Memory Foam

What works best?

However, although Memory Foam is incredibly versatile, an entire mattress made of Memory Foam would be far too soft for us to sleep on. It works best when layered over a firm, supportive material (which is why our Memory Foam mattress toppers are ideal).

Because of this effective combination of materials, Memory Foam is generally used as a 2" or 3" topper to be used on your existing, firm mattress. If you are buying an entirely new mattress, you’ll find a 2" or 3" topping layer, bonded to a thicker layer of polyurethane Reflex foam, offers support and works in harmony with the Memory Foam layer.

Why Memory Foam?

Memory Foam is sensitive to changes in temperature. At lower temperatures it is firmer (more viscous), and at higher temperatures it is softer and more elastic. This is the reason Memory Foam is sometimes referred to as visco-elastic memory foam. This temperature sensitivity accounts for the ‘melting’ feeling you sometimes get when you lie down on Memory Foam. It also accentuates the moulding effect of the 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.

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.

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.

Branded mattresses.

As with anything, you’ll pay a premium for branded products and it is no different in the mattress market. Tempur® mattresses are the biggest known brand, with mattresses selling for as much as £2,000. Lesser-known brands and smaller businesses such as BodyMould have fewer overheads and can produce the same quality mattresses at a fraction of the cost.

Imported memory foam.

Although imported foam is cheaper, it is often much lower quality than UK manufactured foam. A large proportion of imported goods don’t meet UK fire and safety regulations. For peace of mind, always buy Memory Foam made in the UK.