Memory foam has made a huge comeback and is now being found in more and more products, especially mattresses. A while back, when memory foam started getting introduced in the mattress industry, they were just blocks of foam with no breathability or special features. Today, you now have the option between traditional, gel, cooling, etc. I have owned several mattresses that had memory foam built into them, so I want to tell you a little about them and which one would be the best for you.
Brand | Details | Our Rating |
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Layla Mattress |
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DynastyMattress Cool Breeze 12" Gel Memory Foam Mattress |
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Sleep Innovations Shiloh 12" Memory Foam Mattress |
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Best Price 12" Memory Foam Mattress |
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Signature Sleep Memoir 12" Memory Foam Mattress |
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Lucid 10" Gel Memory Foam Mattress |
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What exactly is a memory foam mattress and what is it made from? Memory foam, made from viscoelastic, was first introduced in the 1960’s inside of the NASA airplane seats. It’s best known for its high energy absorbance and softness. It works by molding to the body in by responding to its heat and pressure. Once you remove the pressure, the foam will return to its original shape. Designers have now incorporated it into mattresses for maximized comfort while sleeping.
Is memory foam really as good for you as people say? It seems that memory foam does happen to aid in the relief of body ache, soreness, and painful pressure points. Any pain point in your body has a temperature that’s higher than the rest of the body. The memory foam molds itself properly to the temperature in the pain areas, which then helps the body recover quicker.
Lower back pain is a nuisance, especially when it comes time to sleep. A few sources of lower back pain include:
Having poor posture can lead to quite a few of these symptoms, if not all. Memory foam helps those who sleep terribly due to bad sleeping posture. The foam assists with proper spinal alignment while you are lying down. Once you are in the proper sleeping position, which the foam helps with, a majority of your spinal problems could be solved.
Believe it or not, memory foam has the amazing ability to relieve you from allergies. Since memory foam is made from polyurethane foam, it contains inorganic fibers. These prevent dust mites that cause allergies from making a home in your mattress.
The raw materials that are used in these mattresses contribute to the health benefits from memory foam. Fibers, such as cotton, attract dust mites and cotton happens to be one of the main ingredients of traditional mattresses.
Traditional beds are either for side, back, or stomach sleepers, usually never for all three. Memory foam has the ability to accommodate all types of sleepers. No matter which position you prefer, the foam is still designed to cradle and mold to every part of your body, allowing you to get settled into your most comfortable position without setting off painful pressure points, resulting in a peaceful night of rest and relaxation.
For back sleepers specifically, the foam curves to your spine, which results in great lumbar support which allows your back to relax.
For side sleepers, it helps to support your waist, hips, and shoulders all in one shot, keeping the spine even.
For stomach sleepers, the foam helps to keep your back in shape and prevent the painful pressure points.
Since these mattresses have such a unique combination of pressure point relief and support, it helps to relieve current pain and prevent it in the future. People who suffer from conditions that are usually very painful such as fibromyalgia and arthritis tend to feel relief when sleeping on these mattresses.
Because it supports the correct alignment and contours the body without placing added pressure on areas that may be sensitive, our bodies are comfortable all night long. The more sleep you get on these pain relieving mattresses, the better you will feel each morning.
Yes, another great thing about these mattresses, there isn’t just one kind. So what kinds are there?
What exactly is a gel memory foam mattress? Gel memory foam has gel beads that are infused into it. This then creates an open cell structure that helps with air movement. The heat from your body will then go away instead of collecting and causing you to overheat. This results in a cooler and more comfortable night of sleep.
The main feature of gel foam is its ability to cool you down as you sleep while also offering balanced support and pressure relief. The gel helps to keep your body on top of the mattress rather than sinking into it. It also gently cradles your body so that those annoying painful pressure points are alleviated. As always, you should consider the gel mattress pros and cons before making a final decision about them and reading up on some gel memory foam mattress reviews.
While you are shopping around for memory foam mattresses, you’ll come across the terms “density” and “off gassing” quite frequently. Let’s take a look at them to find out more.
Density is measured in pounds per cubic foot and it’s what helps to determine the firmness level of the mattress. This makes a world of difference when it comes to the softness, price, support, and durability of your bed.
Memory foams are usually some form of polyurethane foam, which is made from a wide range of different chemicals. If you notice a chemical-like smell when you unravel your mattress, this is the petroleum-based substances making their appearance. Mattresses that are organic or are made from plant based materials usually won’t have a chemical smell.
Mattress off gassing usually is harmless, but if you have a sensitive respiratory system or have chemical sensitivities, you could have a reaction. These reactions can include nausea, eye, nose, or throat irritation, and headaches with long exposure. These scents won’t stick around and will generally disappear after a few days.
You can minimize off gassing by first checking for a CertiPUR-US certification. These mattresses are made without harmful TDCPP or TCEP’s, formaldehyde, PBDE’s, ozone depleters and other harmful chemicals. Most of the things that aren’t in CertiPUR-US certified foams have been illegalized in the construction of these mattresses.
The Cool Breeze mattress is taking the cooling game to a whole new level. The 2” state of the art cool airflow foam allows you to be both comfortable and cool while you’re sleeping by collecting the warm body heat and releasing it elsewhere. The 5” high density foam offers you the supportive base you need if you also suffer from painful pressure points and back tenderness.
The 3” gel memory foam with sleep cool technology is another great feature that also allows you to keep cool as you sleep. This foam is infused with gel beads that help to circulate your body temperature to ensure you don’t sweat at night.
This medium-firm mattress also comes equipped with a washable cover that offers attractive brown suede corners. It also has a fire barrier and comes with 2 free gel pillows upon purchasing. The entire mattress is also CertiPUR-US certified for healthier indoor air quality. It’s also probably one of the best memory foam mattresses for hot sleepers.
Pros
Cons
This is recommended for warm sleepers of all kinds who like a medium-firm feel.
The Sleep Innovations Shiloh mattress has a medium feel that’s ideal for the average to larger bodied person. It will lightly cradle you for maximum comfort while providing pressure point relief for any position you sleep in.
The DuoComfort design combines a 2.5 inch classic comfort top with SureTemp memory foam and 9.5 inches of deep support-plus foam base. All of these combined help to keep your back properly aligned while maximizing comfort and coolness.
The SureTemp open cell memory foam will allow your built up body heat to dissipate so that you can be cool all night long. No more overheating, no more tossing and turning due to sweating, and no more kicking the covers off. This could very well be the best foam mattress for the money.
Pros
Cons
This mattress is recommended for those who like a more medium-firm mattress.
The Best Price memory foam mattress is CertiPUR-US certified, which means that there are no harmful chemicals, mercury, lead, heavy metals, formaldehyde, nothing of the sort. It has been analyzed by an accredited laboratory to ensure that it meets strict guidelines and standards for content emissions and durability. It’s also equipped with ActivFresh, which helps keep your mattress fresh and controls odors thanks to moisture-absorbing particles.
The body conforming memory foam will help to isolate and reduce motion transfer. This means that when your partner moves on one side of the bed, you won’t feel it on your side. You will also notice that your weight will be equally distributed as it relieves those painful pressure points.
You should note that in normal temperatures, the mattress may feel firm, this will change when you lay down. Once it detects your body heat, it will soften up and mold itself to the shape of your body. Inside of this mattress, you’ll find 2.5” of charcoal infused memory foam, 3” of super soft foam with a pressure relief system, and a 6.5” high density foam.
Pros
Cons
This mattress is recommended for individuals with pressure point pain who like a medium-firm feel.
The signature sleep is composed of two layers which include 3.5” of memory foam and a 8.5” layer of high density foam. This mattress is made without PBDE’s, TDCPP’s, flame retardants, ozone depleters, lead, heavy metals, or mercury.
This mattress creates a perfectly personalized and balanced form around the body to provide the ideal support someone would need to sleep better without back pain. The memory foam will support the weight of your body evenly to relieve pressure on the shoulders, hips, and feet. It also helps reduce motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other.
With all of the layers combined, this mattress will provide you with a lasting comfort and a dense foam core that will hold its durability for many years to come. It also has very low VOC emissions and is CertiPUR-US Certified.
Pros
Cons
This mattress is recommended for those who like to be warm while they sleep and like a medium feel.
The Lucid gel mattress is one of the better mattresses around for keeping you cool at night. Their dual layered 2.5” gel infused ventilated memory foam surface keeps your body temperature regulated while the 7.5” high density support layer keeps your spine supported while reducing painful pressure points.
The gel infused memory foam regulated your body temperature while conforming to your body to comfortably cradle you as you sleep. The TENCEL cover adds to the greatness by controlling the moisture from your body and regulating your temperature as well.
Along with everything else, the mattress is CertiPUR-US certified for safety and performance. The Lucid isn’t made with harmful chemicals, heavy metals, mercury, lead, nothing of that sort.
Pros
Cons
This mattress is recommended for those who prefer a firmer mattress with temperature regulating features.
As you can see, there is quite the variety of mattresses on the market that contain all kinds of forms of memory foams, but which one comes out on top. As for this category, I would have to say that the DynastyMattress Cool Breeze 12" Gel Memory Foam Mattress,-Queen is the winner for overall best memory foam mattress. Yeah, it may cost a little extra to ship it back, but think about it, if you love it like most of the others who slept on it have, you won’t need to return it. It keeps your temperature regulated, the cover is washable, you have 120 days to try it risk free and a generous 30 year warranty. I would think that this is more than enough features to have anyone sold on it.
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