What It Is, Why It Works, And The 5 Key Things To Look For When Buying A Memory Foam Bed Or Topper. While memory foam was developed for NASA in the 1970's, it didn't hit the consumer market until the early 1990's - first as memory foam mattress topper pads, and later used in memory foam mattresses. Since then, memory foam mattresses have become the fastest growing segment in the mattress industry. With every year, you see more and more companies selling memory foam mattresses and topper pads, and it is very difficult, even for those of us in the industry, to keep up with all the new memory foam products being introduced. What is a consumer to do? 1. Brief History Of Memory Foam And Why Not All Memory Foam Created Equal - Some Just More Comfortable And Sleeps Cooler Than Others 2. How To Choose Between Different Memory Foams 3. What To Look For In A Memory Foam Mattress Or Topper, And When You Might Need To Get A New Mattress In this guide, I'm going to do my best to give you the straight story on what memory foam is, how it works, and what to look for in memory foam (density and quality, memory foam toppers versus memory foam mattresses, etc.).
Armed with the information, I hope you are able to find just the right memory foam mattress, topper pad, or other product that fits your needs. Where the mattress industry so often sells on hype about latest greatest technology, I wanted to concentrate on actual, verifiable information when putting together this guide. So before we go into the details about memory foam, I thought it was important to first look at the bottom line -- how does memory foam compare to standard innerspring mattresses for comfort. And what is great about the internet is that these days you can cut through the hype to see the actual data on this -- real reviews, by real folks, trying out the mattresses in their own homes. And while it was hard to get this kind of objective information back in '94 when I was first starting out selling memory foam after it helped me with my back pain, in 2014 all this information is now at your fingertips, literally. While comfort is subjective, what is no longer subjective is that certain types of mattress are just more comfortable than others.
And you don't have to take my word for it, or any other mattress retailer. The numbers don't lie. Based on over 22,000 real people's mattress experiences, the meta site Sleep Like the Dead found that in analyzing this information that memory foam mattresses received the highest level of customer satisfaction of any mattress type at 81%. In contrast, only 64% of innerspring owners said they were satisfied. That is a huge difference, and shows the simple reason why memory foam has gained such popularity -- it delivers comfort in a way that far surpasses the standard innerspring mattress. Where did memory foam come from and what gives memory foam its unique comfort properties? It is an interesting story and starts with the space program. But these days there are lots of different foamers making memory foam, and while they are all referred to as "memory foam", they have different formulations and in terms of comfort and sleeping cool memory foams are definitely not created equal -- which I will cover in our next section.
Next > Brief History of Memory Foam, And Why Not All Memory Foam Created Equal - Some Memory Foam Is Just More Comfortable And Sleeps Cooler Than Others A flat and firm mattress guarantees a good night’s sleep. While the mattress you picked out might have been perfect for you originally, your mattress will soften over time. Not only can a too-soft mattress be uncomfortable, but also it can cause back issues. Prevent or fix a mattress that's lost its firmness by following these simple tips. Preventing a Too-Soft Mattress Step 1 – Controlling the Temperature If you can regulate the temperature in your bedroom, you can combat your mattress getting softer faster. The warmer the temperature in your room, the softer the mattress will get. Colder temperatures make it easier for mattresses to retain their firmness, so keep your room cool. Step 2 – Providing Adequate Support If your mattress has inadequate support, it will go soft more quickly. Make sure your mattress has adequate support, like a plywood base, and never simply put the mattress on the floor.
Fixing a Too-Soft Mattress Step 1 – Buying a Mattress Topper A mattress topper is a cushion-like pad that goes on top of your mattress. You can purchase ones in varying prices and qualities. Memory foam is a popular choice. Most toppers come with a strap that can be wound around the corner of the existing mattress, so that it doesn’t move. Place a topper on your too-soft mattress to fix the issue without having to invest in a completely new mattress. Step 2 – Replacing the Existing Plywood Before replacing the plywood under your mattress, check with your manufacturer for their recommendations. Then, if appropriate, purchase some plywood that has the same measurements as the mattress. Make sure the plywood is not treated, and that it has been sanded for even edges and sides. Replace the existing plywood on your mattress with the new one. Use the same type of materials on the new plywood that was used to secure the old plywood. Step 3 – Replace the Box Spring
Box springs are known for giving in to the wear and tear of daily use. If your box spring is losing functionality or if it's broken, replace it with another quality box spring to restore the original firmness. In addition, this will help raise the height of the mattress, giving you a firmer and flatter surface to sleep on.A mattress topper, also referred to as a pillow-top mattress or mattress pad, is a (thin) mattress that you lay on top of your regular mattress. There are several reasons to purchase a talalay latex mattress topper, such as having an old mattress, or one which does not fulfill your personal needs. Putting a mattress topper on top of your current one will offer you a variety of benefits: First of all, the upgrade provides additional support and firmness to your old mattress.In addition, you will be able to keep your old mattress underneath clean. FIND A RETAILERGives additional support and firmness to old mattress (upgrade)Keeps mattress underneath clean All of the benefits of the Vita Talalay® Foam can be credited to our production process and the pure natural materials we use, which create our unique round and open cell structure.
The round and open cell structure has three main benefits: ventilation, softness, and support. The benefits of having the most breathable comfort material in the world are that the products will keep you cool in summers while keeping you warm in winters. The benefits of having the most breathable comfort material in the world are that the products will keep you cool in summers while keeping you warm in winters.In addition, the ventilation characteristic provides hygiene benefits, such as bacteria resistance and hypoallergenic features. Furthermore, the softness benefit relieves not only pressure and pain in bones, joints and muscles, but also provides optimum comfort through our custom sizes, materials and densities. Finally, our foam adapts to your body due to its elastic characteristic, providing perfect support from head to toe. To learn more about our unique production process, please click .Mattress toppers are not only for older mattresses. If your new mattress doesn’t completely meet your personal needs in terms of support,a topper can offer an excellent solution because it can make your current mattress softer, for example.
You can change the support of your mattress with a Vita Talalay latex mattress topper.If two people with different weights or support preferences want to sleep on one mattress, two different talalay latex mattress toppers can offer the ideal solution.You can determine individual firmness by actually choosing two talalay latex mattress toppers with different degrees of firmness.A mattress topper will keep the mattress underneath cleaner. The cover of the topper is usually easy to zip off so that you can wash it on a regular basis.The mattress cover is much more difficult to wash since it is larger, and not as easy to put back on the main mattress.If your current mattress isn’t offering as much support as it used to, or is starting to form slight indentations, a talalay latex mattress topper can offer the perfect solution. This only works if the layer underneath is still durable, and offers enough upward pressure (support).A talalay latex mattress topper improves the support offered by the mattress, resulting in more support and fewer pressure points.