What is Memory Foam & Its Use in Mattresses?

What is Memory Foam & Its Use in Mattresses?

Memory foam crashed from outer space into our bedrooms revolutionizing the bedding world, offering far better sleep comfort than was previously available. NASA developed memory foam to ease the pressure of extreme G-forces during space shuttle takeoffs. Strangely enough, it was never used in the space program. Known originally as T-foam, memory foam gave off too much obnoxious gas for it to be used in closed environments such as a bedroom. Also, T-foam was not very durable because it would eventually compress or crack over time.

Shortly after, Robert B. Trussell, the founder of Tempur-Pedic, a small Swedish company, was introduced to the memory foam concept and he instantly saw its potential. In just a few months, Tempur-Pedic refined its own version of memory foam called TEMPUR. The manufacturing process was quite expensive and the mattress was only sold to medical establishments with patients that suffered from severe back problems or pressure point pain. Amazingly, doctors noted that the patients showed a drastic improvement in their sleep patterns. Tempur-Pedic soon realized the vast amount of profit that could be made by selling memory foam mattresses to the general public. Thus, the company further refined its manufacturing process to reduce its costs enabling them to offer affordable memory foam mattress to general consumers. It is most commonly found in pillows, mattresses, and mattress bed toppers or pads. And yet, memory foam is still used in wheelchair seat cushions, hospital bed pillows, and padding for patients that suffer from continuous pain or postural problems.

How does memory foam work?

Put simply, it conforms to the exact shape of a person’s body. For many years, foam has been used in mattresses. Foam compresses under body weight and later springs back to its original shape. However, memory foam mattresses not only compress, but they mold to the shape of sleeper’s body. Memory foam cells employ an open cell structure meaning the cells of foam have holes in them. These holes compress fully and spread their air pressure to adjoining cells. This feature of memory foam is what really helps to reduce pressure points. Along with yielding underweight, the memory foam mattress cells are heat sensitive. The more heat that is applied, the more the cells compress. Thus, temperature sensitivity helps the memory foam mattress further to conform to the exact shape of the sleeper’s body.

Are all memory foam the same?

No way! Many manufacturers claim to make memory foam mattresses, yet the cell structure of their memory foam isn’t always the same. Many products are made of low-density memory foam or layered with other cheaper foam products to keep the costs down. The mattress should have at least 3 inches of 5 lb. density memory foam. Although the thickness of 2 inches may be adequate, a 3-inch memory foam mattress provides better comfort. Some think that buying thicker is always better but that’s not the case with memory foam. Since it is a soft material, it can loosen its shape over time. Even though you can buy a 4-inch memory foam mattress bed topper, expect to replace this after a couple years.

Although Tempur-Pedic firstly cornered memory foam mattress market, today, a host of companies have since sprung up. It raises the question ‘Is Tempur-Pedic still the best out there?’ Most consumers note some hesitation when considering purchasing Tempur-Pedic memory foam mattress due to high price tag. A queen-sized mattress offered by Tempur-Pedic starts at approximately 1,200 dollars which includes two layers of 5-lb density foam comprising of 8-inch thick mattress with a 20-year limited warranty and a 90 day at-home trial period. The price only increases from there with their top-of-the-line model costing approximately $5,500 because of extra support, comfort and base layers of memory foam. This model is boasted as being the epitome of comfort and it is guaranteed that consumers will consider their money well spent.

However, how many consumers can easily spend several thousand dollars on a memory foam mattress bed? Presumably, the answer is not many. Thus, for those of us who cannot bear to part with such a large sum of money, the other options must be considered. And in all honesty, most of the other memory foam mattress models out there are extremely comparable in quality of Tempur-Pedic.

Sealy offers a true form bed that comes with a box spring, two foam layers, and a knit mattress cover. A Sealy queen-sized memory foam bed starts at approximately $1,000 with the price topping out at about $1,700. As with all material goods, a higher price indicates the inclusion of more added options, so more expensive model comes with an additional foam layer and a more elaborate mattress cover. Sealy comes with a 20-year limited warranty and it also proudly advertises the fact that their mattresses are treated with a flame retardant. After comparing Sealy and Tempur-Pedic products, many show their preference for Sealy memory foam mattress.

Simmons has also jumped on the memory foam bandwagon with a triple-layer construction model. Their base price for a queen-sized mattress starts at $1400 and climbs to over $2500. Simmons offers various warranties on their different products as opposed to one warranty for all mattresses. Reviews for Simmons mattress are similar to those for Sealy and Tempur-Pedic products with little difference cited between the three manufacturers.

Finally, there are numerous memory foam mattress retailers that are online-only businesses. While it’s difficult to recommend that anyone to buy a mattress without taking it for a test drive, the Isoform mattress made by Bergad has received consistently good reviews. They also offer 20-year limited warranty and 90 day in-home trial period. At the low end, an Isoform queen-sized memory foam mattress costs $800 with the high end mattress costing $1,900. The only drawback to this mattress that consumers frequently cite is that the base models tend to get a bit warm while sleeping. What the beauty of a large market has done in this instance is to offer the consumer an incredible number of choices. And, in turn, various memory foam manufacturers have responded by creating products that are equal or superior in quality to products that have a much higher price tag. At this point in our material-driven world, Tempur-Pedic is no longer the sole answer for consumers wanting to purchase a memory foam mattress bed but it is simply just another option to be considered.

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