Memory Foam or traditional mattress?

lizhoffman

There's a reason why Tempurpedic mattresses sleep hotter than other types of mattresses and it's also why many people end up returning them and asking for their money back.

Memory foam (the stuff Tempurpedic mattresses are made of) is very very dense and has an open cell structure which makes it shape to your body. It also softens at body temperature which makes it mold even better to your natural curves.

Unfortunately, this body-contouring ability means that more of your skin is touching the mattress instead of being exposed to air. Our body cools through evaporation so it's normal to feel hotter on this type of mattress.

I hope this explains why it sleeps hotter. Mind you, many people get used to it in 2-6 weeks from what I heard but some never get used to it.

Here's more info on how heat issues are linked to Tempurpedic returns http://www.myfoammattress.net/guide/tempur-returns.html

consultant31

bargain_babe wrote:

We didn't buy pillows - they felt hard but we're happy with the mattress.

Once your body heat softens the pillow, it is wonderful. I've had no neck pain since getting it (mine's a Tempur). Do make sure though (if you get the shaped one) that it's the correct thickness to fit the area between the end of your shoulder and your neck (if you know what I mean). The first one I bought was too thick and made my neck worse, but the thinner one is fab!

Tim_Deegan

HankMcSpank wrote:

I'm looking for a hybrid...ie traditional 1000+ sprung mattress topped off with memory foam.

Something like this....

http://www.bedlum-beds.co.uk/product/Calypso/

I've read that memory foam can be a bit clammy in the summer (on the basis that it moulds around you & therefore makes you - erhmm - sweaty!).

I'm not seeing any *genuine* bed 'deals' anywhere though!

I am the owner of the web site quoted above. I'm not going to give any sales pitch, I am just going to give some advice based on my knowledge of memory foam mattresses (I actually own one of the mattresses in the link mentioned).

We recently sold one of these (and an Eros) to an osteopath. So we asked their professional opinion on the best type of mattress for back support. They told us that most of their profession recommends a combination of pocket sprung and memory foam. They also went on to say that if you can't afford pocket sprung with memory foam, then the next best option is just pocket sprung, and that they are far superior to latex (or reflex) foam and memory foam mattresses that seem to be the most common memory foam mattresses on the market.

As for memory foam being too hot in summer.......some manufacturers use very deep layers of memory foam as a sales gimmick, and say that the more memory foam the better. The truth is that the optimum thickness is 2" to 2 1/2". This is because less than 2" won't be enough to mould to your body, and if the memory foam is too deep then it will start to wrap around you and make it too warm. Memory foam does absorb heat from your body and reacts to it in order to soften and mould to your body, however there are limits to how much it can absorb if the foam is too deep.

As to "not seeing any *genuine* bed 'deals' anywhere though". Well this isn't true, but you do have to be careful. I have seen a few sellers on ebay who say their mattresses contain the NASA developed 'Visco Elastic Memory Foam', but they clearly don't, and loads of people get ripped off. Memory foam mattresses are very expensive due to the cost of the memory foam. Also if the mattress contains pocket springs, then this also pushes the price up. If you were to buy a high quality, king size, pocket sprung & memory foam mattress in the shops at the RRP, you would be looking at anything between £1800 and £2200. The high price on all mattresses sold in shops is due to the massive mark up that shops put on their prices. So if you find someone who sells this type of mattress for much less than that, give them a call, and ask for as much information as possible including who makes the memory faom used (then check out their web site). Also try to find a seller who gives a 100% satisfaction guarantee (including delivery and return costs), as some people just can't get used to memory foam (99% of people love it, but 1% hate it).

falc_2

First off let me say this: I hate memory foam!! Read on for a cautionary tale.

OK, here is my odyssey in mattress buying - a cautionary tale! Firstly bought a medium sprung mattress - too hard. slept on it for SEVEN YEARS badly!!! Finally heard strange noises as though a spring were pinging under my ear and decided enough was enough. (To be honest I thought a mouse had moved in!!)

Headed to Dreams showrooms and bought £899 (ended up being a grand by the time I had bought extras) exorbitant memory foam mattress. Soft and supportive but Too Hot! Slept even worse as felt so hot and clammy at night. Also noticed that spring was still PINGING. Realised it was not a spring nor a mouse either but my jaw bone possibly stemming from the day my 2 year old headbutted my jaw and possibly fractured it or something.

Took it back, rueing the day I ever set foot in an expensive Dreams showroom. Luckily, they were having a sale!! And the first mattress was still within it's 30 days exchange period so I was able to exchange it free of charge for a lovely mattress of the same price in the sale. I.e. a more expensive mattress!! They were very keen to get me to buy an even more expensive mattress but luckily I still had some vestiges of sanity (sleep deprivation is a terrible thing). I hunted round the shop and found, hidden away at the back of the shop, a gem of a mattress. It was a soft mattress with wool on one side, cotton on the other. So - warm in winter, soft in summer! Perfect! You can buy them in regular and firm tension as well. They have 1800 springs or something like that. Apparently you should get more than 1600 springs per something or other. Amazingly it was the same price as the memory foam one.

I am now sleeping well at last! Happiness :-)

Seen_the_light_4

We purchased a 7ft x 7ft Tempur mattress last June. This was due to visiting hotels with big beds and being able to stretch out even though I am 7'6" tall. The mattress wasn't cheap, but it has a 15 year warranty that it will not deform, so when you take this into account the cost per night is reasonable.

Its very supportive, whereas my last bed which was expensive with hundreds of springs developed indents where I used to lay which made it uncomfortable after 6 years.

The posts above prove that everyone has a preferance and you need to get what you like.

Tim_Deegan

falc wrote:

First off let me say this: I hate memory foam!! Read on for a cautionary tale.

OK, here is my odyssey in mattress buying - a cautionary tale! Firstly bought a medium sprung mattress - too hard. slept on it for SEVEN YEARS badly!!! Finally heard strange noises as though a spring were pinging under my ear and decided enough was enough. (To be honest I thought a mouse had moved in!!)

Headed to Dreams showrooms and bought £899 (ended up being a grand by the time I had bought extras) exorbitant memory foam mattress. Soft and supportive but Too Hot! Slept even worse as felt so hot and clammy at night. Also noticed that spring was still PINGING. Realised it was not a spring nor a mouse either but my jaw bone possibly stemming from the day my 2 year old headbutted my jaw and possibly fractured it or something.

Took it back, rueing the day I ever set foot in an expensive Dreams showroom. Luckily, they were having a sale!! And the first mattress was still within it's 30 days exchange period so I was able to exchange it free of charge for a lovely mattress of the same price in the sale. I.e. a more expensive mattress!! They were very keen to get me to buy an even more expensive mattress but luckily I still had some vestiges of sanity (sleep deprivation is a terrible thing). I hunted round the shop and found, hidden away at the back of the shop, a gem of a mattress. It was a soft mattress with wool on one side, cotton on the other. So - warm in winter, soft in summer! Perfect! You can buy them in regular and firm tension as well. They have 1800 springs or something like that. Apparently you should get more than 1600 springs per something or other. Amazingly it was the same price as the memory foam one.

I am now sleeping well at last! Happiness :-)

Did a bed retailer tell you that you should have at least 1600 springs??

The truth is that more than 800 pocket springs in a king size mattress is enough, although 1000 to 1500 is best. Some manufacturers use 2, 3, or or even 4000 springs, but all this does is make each individual spring very small and weak. This increases the chance of springs becoming damaged.

In reply to the person who said that their pocket sprung mattress developed indentations.......this is usually due to not turning the mattress often enough. Pocket sprung mattresses should be turned on a regular basis to prevent this. This is the reason that if you do buy the best type of mattress for back support (pocket sprung & memory foam), that you should look for one of the very rare ones that have memory foam on both sides so that it can be turned over.

teb_2

I'm a bit confused. I thought the more springs a mattress had, the firmer it was? Have I got this wrong?

Tim_Deegan

teb wrote:

I'm a bit confused. I thought the more springs a mattress had, the firmer it was? Have I got this wrong?

Not in most cases. It all depends on the gauge of the steel used in the springs.

We sell a 1000 pocket sprung mattress that is medium to firm, and a 1500 pocket sprung mattress that is soft to medium.

cozzie

Tim_Deegan wrote:

In reply to the person who said that their pocket sprung mattress developed indentations.......this is usually due to not turning the mattress often enough. Pocket sprung mattresses should be turned on a regular basis to prevent this. This is the reason that if you do buy the best type of mattress for back support (pocket sprung & memory foam), that you should look for one of the very rare ones that have memory foam on both sides so that it can be turned over.

I have a orthopaedic mattress and a separate memory foam topper but my mattress has now got a "cozzie" shape in it. I know I sound really stupid, but, how often should I 'turn' the mattress to prevent this developing further and which way? Top to bottom, side to side, both?

Thank you for not laughing too loudly at me - I have a huge complex as it is !

PS - I love my memory foam mattress and don't know how I ever slept before I had it, can also recommend lumie clocks for those that don't like waking up either.

teb_2

Tim_Deegan wrote:

Not in most cases. It all depends on the gauge of the steel used in the springs.

We sell a 1000 pocket sprung mattress that is medium to firm, and a 1500 pocket sprung mattress that is soft to medium.

That's what made me wonder, I had looked on your site and it seemed to be the opposite of what I'd seen in bed stores, hence my confusion.