Things to look for when purchasing a memory foam mattress

When buying anything in life, you always have a number of options and choices available with regards to what you want to bye. A memory foam mattress or memory foam mattress topper is no exception.

Although simple in their nature, memory foam mattresses can have many different options available to them, which will make the buying process a little more complex. Besides this, there are still some myths floating around that just confuse even the savviest shopper.


What are the main differences between memory foam, visco-elastic and viso?
In terms of mattresses... there’s no difference whatsoever. All of the above are the same thing! Memory foam is made from a dense form of polyurethane that’s chemically enhanced to make it slightly denser than normal foam. The foam makes a great mattress as it reacts well to body heat, creating a mold around the subject.


Memory foam density, what are the differences?
A very dense mattress will have almost no air in the foam. A measurement figure when looking at memory foam mattress density will suggest how much material is present in a certain amount of foam. Take SleepShaper as an example, their most widely used density is 55 kilos per cubic meter which gives the perfect balance between durability, air flow and feel. A lot of people would say it’s the perfect compromise between being supportive whilst being extremely cosy.

Thickness, does it really matter?
Yes, yes it does. A thicker memory foam mattress will not only be more expensive than its thinner counterparts but it will also lose some effect if it’s too thick. There will be a point with the mattress that it stops molding to your body shape, this could be after the first 7 or 8 centimetres. For example, you wouldn’t get a 30 centimetre thick mattress as it will only be the top 8 centimetres that are doing you any benefits. Likewise a memory foam mattress topper that is only a couple of centimetres thick will not really give you that much of positive memory foam experience. There is a huge difference in comfort and feel when comparing an inch thick mattress to one that’s three inches thick.


Question the base foam
It sounds like a quote from a poor sci-fi or horror movie, but it is important to question the base foam. Poor and low quality base foam can really ruin a good mattress. Poor base foam might even reduce the mattress life span and will cause you to purchase a new one. Base foam of less than 27kg should be questioned as generally, anything under 27kg is considered to be padding or general upholstery foam.

Will I swelter?
There is a big myth about memory foam mattresses and heat. A good memory foam mattress will not make you hot, at least not hotter than being in bed on a normal mattress. If the mattress was severly dense, i.e. 85kgs+ then you might experience some overheating, but the majority won’t leave you feeling like you’re sleeping in the middle of the Sun.