Which is the Best Mattress of 2017?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 OthersThis is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.Any tips to get the most for my money? Is there a buying guide on /r/pf? (self.personalfinance)submitted by My wife and I are planning to buy a mattress this weekend. Are there places I should avoid? Is there a mattress buying guide you recommend? I read the one on consumer reports. edit: This sub is always so helpful. Thanks for all the replies! π Rendered by PID 90112 on app-636 at 2017-03-07 00:23:27.958210+00:00 running 0816123 country code: SG.Originally developed by NASA as a versatile material for astronauts, memory foam has made its way into bedrooms all across the country. Memory foam is frequently one of the most expensive options available to bed buyers, but its benefits for those with back pain may be worth the extra money. Memory foam mattresses are known for their ability to conform to the body.
When you lay down, the memory foam softens, bends and relaxes to support every part of your body including your spine. Fully supporting the spine keeps it in proper alignment, relieving back pain issues resulting from poor alignment during sleep. Memory foam also keeps the rest of your body in alignment, reducing stress on your hips and shoulders that may lead to back pain. The visco-elastic nature of memory foam mattresses allows them to conform to any pressure points on your body. Memory foam reacts to the warmth of your body to become softer and more conforming. Pressure points are small surface areas which handle a large proportion of body weight. Traditional pressure points include the hips, shoulders and knees. Memory foam helps cradle these pressure points, which provides additional comfort for your back. Back injuries require adequate rest to heal. The body heals most efficiently when sleeping and as a result, an uninterrupted night of sleep is vitally important to healing back injuries.
Memory foam mattresses offer several qualities that increase comfort. They are temperature sensitive, dissipating or absorbing heat as needed to keep the mattress at a comfortable temperature. They are hypo-allergenic which benefits those who suffer from allergies while sleeping. Finally, because they absorb energy and pressure so well, the movements and shifting motions of others will not wake you up, allowing for more restful sleep. Consider using a standard mattress with a memory foam topper. Most bed and bath stores will carry simple, thin memory foam mattresses that you place on top of your mattress. Memory foam toppers come in sizes from 1 to 5 inches thick. Memory foam toppers are also more affordable than full memory foam mattresses yet still provide many of the same health benefits. They are available in the same sizes of standard mattresses including twin, double, queen and king. Memory foam is not just found in mattresses, but pillows as well. Memory foam pillows are a significant change from the soft feather pillows most people are used to.
However, the firm memory foam pillows may provide additional neck support that many people need for a good night's rest. For those who have neck soreness after sleeping or difficulty with sleep apnea, a memory foam pillow may help to elevate the head and support the neck. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Recommended Mattresses for Children What Firmness of Mattress Is Best for a Toddler? What Ages Are Toddler Beds Designed For? Urethane Foam Health Effects The Best Beds for Your Back Possible Complications of Back Pain How to Roll Out Your Back How to Turn Crib Into Toddler Bed 3 Foam-Rolling Mistakes You Might Be Making Mattresses & Back Pain Foam Roller Exercises for the Neck How Do I Know What Type of Mattress Is Best for Me?