant-room/): A sage and cream velvet modular floor sofa suits a plant-filled room because the sage ends read as one more leaf tone while the cream seat stays the palest, most restful spot.
- [Foam density vs firmness: why a dense foam can still feel soft](https://cushionguide.com/guides/foam-density-vs-firmness-ild/)
- [Can you sleep on a floor sofa? Bed size, firmness and sheets](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-bed-size-firmness/)

*— Hana*

---

Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/t28-ild-42-vs-t30-ild-45-sofa-foam/