Confused With The Options In Memory Foam Mattresses? Get It Clarified Here!

Confused With The Options In Memory Foam Mattresses? Get It Clarified Here!

If you are shopping for a mattress then it is one of the best times. In the past few years, there have been enormous technological advances in this industry. That has opened up a whole lot of options if you are looking for quality mattresses. Among the many options, the most popular type is memory foam. There are various types of memory foam and mattresses range from full memory foam mattress to those which are used in the second or third layer. Hence there is a lot of confusion on which to choose. Read on to understand more about it and make an informed decision: What is Memory Foam?

Before you go ahead and learn more about the memory foam types it is essential to know its origin. The memory foam was first produced in the 1970s by NASA for its space program. There were claims made that the astronauts used it to reduce the impact of the Gforce but the reality is that it was never used. Instead, it was used as a material to help passengers and pilots survive crashes and reduce the impact. Experts from Wakefit explain that the foam is viscoelastic and hence it contours to the natural shape of the body and can also isolate motion.

Before long mattress manufacturers recognized the use of this material to provide added comfort. The industry quickly started using this material and since then there have been many modifications with each iteration providing better quality and comfort.

Types of Memory Foam Like mentioned earlier, there are many types of memory foam available in the market but there are three main types that you should know of before you shop. Knowing about it will help you narrow down the choices and determine the best product that is suited for your needs.

Traditional Memory Foam: This type of memory foam was introduced in the 1990s and has been in use for more than 2 decades. Petroleum-based products are used for its manufacturing even now and hence not much has changed since it was first developed.

Hence it is still the most affordable option. Some of its features are:  It offers contouring and support and there is less stress on the joints and also an increase in blood circulation.  It retains heat and is not recommended for people who sleep hot.

Open-Cell Memory foam: It is an improvement over the traditional memory foam and has the following features:  The foam responds quickly and hence there is no sinking feeling that you associate with the traditional memory foam.  Its viscoelastic features help the foam to respond to body temperature and lead to restful sleep.  Unlike the traditional memory foam, the open-cell dissipates the heat better, and hence the sleeper does not feel hot at night.

Look for an open-cell mattress which offers temperature neutrality and with the slow response if more bounce is not comfortable.

Gel Memory Foam

This foam was introduced in the early 2010s. It was designed to overcome the problem of the heat getting trapped in the mattress. Mattress manufacturers use one of the two methods to infuse gel. One method is to pour a layer of gel on the top or bottom layer of foam creating a barrier and providing a cooling effect. The other method is to introduce gel beads into the memory foam. That helps in optimizing the temperature of the mattress. The side effect of a gel foam mattress is that it is more bouncy than the traditional foam. If you want a slow response and less bouncy mattress then this type of mattress is not right for you.

Comparing the Different Types of Memory Foam Mattress

Now that you know the types of memory foam, here is a comparison of the functionalities and differences: Off-gassing: The memory foam has volatile organic compounds, VOCs which produce a smell called off-gassing. When these VOCs are produced in large quantities it can be harmful to you. A traditional but cheap memory foam mattress has more off-gassing.

Whereas reputed brands ensure that they reduce the VOCs during the manufacturing process. When it comes to gel memory foam the amount of VOCs is not known.

Heat retention: One of the common issues of memory foam is heat retention. The traditional memory foam used the heat produced by the body to offer to contour. Since then, many inventions have been used to reduce this heat retention as it makes the sleeper hot. Many manufacturers have been using the open-cell technology so that there is better air circulation and hence reduced heat. The gel-infused foams are cooler to sleep on and they rely on ambient heat.

Response time: It is the time taken by the foam to bounce back to its original shape. This response time depends on the foam composition, viscosity, resilience, and elasticity. It is believed that if the response time is faster, it offers better pressure relief. The traditional memory foam produces a slow response and comes to the original shapen in 45 to 60 seconds and is recommended for older sleepers or those with mobility issues. The opencell foams are ideal for all types of sleepers as the response time is optimal.

The three main types of memory foam available come with different firmness levels and once can choose a firm Memory Foam Mattress or a soft one. Also, all three come with motion isolation capabilities, a unique feel, comfort, and much more. Anyone of it can be a good option provided you purchase it knowing its differences.