A No-Nonsense Memory Foam Mattress Buying Guide

Back in the 1970‘s, memory foam was developed for NASA, but it didn’t get popular in the consumer market until the early 1990’s. First, it was used in the topper pads and later in mattresses.

Today, memory foam mattresses are the bestselling and fastest growing segment of the mattress industry. Every passing year, more and more companies have started to sell memory foam mattresses. This makes it quite difficult for the customers to keep up with all these new memory foam mattresses being introduced. However, one doesn’t need to worry as we have the perfect no-nonsense memory foam mattress buying guide for every customer.

 

Types of Memory Foam

 

• Traditional Memory Foam

 

• Introduced in the mid-1990’s, it is designed to provide support to enhance circulation and reduce stress on joints
• Absorbs heat

 

• Open Cell Memory Foam

 

• Better than traditional memory foam at dispersing heat
• Doesn’t give that ‘sinking in’ feeling which is experienced in case of traditional memory foam
• Keeps the body temperature regulated adequately for restful sleep

 

 

• Gel Memory Foam

 

• Does a better job of regulating sleep temperature
• Offers added durability and comfort

 

There are a few essential aspects a customer needs to keep in mind apart from the memory foam mattress price before they invest in a mattress. To buy the best-suited memory foam mattress, a customer needs to pay attention to the factors mentioned below:

 

 

• Firmness

 

The firmness of a memory foam mattress depicts how much it ‘gives’ when force is applied to it. In simple words, a soft mattress easily compresses, whereas a firm mattress requires much weight to compress. Different mattress brand describes mattresses in different ways which can be extremely confusing for a customer. However, concepts such as IFD (Indentation Force Deflection) can make it much easier for them to compare mattresses from different brands.

IFD is a standard test of foam firmness that measures the force required to compress foam by 25%. Mattresses with IFD under 18 are usually softer and are used in memory foam comfort layers. On the other hand, those with over 30 IFD are a lot firmer and are used in support core layers. Firmness is a crucial factor to consider while buying a memory foam mattress as the wrong firmness level can cause restless nights.

 

 

• Durability

 

Every customer wants to invest in a mattress which will stand the test of time. When it comes to durability, it is difficult to determine how long will a mattress last, even if the customer tries out a product before making a purchase. However, the number of layers and density of each layer can effectively help in determining the durability as well as overall quality of the mattress. A memory foam mattress consists of a base layer followed by two or three additional layers. Every mattress is prone to a ‘weakest link,’ where if even one of the layers has a low-density, then the entire mattress will be less durable, even if the other layers are of high-density.

Sleeping Well!

• The Place of Foam Manufacturing

 

A part of the quality of the mattress depends on the place where the mattress is manufactured. The various quality controls and industry standards are different in different areas of the world. Some places which offer the finest quality mattresses are:

• United States
• Europe
• Canada

 

• Have Standardised Testing Certifications

 

The stamps of approval from testing organizations can tell a customer a lot about a product. In the mattress industry, customers should be on the lookout for products that are certified. Apart from the seal of approval, there are some other qualities of the foam which the customers need to consider, such as:

• Made without phthalates
• Made without lead, mercury, and various other heavy metals
• Made without formaldehyde
• Made without PBDE flame retardants

 

• Offer Sleep Trial Period

 

While researching about a particular mattress brand, it’s essential for the customer to find out whether or not the mattress company offers a sleep trial. Startup brands like Sunday Mattress offer 100-days trial to their customers. In free sleep trials, manufacturers allow customers to use their product for a fixed period. This enables the customer to adapt to the materials and have a reasonable amount of time to decide if the mattress is right for them. However, if for any reason the customer is not satisfied, they receive a full refund.

 

For something that you’re going to sleep on every day for approximately 7-10 years, you want materials that are durable and high quality. This makes it essential for customers to follow a good mattress buying guide and then make the right decision.