17Jan
17Jan
The Story of Memory Foam
Everything has a history, even down to your mattress. You will be surprised about the amazing history of this material that you now rest your head on.
What is Memory Foam?
Memory Foam is a relatively new product in the mattress industry. It was originally developed by NASA to reduce the effect of G-force on astronauts by supporting, and therefore reducing, pressure on their bodies during take off and landing. After discovering NASA’s new material, the medical industry saw Memory Foam’s potential to relieve pressure sores. Memory Foam was shown to be unique in the way it responded to temperature and its ability to spread pressure over a greater surface area.However, although the early foam developed for NASA did have a great deal of promise as a bed topper or wheel chair cushion, it did have issues with degradation over time. This first generation of material wasn't very durable, and would often compress or crack over time.
Who developed Memory Foam?
The first company to realise the potential of Memory Foam for the consumer market was Tempur-Pedic®. They worked on creating their own version of Memory Foam, eventually launching Tempur®, which was much more durable whilst retaining the pressure-reducing benefits of Memory Foam. Initially, this Tempur® foam was used solely by the medical profession, who soon realised that patients using the foam mattresses slept better, had less back pain and felt more refreshed in the morning. This revolutionised the mattress industry in Sweden and Tempur-Pedic® began selling Memory Foam products to consumers.
Why is Memory Foam so popular?
Due to its origin as a medical device, Tempur® foam was very expensive, and has remained so to this day. After a few years on the consumer market, other foam manufacturers saw the potential of Memory Foam and began to produce their own Memory Foam product lines. Because these manufacturers came from the consumer mattress industry, rather than the medical industry, the cost-structure of Memory Foam was much lower and they were able to retail their products at a fraction of the cost of Tempur® foam. As the years went by, Memory Foam became more and more popular, and now manufacturers all over the world are making their own versions of Memory Foam.
17Jan
The Benefits of Memory Foam
What are the benefits of memory foam you ask? Well, here we discuss the top beneficial factors of purchasing a memory foam mattress and why it is the best choice for you.
Support
Improved posture
Memory Foam absorbs pressure it encourages a straighter spinal position, which in turn helps improve your posture.Get more sleep
Memory Foam reduces tossing and turning by up to 80%, allowing you to enjoy better sleep for longer.Great low prices
Luckily, high quality Memory Foam mattresses are available at very competitive prices these days.Recommended by professionals
Memory Foam mattresses are recommended worldwide by chiropractors and other medical professionals.Pain relief
Because of the pressure-relieving properties of Memory Foam, common back problems can be reduced significantly as well as many joint complaints.No need to turn
Because Memory Foam is only used on one side of a Bodymould mattress, you won't need to turn it.Individual support
Memory Foam only responds to direct pressure, meaning that you and your partner can sleep without interrupting one another. If your partner changes position you won't be affected.
17Jan
Memory Foam – Your Simple Guide
1. Memory Foam is made by just three manufacturers in the UK
So regardless of where you buy your mattress, it’s likely to be the same basic product. Be careful when you buy from big brands as you will pay a premium for the name when smaller companies offer the same product at a more competitive price!2. Mattress toppers are a fantastic way of improving your current mattress.
If your mattress is in reasonable condition, you won't need the inconvenience of replacing it. Adding a topper will increase the lifespan of your existing mattress, whilst offering you the benefits of Memory Foam.3. Density is important.
The density of your Memory Foam mattress determines how well it performs and how long it will last, so do your research. Density does not influence the hardness of the mattress, so higher density Memory Foams are not necessarily firmer, but they are heavier and are a superior quality4. The thickness of your Memory Foam has a huge effect on its performance.
Bodymould Mattress Toppers are available in 2", 3" and 4", each performing to a slightly different level. The thicker toppers will give a more luxurious, comfy feel as they maximise the purpose of the Memory Foam.5. Avoid imports to guarantee a much better quality mattress.
The UK manufactures the best Memory Foam in the world. Imported mattress often do not meet fire safety regulations, which is essential for this type of product.6. Don’t be fooled into thinking expensive mattresses or big name brands use more Memory Foam in their mattresses.
Every Memory Foam mattress should have a standard polyurethane base to offer support. BodyMould uses 3" Memory Foam combined with 5" Reflex foam. There are only 4 companies that manufacture these grades in the UK so the foam used in their mattresses is likely to be the same as ours.
17Jan
What To Look For In A Good Memory Foam Mattress
Memory Foam mattresses vary hugely in price, from under £200 to over £2,000 for a standard double-sized mattress. This vast range has several determining factors:
The quality of the foam used.
We have already talked about densities and how this influences price, so as a general rule you should avoid Memory Foam densities that are less than 40kg and the base layer should be no lower than a 30kg density.The thickness of the mattress.
Standard mattresses are 8" (20cm) deep for good reason. Thicker mattresses are of no additional benefit to comfort, but will sit too high off the bed base and won’t fit your sheets properly. Thinner mattresses will start to impact the comfort of your mattress. To make sure you get the right product for your needs, all our mattresses are the optimum 8" (20cm) thickness.The thickness of the memory foam.
Cheaper mattresses will use thinner layers of Memory Foam, making them less comfortable. We find that 3" is the perfect thickness. Any more and you’ll sink too far in, but any less and you won’t benefit from the comfort that a Memory Foam mattress offers.
