How does memory foam

It can be divided chiefly into three main categories:. The mattress industry is fast-evolving and constantly improving upon itself. Here are a couple of examples of how they can positively impact your sleep routine:. Here are a few commonly cited drawbacks of foam mattresses:. Memory foam has many applications - from furniture such as couches and mattresses to insulation materials. The body-contouring properties of memory foam make them a particularly comfortable option for mattresses.

Memory foam mattresses can be good for your health, depending on what you require from your sleep. If you struggle with chronic pain, high-density foam is an ideal choice to help offset the pressure and ensure proper spinal alignment through your sleep. Memory foam always regains its shape, hence the name. It is also known as viscoelastic foam or slow spring back foam.

There are a ton of options available for sleepers looking for the best memory foam mattress. The original Puffy Mattress, a five-layer, all-foam bed, has been voted Best Mattress If you prefer a mixed feel, our best-selling model, the Puffy Lux Hybrid, contains both memory foam and spring coils for an ideal and versatile mattress.

If you prefer plush sleep that stays supportive, the Puffy Royal Mattress is the best choice for you. Choosing a mattress that protects your purchase with a solid warranty, is made with certified, high-quality materials, and a return policy that gives you the flexibility to change your mind. Get free pillows, mattress protector, and sheets with every mattress!

By completing this form, you consent to receive offers via email. Provides Pressure Relief: Memory foam contours to the body, using your own body heat and pressure to conform to your shape. This can provide relief in areas of the body we put the most pressure on during sleep, such as the hips, shoulders, and neck. Putting regular, disproportionate pressure on those parts of the body can cause pain upon waking, as well as trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep.

When a surface responds to the natural curves of the body like memory foam does, it can be easier to find sleeping positions that keep your spine in neutral alignment. This can prevent tossing and turning at night, as well as back pain and soreness in the morning. Hypoallergenic: For people with allergies, one major benefit of memory foam mattresses is that they tend to be hypoallergenic.

Because of their dense structure, memory foam mattresses are less likely to attract and accumulate allergens, such as dust mites, mold, and other common irritants. If preventing motion transfer is a priority for you, memory foam has a significant advantage. Because of the density of memory foam and the way it responds to and distributes pressure, it does a good job of keeping motion on one part of the bed from being felt on another part of the bed.

Quiet: Memory foam mattresses are also notable for being quiet. Heat Retention: One of the main complaints about memory foam mattresses is that they tend to trap heat and become uncomfortably warm. Because they are designed to respond to body heat, and because of the density of the material, memory foam can, in fact, get quite warm, especially traditional memory foam.

Though there have been innovations in memory foam technology to address this issue such as open cell and gel foams, and other cooling construction methods , they still generally retain heat more than other types of mattress. Cost: Another issue with memory foam is the fact that they tend to be pricier than other mattresses. This is especially true if you get a particularly high-quality memory foam mattress: compared, for instance, to a similar-quality innerspring mattress, memory foam mattresses will usually have a higher price tag.

As memory foam mattresses become more widespread, and especially as mattress-in-a-box companies are becoming more popular, the general cost of memory foam mattresses has gone down. However, it is still, by in large, the costlier option. Liquids can degrade the foam, and reduce the lifespan of a memory foam mattress. This is particularly inconvenient if you live in a high-humidity area, or if you have a young child or pet that is prone to spills or accidents.

It also makes cleaning a memory foam mattress particularly difficult. This can make it more difficult to move during the night, and some people just generally find it uncomfortable or off-putting. The sinkage of a memory foam mattress tends to increase as the mattress ages, so people who are particularly turned off by that feeling will only dislike it more with time.

Off-Gassing and Odors: When they are first produced, memory foam mattresses tend to have a distinct, chemical-like smell. Memory foam mattresses using cheaper materials have stronger and longer-lasting off-gassing. However, this is not generally the case. Once a memory foam mattress is set up, it is, on average, quite a bit heavier than other types of mattresses.

This can cause issues when trying to lift the mattress to change the sheets, or when trying to reposition the mattress. It can also be a major pain when moving, especially when it comes to a mattress in a box, as it is likely going to be much harder to get the mattress out of the room than it was to bring it in.

Here are some general pointers about what to look for in a memory foam mattress. Mattresses come with many different levels of firmness. Mattress firmness is generally described on a scale between very soft and very firm, often broken down numerically between 1 very soft and 10 very firm. Think of it as a more nuanced Goldilocks and the Three Bears scenario: some people like their mattresses very firm, some like them very soft, and some like them somewhere in the middle.

Most mattresses will be described in-store or online as landing somewhere on the soft-firm scale. This is basically a measure of firmness: the higher the ILD rating, the firmer you can expect the mattress to be.

According to the way ILDs are scored, each layer of the mattress ie, comfort, transition, support, etc. If you want something in the middle, judge by those standards. The density of memory foam is the measure of how much actual foam is built into each layer of the mattress. Memory foam comes in a variety of different densities, which are measured in pounds per cubic foot PCF.

In general, the higher the density of the foam, the longer it will keep its shape, elasticity, and support structures.

However, higher density foams also tend to sleep hotter. When it comes to memory foam mattresses, thickness refers to how many inches the mattress measures from the side. This is different from density: for instance, three inches of foam could have an ILD score of 10 or Memory foam mattresses range in thickness from around 6 inches to around 14 inches.

As a rule, thicker mattresses are more supportive than thinner mattresses, and can also be softer, depending on the mattress.

In addition to the thickness of the mattress as a whole, you should also consider the thickness of each individual level. Memory foam mattresses work best if there are at least four inches of combined comfort and transition foam between the sleep surface and the mattress base.

This helps ensure that you will get the benefits of the support core without the mattress becoming uncomfortable. When choosing your mattress, you should look out for a Certipur-US certification. This is a seal of approval that ensures that the memory foam in the mattress is made without certain chemicals that can be harmful to the mattress and possibly to your health.

A mattress with Certipur-US certification is not made with any mercury, lead, heavy metals, or formaldehyde. They are also made without phthalates plasticizers that may be harmful to reproductive health and PBDEs Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, a flame retardant that is banned in the US for negative health effects, but which is sometimes used in mattress manufacturing abroad. These certified mattresses also have a lower concentration of volatile organic compounds VOCs , which are the main cause of the chemical smell that comes from off-gassing.

Danny is a Certified Sleep Science Coach with an in-depth knowledge of sleep health. He has tested hundreds of mattresses and sleep products. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies.

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Our editors and medical experts rigorously evaluate every article and guide to ensure the information is factual, up-to-date, and free of bias. Updated August 7, These potential benefits are due to its viscoelastic properties , meaning that the foam exhibits a combination of elastic and flow-like behavior.

Simply put, it can stretch or change its shape and return to its initial form once the pressure is removed. Polyurethane , the primary component of memory foam, is a plastic material that can be molded into almost any shape. Memory foam consists of low-resistance, or viscoelastic polyurethane, and several other chemicals, such as hydrocarbons.

Compared to polyurethane foam, this material is denser and more temperature-sensitive. Generally, it becomes softer and sinks more in response to body heat. The degree of comfort and support offered by memory foam mattresses depends on the type of foam. Initially, they used it for the manufacturing of airplane seats due to its shock-absorbing properties.

Over the years, its uses expanded to bedding products, shoe insoles, car seats, prosthetics, and sports accessories. Moreover, it had the ability to return to its original shape. Memory foam was never patented , which allowed manufacturers across various industries to improve it and develop their own versions.

The technology behind it continued to evolve over the next decades. Today, manufacturers use memory foam in mattresses, mattress pads, pillows, mattress toppers, motorcycle saddles, orthotic braces, wheelchair seat cushions, and other consumer goods. Mattress manufacturers started to use this material in Most stores nowadays offer different types of memory foam pillows, mattresses, and other bedding items. Depending on your needs, you can choose any of the following:. This material is free of heavy metals, ozone depleters, formaldehyde, and certain phthalates.

Compared to other types of memory foam, it releases lower amounts of volatile organic compounds VOCs. Initially, this material has received some criticism for its tendency to retain body heat.

However, newer products—like gel-infused and open-cell memory foam—reduced this problem. The benefits of memory foam range from pressure relief to better sleep. Depending on the brand and model, some products may also reduce or prevent bacteria and mold growth.

High-end memory foam is often made from materials with antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties. As WebMD notes, this technology is relatively new, so more studies are needed to confirm its health benefits. So far, researchers agree that memory foam may indirectly improve sleep and relieve pressure points.