8 Reasons Your Mattresses Is Not What It Could Be

Memory foam mattress makers have been battling it out on the
Advertising scene for quite a while now. Each claims their mattress is best, but
How do they compare? Today we take a look at the top three types
including traditional petroleum-based memory foam, innovative plantbased
memory foam, which has been developed using Eco-friendly

sleep. Bragging rights go to the winner after a debating the pros and cons
Of each based on heat, off-gassing, response time and endurance. Let the


Best Memory Foam Mattress Technologies Face Off
Battle 1: Heat

Consumers since memory foam mattresses hit the market. Some people

heat, making them swelter through the night, particularly during warm
weather. This is because traditional foams have insulating properties, that
Is they preserve instead of disperse heat. So how do the technologies
Compare in this regard?
A Conventional memory foam mattress can feature either open or closed cell
Structures, but even the open cell variety was known to sleep warmer
For significant minority of people.
Problem by cutting channels in their mattresses to help air run out.
Questions remain though as they have also released a line, Tempur-
Breeze, to address complaints of sleeping hot.
why the Breeze line would be cooler, and some reviewers still indicate

Plant-based technology, like that used by Amerisleep.com, has been
proven to dissipate heat up to 9 times faster than traditional foam. Studies
indicate it also sleeps 25 percent cooler than the gel type. This vast
Improvement is due to plant-based materials and a much larger cell
Structure than competitors which allows increased airflow to decrease heat. A
Look at reviews shows very little mention of heat.

foam mattress became popular of the past year, through lines like Serta
iComfort. This relies on the fact that gel is considered an ambient material,
Most people are
familiar with the microwavable and freezer type gel packs which absorb


Gel mattress
companies advertise that their products will transfer body heat to the lower

In a popular pocket, however serious questions remain.
recently agreed to stop making claims that their beds sleep cooler after

Battle 2: Off Gassing
Off-gassing refers to the release of fumes from within a memory foam
Mattress which can range from simply a "new" odor to dangerous VOCs.
Consumers have expressed concerns over the length of time these gasses
will be released. Almost every newly manufactured product has an odor of
Some sort, though the composition and danger of off-gassing is set
by the materials it includes.
Classic memory foam mattresses have been severely critiqued for
chemicals, citing as many as 61 dangers associated with them. Both the
International Agency of Research on Cancer and departments within the
State of California have identified 18 of these 61 as having harmful effects
on health. The smell associated with traditional memory foam is the
release of these dangerous compounds. Tempurpedic and other standard
memory foams receive reports of off-gassing much higher than average.
The brand makes no claims one way or the other about the presence of
VOCs.
Plant-based technology replaces a proportion of the petroleum additives
With bio-materials, and often eliminates other nasties from production.
Amerisleep mattresses have been recognized to free of VOCs and are
created with zero-emissions. While they may still have a "new" scent, it is
on par to that of other beds and hasn't received reports of respiratory
Discomfort at the level of traditional memory foam.
Gel memory foam has not been studied in depth Concerning the release of
VOCs or if so the information is not available at this time. Because most
Lines use traditional memory and just inject or pour gel into it, one could
Assume it that if it were VOC-free the businesses would promote this in
their advertising. Initial reports from consumers indicate odors, but slightly
less severe than standard foam depending on the brand.
Battle 3: Response Time
Despite hearing a great deal about response time, consumers may not
understand the term, what it measures and how different types compare. In
Essence this term refers to the length of time it takes compressed foam to
return to its original state. Memory foam is often referred to as "slow
Response" due to the length of times it takes to press it down and how long
it takes to respond and come back. Composition of the memory foam
Mattress is a key factor as are the following: changeable viscosity;
Elasticity, measuring how long it takes to come back, referred to as
"memory"; and resilience, which provides "bounciness" or the
"pushback". While it may seem cool to see your hand print in a bed for
Several seconds, owners of slow response foams often have complaints of
a feeling stuck, sleeping in quicksand and even have reported decreased
sexual enjoyment. While memory foam shouldn't be as springy as latex,
greater responsiveness helps resolve these concerns. Response time of
the three:
Tempurpedic shows a 45-60 response time. This means after sleepers
Change position, it takes nearly a minute for the bed to grab. This is
Another top complaint with memory foam, particularly among older
individuals.
Amerisleep comes with a 5-8 second response time. This is one of the
quickest response times for higher density memory foams, allowing people
to move easily in bed and avoid feeling stuck as the mattress adjusts and
re-contours quickly.
Gel based memory foams show 30-45 second response time, slightly
better than Tempurpedic but still considerably less than Amerisleep.
Battle 4: Durability
Does density equal quality? To some degree the answer is yes, as denser
Foams are a lot stronger than lesser weights. In Reality, a memory foam
Mattress composed of low-density foams, those which are 3 lbs and
Less, often get referred to as "throw-aways" as they will not last more than a
few months. Memory foam density is calculated by determining the weight
Of one cubic foot, and ranges from 2.0 to 8.0 lbs. We recommend
Purchasing mattresses with a 3.5 -5.0 pound density as they will remain
Supportive and comfortable for years on the average, in addition to providing
The perfect degree of "give" and durability. Anything over a measure of 6.0 will
Be too hard and dense for many people. The top 3 choices battle it out
below:
Tempurpedic features 5.3lb density foam in most of their traditional line,
Although the Simplicity has only 2.5lb density, and some of the other new
Lines may feature reduced densities as well. As one of the older brands,
their mattresses have scored reasonably well for durability.
Amerisleep memory foam mattresses feature densities ranging from 4.0-
5.3 lbs. were first introduced in 2007. They continue to rank as high in
durability as their competitors for durability and lifespan.
Gel-based memory foam mattresses have only recently entered the
Market, most in 2012, with Sealy and Serta Optimum both integrating gel
With a mean of 3.0-5.0 pounds. foam. Though the beds have good
Warranties, our concern with this extract is water and oil don't tend to mix
Well -- a few examples on Youtube reveal the gel beads simply flaking out of
The foam, or the poured gel simply settling to the bottom. Uneven mixing
Combined with a recent report on their higher rate of flammability raise
Some questions about this type of foam.
And the winning Memory Foam Mattress Technology is...
A mattress is a very personal purchase, so what's right for one person may
not be best for another. In our comparison and opinion, the plant-based
Memory foam offers the ideal combination of performance and value. It
sleeps coolest, is responsive to sleepers movements, contains less or no
harmful chemicals, and is as durable as the alternatives. We like the
Amerisleep plant-based memory foam mattress collection for their online
Direct accessibility, selection of firmnesses, strong verified reviews, good
Guarantees and affordable prices.