Best Memory Foam Mattress

Memory foam is made of polyurethane mixed with various chemicals and additives that enable it to contour to your body. Additionally, memory foam is highly durable, has an incredibly high density, and is popular for providing exceptional pressure relief and support. You can also find similar materials in spray foams, car seats, mattresses, and sofas.

Another important thing worth knowing about memory foam is that it responds differently to force or pressure. For instance, if you put pressure quickly, you will notice the foam changing its shape slowly or somewhat reluctantly. Thus, it means that memory foam does a great job at absorbing impacts, which is why it was widely used in space shuttle construction.

Today, memory foam is used for making mattresses or mattress toppers, as its features help the mattress cradle the body evenly by adapting to the impact of your body. 

Another essential aspect of memory foam is that its viscosity tends to decrease with temperature, meaning it becomes more flexible and less stiff with heat.
That said, mattresses with a memory foam layer will feel more pliable when you’ve been lying on them for a prolonged period.

Now, let’s take a look at the different types of memory foam mattresses.

a) Gel Memory Foam

Sometimes known as gel-infused memory foam, gel memory foam mattresses are a type of bedding product pumped with a high amount of gel, usually in a beaded form. As you might know, the gel has cooling features that help regulate body temperature when you sleep. There are mainly two types of gel memory foam mattresses: 

Heat absorbing gel memory foam mattress, which absorbs heat and prevents overheating

Phase-changing gel memory foam mattresses that release and absorb heat accordingly to allow the body temperature to remain constant  

b) Open-Cell Memory Foam

As far as open-cell memory foam mattresses are concerned, they have numerous internal pockets, which allow airflow and ventilation within the mattress, thereby dispersing heat effectively. 

When open-cell memory foam mattresses first came into the market, they used to be less dense, which often impacted their firmness and made them less supportive. But with time, the technology improved, and this issue was addressed while retaining the open-cell feature of the mattress.

c) Traditional Memory Foam

Let’s go back to the basics — the aforementioned models are updated versions of the traditional memory foam or the original memory foam that entered the market for customer use. It was engineered in such a way that it moulds to the user’s body. However, the problem with this memory foam is that it retains heat, which causes the mattress to become warm after a certain point. 

Apart from these three types of memory foam, manufacturers have now started adding other elements to their mattresses, especially for cooling. One such material is copper, a highly conductive metal that helps with both moisture-wicking and heat dispersal when used in mattresses featuring memory foam. 

Yes, of course, memory foam mattresses are good for you. Other than the unique and pleasant texture of foam, these types of mattresses feature other qualities that make users never turn back to traditional bedding. Let’s take a look at why memory foam could just be what you have been looking for in a mattress.   

a) Quiet

First things first, memory foam mattresses are super quiet. This is undoubtedly a crucial feature for couples who don’t want to wake their partners up while changing their sleeping position or getting out of bed.

b) Minimises Motion Transfer

Moving on, a memory foam mattress minimises motion transfer, ensuring that you can’t feel it when your significant other gets up at night. So, if that is a priority for you, then you can’t go wrong by choosing a memory foam mattress over spring mattresses.  

c) Hypoallergenic

For users who suffer from allergies, a great advantage of using memory foam mattresses in their beds is that they are hypoallergenic. That said, the heavy structure of mattresses with memory foam layers do not accumulate and attract allergens like moulds, mites, etc. 
   
d) Promotes Spinal Alignment

Thanks to the contouring capabilities of memory foam, it promotes top-notch support and exceptional spinal alignment. Since memory foam responds to the curves of the body, it makes it easier for people to find their ideal sleeping positions, keeping their spine in neutral alignment. 

Needless to say, this can prevent turning and tossing at night, as well as soreness and back pain after waking up in the morning. 

e) Offers Relief From Pressure

As you know, memory foam contours to the body by utilising your body pressure and heat. Thus, it can offer relief to areas under the most pressure during sleep, like the neck, shoulders, and hips. 

If you keep putting pressure every night on these parts of the body, you may experience pain over time as well as issues staying asleep or getting to sleep. 
In addition, memory foam mattresses are a lifesaver for people with arthritis and joint pain. This is because they reduce discomfort and pain by distributing body weight evenly and minimising stress on the common pressure points.

Yes, memory foam mattresses are good for heavy people. In fact, they are one of the best options for heavy sleepers because of their pressure relief and contouring abilities. So, if you are a bit on the heavier side and experience back and joint aches on pressure points, then foam mattresses may be relieving.

Ideally, you would want to go with a medium-firm memory foam mattress because it can support your body without sagging. But note that memory foam mattresses get warmer than other types of mattresses, so that’s something you might want to keep in mind while making the purchase. 

However, most manufacturers these days equip their memory foam mattresses with technology to keep the users cool throughout the night. Therefore, we strongly recommend going for models with cooling abilities instead of the basic ones if you decide to purchase a memory foam mattress.

Yes, memory foam mattresses are indeed good for the back and spinal alignment as they conform to your body, reducing aches and providing pressure-point relief. On top of that, it forms to the curvature of your spine, providing lumbar support — the better the lumbar support, the lesser, the lower back pain.

There are a few key differences between memory foam and spring mattresses. Let’s take a look at them in detail.

a) Affordability

Usually, memory foam mattresses tend to cost a bit more than their spring counterparts because of their durability and comfortability. But if you are looking for a luxurious spring mattress, you might have to shell out some extra money. So, choose wisely and as per your requirements.  

b) Maintenance

While purchasing a mattress, people often tend to overlook the maintenance aspect, but the reality is it is as important as other factors. 

That said, the maintenance requirements for memory foam mattresses vary substantially. But, more often than not, these mattresses require more maintenance than spring mattresses. For example, you cannot put them under the sun. Also, memory foam mattresses take longer to dry if there is a spill. On that note, we strongly recommend checking the instructions to determine how to rotate or flip it.

Spring mattress maintenance, on the other hand, is fairly simple. Just don’t fold or bend it as that would break the coils inside. Also, make sure that you rotate it every six weeks to keep sagging to a minimum. 

c) Durability

There’s no denying that memory foam mattresses are more durable than spring mattresses. Unlike spring mattresses, memory foam mattresses don’t break down easily, especially if they are made using high-density foam. Usually, memory foam mattresses can last more than a decade if maintained properly.

As for spring mattresses, they are not as durable as memory foam mattresses. This is because the coils deteriorate over time and lose flexibility due to excessive bounce and weight. The usual lifespan of a spring mattress is somewhere between three and seven years, depending on how well the user takes care of it. 

d) Motion Isolation

The best part about a high-quality memory foam mattress is that it does not let motion transfer from one end to the other. This is because it doesn’t have springs, and the material can absorb movement well due to the nature of memory foam. That said, memory foam mattresses are an ideal choice for pet owners and couples.

Talking about spring mattresses, they don’t offer motion isolation, meaning if you get out of bed at night, it might disturb your partner’s sleep. So, if you feel that motion isolation is crucial for you, choose memory foam mattresses over spring mattresses. 

e) Spinal Alignment

We have already made it pretty clear that memory foam mattresses can help alleviate joint and back pain. This is because the memory foam layer in these mattresses delivers continual support to your body and promotes healthy spinal alignment. However, a soft memory foam mattress can make you sink into it and increase your joint and back pain.

On the other hand, spring mattresses might not offer even support and could increase your back pain. If you have already decided to buy a spring mattress, we recommend going with the units with pocketed coils as they are usually better at relieving back pain.   
 
e) Ventilation

Since there is no way for air to pass in a traditional memory foam mattress, they heat up easily and increase your body temperature. However, coffee-infused and ventilated memory foam can draw heat away from your body and enable heavy sleepers to enjoy a comfortable sleep. So, while buying a memory foam mattress, look for additional features that support breathability.  

As far as spring mattresses are concerned, they provide enough ventilation due to the vacant spaces between the coils. You’ll sleep reasonably cool on a spring mattress, even if it has a thick top layer.

Ideally, you would want to rotate your mattress 180 degrees once or twice every year. However, you need not flip the mattress as the memory foam is present on only one side of the mattress.

Make sure to choose a metal bed frame with a flat and solid base for memory foam mattresses. That way, you prevent the mattress from sinking. Also, consider purchasing a mattress protector with your product to prolong its life.