All About Memory Foam Mattresses Memory foam mattresses are one of the most popular choices for people in need of a good night’s sleep. Imagine a responsive, supportive material hugging you as you slumber! As Oregon's top memory foam mattress retailer, we can give you the inside scoop on this popular bed type and help you decide if a memory foam mattress may be right for your sleep needs. Get Your Free Sleep Analysis, and Start Sleeping Better Tonight! What is memory foam? NASA developed memory foam, made from a substance called viscoelastic, as a comfortable airplane seat back in the 1960s. The memory foam mattresses we sell at our 11 locations in the Portland area – including Canby, Salem, Clackamas, Wilsonville, Beaverton, Gresham and Happy Valley – conform to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, and this same material can be found in everything from helmet cushioning to shoes. Consumers who choose memory foam typically love the: Pressure reduction: Since the foam layers mold to your unique body shape, even as you shift around through the night, there are no pressure points (as with specifically placed coils).
Reducing pressure supports proper spinal alignment and can greatly limit muscle pain. The National Sleep Foundation says that more “giving” mattresses like memory foam contribute to better rest for back pain sufferers. Quiet night’s sleep: Memory foam absorbs movement, so your partner can toss and turn all night long and you won’t be awakened by the disturbance. With your new bed, those squeaky coil sounds will soon become a distant memory! Minimizing extra movement is especially helpful for older people who awaken many times throughout the night. No maintenance: Hate flipping your bed and rotating it every so often to avoid sagging? You will never have to perform this maintenance with the best memory foam mattresses, as there are no coils to roll around on and crush. Hypoallergenic: Worry about dust-mites no more! They may be able to burrow deep into your innerspring mattress, but they cannot penetrate through a solid block of foam. Memory foam may not be for everyone.
A few common complaints include: Temperature: If you tend to be a hot, sweaty sleeper, then memory foam may not be ideal. Though technology has come a long way in making memory foam beds more comfortable, the fact that the material conforms to your body can still make you feel warmer on a hot summer’s night than other mattresses. Chemicals: Some people say the foam emits an unpleasant “chemical” smell. One solution is to “air out” a new mattress for at least 24 hours before placing sheets on it. Find a store near you! Does memory foam last longer? On average, memory foam beds hold up better than innerspring mattresses over time. Only 11 percent of consumers who purchased a top memory foam brand reported “premature softening” over the lifespan of the bed – which is half the number of innerspring mattress owners. Memory foam may break down faster than latex; most memory foam mattresses will last about 10 years, while you may get 15 out of a latex bed.
A memory foam mattress may be the ideal solution if you: Experience back or joint pain Have issues with bed sores Toss and turn a lot at night (or sleep with a partner who does) Try the best memory foam mattresses for yourself in the Portland area Ultimately, a bed that “just feels right” is the most important factor for most consumers. At one of our 11 showrooms in Portland, Canby, Salem, Clackamas, Wilsonville, Beaverton, or Gresham, you can try out a number of the best memory foam mattresses to feel the difference in comfort and quality for yourself. Our expert-recommended top sellers include the Sealy Posturpedic and Optimum lines, as well as the Simmons Beautyrest and Comforpedic lines. We offer a comfort guarantee, where you may exchange your mattress for a different make or model if you are unsatisfied with the feel of your new memory foam mattress after testing it out for 60 days. Visit us today at a Mattress World Northwest near you! More Memory Foam Mattress Resources:
Lets you sleep with peace of mind for many years to come. "Highest in customer satisfaction with mattresses 2 years in a row" as ranked by J.D. Power SOME REQUIRED FORMS NEED YOUR ATTENTION † For research and clinical studies,Find the technology tested in the clinical studies in Sleep Number® c2, p5, p6, i8 and i10 mattresses. †† Results from a 2015 Sleep Number survey of 1,797 customers asked about their likelihood to recommend Sleep Number to a friend, family member, or colleague.Our one of a kind memory foam mattress is available in five firmness levels, so you can be comfortable whether you sleep on your side, back, or mixed. Not sure which is right for you? Check out our buying guide that will help you find the perfect mattress.Mattress Collection and Recycling Locations Residents and businesses: search What Do I Do With...? for local mattress recycling locations. Used mattresses destined for landfill disposal. It is estimated that upwards of 40 million mattresses with box springs are disposed in the U.S. each year1, with each piece taking up to 40 cubic feet of landfill space.
King County's transfer stations and landfill received about 90,000 mattresses weighing more than 3000 tons for disposal in 2011.2 A California study (external) calculated that the collection and recycling of all of the 4.2 million mattresses and box springs estimated to be thrown out annually in California would create roughly 1,000 jobs, while greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by between 130,000 and 190,000 metric tons (carbon dioxide equivalent). According to estimates from the mattress industry's International Sleep Products Association (PDF 108KB), landfills lose money when mattresses are landfilled because municipal solid waste compacts much more than mattresses. In addition, Greater Vancouver Regional District (external, PDF), British Columbia, found that mattresses can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to long-haul vehicles and to transfer station and landfill equipment. Alternatives to mattress disposal include recycling, charitable donation for reuse, and refurbishing for resale or donation.
While recycling options are currently limited in the Pacific Northwest, there is great potential for recycling. Mattresses are made up of several recyclable materials, including polyurethane foam, cotton, wood and steel coils (see the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (external) for more on mattress components). Several organizations in Washington State disassemble and recycle mattresses: Spring Back Mattress Recycling Northwest (external) works in King and Pierce Counties and Arlington Recycle Warehouse (external) works in Snohomish County. (Note that Correctional Industries, of the Washington State Department of Corrections, no longer recycles mattresses as of August 1, 2014, R5 Systems, Inc. went out of business in early 2014, and A Plus Removal and Recycling closed in late 2015.) There are three mattress recyclers in the Vancouver, B.C. area and one in Eugene, Ore. (See mattress resources for more information.) In addition, Parklane Mattresses provides mattress collection and recycling through St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Ore., in the Portland-Vancouver, Wash. metropolitan area.