Matress Memory Foam

When it comes to a matress, memory foam has changed the mattress market forever though the process of shopping for a mattress has not changed much over the years. Testing the feel of the mattress is the only sure way to know if a mattress is right for you and this principal holds true for memory foam mattresses. Don't just take the salespersons word for it - get on the mattress and give it thorough test drive. Many mattress buyers will often just sit on the mattress trying to get an idea of how the mattress feels. Whether you sleep on your stomach, curled up on your side or flat on your back, find the position that you normally sleep in. Buying a mattress is an important decision, so be sure to spend as much time as you need on each mattress.

The innerspring mattress has been around for over 150 years. During the late 1800's and early 1900's the bed spring was seen as a major advancement in sleep systems. Even in a country peaking during the Industrial Revolution, many Americans would have been happy with a wooded box filled with straw or old rags.

The introduction of memory foam also called visco-elastic memory foam in the early 1990's was a revolution in sleep systems. The comfort of a material that would mold itself to your body shape has drawn many of us to make the switch from a conventional innerspring mattress. Since being introduced memory foam now being produced by many different manufacturers and the surge in production has resulted in grades of memory foam that are, in some cases, significantly different than the original product.

The term memory foam has become somewhat ubiquitous in the market place but the fact is that not all memory foam is the same. As a consumer, knowing the weight of the foam that is used in the mattress can be a key indicator of quality, comfort and price. As a general rule the density or weight of the foam is calculated in terms of weight per cubic foot and the heavier the foam, the more dense and supportive it is. Imagine a box one foot square in size and imagine the box shape to be a piece of memory foam. The weight per cubic foot of foam can range anywhere from 2.5 to 6.0 pounds per cubic foot.

Another general rule of thumb is that the heavier the foam per cubic foot, the more expensive the mattress. While some people prefer the feel of a softer, less dense foam others may prefer a more solid feel found in heavier foam. Denser foam has fewer air cells or pockets and does not compress at the same rate of foam with more air and less foam. The thickness of the foam can vary from mattress to mattress and that can pose yet another choice for memory foam mattress buyers.

A problem with early memory foam bedding was that of out-gassing which is the process by which chemicals used in producing the foam release vapors for a period of time. The process of out-gassing is what disqualified the use of memory foam from the NASA manned space flight program. The release of chemical vapors into the clean room environment of the space flight could have had a very adverse effect on the occupants. Changes to environmental regulations in states like California have evolved to the point where foam manufacturers worked to reduce the problem of out-gassing.