mattress buying tips

Memory Foam: Is it all the same, or different?

February 25, 2014 by Admin

There seem to be a lot of different types of memory foam these days. For example, one retailer may advertise their SureSleepTemp memory foam while another has their SureTempSleep foam. Both of these will likely have a little trademark™ to add legitimacy, but this still leaves a huge question.

Is there really a difference between types of memory foam? If so, how do I tell?

The quick and short answer is that most memory foam is very similar. This is in both structure and material because it’s almost all visco-elastic memory foam. That said, there are some differences that can affect the quality, comfort, and cost of a mattress.

One good explanation that we found was over at Sleep Full Nights, a store that sells memory foam mattresses. They call the memory foam layer the “money layer,” because it is both the most expensive part of the mattress and the part that is most important. The money layer is affected by two main factors, density and thickness. The density is measured in pounds per cubic foot of material and the thickness is in inches. This is what we refer to when we say Money Layer:

explanation of memory foam mattress

Money Layer Density

The density of memory foam is hugely important for a number of reasons. It determines the comfort, cost, and longevity of the mattress more than any other component. The higher density of the material, the more support and higher level of comfort it can provide. Conversely, lower density memory foam will have more airflow. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different density ranges:

1. Low-density memory foam (1.8 – 2.7 lbs./cubic foot) is the cheaper end of the spectrum. It has more space between the foam material and allows for more airflow, which can allow it to sleep cooler. The flip side of this less dense material is that it isn’t as resilient as higher density foams. This means that over the long run, the foam won’t return to form as completely after you get up off of it.

2. Medium-density memory foam (3.0 – 4.5 lbs./cubic foot) is mid-level foam. It combines some of the breathability of lower density foam while also having some of the resiliency and longevity of high-density memory foam.

3. High-density memory foam (4.5 + lbs./cubic foot) is the luxury, high cost end of the spectrum. This is the foam that goes into top of the line mattresses. Although it doesn’t have the breathability and airflow of lower density foams, it tends to be more resilient, last longer, and provide better support to the sleeper.

4. Over 6.5 lbs./cubic foot starts to feel like you’re sleeping in pudding. It can lead to the mattress working like an incubator and making it hard to get out of bed (in a bad way).

Thickness: Money Layer thickness affects the longevity of a mattress. Generally, thickness can range anywhere from 1-6 inches or more. A rough rule of thumb is that you’ll get 3-5 years of optimal performance per inch of Money Layer. Keep in mind that this can vary with usage and that the resiliency is affected by the density of the memory foam.

Is Base Foam memory foam?

No. Base foam refers to a different type of foam. Polyurethane foam is a more rigid and firm type of foam that has a lower density than almost all memory foam. It doesn’t change the price of a mattress much while providing the rest of the mattress volume to get it to the right 8, 10, 12, or more inches tall.

What’s the deal with Gel Memory Foam?

Gel memory foam is one of the most popular new technologies. The memory foam is infused with billions of micro-gel beads during the foam pouring process. This creates a combination of cooling features because it’s generally a lower density material that allows for more airflow and the micro-gel beads have been shown to improve the temperature regulation of sleepers, helping them to stay cooler.

What else is good to know?

The main things to consider, as stated above, are the density and thickness of the Money Layer because most of the other advertised features are fluff. Organic memory foam may have a nice sound to it, but it won’t have any affect on how well the memory foam supports your body while sleeping. Same thing with all natural memory foam. Nice to know. Doesn’t affect the quality of sleep much.

Also beware of specially branded names of memory foam. DormiPureTech Memory foam likely isn’t anything special beyond a name. In fact, some less than honest retailers may use a fancy trademarked™ foam name to try and justify higher prices. Keep your eyes out for this and be sure to focus on what’s important: the density and thickness of the Money Layer.

Latex Mattress vs. TempurPedic: Our Opinion

January 11, 2013 by Admin

When you are shopping for a new mattress and looking at all of your options, one of the comparisons that will surely make at some point is a latex mattress vs. TempurPedic memory foam. You’ve probably already seen one of the top ranking articles on Google that makes it sound like TempurPedic mattresses are hot, wear out after a few years, and are somehow toxic. But notice that the article is written by someone selling organic latex mattresses. I would think that in general, there is probably an incentive to promote what a company sells in comparison to a brand that it doesn’t carry. Here are some facts about TempurPedic mattresses:

They have a 25 year limited warranty. That doesn’t jive with “loses memory in 3 to 5 years,” if you ask me.
They were ranked as the top mattress by Consumer Reports in 2012.
TempurPedic uses a type of memory foam that was originally invented by NASA scientists as a pressure absorbing material for astronauts during liftoff. A Swedish company licensed and developed the foam for use as a mattress in the 1990s, which eventually became the TempurPedic company you know today. They have continued developing the material ever since.

There’s no question that TempurPedic mattresses are expensive. But I have personally owned one for almost 10 years, and it is still exactly as good as it was when I originally purchased it. It was the best mattress purchase I have ever made, and well worth the money I spent buying it at full retail. TempurPedic says that a 2010 Blackstone Group Tempur-Pedic Owners Study showed that 9 out of 10 people who bought one of their mattresses would buy one again. (Although they don’t specify how long after the purchase they said that.) And they also claim that 94 percent of owners are satisfied with their purchase.

With all that said, I am not saying that latex mattresses aren’t any good. In fact, latex mattresses have quite a few advantages of their own. One issue you have to consider, however, is that TempurPedic is one brand, using its own memory foam. Latex mattresses come in many forms, from many different manufacturers.

You might buy a high quality latex mattress that you like better than a TempurPedic, or a crappy cheap one that you think is worse than any mattress you’ve ever slept on. There are many other types of memory foam, and many brands of memory foam mattresses. So don’t say “TempurPedic” unless you are referring to that specific brand. There are plenty of cheap and terrible memory foam mattresses out there that are other brands.

There’s a lot of work you’ll have to do as a consumer to figure out if you are getting your money’s worth with a latex mattress. That’s because there are a ton of different variables with a latex mattress, and any of them can affect the price, the longevity, the comfort level, the quality of materials and more.

Natural latex is a product that comes from a rubber tree. A mattress can be made of natural latex, or synthetic latex, or a blend of the two. If you are looking for a high end, “natural” option for your bed, then latex is going to be a good way to go. You can buy a completely organic, natural latex mattress. Natural latex will last for many years, and many of the top organic natural latex mattress brands have up to a 20 year warranty.

That being said, there are plenty of blended latex mattresses that are still very high quality mattresses, that are very comfortable. Buying 100 percent “natural latex” guarantees that your price is going to be higher, but it doesn’t guarantee the highest level of comfort. Why? Because you still have to consider the other materials in the mattress, how much latex is being used, where the latex layers are in the mattress, which process was used to make the latex, etc.

What you have to be careful with is that many mattresses are called latex, but it’s rare to find a mattress that is just one big slab of 100 percent latex rubber. Latex mattresses are actually made of lots of different materials. So you don’t know how much latex rubber is actually part of the mattress without checking. It might just be a thin layer at the top of the mattress, instead of being part of the core. Many latex mattresses are part latex, and part memory foam.

Here is an example of a competitively priced latex mattress that comes well reviewed on Amazon, and on many of the mattress forums.

Do you already own a Tempur-Pedic or a latex mattress? Tell us about it, below!

Amazon has some good options to consider at surprising low prices.

The Best Bedsheets: Expensive and High Tech Options

January 7, 2013 by Admin

If you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive luxury upgrade to your bed or mattress, consider getting yourself a high end set of bedsheets.

Luxury sheets can come in many forms, and it’s often difficult to judge what is going to be the most comfortable. Sheets come in different materials like cotton, cotton and polyester, polyester, bamboo, Egyptian cotton, cotton and linen, silk, satin, flannel, and so on.

Here’s a selection of bedsheets that some would consider the best sheets that money can buy.

Written up in GQ Magazine and other blogs devoted to luxury items, Olatz makes high end cotton and linen sheets. We’re talking $800 for a single flat queen sized sheet, in some models. You can buy them at an Olatz store, or online.

If you’ve ever stayed at a fancy hotel like the Savoy in London or the Ritz in Paris, then you might have experienced these high end sheets from Frette. Established in France in the 1860s, Frette is a luxury brand with staying power. Thankfully, the sheets are relatively moderate in price. An entire king sized set of Egyptian cotton sheets is under $400 for some models.

Want to go completely high tech, and use the types of modern fabrics that have completely taken over sports for your bedding? Take a look at the Sheex brand. The manufacturer claims that they breathe 50 percent better than cotton, they transfer heat two times better, they are more durable, feel softer, and won’t wrinkle or shrink. A queen set of luxury performance sheets goes for around $199.

sateencompanystore

The best sheets don’t always have to be expensive at all. Good Housekeeping Magazine in its March 2012 issue chose a 450 thread count sheet set from The Company Store as the best sateen sheets on the market. A set of king sheets with two pillowcases goes for around $237.

Written up in Real Simple magazine and picked as one of their top choices for the best bed sheets are these sheets from Sferra. Sferra is an Italian brand launched in Venice in 1891, and its sheets have been used in the Vatican and the White House, and by many celebrities, according to the manufacturer. A queen set will cost you just over $500.

Several blogs have written up the $2,400 bespoke Egyptian cotton sheets from Charlotte Thomas, a boutique luxury bedding brand in the UK. But I couldn’t find any way to buy them in the United States, or a manufacturer photo.

D. Porthault is a luxury brand out of Paris, started in the 1920s. Primarily available as very colorful, “girly” types of linens, a king sheet set goes in the range of around $1,900. These sheets are so expensive that they don’t even tell you the thread count, or even give you details about the fabric!

Sefte is an American luxury brand, but the sheets they make are woven in Italy, and hand embroidered by artisans in Vietnam. They sell for a reasonable $585 per queen set. They are 100 percent organic cotton, in a 400 thread count percale.

Esquire magazine listed Thomas Lee sheets as one of their top picks in the pima cotton sheet category. Thomas Lee only sells direct and keeps prices low. A queen set will cost $199, with a true 500 thread count in the percale style.

Additional reading on the best bedsheets:

Esquire magazine selects their picks for the best sheets.

GQ magazine covers the subject of sheets from a male perspective.

Real Simple writes about bedsheets in several different price categories.

Consumer Reports warns about thread count and material issues with sheets.

Do you have an opinion about the best sheets available, at any cost? Leave a comment and let us know.

best bedsheets made list

Gel Memory Foam vs. Memory Foam: What’s the Difference?

January 4, 2013 by Admin

It wasn’t long ago that memory foam mattresses like the TempurPedic were at the very top when it came to mattress comfort technology. NASA developed the original technology for viscoelastic memory foam to cushion and support astronauts during blastoff.

In the early 1990s that NASA developed technology became available for commercial products. A Swedish company acquired the rights from NASA to this technology, and then perfected it. This led to the TempurPedic brand, which pretty much dominated the memory foam market for almost two decades.

Gel memory foam has more of an earth-based origin. It was developed in the hospital bed / medical setting, to reduce pressure points for bedridden patients. It became quickly clear that the same technology could be tweaked to make an ideal regular mattress for consumers at home, and mattress manufacturers begin to introduce various gel memory foam models.

Gel memory foam mattresses really started to take off in 2011 with the introduction of the Serta iComfort gel mattress in 2011. Serta is one of the big names in mattresses, with wide distribution, making gel memory foam available just about everywhere. And the iComfort line has been a huge hit, launching Serta into the top selling position in the market in 2011.

The only real disadvantage of regular viscoelastic memory foam mattresses is that they can sometimes feel hotter to some people. Gel memory foam mattresses reportedly solve this issue.

Some argue that there is very little difference between gel memory foam and regular memory foam. And let’s face it, traditional memory foam gets very high customer satisfaction ratings. The latest 2012 Consumer Reports guide to mattresses wrote that TempurPedic had the highest satisfaction rating of all types of mattresses, including memory foam and traditional innerspring.

But don’t write off gel memory foam as a gimmick just yet! They don’t tend to use something in a medical setting unless it works.

Many of the gel memory foam mattresses use the same gels developed for hospital beds to avoid or overcome bedsores and alleviate pain from pressure points. Some of them even use a patented “buckling column gel” system that must be licensed out to a mattress manufacturer.

Whether you go with a traditional memory foam mattress or a gel memory foam, one thing you can look forward to is a longer mattress life. Both types of mattresses tend to outlast innerspring mattresses, which typically wear out in 5 to 7 years. Many memory foam brands have 20 year warranties. (My own standard TempurPedic is still going strong after a full decade. I’ve passed it down to my kid because we went from Queen to King and bought an Intellibed gel.)

Got an opinion? Leave a comment and share it. Feel free to mention brands that you like or dislike!

Additional reading:

Memory Foam Mattress? That’s So Last Night from the Los Angeles Times.

Looking for a good gel or memory foam mattress that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Amazon has some good options to consider at surprising low prices.

gel vs memory foam differences

Mattress Quality Ratings

April 19, 2011 by mattress1982

Wondering about mattress quality ratings? Is there such a thing?

Back pain, fatigue and a sagging mattress all indicate it is time for a new mattress. Many people dread making this purchase because of the time, expense and confusion that can be involved. There is plenty of information available about how to buy a mattress that can cut through the uncertainty. If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your mattress the first step is to take a mattress review to find out what’s available.

Innerspring Mattress

Innersprings are popular because they cost less and offer a variety of options. For some, the answer to how to buy a mattress is simply to find the one that is least expensive. For others, improvements like pocket coils and no flip models are an enticement. But according to one mattress review the drawbacks of innersprings not being able to comparison shop and the rapid rate at which they sag and wear out.

Memory Foam Mattress

Memory foam mattresses are made with layers of foam glued to a polyurethane base. Most consumers are not sure how to buy a mattress that is foam filled. In many mattress reviews, the pros were reported as better support, the ability to isolate motion and durability. Cons included heat retention, too much firmness and discomfort for larger people.

Airbed Mattress

Air mattresses adjust to give individual support for each sleeper. They also tend to have a longer life span than other mattresses. Disadvantages include expense, comfort level and the sides of the bed being too soft to sit on.

Mattress Cost

Here are a few ideas how to obtain a mattress without spending more than necessary. Consider buying at discount stores, such as Costco or other reasonably priced retailers. Exercise patience and wait for a sale but beware of so called “blowout sales” that are not truly a bargain. Learn to negotiate to get the best price possible. Don’t be pressured into upgrading to a mattress that has features that you don’t really need.

Mattress Scams

Learn how to buy a mattress without being taken advantage of. Manufacturers make identical mattress with a few cosmetic changes on the outside. Retailers give the mattresses different names to give the impression they are selling several unique lines that cannot be found in other stores. This tactic does not allow the customer to comparison shop. Avoid this scam by buying a mattress based on what’s inside rather than the name.

Do as much research as possible about mattress grades, coils, materials and levels. At the store, ask what components are inside of the mattress. The level of the mattress is found on the tag; even over the phone you can ask for the level before going into the store. Many times cushiony padding is placed on top of the mattress when it is on display. Test drive the mattress for a few weeks from the comfort of your bedroom and don’t hesitate to use the “money back guarantee” if the mattress doesn’t live up to its claims.

Mattress Trends

There are many changes in the mattress industry in recent years. Specialty mattresses, such as foam and air, are becoming more popular. Eco friendly, adjustable and homeopathic mattresses are in vogue all around the globe; including mattresses infused with essential oils. And the old standby, the futon, is making a comeback with plusher fabrics and more variety of styles than in years past.

Is There An Official Rating of Quality for Mattresses?

Not that we could find. Consumer Reports has some solid advice on choosing a mattress and a big section with video too, but they don’t rate individual mattresses.

Yelp has a category for many cities called Mattresses, where you can read reviews of various local mattress stores. Be careful to see that there are enough reviews that you are getting a good idea about the store, and not just reviews from a couple of very happy or very unhappy people.

Did we miss anything? Leave a comment and let us know, so that we can continue to improve this page.