|
Memory Foam Mattresses Under Oath...The Truth and Nothing But
The Truth
|
By Charles "Chuck" Harmon
[Hits: 29209]
|
|
? Charles C Harmon Co. http://www.memory-foam-buyers-guide.org
Are you thinking about buying a memory foam mattress?
Are you confused about all the hype and confusing claims made bythe different advertisements for memory foam?
I've set out to clear the air, remove the "smoke and mirrors",and put into one article all the true information you'll need tomake a selection that will thrill you, give you years of valueand make poor sleep a thing of the past.
The term "memory foam" or "visco-elastic memory foam" was coinedin the early days of NASA's space program. That's why it's alsoknown as NASA foam.
Sometimes, a memory foam mattress is referred to as a NASA foammattress.
During lift-off, astronauts were being subjected to tremendousg-forces that the human body just wasn't designed to endure. Theneed for a new material, that would make these conditionstolerable for the astronauts, spawned the research that resultedin the invention of this brand new kind of foam.
If water, springs, air or any combination of those things hadbeen an alternative, the expensive research that followedwouldn't have been needed, and the need for a new materialwouldn't have existed.
Visco-elastic foam has unique qualities. It is able to molditself to the shape of any object that puts pressure on it and,yet, when the object is removed, it will slowly return to it'soriginal shape. The picture that comes to mind is the hand abovethe memory foam mattress that still has the hand print showingon it.
Memory foam is an open celled foam, which means that air is freeto move from one cell to another, so when pressure is applied,the affected cells collapse and you feel sort of like you'refloating down into the material.
This collapsing of the cells allows the material to "melt away"from pressure until the entire surface of your body is evenlysupported over the surface of the memory foam.
It virtually eliminates pressure points.
Another unique feature of a memory foam mattress is temperaturesensitivity.
Within a short time of your body lying on the mattress, yourbody temperature will start to cause the memory foam to soften.Any area of your body that has excess heat, such as a feveredinjury, will cause the mattress to soften even further where itis touching, making memory foam the ideal material for acomfortable mattress.
The problem with the NASA foam was that it "off gassed", puttingoff a smell that was overpowering in the confined quarters of aspace vehicle. It was eventually scrapped by NASA. To myknowledge, it was never actually used on any space mission.
At that point, memory foam was just too expensive to be used formattresses and the off-gassing wouldn't have been acceptableeither.
A few medical research companies started experimenting with thematerial for use in hospitals. Many patients develop bedsoreswhen confined to bed over long periods of time.
Because it was cost effective for this application, theseexperiments led to using memory foam in a variety of healthindustry settings to alleviate pressure points in hospitalpatients.
Through this medical research, memory foam became more and moreadaptable to use as a consumer product in the form of pillows, mattresses, toppers, chairs, etc.
The Memory Foam Mattress Industry Was Born
The memory foam mattress industry started slowly in the early1990's and then shot into the mainstream in the late 1990's andearly 2000's.
So much so, that it's difficult to find a magazine, newspaper,or television that doesn't have several ads for memory foamproducts running continuously.
With that kind of demand for the product it's no wonder that alot of people started forming companies to manufacture and sellto an audience with this enormous appetite. And, yes, as in allindustries, some companies are born just to make inferiorproducts and, then, using terminology that is confusing ormisleading, capitalize on the lack of good information that'savailable to consumers.
So let's clear some of the confusion with a few simple facts.
What Is The Difference Between Good And Bad Memory Foam?
Memory foam is graded by it's density. Imagine yourself cuttinga huge "dice" (yeah, like the kind you throw on the crap table)out of memory foam 12"x12"x12" and slapping it onto the scale inyour doctor's office.
The weight of that 12" sized cube is how you determine density.
For example, if your "dice" weighed 5.9 lbs. it's considered tohave a density of 5.9, or if it weighs 3.2 lbs. the density israted as 3.2.
Pretty simple, really, isn't it. Like most things, we allthought density would be determined by some E=IR formula orsomething terribly complex. You, now, know more about densitythan most of the sales people in your local mattress store.
It's also a fact that the less dense foams are made mostly ofair, not foam. Less foam, less cost to manufacture...they cansell it cheaper.
For most memory foam mattresses, it's a fact that the human bodyis best supported by a density of 5.3 lbs. to 5.9 lbs. Anyheavier than this and it tends to be too dense and won't allowthe proper cell collapsing that allows your body to settle intoit. Any lighter and you don't get the needed support in the hipand shoulder areas.
Another problem is that the lighter foams won't continue toreturn to their original shape after a relatively shortlifespan. They'll lose their comfort.
Some of the 5.3+ lb. mattresses are still going strong after 15years being just as comfortable to their users as the firstday...and with no body impressions.
Remember, too, that we discussed temperature sensitivity. Notall foam being advertised as "memory foam" is temperaturesensitive.
Make sure it has this feature so you get that "fine tuned"comfort.
A better memory foam mattress will contain 3 1/2", or more, ofmemory foam as a top layer. Any less than this probably won'tkeep you from bottoming out and laying on the underlying baselayers of foam. Those foams aren't meant to be in contact withyour body and won't comfortable for you. They are there to helpthe memory foam do it's job correctly.
Just remember density and temperature sensitivity, when you goshopping for your memory foam mattress and you'll be miles aheadwhen you purchase.
|
|
|
|
