Art House Mark Ham

Public seating requires more resilience than virtually any other comfort industry product. Seating like restaurant booths, bar seating, and pews in churches are used and abused constantly, but still expected to last for years.

While the covering fabrics on seats take the initial hit of abuse, the seat padding on the inside is what affects usability and ultimately determines when a seat is beyond use. If a seat looks a little worn but still feels great, people will forget as soon as they sit down, and life proceeds as normal. But if a barstool or restaurant booth have padding that’s worn out and uncomfortable, the nicest upholstery won’t matter; nobody will want to sit on them. Because of this, it’s important to get durable, top-quality seat cushioning materials when outfitting public seating.

When brand-new, every foam product will feel comfortable and durable, whether it was made to be soft or firm. But quality of foam varies formulation to formulation, with some materials made to last, and others that are more affordable and made for occasional-use situations. For commercial and public seating, bonded foam is built to last, formed from shredded foam and held together with adhesive. This foam is very firm and durable, making it perfect for use as carpet padding. But it really shines as padding under vinyl-covered seats in bars and restaurants, as it will support customers while lasting for years.

Another set of options for maximum durability are the softer closed-cell foams, like certain styles of gym rubber. These materials typically lack the cushion of open-cell foam, but still provide a degree of softness while offering superior durability. These materials are perfect for heavy-use bar stools, where any padding is a better option over hard wood. Whether open or closed-cell foam is used, high-quality and durable padding for commercial and public seating is an investment is worth its while over years of use.