Memory foam mattresses have become incredibly popular in recent years as more and more people opt to change from tradition spring mattresses to a more modern alternative.
The ‘bed in a box’ industry has exploded in recent years. Thanks to new technologies, foam mattresses can be vacuumed packed and shrunk down in size, so that they can be delivered directly to your door in a box.
Whether a memory foam mattress is right for you or not depends a lot on your personal preferences and certain factors.
There are some very good things about memory foam mattresses, but there are also some things that are not so good.
The purpose of this article is for us to take a close look at some of the pros and cons of memory foam mattresses to help you to make a decision about whether they are the right product for you or not.
We’re going to split this article up into the following sections:
• What is a Memory Foam Mattress?
• Memory Foam Mattress Pros
• Memory Foam Mattress Cons
• Best Memory Foam Mattresses
• Anything Else To Consider?
• Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, let’s start taking a closer look at memory foam mattresses in general.
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What is a Memory Foam Mattress?
Memory foam mattresses are an alternative to traditional spring mattresses which have become incredibly popular in recent years.
Memory foam itself has been around for many years. In case you didn’t know it was first developed by Nasa as part of an initiative to keep astronauts safe and comfortable during launch.
Since then, memory foam has become a common material, and you’ll find it in everything from seats, to cushions, pillows and even shoes (not to mention mattresses, of course!).
Memory foam mattresses are typically made up of a number of different layers of foam.
Most mattresses are made from a top layer, a transition layer and a firmer base layer.
The top two layers are usually there to help adapt to your body type and provide comfort. The bottom base layer is typically made of a high-density foam to add overall support.
A memory foam mattress is made up of different layers (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Memory foam is durable and offers good support, but can also provide pleasant pressure relief, making it a perfect fit for mattresses.
The memory foam mattress market has grown incredibly quickly in recent years. Just a few years ago, there used to be only a few different options out there. These days, consumers are spoilt for choice when shopping for a mattress of the memory foam type.
So, now that we’ve covered the basic things you need to know about memory foam mattresses, it’s time to focus on their advantages.
Memory Foam Mattress – The Pros
Let’s now take a close look at some of the advantages of a memory foam mattress.
• Adaptive – The main advantage of memory foam mattresses is that they are excellent at adapting to your body shape. They can offer really good pressure relief around common problem areas such as the shoulders, back and hips.
• Durable – Memory foam is extremely durable, meaning that a good quality memory foam mattress should last you upwards of 10 years. In particular, the high density foam that’s usually found at the bottom of your mattress is durable enough to continue to provide reliable support for years.
• Ease of Delivery – Because it can be vacuum packed, memory foam mattresses can be delivered directly to your door in a pretty small box. Upon opening the packaging, the mattress will naturally expand into its full shape, in a process that can take up to 24 hours.
• Price – Memory foam mattresses used to be extremely expensive, but the new surge in different brands in this industry means that there is more competition, and that means plenty of affordable options these days.
RELATED: The Five Best Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory Foam Mattress – The Cons
• Hot – One of the common complaints from users of memory foam mattresses is the fact that they can feel too hot at night. This is because the memory foam material absorbs heat. This may be nice in the winter, but it’s not so pleasant in the summer. Some manufacturers use specific cooling technologies to address this issue.
• Slow Response – Some memory foam mattresses take time to adapt to your sleeping position. This can make it tricky to get comfortable, especially if you’re the type of sleeper who changes position a lot during the night.
• Smell – Some people complain that memory foam mattresses have a ‘chemical’ smell, which is especially noticeable in the days after purchase. From our experience, this smell is almost always non-detectable after around 30 days, so thankfully it’s not usually a long-term problem.
• Price – We know what you’re thinking, how can the price be both a pro and a con? Simply put, there are a lot of products out there that cost far too much for what they are (which is usually simply three layers of foam). It’s really important to do your own research into which brand is likely to suit you best before making a final decision. And that brings us nicely onto our next part.
The Emma Mattress (Photo: Emma)
Best Memory Foam Mattress
We recently updated our guide to the best five memory foam mattresses on sale right now in the USA.
We compiled the list after seeing what each one is made of, what it feels like to sleep on, and by also checking out real customer reviews.
The five products on our list all come with home trials and guarantees, meaning that you will be able to return them for a refund if you’re not happy after having slept on it for a few nights.
In the guide, we explain exactly what each mattress is made of and how it differs from other options on the market.
So, if you’re struggling to decide which memory foam mattress is right for you, then be sure to check it out.
Anything Else To Consider?
As we mentioned above, the only way to be truly sure as to whether a mattress is going to suit you or not is to sleep on it for a few nights.
Thankfully, most of the leading memory foam mattress brands (and all of the ones on our list) offer home trials of at least 100 nights.
This means that you can try it out at home and return it free of charge if you’re not happy with it for whatever reason.
As we also mentioned above, memory foam mattresses tend to feel hotter than their traditional counterparts.
For that reason, it may be a good idea to actively seek out a mattress that uses cooling technology to help get rid of excess heat.
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our look at the pros and cons of memory foam mattresses.
We’ve introduced the basics about this type of product and walked you through some of the positives and the negatives when it comes to choosing a memory foam mattress.
Memory foam mattresses are a good option if you’re looking for a high quality, slightly warmer mattress that can adapt to your body type and offer support for a restful night’s sleep.
A memory foam mattress may not be for you if you tend to get hot and regularly change sleeping position during the night.
All in all, the huge choice of memory foam mattresses on sale these days means that you’re more likely than ever to find a product that’s perfectly suited to your needs.
