Overview
EN ISO 5999:2013 (ISO 5999:2013) specifies requirements for flexible load‑bearing polyurethane foam of the polyether type. It applies to foams produced as blocks, sheets, strips, moulded or fabricated shapes, and reconstituted material used for load‑bearing, comfort‑cushioning applications - explicitly excluding carpet backing and underlay. The document is the European adoption of the ISO standard and supersedes the 2007 edition.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard sets out classification, material requirements, test methods and inspection/marking provisions. Major technical topics include:
- Classification by type, class and grade
- Types include block (conventional, high‑resilience, low‑resilience/viscoelastic), moulded (conventional, high‑resilience, low‑resilience) and reconstituted foams.
- Quality and construction requirements covering surface condition, odour, colour, component mass and density, and dimensions.
- Physical performance requirements such as hardness (indentation), resilience, compression set and tensile strength.
- Durability via fatigue testing (constant‑load pounding) and ageing tests (heat and humidity).
- Safety: burning behaviour requirements and guidance on flame performance.
- Test methods referenced or specified for key properties - mass, density, dimensions, hardness, resilience, compression set, dynamic fatigue, tensile behaviour, burning tests and ageing.
- Inspection and marking rules for type and shipping inspection, and information to accompany supplied material.
Practical applications
EN ISO 5999:2013 is intended for materials used in load‑bearing comfort cushioning. Typical application areas (illustrated in the standard’s annex) include:
- Furniture and seating (sofas, office chairs)
- Mattresses and bedding components
- Automotive and transport seating interiors
- Other load‑bearing cushioning products where consistent foam performance is required
The standard helps ensure predictable comfort, durability and safety performance for end‑use products.
Who should use this standard
- Foam manufacturers - to classify and certify product ranges.
- Product designers and specifiers - to select appropriate foam types and grades.
- Test laboratories - to perform the referenced standard tests.
- Procurement and quality teams - to write specifications, acceptance criteria and supplier contracts.
- Regulators and compliance officers - to reference recognized test and performance methods.
Related standards
EN ISO 5999:2013 cross‑references several normative test standards, including (but not limited to):
Using EN ISO 5999:2013 provides a harmonized basis for specifying, testing and comparing polyurethane foam used in load‑bearing cushioning applications.