History of Memory Foam
In the late 1960s NASA commissioned the development of new material to reduce the impact and injury of space travel.  The result was an open cell foam with high energy absorption, the ability to dissipate the pressure of impact well and the ability to use body temperature and body weight to create an indentation or “memory” of the contour of the body to increase comfort.

Memory foam

It wasn’t until the 1980s that Memory Foam began to hit the consumer market in the form of medical cushions, disabled seating cushions and eventually as mattresses and pillows.

In 1998, NASA inducted Memory Foam, specifically Tempur-pedic® to the Space Technology Hall of Fame.  During this period the Memory Foam industry began to expand.

Mattress Market
The mattress market is a $6 billion market in the US wholesale segment  with Memory foam or Visco Elastic Foam mattresses rising in popularity.  Top innerspring mattress companies have begun to offer Visco Elastic products along side their spring and coil traditional mattresses.

The belief in the industry is that Visco Elastic products will continue to rise in popularity particularly in the specialty markets of health and sports industries which will have benefits across the market.

Benefits of Memory Foam
The memory foam mattress offers a wide range of configuration combinations, with layers of comfort, support and airflow design possibilities.  New additions such as Memory Foam Mattress toppers allow a Memory Foam experience on top of a traditional mattress.

The pressure of springs and coils is eliminated in a memory foam mattress.  The pressure from body temperature and body weight is dissipated equally in the foam.  The high energy absorption allows for partners to sleep undisturbed by the movement of the other.  The reaction to temperature allows the memory foam to conform to the contours of the sleeper’s position and flow easily as the body temperature softens the foam slightly in the night.

Density
The memory foam ranges in density from 2 pounds to 8 pound.  The best reviewed products tend to run in the midrange from 3-6 pounds.  Two pound density memory foam tends to be imported from China and by many is considered to be below standard for comfort and longevity. MemoryFoam.com is the only company that has an eco-freindly 8lb density memory foam– ECO-CELL HD™.

Height
The height of a Memory Foam mattress can be 10-12 inches but much of that will be orthopedic base foam or other support materials, quilting, etc.  The 3-5 inch height is considered the optimal amount and benefits tend to decline beyond that thickness.

Price
There is a wide range of price in the Memory Foam Mattress market.  Much of the pricing will depend on the country of origin, the materials used in production and the density and height of the mattress.

Countries Producing Memory Foam
The top performing producers of memory foam are Canada, Sweden and the US.  The products produced in other countries may include formaldehyde or other toxic elements which can produce irritation or health conditions. Almost all memory foam is produced with petroleum by-products.

ECO-CELL™, our soy-based  viscoelastic memory foam, has been a breakthrough innovation in the foam industry. All of the pressure-relieving comfort and durability of the finest petroleum based memory foams, with none of the drawbacks. It is produced through a clean, eco-friendly manufacturing process, does not release noxious gasses, and is carcinogen-free. MemoryFoam.com is the exclusive source for this green alternative.

Memory Foam was a disruptive innovation in the mattress market, which has now become part of the traditional mattress industry in a wide range of products, designs and applications.

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