Now you can have a space age nights sleep!

Developed first by NASA to improve the safety of aircraft seats, visco elastic foam, known now by it’s more common name “Memory Foam” has become a really quite affordable mattress option these days.

A Visco Elastic Foam Mattress is more dense than other foams. This also makes it heavier and firmer. What you get is a compromise. They’re not as soft as your usual foam mattress but they offer much more support.

How they Work

The open celled nature of the visco elastic foam allows it to mould to your body. The combination of your bodies heat and your weight permits the foam to give enabling it to conform to your bodies contours. The heat retention of the foam has been linked to the experience of pain releif by users. The unique way it molds to your body can help releive the pressure on your joints and help keep good blood flow reducing pins and needles and sores that come from being bed riddden for long periods of time.

What to look for in a Visco Elastic Foam Mattress.

There can be a huge difference in the way  memory foam mattresses can feel. If you’re looking for a firm mattress it’s best to go for a high density one which will return to it’s original shape much more slowly than a low density one. Density is the best measure of quality. Look for a mattress with a density of 5lb per cubic foot. In most standard mattresses you’ll find a density of 1-5lb per square inch.

Another measure of the quality of visco elastic foam mattresses is the foams Indentation Force Deflection or IFD. This is a measure of the firmness of the mattress. To keep it simple an IFD10 is very soft and an IFD16 would be very rigid.

The other major factor to look at when purchasing a Visco Elastic Foam Mattress is the thickness of the mattress. To get the most benefit from these mattresses you’ll need a thickness of greater than 2 inches. I don’t advise going over 4 inches as the mattress then becomes too soft for a really comfortable nights sleep.

A Word of Caution

The first thing you may notice about a memory foam mattress is the peculiar chemical odor that they give off. They do off gas throughout their life and some people may find they are quite sensitive to this. The effect is reduced with airing and with age.  Due to the requirements for mattresses to be fire retardant they are quite heavily treated with chemicals. These can cause respiratory problems with some users .

This type of mattress is not recommended for use with children as they can have difficulty turning on them and so may run the risk of suffocation.

Brands we recommend.

We recommend the following brands.

Soft Sleeper

Sleep Better

Leggett and Platt