Is there any difference in memory foam or is it all just smoke and mirrors?
Is there a way to know for sure how to select a high-quality memory foam mattress at the best price?
I was in the same dilemma a while back so I decided to do some research on memory foam.
This article is the result of that research and hopefully, it will be of as much help to you as it was to me.
This foam is called NASA foam, visco-elastic foam and a few other names but it's all derived from the original foam that was developed for the NASA-manned space flight program.
As far as my research goes, I don't think any of this foam actually made it's way into a spacecraft. It turned out to not be suited for space flight.
A Swedish foam company began experimenting with the foam and finally came up with a version of it that was suitable for mattresses.
You can judge the quality of the foam by density, where the foam is made, the ILD of the foam, and whether or not it is temperature-sensitive.
Density
If you cut a piece of memory foam into a 12" cube and weigh it, you'll know the density.
If the foam weighs 5 lbs. per cubic foot, it's called 5 lb. density and 4 lbs. per cubic foot would be 4 lb. density.
This is important because the most ideal foam for supporting the human body is 5 lb. and above. A 4 lb. density is supportive but anything below 4 lb. is considered to be unfit for use in a mattress.
Lesser density foam mattress products won't last as long as the denser versions, so a 4 lb. foam mattress usually has a 10-year warranty while the 5 lb. mattresses usually have a 20-year warranty.
It might be noted that I found the most well known brand that starts with a "T" to be 5.3 lb. density for most of their mattress products.
Country of Manufacture
American-made foams are manufactured to stringent requirements while foam from China or elsewhere can be made using toxic chemicals that could be unhealthy.
Chinese foam is notorious for off-gassing and producing pungent odors that might last for months. It's kind of like sleeping on parmesan cheese. I don't think that's the recipe for the best memory foam mattress.
You need to ask carefully if the foam is made in America because many manufacturers state "Made in America" but neglect to tell you that they get their foam from China.
ILD of the Foam
ILD is the measure of firmness of memory foam, and it normally ranges from 8 to 20 for mattress foam.
An ILD of 8 would be way too soft for most people, while 20 would be too firm.
Most manufacturers stay in the 10 to 17 range.
I think the big "T" company uses and ILD of 14 for their 10" DeluxeBed(TM) so that would give you something to consider when deciding your preference.
Temperature Sensitivity
The characteristic most well known about the best memory foam mattress is its ability of soften under you as it absorbs the heat from your body.
This fine-tuning is important to get the maximum enjoyment from your memory foam mattress.
There have been some manufacturers who claim temperature sensitivity for their foam but it requires extreme temperatures to affect the foam. You want to make sure the foam will soften when it absorbs the temperatures that are normally associated with the human body.
You can determine this by lying down on a mattress in the store for 5 to 10 minutes and then checking to see if the foam is softer under your body than it is outside the area where you are laying.
When you're shopping for your mattress just remember that the best memory foam mattress will be 5 lb. density, made in America with an ILD of 10 to 17, and temperature-sensitive to 98.6 degress of heat.
Happy dreams!
Jim Roman writes consumer awareness articles to help people avoid the pitfalls associated with the often-complicated process of selecting a quality memory foam mattress. Jim's coveted 5-Star recommendation goes to Memory Foam Mattress Store for outstanding customer service. The Memory Foam Mattress Store has repeatedly ranked highest in customer satisfaction, promptly returned phone calls and helpful selection of the proper mattress.
