The 5 Fatal Mistakes People Make When Buying a Memory Foam Mattress and How to Avoid Them

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

Mistake #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? Haha)

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 (4 to 4.5 lb density is good for memory foam toppers) and good foam is over 4.5 lb. density. (usually 5 lb. or more 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.

Mistake #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.

Mistake #3: Assuming the Foam is Poured in America

Competition in the Memory Foam Market is fierce.

In an effort to compete, I've seen some Memory Foam Mattress companies advertise "Made in America" when, in fact, they buy cheap, toxic foam from other countries and only do some minor work, such as sewing a cover in America.

Foreign foam manufacturers aren't regulated so they are free to put any cheap chemicals in their products to keep the costs down.

Foreign foams contain formaldehyde, CFCs, PBDEs and any number of other harmful chemicals.

American manufacturers are closely regulated against putting these harmful ingredients into their memory foam products.

Mistake #4: Not Knowing the Amount of Memory Foam That's on Top of Your Mattress

Memory foam mattresses are made up of layers of foam.

The amount of memory foam on the top layer is crucial to your comfort. You should know that a 14" mattress with only 1" of memory foam won't be as comfortable as an 8" mattress with 3 or 4" of memory foam on top.

It's not the overall height of the mattress that counts, it's the thickness of the memory foam layer on top.

It should be at least 3" thick for comfort.

Mistake #5: Purchasing A Mattress That Doesn't Have A Rock Solid, 100% Money Back, Low 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 no, or low 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. That's what Tempur-Pedic™ recommends you do with their mattresses.

It seems a little ridiculous, though, to have to walk on your mattress, doesn't it? Here at the Memory Foam Mattress Store we "crack" our mattresses. This process costs us a little more but our mattresses come to you broken in, so you don't have to walk on them.

This is accomplished by compressing the mattresses to force any stubborn cells to open completely and allow the full flow of air from cell to cell.

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