Memory Foam Mattresses for a Comfortable and Memorable Sleep

Memory Foam, or to give it its technical name, Visco Elastic Foam, was until recently the newest innovation in bed manufacture and is still the most significant in many years of development.

True memory foam is a water based product, and as such doesn’t retain heat as much as Dunlopillo latex would because it allows air to pass through it.

When first used in bedding, memory foam was used in hospitals and nursing homes to combat problems caused by bad circulation such as bed sores or rheumatism and it is now making an impact in the domestic bed industry. It aids circulation because unlike springs or conventional foam, visco elastic memory foam puts almost no pressure against the body because it deforms rather than compresses or moves.

When you lie on a memory foam mattress it moulds itself around your body shape, returning to its original shape much like latex or reflex foam, only Memory Foam returns to its original shape more slowly as it is reacting to both your body temperature and weight, this means that you should move around less at night giving you a more restful sleep.

Most mattresses of this type have a defined sleeping and non sleeping sides, making them non-turn, this would include the combination style mattresses that contain conventional coil springs or pocket springs as well as the visco memory foam.

Mattress Advice - Where to Start?

Often we get people calling us who went online to buy a mattress, thinking it would be simple, but the more they look into it the more overwhelming the choices become. With that in mind I wanted to start by looking at some of the many options available in the vast world of mattresses. Although as concise as possible, this is quite a long post, Call the helpline on 01274 611171 if you need more specific advice.

Open Coil Spring Units

Essentially this means the core of the mattress is made of connected springs with a thicker gauge wire round the edge, to hold it all within a frame. Then, layers of padding are fastened to the top and bottom of the unit so you don't feel the springs. The spring unit supports your body weight and the fillings give you the comfort.

The tempered wire which makes the spring unit is made of either 12 gauge or 13.5 gauge wire (gauge means thickness) 13.5 gauge is a thinner wire and gives you a softer feel than 12 gauge which is used in firmer or so called orthopaedic mattresses. Most mattresses contain 13.5 gauge wire. However, the filling top and bottom used by the manufacturer can also make the mattress feel firmer or softer. So each mattress feels different.

Pocket Sprung Mattresses

Here, individual springs are contained within individual cloth bags and so move up and down independently of one another to support the contours of your body. Then they are covered top and bottom with various layers of different fillings, so you don't feel the supporting springs. Finally a pocket sprung mattress is tufted to hold the springs in place.

Tufting means a length of tape inserted at intervals from the top of the mattress to the bottom with a long needle, about 40cms in length. The purpose of the tuft is (a) To stabilise the padding in place so it does not move (b) To stabilise the springs in place especially in the case of individual pocket springs, so they do not move out of place (c) To compress both padding and springs, thereby giving a mattress a firmer feel.

Quilting is a different treatment to the sleep surface of the mattress. A quilted pattern is sewn through the top fabric or ticking and upper layer of final padding to bind the layer/s of padding together, to stop it moving and to improve the aesthetics of the mattress surface.



Foam, Latex & Memory Foam Mattresses

Foam - We are all familiar with foam in cushions on sofas, car seats etc. It is a product of the oil industry and has many applications. Since its invention, it has revolutionised the upholstery and packaging industries, making new shapes and styles possible.

Latex - Predated foam and is natural rubber, derived from the rubber tree. Because it is a crop and harvested by hand it can be quite expensive but has a certain malleability and compression quite unlike foam.

Memory Foam - is a recent invention and a spin off from the space industry. When first used in the bed industry it was used in the health industry to combat bed sores and is now making its impact in the domestic bed industry. When compressed it moulds itself around your body shape and can be extremely comfortable. It returns to its original shape to a remarkable degree - better than foam or latex.

Some mattresses are made without springs whatsoever - in all foam, all latex, all memory foam or, indeed, combinations of all three, to give differing density levels. Also, foam or latex or memory foam is used as 'cappers' above traditional spring interiors, to give you the best of both worlds.



No Turn Mattresses

Traditionally all mattresses needed to be turned from top to bottom and, also, flipped over. This was to equalise wear areas and give the more traditional fillings a chance to recover their former shape. Most spring interior mattresses still require this and always follow each individual manufacturer's advice on their particular mattresses.

However, now there is a new generation of mattresses, particularly those made with an interior spring unit and topped with a layer or layers of foam, latex or memory foam, which do not require 'flipping over'. These mattresses have one sleep surface only.

Advantages to this are less maintenance - no longer to you need to flip over your mattress - it can be a difficult feat for the elderly or infirm. Another advantage is keeping costs down - both latex and memory foam are expensive commodities - so by putting it on one sleep surface only it brings the cost of these hi-tech mattresses down. This makes them more affordable for a greater number of people.

No turn mattresses are as good as reversible mattresses, despite only having one sleep surface.

I hope you find all this information useful and I haven't added to the confusion!