The 5 Deadliest Sins Most People Commit When Buying A Memory Foam Mattress...And How You Can Avoid Them!

Thanks for your interest in the report on memory foam.  I hope it will help you become an informed shopper.

SIN# 1 Assuming All Foam Mattresses Are Just The Same

For the most part, none of us can be an expert in everything.  (Of course we all know people who think they are, right, Ha ha)

So, realizing that fact, some of the lesser honest dealers will put out an inferior product, knowing that the average person doesn't know one memory foam from another.  It shows a picture of a hand above a mattress with a hand print so it looks like it's the same.

Most of the time these products are priced somewhat below the good product to make it look like a bargain.

The difference is that all memory foam isn't the same.  There's cheap memory foam, mid-grade and good memory foam.

The best way to know is to check the package for the density of the foam.  Cheap foam is normally 2 to 3 lb. density, mid-grade foam is 3 to 4.5 lb. density and good foam is over 4.5 lb. density. (usually 5.3 lb. to 5.9 lb is considered the ideal density to properly support the human body)

The lighter foam has a lot more air in it, so it's cheaper.

The lighter memory foam will usually break down and not return to it's shape after a period of 8 to 10 months.  The mid-grade foam mattress will last longer, maybe 5 to 7 years.  The good grade of foam mattress will last much longer. 

I've spoken with people who have owned their memory foam mattresses for over 10 years and say there is no sign of body impressions and no lessening of the support and comfort of their mattresses.  That, any way you slice it, is a great investment!

Density isn't the only determining factor, though, there's also temperature sensitivity...

SIN #2 Assuming That All "Memory Foam" Mattresses Are Temperature Sensitive. They're Not, Necessarily.

The one thing that makes Memory Foam so unique is temperature sensitivity.

When you first lay down on a Memory Foam mattress, your body weight causes the mattress to "melt away" from that pressure until your weight is spread evenly over the surface of the mattress.

After you "settle in", your body temperature begins to affect the material, causing it to soften, in the places where there is increased temperature.

This fine tuning is what accounts for the unmatched comfort of the genuine Memory Foam mattresses.

Normally, if you have an injury, that portion of your body has an elevated temperature and, therefore, the temperature sensitive material will react by softening, even more, in that area. That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

We've tested many other "memory foam" beds on the market and they aren't temperature sensitive at all, but they are taking advantage of the name memory foam which most people assume all means the same.

The easiest way to test for this, is with a block of ice...that's right......a block of ice!

Just wrap it in plastic and lay it on the mattress for 15 minutes. If the mattress is temperature sensitive, it will become VERY FIRM under the ice.

I don't think most people will be happy with a memory foam mattress that isn't temperature sensitive, especially if they have injuries.  That extra fine tuning, that the temperature sensitive material offers, is very worth the extra investment.

SIN #3 Assuming That A Longer Warranty Means The Best Product

Competition in the Memory Foam Market is fierce.

In an effort to compete, I've seen some brand new Memory Foam Mattress companies offer longer and longer...or even lifetime warranties.

The thing I always wonder is "whose lifetime"?

Remember, the warranty is only as good as the company behind it.  Again...only as good as the company behind it.

Some companies that were advertising those lifetime warranties last year have already gone the way of the dinosaur, now where do those clients go if they have a problem with their mattress?

That's really a shame because, all things considered, most of those people paid close to what a higher quality Memory Foam mattress would have cost them and, now, by the time they pay to replace the bad one, they've usually spent more than the cost of the better one.

Always read the warranty and information regarding the return policies also. Even though terms like "risk free" are used, many companies define that very differently.

Some still require you to jump through a lot of hoops and getting your money back can be a frustrating ordeal also.

You may be required to pay the "free" outbound and the return shipping, pay full retail for any "free" pillows you received, wait for 6-8 weeks after your mattress is received back before your credit card charge is reversed, and the list goes on and on.  Buyer beware!

SIN #4 Assuming That Lab Testing Is The Same As Sleep Testing

Many of the companies with memory foam mattresses are relative newcomers on the mattress scene and their products haven't had much field history.  In other words, real people sleeping on them.

The true test of any product is "field testing". Don't tell me what the lab tests indicate, what's happening with real people, like me, sleeping on the mattress over extended periods of time?

If Lab tests were conducted, were real people sleeping on the mattresses or was it some kind of mechanical simulation?

There's just nothing that takes the place of real people in a test.

SIN #5 Purchasing A Mattress That Doesn't Have A Rock Solid, 100% Money Back, No Risk Comfort Test Period

I get calls from people every day who bought a mattress, after laying on it for 5 to 30 minutes in a store, and thought it was the most comfortable mattress in the world.  Problem is, they woke up after sleeping on it for 3-4 nights with a horrific back pain.

That's why you should insist on some type of total no risk 10 to 30 day "sleep test" on your mattress. After that period of time if you haven't had a problem, chances are you never will.

Also, remember that most Memory Foam mattresses all tend to get more comfortable after you've slept on them from 3 to 10 nights.

When you first receive your Memory Foam mattress it will need some time to "break in". This doesn't mean that it isn't comfortable from the get go, just that it will get more comfortable for several nights as you break it in.

One of the characteristics of Memory Foam is that it's an open celled material, meaning that air is free to move from cell to cell.

When the mattress is brand new, the air doesn't move as readily as it will after you've layed on it for a period of time... the thicker the mattress, the longer it may take.

You can even speed up the "break in" by walking on your mattress for up to 1/2 hour at a time for the first couple of nights.

It seems a little ridiculous, though, to have to walk on your mattress, doesn't it?  There is one company that I know of who "cracks" their mattresses.  This process costs them a little more but their mattresses come to you broken in, so you don't have to walk on them.

Comfor-Pedic is the only company I know of that takes this extra step.

Another trick is to remove the zippered cover from the mattresses that have the removable cover. This allows your body temperature to more readily affect the Memory Foam. Remember, anything between you and your temperature sensitive memory foam will lessen the transfer of body heat to some extent, no matter how minor.

For this reason, none of the companies think you should use any kind of mattress pad.

The only mattress protector that is approved is the Protect-A-Bed cover which is a waterproof cover with a terry top that breathes so you won't sweat.

I hope you feel a little more prepared, now, to go out and buy your memory foam mattress.