Memory Foam Mattresses have been in the public consumer market since the 1980s when the product commissioned for NASA safety was converted to a consumer good for mainstream sales.

Polyurethane foam injected with elements to build elasticity and create air cells in the foam is developed into various sizes, layers and styles to create Memory Foam Mattresses.

Buyer Recommendations for Mattress Shopping

The Better Sleep Council offers the S-L-E-E-P test when shopping for a mattress. The acronym stands for:

S- Select
L- Lie on it in your normal sleep position
E- Evaluate the level of comfort and support
E- Educate yourself about each selection
P- Partners should test the beds together

The mattress must meet your needs in the following areas of: comfort, support, durability and space.  The Better Sleep Council reports that the average healthy sleep tosses and turns 40-50 times per night.  The mattress need to support all this movement, the pressure related to the movement and the impact on the partner sleeper if any .

Memory Foam Mattress Basics

Indentation Force Deflection

In order to establish a uniform quality standard, the memory foam mattress uses the Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) rating. This rating is the amount of force required to move a 4 inch thick sample of foam to 25% of its thickness.   The IFD is the best metric to compare mattress to mattress, but it is not always available and the composite mattress which encompasses both foam and standard bedding, quilting and support framing can’t be measured with one IFD rating.  The density of the foam is a more universal metric for comparison.

Density

For the Memory Foam Mattress, density comes down to the more dense the more expensive the mattress.  However, the most expensive are not always the best values.  The mid-range of 3-5 pounds of density is considered to be the best choices.

The denser foams will hold the impression longer. To get the “memory” factor the foam should be at least 3 pounds, but in the higher or more expensive density foams the long lasting impression could create some discomfort for sleepers that move from position to position during the night.

The 2 pound foams that generally come from China will offer only “slight” memory qualities; and is generally not recommended.

Height

The Memory Foam Mattress can be 10-12 inches in height but not all of that height will be memory foam.  In general, there will be about 4 inches of memory foam on a base of polyurethane foam or latex foam.  The most luxurious of Memory Foam Mattresses are this combination of Memory Foam and Latex Foam.

Top it Off

Memory foam toppers which can be 1-3 inches in height can add softness to a traditional mattress.

Notes

The Memory Foam Mattress may not be the best fit for you.  If you sleep “hot” the warmth of your body will make the foam softer and more pliable, which may not be the same density you had in mind when testing it.

If you live in a damp area, or experience night sweats, the foam mattress will not accommodate moisture well, it will break down the foam quickly.

If you weigh more than 250 pounds, the 5-10 year lifetime of the memory foam mattress will be dramatically reduced.  You may want to layer memory foam toppers.

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