Thread: Hancock & Moore Cushions

Shown here are the two most popular cushion cores, the standard Dupont Quaalex foam core that comes on most leather pieces and the optional Ultra Down cushion available as an extra cost option.

The Ultra Down as you can see is a layer of down and feathers encased in a ticking and placed over a foam core on one side only.

Thanks for adding these photos, Duane...now I know what to expect in our Journey sectional! Is it done yet? <chortle, chortle>

Tammy

Here's an update to the "cushion" story at Hancock and Moore. I spent a lot of time talking cushion cores with Jimmy Moore last Thursday at the factory, as I was getting conflicting information from different people at H&M so I wanted to get a firm understanding of it all from The Man who knows.

Nothing is kept in stock on cushion cores. Everything is ordered "just in time" and there are daily deliveries of cores. So if you place an order for a piece and then 10 or 14 days later decide to change cores, then they have to stop production and order new ones, which will delay your build until they are made. The cushion core maker builds them to order as well, and does not keep them in stock.

The standard core in leather is Dupont Qualux, as you probably already knew. It's a specialty poly/ dac core designed for durability and consistency. There are additional cost cushion upgrades available which are described elsewhere on the forum.

The density of the foam is 16 oz., then 21 oz, 28 oz, 36 oz, 44 oz and so on up to 90 oz.

The standard seat core is 16 oz and the back cores will vary depending on the style and form of the piece. Loose cushion pieces will be 16 oz or 21 oz, and tight backs covered with 28 oz foam. A button- tufted tight top ottoman will have 44 oz under the leather.

When you ask for extra firm cores you are going to get 21 oz in the seat and one step up in the back (if desired). If you want extra/extra firm then you will get the 28 oz. They will make it the way you want it, but take it easy because otherwise your new piece will feel as hard as a park bench, and you don't want that.

If you want more fullness (crown) in a cushion, that is extra-full and again at no up charge. Standard cushion wrap is done of 1/2" specialty fiber and they will wrap it with 3/4" instead.

H&M is unique in that they will furnish the original purchaser with free cushion cores as long as they own the piece should the original ones compress and fail. Simply unzip the casing, throw the old ones away and replace with new. You don't even have to pay shipping. However, they will only replace in kind to the original order, so if you ordered extra firm (21 oz) and decide they are too firm and you want standard 16 oz cores, they will not replace those free of charge in most cases.

While on the subject of cushions, most people attribute a sagging seating area to poor cushion cores. However, what
has most likely failed is not the cores, but the webbing has lost it it's tautness and gone soft, either due to inferior webbing material or the frame no longer hold the webbing tight. If the webbing is not tight, the springs no longer have a firm base of support and the seating area sags. A strong frame and drum tight webbing is the key to longevity on an 8 way hand tied piece. Those features cost more and unfortunately you can't see inside the pieces but have to rely on your dealer to know.

From the H&M Catalog, describing the various cushion options.

From the H&M Catalog, describing the various cushion options.

I notice when looking at market photos most pieces are equipped with "ultra down", is this because it gives the best impression of instant comfort?

Have you ever had any memory foam pieces run across your store?

I am pretty happy with the standards. They are a tad on the stiff side(and I mean barely) "right now" but I think they should be perfect once broken in.

HA! Its because the CEO of H&M likes Ultra Down cores! So all the pieces at Market have them...simple as that.

I've never sold the first Memory Down cushion on any brand of furniture. I don't like that stuff, it leaves impressions and makes for a 'warm' or 'hot' sit (or sleep if in a mattress).

Yes, the regular cores will most definitely break in. About end of July....

Originally Posted by drcollie

HA! Its because the CEO of H&M likes Ultra Down cores! So all the pieces at Market have them...simple as that.

I've never sold the first Memory Down cushion on any brand of furniture. I don't like that stuff, it leaves impressions and makes for a 'warm' or 'hot' sit (or sleep if in a mattress).

Yes, the regular cores will most definitely break in. About end of July....

Since I am home most of the day, I try and sit in every seat for a little while, to help break them in..heh

Duane,
What are your thoughts on the down cushions, for seat and back? Are they worth the cost? Do they make the couch much more comfortable?

I've sat in a down filled couch, and it was very comfortable....but I don't want a sofa that looks "saggy" over time. Will the down cushions hold up?

Thanks,
Amanda

Its like asking which shoes are the most comfortable. I can tell you want I like, but I can't say what you would like...its really individual preference. Myself, I prefer the firmer sit of the standard core, but a lot of folks say Ultra Down is a must-have. You need to try them out and decide for yourself if at all possible.

The H&M Ultra Down is pictured at the top of this thread. As you can see its built on the standard foam core, so yes - it holds up. It will result in the leather appearing more 'relaxed' and 'puddled' over time. If a core does wear out and is no longer resilient, H&M will replace free of charge to the original owner only. That's why its important to register your new H&M pieces with them either via mail on on-line.

My two cents on this; when we originally ordered the sofa I did so with the ultra down cushions - then changed my mind and had the regular firm cushions put thru with the order. Why? Because I did not like the "puddling affect" that we saw at the store, and I was not about to get up from the sofa each day on the particular cushion I would be sitting on - and have to straighten it out, day in and day out. Even with the firm cushion that will still be an issue, as Duane has stated to me, all leather gives (stretches) to some extent. But with what I saw after sitting on the City Sofa, no way would I want to be straightening that out constantly. Now the softness of the feel of them was great - but my sofa I have now has soft cushions, and as we are getting older, that is becoming an issue for us - so the firmer cushion is a better choice for us personally. So one would really as Duane stated go sit on pieces that have each type in them, to determine what you would prefer. And look at the piece after sitting on it for a short while - get up look at the leather - then say do I want that look after yourself and/or others have sat on it. I'm hoping the firmer cushions won't give me that "puddled effect" as easily - so that is why the change in the order. The City Sofa we sat on in the store had only been there for 4 weeks, according to Duane.