Best Memory Foam Mattresses 2023 - Buying Guide
Memory foam is arguably ruling the mattress market today. We attribute its skyrocketing hype to the way it molds to your body shape to hold you in a cozy and comfortable cradle all night long. Memory foam mattress’s popularity has attracted a lot of manufacturers offering so many options to explore. If you feel overwhelmed by all the brands out there, our handy memory foam mattress buying guide packs a few tips to put you in the right direction.
Tips for Buying a Memory Foam Mattress
Understand memory foam mattress type
Memory foam technology has undergone tremendous improvements since NASA unveiled it in the 1970s. Here are the different types of memory foam and their intended benefits;
Traditional memory foam - this material is made purely from petroleum-based products. It still provides the cradling and pressure-relieving effects that NASA intended.
Gel memory foam - this is traditional memory foam infused with gel beads or liquid. For people who experience night sweats, this infusion pulls heat away from your body, offering you a cooler night’s sleep.
Plant-based memory foam- this material replaces a part of the petroleum products with plant-based materials, mostly soy and coconut foam. Besides being more appealing to eco-conscious customers, the open-celled structure of this material makes it more breathable and responsive.
Dig into the construction
Very few memory foam mattresses use this material for the entire bed. In most instances, only the comfort layer is made of memory foam. The layers below are mainly made from poly foam to cut down on production costs. As you can imagine, thin memory foam will deteriorate faster than a thicker one. As you compare different memory foam beds, consider a mattress with more memory foam at the top.
Consider the firmness level
You’ll get memory foam mattresses with varying firmness ranging from very soft to very hard. Mattress firmness is a matter of personal preference. However, your weight and dominant sleeping style are good pointers of what might work for you. As a rule of thumb, the lighter you weigh, the softer the mattress should be. Vice versa is true. Additionally, back and stomach sleepers generally tend to favor a firmer mattress compared to side sleepers. If you find the issue of mattress firmness confusing, you can’t go wrong with a medium-firm bed. These mattresses strike a middle-ground by creating a plush sleeping surface with a little sink.
