It is a proven fact that a good night’s sleep does wonders for your overall health and well being. Moreover, using the right mattress is one of the best ways to improve sleep habits and prevent sleep deprivation and deficiency. This means that by investing in a good quality mattress, you are investing in your health.

Advances in technology and improved methods of production have resulted in new and non-traditional kinds of mattresses. Based on your needs, budget constraints and other factors, you can find one that is best suited to you. With so many options available, it is important to get the right information and make an informed decision.

Related article: How to Choose the Right Mattress

A Brief History of Memory Foam

Memory foam was developed by NASA in 1966. It was designed to improve the safety of aircraft cushions. This substance was originally intended to relieve the astronauts of the intense gravitational forces experienced during landing and take off.

Scientists concluded that these forces could be reduced by using a foam that conformed to the shape of the body and retained this new form. The result was the creation of a ‘visco-elastic’ foam material could mould to the contours of the body, but also return to its original form once the pressure was removed.

Memory foam could allow even distribution of the body weight over its entire surface, while still being able to adapt to movement. This unique ability made commercialization of this substance highly desirable. NASA released memory foam to the public domain in the 1980s. However, during this time it was primarily used only in medical and athletic equipment.

In 1991, Fagerdala World Foams of Sweden introduced the first memory foam mattress to the world. Their “Tempur-Pedic” mattress was introduced in Sweden and later in North America owing to the good response received. In an effort to emulate the same success, manufacturers in the US and Canada began developing their own visco-elastic memory foam material.

Consumers now had a huge variety to choose from in terms of quality and price. Although in the initial stages memory foam was too expensive for widespread use, it became more economical with time. Today, it can be commonly found in mattresses, pillows, shoes, and blankets.

What is a Memory Foam Mattress?

Memory foam technology uses body heat to soften and mould to the shape of the body. This makes them more supportive and comfortable. Over time, the foam will remember the body’s optimal sleeping position. Memory foam mattresses are also denser than a traditional foam mattress.

Related article: What is a Gel Memory Foam Mattress?

What are the Benefits of a Memory Foam Mattress?

Optimal comfort and support

The contouring effect allows it to adjust to the shape of the body. This ability to achieve a custom fit provides more comfort and support than with most traditional mattresses.

Pressure-point relief

Memory foam technology works to redistribute body weight evenly. They can provide relief from painful pressure points by reducing pressure from the heaviest parts of the body.

Relieves and prevents pain

Its unique qualities of maximum support and pressure-point relief make it ideal for relieving and preventing pain. It can be used to cure new injuries and also prevent the aggravating of old ones.

Proper back alignment

By contouring to the curves of the back, it creates a more natural resting position of the spine. In this way, back pain is lessened.

Accommodates any sleeping position

The visco-elastic foam was designed to cradle every part of the body evenly. This means that memory foam mattresses can adjust to accommodate any sleeping position, whether a front, a back or a side sleeper.

Related article: Can memory foam mattress cause back pain?

What are the Kinds of Memory Foam Mattresses?

The best-known kinds of memory foam mattresses are Traditional, Air Cool and Gel memory foam.

The Traditional Memory Foam Mattress

This is the most popular kind of memory foam. It is designed to provide a sort of cradling effect around the body to maximize comfort while you sleep. It comes with all the benefits of memory foam as discussed earlier. However, traditional memory foam tends to retain more body heat as compared to other mattress types. This causes you to “sleep warm”. The response time is also slower, which results in what is called a “quicksand” feeling.

Distinguishing features of Traditional memory foam:

• Contouring ability reduces pressure points and promotes blood circulation for a more restful night’s sleep.
• Reduces motion transfer to create a custom “sleep zone” for each individual sleeper.
• Hypoallergenic nature wards off dust mites and microbes. Ideal for people suffering from asthma or allergies.
• Very durable and low maintenance. The material used in construction makes it last much longer than regular spring mattresses.

The Air Cool Memory Foam Mattress

Originally known as NXG foam, it has all the qualities of traditional memory foam. However, Air Cool memory foam is becoming widely popular due to some key advantages it has over traditional memory foam.

Distinguishing features of Air Cool memory foam:

• Quicker response time eliminates the “quicksand” feeling experienced while using traditional memory foam.
• Open cell structure allows for a reduction in heat retention by channelling out the warmth for a cooler night’s sleep.

The Gel Memory Foam Mattress

This technology is infused with the same kind of gel that is found in sports equipment or shoe inserts. It provides the best support which makes it the ideal choice for people who suffer from aches and pains caused by poor posture while sleeping. Apart from providing all the benefits of traditional memory foam, it comes with a few more desirable qualities.

Distinguishing features of Gel memory foam:

• More effective at reducing pressure than traditional memory foam.
• Higher density makes it more durable.
• The gel retains less heat.

Which is the softest memory foam mattress?

Although Traditional memory foam offers great comfort, the density of the material used makes it feel quite firm in terms of softness. On the other hand, the open cell structure of Air Cool foam means it is softer than traditional memory foam. Due to the support it offers, Gel memory foam is firmer than both Air Cool and Traditional foam mattresses.

Therefore, we can conclude that Air Cool memory foam is the softest memory foam mattress. It makes it the perfect option for anyone looking for a mattress which has a higher Comfort Scale Rating.

Tips for buying a memory foam mattress online-

You may think it is impossible to buy a mattress without physically testing it yourself. However, here are a few tips that will help you buy the right mattress from online sellers:

• You can judge the firmness from the indentation load deflection (ILD). A product with an ILD of 10 will be quite soft while one with 50 would be very firm. The higher the ILD, the firmer the mattress.
• Find out the memory foam density rating. This number will indicate the durability of the product. A rating of 6 six lbs./ft³ or more is one of the highest rated densities on the market.
• Know the mmHg (millimetres of mercury). This is the unit that measures comfort and how the mattress reacts against pressure. A low mmHg of 32 or lower relieves pressure and improves blood circulation.
• Choose a trusted company with a positive reputation. This will ensure the genuineness of the product and guarantee customer satisfaction.
• Look for standardized testing certifications. This guarantees that you buy the best quality foam.
• The quality of the product will also depend upon where it was manufactured. The US, Canada, and Europe are trusted manufacturers who follow the industry standards.
• Read the product specifications carefully and contact customer service to clear up any doubts that you may have. Also, make sure to get the correct information on the return and refund policies.
• Do not go by advertisements alone. Manufacturers and retailers often misinform customers with the sole intention of increasing sales. Research into the website and read customer reviews to judge the quality of the products on offer

Related article: Which memory foam mattress are the coolest?

Here are some of our best selling foam mattresses available for order:

1. Comfort high-density foam mattress (made in Italy)

Price: $129.00

1. Deluxe premium gel memory foam mattress (made in Italy)

Price: $349.00

1. Italian premium 10" gel memory foam (made in Italy)

Price: $590.00

1. Slumber high-density foam mattress (made in Italy)

Price: $269.00

1. Supreme premium gel memory foam mattress (made in Italy)

Price: $765.00

Related article: Ultimate Buying Guide on Memory Foam Mattress