Tips on Buying Memory Foam Mattress
Filed under Mattress Buying Guide
You may be interested in buying memory foam mattress by now. But, before you order anything, you need to understand memory foam mattress a little bit better and what to avoid when buying them online.
There are two key things that must be known before purchasing a memory foam product online.
- Density
Density is a measure of quality which tells you how much one cubic foot of memory foam weighs. Density is a measure of quality and not firmness. The most common density is 5 lb. memory foam and that is where the confusion begins. Tempur material was the first memory foam to come onto the market and its density is 5.3 lbs. per cubic foot. This quickly has become the standard for measuring quality in memory foam products. For a mattress topper, 3 lb. memory foam or better will normally suffice. For a mattress, 4 lb. memory foam or better is recommended. If the density is less than 4 lbs. per cubic foot, the mattress will not last very long. You can easily expect a 4 lb. or better mattress to last you for more than 10 years. There is a new type of memory foam that weighs in at an 8 lb. density. Tempurpedic has a new mattress coming that uses a 7.2 lb. density. These super-high density memory foams are an interesting product that will create new trends in the foam bedding industry.
- ILD (Indention Load Deflection – or firmness)
ILD is a measure of firmness with foam products. It can be extremely confusing to understand how the measuring process works. The easiest way to understand ILD is to use a sliding scale. With memory foam products the most common ILD ratings are from 8-20. 8 is plush and 20 is firm. Tempur material has an ILD of 14 and has a medium firmness level. Memory foam with an ILD rating of 10 is plush and supportive with a rating of 5 lb. density. ILD is the most important thing to consider when buying memory foam products anywhere.
Creating Memory Foam
Memory Foam is created in three main ways:
- The first way to create memory foam is with a molding process. This is the way Tempurpedic creates their memory foam. The process uses chemicals that all other memory foam manufacturer’s use, but it is honestly a subpar way to create memory foam that results in inconsistencies to the way each mattress feels. Test this for yourself and you'll find that some Tempurpedic mattresses that are the same model will feel different when tested.
- The second way to produce memory foam is in a vacuum sealed chamber. This is the way foamex creates their memory foam and it provides a solid feel and a consistent product.
- The last way to create memory foam products is perhaps the most disturbing. This is the way most Chinese memory foam is created. They create closed cell foam and then they crush it to create open celled memory foam. This leads to a feel that is fairly consistent and is honestly not as awful as it sounds. Chinese memory foam has improved in quality dramatically in the last few years and can be a decent value at much lower prices than some of the common brand names.
When you buy mattress online, be careful with the false ID’s and density stated to mislead customers. It is safer to buy from the trusted companies that provide warranty.
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