Memory Foam Bed Review |
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A Detailed Review of Memory Foam Beds - What's The Hype About?When we say memory foam bed, of course we mean the memory foam mattress component of the bed! So what is memory foam? Well since no one reading this is looking for a chemistry lesson, and I'm in no position to give one, we'll keep it simple. Memory foam, also called visco foam or visco elastic foam is essentially polyurethane foam with some chemicals added that increase its density. The 'magic' happens when you heat the foam up. It reacts to heat, thereby making it a perfect material to sleep on. The principal is when you lie on it, after a short time your body heats the foam mattress up and it moulds to the shape of your body, why is this good? Well in moulding to the contours of your body, it offers uniform support to the body reducing stress concentrations that give you that stiff or sore feeling you wake up with after sleeping on a poor mattress. In essence the memory foam mattress should be heat sensitive as opposed to pressure sensitive like a standard foam or spring mattress. Like a lot of neat little concepts and products that now populate our everyday lives, memory foam has its origins in the NASA space program, however it was first used in commercial mattresses by a company called Tempur-Pedic, who are currently the world leaders in quality memory foam mattress production. The important thing to note is QUALITY. Memory foam is characterised by several parameters or measures of its physical attributes, it's the correct combination of these characteristics that make up a good quality mattress. The first important characteristic of memory foam is its density. This is commonly measured in lb's / cubic foot in the American market and kg's / meter cubed in the European market. Good quality mattress memory foam has a density of 5 lb's / cubic foot (80 kg's / meter cubed). Mattresses with foam of this density will be towards the more expensive end of the market, but will last longer and provide more support than cheaper mattresses with a lower density. Tempur-Pedic produce very high quality mattresses at 8 lb's / cubic foot for ultra high support. These are often recommended by chiropractors for their therapeutic qualities, but are very expensive for general, not medical use. But I suppose considering the amount of time you spend in your bed, you may be willing to spend the extra cash. The next measure of a memory foam mattress is Firmness. This is a measure of the foams resistance to pressure and is known as the foams Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) rating. This is determined by measuring the deflection that occurs in the foam for a given load applied over a given area. The thing to remember about the IFD rating is that it should be between 12 and 14. The final thing to consider when reviewing memory foam mattresses is thickness. A memory foam mattress is actually a multi-layer construction, composed of an upper memory foam layer and a standard spring or foam core. A mattress made entirely of memory foam would be useless, as you would sink too far down into it! The core is required to provide support to the memory foam. A lot of people tend to concern themselves with the overall mattress thickness alone, this is a mistake. It's the thickness of the top memory foam layer that's important. Too thin and the memory foam effect will not be felt as you will sink straight through to the core, too thick and the core will not be able to provide support to the memory foam, and you'll feel like you're sinking too far! So what's the magic number? A memory foam layer typically between three to five inches suits most people, with heavier people opting for thicker foam. If you're going to invest in a memory foam mattress, try and buy from a retailer that offers a trial period, as a memory foam mattress is likely to feel significantly different to your current standard mattress, and after a week or two you might conclude it's just not for you! Many people have also reported a strong 'chemical' or paint smell, from their new mattress, while this should pass in a week or two, it's enough to turn some people off straight away! As well as the 'less than appealing' new mattress smell, people can tend to be turned off by excessive heat buildup, as the memory foam tends to trap body heat more than a conventional mattress. A final word of warning, try to stick to the best manufacturers, namely, Tempur-Pedic or Sleep Aid who receive the best consumer rating and mattress reviews, however the Sealy Posturpedic as well as mattresses by Serta and Sleep Innovations are quite good. There are a lot of imitation merchants out there trying to cash in on unsuspecting shoppers with poor quality foam. Remember, you USUALLY get what you pay for! |
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