Tempur® hate it when you refer to their products as Memory Foam. It’s not memory foam, it is a temperature sensitive pressure relieving material. Because of this, they are very protective over their brand, and rightly so, it’s cost them millions to get to the worldwide familiarity it enjoys today. Let’s dig a bit deeper so you can make your own mind up. Tempur-Pedic International Inc is credited to be the company who trialled and developed so-called memory foam and through extensive advertising and promotion brought the world’s attention to the benefits of this ‘pressure relieving material’. Although the material was developed in the 1970s by NASA, it wasn’t until the early 90s, before Tempur launched this Space Foam Technology for the domestic market. Note: I acknowledge that the original companies involved Dan Foam and Fagerdala World Foams contribution resulted in what is now known to be Tempur World Inc. I use Tempur as a reference to their mattress range and product.
Tempur recently acquired Sealy and are now known as Tempur-Sealy. The acquisition with Sealy took place on 27th Sept 2012. Making the largest bed company in the world. Tempur has several different models with the 20cm ‘Original’ retailing at over £1500 (double) or 22cm Deluxe retailing at over £1700 (Double). High-end stores will have other models such as The Cloud, Tempur’s softest mattress and The Sensation, marketed as a springy medium mattress, with an equally high retail price. Tempur more recently has started rebranding models for certain retailers such as dreams. To keep things simple there are three main models, the original, cloud and sensation. These now come in varying heights and some retailers use their own micro-branding such as the ‘cloud deluxe’ which can lead to more confusion. “Perceived Quality” is a sales technique whereby a purchasing decision is made purely based on price. You are going to assume that the higher priced item is going to be a better quality product.
If a shop has two mattresses side by side, say for example a Tempur mattress and an Ergo-Flex mattress that can be compared as a like for like option, the price asked then becomes the final decisive factor. If a retailer or manufacturer has the balls to ask over £1500 for a product when there are equivalents available for roughly a third of the price, you are going to assume that the quality must be two-thirds better, But Is it? We provide two hybrid foam models that have a comparative feel, ie they feel similar too. They are not made from memory foam or Tempur’s proprietary foam so can’t be thought of as the same as they are different materials. We have used hybrid foams which reduce the issue with heat retentive in memory foam mattresses. They also have a much faster response rate. Feedback shows us that it has the benefits people like from a memory foam mattress but without some of the drawbacks ie heat and being slow to respond. The Hybrid 4 has a similar feel to the Tempur Cloud and the Hybrid 5 has a similar feel to the Tempur Sensation both of which can be found in our online shop.
We have written an article about the comparative feel to Tempur mattresses with our Hybrid range. This article gives much more detail on the makeup and composition of the Hybrid range of mattresses in comparison to the Tempur specifications. One big difference is that our hybrid models all come with removable toppers that allow you to turn them and extend the longevity of your mattress, a drawback often made to Tempurs one sided mattress range.A Tempur bed mattress is recognised to be the market leader, no doubt about it. but this does not mean it will suit everybody. Their ‘material’ has a general density of 85kg/m3 whereas in comparison British Vita Vasco foams have a general density of around 55-70, but British Vita (and other foam converting companies) do have comparable products with densities in excess of 80kg/m3. That said most of the 80kg plus foams are imported in the UK from the far-east as their simply isn’t the market for such dense firm foams, most people want memory foam to be a pressure relieving.
This means the market in bed manufacturing usually uses 40-60kg foams for this purpose. The denser foams found in Tempur and Ergoflex require significant heat, compared to say Latex, to mould so they do get warm and this is one of the main complaints about Tempur and Memory foam products, especially if you’re already a warm sleeper. We have a page that explains all about foam densities and data sheets here. It is understood that in (their words) a standard test (draw your own conclusions as to what this means) the thickness loss of Tempur after 80,000 compressions is less than 5 percent compared to approximately 10-15 percent for a highly elastic polyurethane foam. Personally, I would want to know if a like for like ‘foam’ was used in the test, say a close matched 80–85kg/m3, but cannot find this essential piece of info. I do draw your attention to a clause in Tempur’s guarantee that states any indentation of less than 2cm will not be considered a reason for the claim.
Be aware that as a general rule from all manufacturers, visible and permanent indentations in memory foam of less than 2 – 2.5cm will not be seen as a defect in the mattress. A quick search on the internet will throw up many consumers complaints that it is this very visible indentation that causes them most concern. This is always a concern with memory or pressure relieving foam because all these mattresses are one sided so you only have one side to use. John Ryan models aim to compensate and reduce this by supplying them with turnable removable toppers. Tempur is a highly successful and quality product, what we are asking is, ‘is that quality product worth the price tag?’ Given the alternatives such as the Hybrid mattress range there are plenty of other alternatives to investigate before you part with your cash. If you need any more advice on suitable models please contact us on 0161 945 3757 or visit our shop.Baby, you've got style Thursday 13 November 2008 00:00 GMT
Made With Love Coverlets from Mamas & Papas (prices start from £44). Design-aware parents increasingly demand the best for their babies, and manufacturers and retailers are responding with furnishings and home accessories that are as chic as any "grown-up" equivalents.Take New Yorker David Netto's Cabine Collection, which John Lewis has introduced exclusively at its Oxford Street flagship store and online. The dresser/changer (£895), in natural oak veneer and white lacquer, has four drawers and a partitioned tray on top. Flip the top and the unit moves into adult territory as a smart storage unit. Meanwhile, the Cabine crib (£750) cleverly transforms into a day bed (conversion kit, £175).London's timepressed parents are increasingly turning to comprehensive, design-led nursery collections embracing furniture, curtains, blinds, rugs, lamp shades and picture frames, as well as luxurious blankets and bed linens. Mamas & Papas, for example, has several new ranges this autumn, including Once Upon a Time, a homely collection in neutral colours, and lively Hodge Podge, with orange and lime accents.
With the trend for white furniture continuing its upward curve, the company has designed its new Orchard collection in white-painted poplar with smooth, curved edges. The designs include a sturdy cot/bed (£475), wardrobe (£650), storage chest (£250) and changer/dresser (£475). Parents who cannot decide exactly they need can take advantage of a free advisory service. Parents also want furniture that grows in tandem with their children. Enter Nurseryworks, a Los Angeles- based children's furnishings specialist whose designs are shipped to Europe via Moderntots, an online shopping site. Its flexible designs include the Studio Crib, which has an integral changing table and storage cabinet and will convert into a toddler's day bed and built-in desk as children grow. It costs about £890, plus £125 for the daybed conversion kit.Much less pricy is the Marlow cot bed, which converts from a baby cot to a toddler bed and includes teething rails. It is half price (at £99.99) at Babies R Us.
A wardrobe (£149.99) and dresser £49.99) are available in the same range.For sheer style and practicality it is hard to beat The Little White Company's changing table (£175). This multi-purpose unit - changing table on top with a hanging rail on the side - houses six canvas storage boxes (£16 each).Another practical design is the peg rail (£25) - the perfect place to hang a hat, bodysuit, blanket and matching jersey drawstring bag (£28 a set), introduced this autumn. A wall shelf (£85), bookshelf (£130), bedside table (£110), chest of drawers (£395) and cot bed (£295; mattress, £85) are available in the same range.Portable Moses baskets give new babies a feeling of safety and security. The Little White Company's natural palm basket (£65) comes with a hand-washable mattress and basket liner. An optional pine stand costs £20. But if you are after full-on "ooh" factor, check out the new broderie anglaise Moses basket (£59) at JoJo Maman Bébé. Made from natural palm leaves, it includes a padded liner and carrying handles.
Bright, striped blankets (£16), fleece blankets (£26), cotton cellular blankets (£7) and a bright aeroplane carpet (£49), perfect for a young boy's room, and a cutout daisy rug (£49), fun for a girl's bedroom, are available on www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk.Just as attractive is the range in Cath Kidston's new Cath Kids collection, which includes fabrics, wallpaper and bedding as well as pram blankets (£15) and cot sheets (from £12). A Shooting Stars design cot bumper costs £35, and a reversible quilt is £50.Lulling babies to sleep should be easy with the La Siesta Yayita hammock (£67.95) from Bouncy Happy People. This wool-padded hammock has a removable blanket. Meanwhile, the Bounce Bounce baby entertainer (£69.95) from John Lewis keeps them chuckling.Another company that's keen to up the ante for nurseries is Bobo Kids, a new interiors shop in Chelsea. It stocks an eclectic mix of modern, vintage and designer products. A bright-red bed (from £295) with two under-bed drawers (£70 each) is one of the fun designs available.
"The collection is designed to cultivate young people's tastes, offering modern furniture with adult appeal," says co-founder Julie Hamon.Design-savvy parents should be delighted.Classic and contemporaryWith two months to go before the birth of her first baby, Leanne Gray, 32, decided to turn a small study in her modern four-bedroom house in East Sussex into a nursery. "I was really impressed by the Mamas & Papas store in Regent Street - it's a real one-stop shop, so I ordered everything from the company," she says.Gray chose a cot bed (£475), dresser (£475), wardrobe (£650) and storage chest (£250) from the company's Orchard range. "I love the fact that it's classic yet contemporary," she says. "I love the rounded edges. Everything is solid and built to last."The sides of the cot bed are removable so it can be used until my child is about six years old - I felt this was a really good investment. The wardrobe has ample space, with a large bottom drawer for quilts." Leanne also chose a number of products from Mamas & Papas' Once Upon a Time collection, including a Moses basket on a stand (£99), tab-top lined curtains (£70) and wool rug (£60).