A compression test is any test in which a material experiences opposing forces that push inward upon the specimen from opposite sides or is otherwise compressed, “squashed”, crushed, or flattened. The test sample is generally placed in between two plates that distribute the applied load across the entire surface area of two opposite faces of the test sample and then the plates are pushed together by a universal test machine causing the sample to flatten. A compressed sample is usually shortened in the direction of the applied forces and expands in the direction perpendicular to the force. A compression test is essentially the opposite of the more common tension test.

Tensile Testing is a form of tension testing and is a destructive engineering and materials science test whereby controlled tension is applied to a sample until it fully fails. This is one of the most common mechanical testing techniques. It is used to find out how strong a material is and also how much it can be stretched before it breaks. This test method is used to determine yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, ductility, strain hardening characteristics, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio.

Shear testing is performed to determine the shear strength of a material. It measures the maximum shear stress that may be sustained before a material will rupture. Shear is typically reported as MPa (psi) based on the area of the sheared edge.

Flexure (Bend) tests are generally used to determine the flexural modulus or flexural strength of a material. A flexure test is more affordable than a tensile test and test results are slightly different. The material is laid horizontally over two points of contact (lower support span) and then a force is applied to the top of the material through either one or two points of contact (upper loading span) until the sample fails. The maximum recorded force is the flexural strength of that particular sample.

Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) tests measure firmness of flexible polyurethane foam cushions. High IFD test results imply increased hardness. Low IFD results indicate soft foam products. Note that the term IFD, or indentation force deflection, is interchangeable with ILD, or indentation load deflection.