Memory Foam isn’t Rocket Science?
The story so far…
Visco elastic memory foam has become the ingredient of choice for an ever growing number of bed manufacturers and customers alike. Visco reduces the pressure at our points of contact with a mattress which in turn improves blood circulation and reduces our unconscious restless movements throughout the night. The net result is a better night’s sleep. It sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?
Tempur, a Swedish company, first brought visco elastic memory foam to the market in 1991. The initial research had been to find a mould for astronauts’ seats to alleviate the discomfort of G forces. That application never materialised due to it being too heavy for space use. However when the technology was applied to mattresses here on earth, the result was an instant winner. Memory foam’s first use was in hospital beds due to its fantastic pressure relieving qualities.
One difficulty that had to be overcome was cost. Visco was very expensive, but the obvious benefits and potential demand for visco was evident for all to see, so over the next few years more manufacturers invested in this new technology to make it more affordable for everyone, not just for astronauts.
Like all new inventions it takes time for people to realise the benefits, and although visco elastic memory foam has been in the market place for some 17 years, it is only in the last 3-4 years that people have tried this new product and found the benefits of sleeping on this new technology that word of mouth has spread and more and more visco mattresses are being bought.
Nearly every bed manufacturer now uses visco elastic memory foam in their mattresses and because the demand is so high, the costs have plummeted. There are subtle differences in feel from one visco manufacturer to another but generally speaking the main effects are determined by density and thickness of the foam and of course what other materials are in the mattress, eg springs or layers of non visco foam.
The density of the visco foam has a big bearing on the mattress feel. Densities vary from 40 to 100kg/m3 and as the foam gets denser the response to pressure gets faster so when you move in bed the mattress will respond to your shape faster – so the denser the visco the better.
Thicknesses can vary from 15mm to 100mm. Most mattresses feature between 50mm and 70mm of memory foam and with clever combinations of materials it is often difficult to tell which mattress has the thickest visco layer. So you are best guided by simply trying the bed and making your own judgement.
A very popular format is to use visco as the top layer of a normal sprung mattress. The most important feature here is that the visco must be as close to the surface as possible otherwise you won’t benefit from the amazing shape forming characteristics, and the mattress cover needs to be able to stretch so that it also moulds with your shape. Sealy and Silentnight use this method with fantastic results.
Everyone likes their bed to be nice and cosy after all, but some people will find visco warm. Normally the body thermostat adjusts with time in much the same way as it would if you moved to the Caribbean, but our experience is that over-heating problems are temporary. A lower tog duvet can be used as well as turning down the heating in the bedroom.
Manufacturers have introduced Coolmax covers and incorporate additional ventilation to their mattresses and have now incorporated another new invention called ‘’Outlast’’ that works by absorbing excess heat, storing it and realising it to the body as it is needed.
Finally if you wish to experience a less restless sleep in a mattress that moulds entirely to the contours of your body then visit Archers Sleepcentre and try from the large choice available.
Visco will improve your sleep, but like Marmite, you will either love it or hate it.
Related posts:
- Sleepright – sell the cheapest memory foam mattresses?
- Kaymed Memory Foam Winners
- New Cheap Memory Foam Mattresses from Kaymed
- Kaymed Memory Foam Divan Bed Displays
- Review of memory foam, latex and feather pillows
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