A sofa is mostly air. Roll-packing is the only lever that changes that — and it is also the lever that separates a supplier who has tested their foam from one who has only bought a vacuum machine. This page covers the economics, the recovery data, and how the duty and compliance lane works for wood-free sofas.
The freight math that decides the margin
A conventional 3-seat sofa occupies 1.4–1.8 m³ shipped. Roll-packed, the same seat ships in 0.55–0.75 m³. At a sea freight rate of $2,400 per 40HQ, with a 40HQ holding 68 m³, conventional sofas cost roughly $50–63 per unit in freight. Roll-packed, the same unit costs $19–26. On a $95 FOB sofa that is the difference between a comfortable and a marginal landed price.
| Shipped as | Volume per 3-seat unit | Units per 40HQ | Freight per unit @ $2,400/40HQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional carton | 1.4–1.8 m³ | 38–48 | $50–63 |
| Roll-packed, low compression | 0.85–1.05 m³ | 65–80 | $30–37 |
| Roll-packed, high compression | 0.55–0.75 m³ | 90–123 | $19–26 |
Does the foam survive? The only question that matters
Compression is safe for high-resilience moulded foam and destructive for cheap low-density foam. Low-density foam compressed for six weeks recovers to the right shape and the wrong feel — it stays soft, and the customer blames the brand, not the packing.
What we do differently: foam is specified at 32–45 kg/m³ high-resilience, each batch is compressed and released as a test, and the 72-hour rebound height is recorded against the batch reference. If the rebound figure is not on the file, the batch does not ship. Ask any roll-pack supplier for that number; the ones who cannot produce it have not tested.
Indicative specification
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Construction | Moulded foam core on powder-coated steel frame, or foam-only frame for ottomans and poufs |
| Modules | Corner, single, double, chaise, ottoman — combinations built from a fixed module set so retail and project configurations share tooling |
| Fabric | Polyester, bouclé, velvet, linen-look, wipe-clean vinyl · 30,000–50,000 Martindale |
| Fire performance | EN 1021-1/-2, UK 1988 Schedule 4 Part 1 available · BS 5852 crib 5 on request |
| HS code | 9401 71 (metal frame) / 9401 79 (other non-wood frame) · 0% EU duty |
| EUDR | Out of scope — no wood or wood-derived components, written declaration per SKU |
| MOQ | 50 pcs per SKU, counted at module level · sample order 1–2 pcs |
| FOB price band | $28–120 depending on module size, foam density, fabric and fire build |
| Lead time | 40–50 days after deposit and signed PP sample |
| Packing | Vacuum-rolled in printed retail carton with assembly instructions · carton print and languages set at order stage |
Why "no wood" is a commercial advantage, not a detail
From 30 December 2026, any wood component in a product placed on the EU market pulls that product into the EU Deforestation Regulation — species identification, country and region of harvest, plot-level geolocation, legality proof and a due diligence statement. A foam-and-steel sofa has none of that. It also sits outside the US Lacey Act's wood declaration requirement and outside TSCA Title VI, which matters if the same programme serves both regions.
The design discipline is simple: no plywood seat pan, no wood feet, no MDF armrest insert. Where a design needs a timber look, we use a steel core with a foil or laminate finish and declare it correctly. Full EUDR checklist for importers →
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