Foam Padding for Safer Children's Toys and Furniture
The children's furniture market is huge, with products from high chairs and toy boxes to wooden seats and push-along cars, much of it tailored to certain ages. Even so, some parents and guardians are understandably cautious about certain toys and items, particularly harder pieces that may still present a hazard in some circumstances.
Padding hard toys and furniture
One of the best ways to mitigate the risks of items made from harder materials such as wood and plastic is to add foam padding. This needn't be bulky or unappealing: using our foam cut to size tool, components and supports can be ordered to exact specifications and covered with suitable fabrics and designs, and different types of foam can be chosen for a particular use or level of protection. Our guide to soft-play and playpen foam has more on child-safe padding.
High-chair cushions
A common item that often needs more padding is a high chair. With Nordic-style chairs growing in popularity, such as the wooden Stokke Tripp Trapp, seat pads and back rests are a frequent query among parents online. The brand's own cushions aren't cheap and come in a limited range of designs, but by entering the identical specifications into our cut-to-size tool, or sharing a template with the eFoam team, a high-quality cushion can be made at a fraction of the cost. With a custom order you can also choose your exact foam and firmness, from soft to dense, with memory foam an option too.
Padding a ride-on car
A classic children's toy that remains popular is the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car. Suitable from 18 months, its hard surfaces make some guardians wary, so you can use two medium-high density foam sheets to pad the seat lining. For a little more room, we'd recommend two 50cm by 50cm squares and a wipe-clean PVC material to cover the foam:
- Order two squares of medium-high density foam, around 50cm by 50cm.
- Cover the foam with a wipe-clean PVC material.
- Using a strong, clear adhesive, affix two Velcro strips to the base of the seat.
- Secure the matching Velcro strips to the underside of the covered pad, so it fixes in place yet lifts out easily for cleaning.
This Velcro approach works for any high chair or toy where you'd like removable padding. Our guide to educational foam toys has more child-friendly ideas. To order foam for your child's toys or furniture, please contact one of our friendly advisers.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make children's furniture safer with foam?
Hard items made from wood or plastic can be made safer with foam padding. Using a cut-to-size tool, components and supports can be ordered to exact specifications and covered with suitable fabrics, and different foam grades can be chosen for the level of protection you need.
Can you make a custom high-chair cushion?
Yes. For a Nordic-style chair such as the Stokke Tripp Trapp, you can replicate the exact specifications in a cut-to-size tool or send a template, and choose your foam and firmness – from soft to dense, with memory foam an option – at a fraction of the brand's cost.
How do you pad a ride-on car like a Cozy Coupe?
Use two roughly 50cm by 50cm medium-high density foam sheets to pad the seat, cover them in wipe-clean PVC, and attach them with Velcro strips so the padding is secure but removable for cleaning.
