Copyright 2006 Ross Goldberg Memory Foam is becoming a very popular item! The problem is that not everybody is honest about their product and there are specific things one must look for when thinking about purchasing memory foam products. Memory Foam was discovered by NASA. NASA was attempting to design a material that would absorb the tremendous G-Forces that were pushing against the astronauts during takeoff. Swedish scientists decided that this material would be great for bedding products. Now memory foam is used for all kinds of products from mattresses to pillows, from cushions, to pet beds and beyond. This memory foam buying guide is made to stop you from wasting your money on memory foam products that will not last. There are a few specific tricks that sellers are currently using on the web that we should all be watching for: Density is one of the most important things to watch for with memory foam. If someone is saying their product is 5.0 or 6.0, make sure that it is followed by lbs. or pounds because that is how density is measured in memory foam. Some sellers are referring to the weight of 2 cubic feet of memory foam, which is not a proper measurement. Proper measurement for the density of memory foam is the weight of 1 cubic foot of memory foam. The actual density of their product is between 2.5 and 3 lb. Tempurpedic mattresses are made of 5.3 lb. density memory foam. Doctors and Chiropractors recommend a 4.0 lb. memory foam because it is less firm and costs less. Any density below 4.0 lb. is not going to last very long, the higher the density the longer the foam will retain all of its original properties. 3.0 lb. memory foam and anything less dense should only be used in bedding products as a plush pillow top type layer, because it doesn't provide enough support to the body alone. The other extremely important aspect of memory foam that you must find out before buying is the ILD rating of the foam. This rating tells you how firm the foam is. Memory foam ranges in ILD from 8- 20. The lower the number, the softer the memory foam. Tempur material has an ILD of 14. Some people find Tempur material to be too firm, if that is the case with you, then you would want memory foam with a lower ILD. If an item is priced too low, there is probably a reason. Unless a person is selling a used product, no memory foam topper or overlay should be selling for $25 - $30. If a price is too good to be true, there is probably a reason for it. Make sure you ask questions of sellers with prices that seem too low. It is one thing to find a great deal and another to be ripped off and stuck with a product that isn't what it should be. Be wary of any mattress that has less than 2 inches of memory foam. Memory foam mattresses all have a base to give support to the foam, not your body. Stomach sleepers should use at least 2 inches of memory foam and side or back sleepers should have 3 or 4 inches of memory foam for proper support. These tricks are stealing money from people every day. Remember that it is difficult to get a retailer to do something about a faulty product in a year when their product stops working. These steps below are the most important things that will help you get the most bang for your buck with memory foam products: Stay informed! Be aware of what you like and what you don't. 5.0 lb. memory foam can be too firm for some people. If you like a softer mattress than you would be better off with the less expensive 4.0 lb. memory foam. There are also beds that combine the firmness of 5.0 lb. foam with a plush softer layer of the 4.0 lb. foam. Do your research! Check in as many places as possible. Your research should be done at local furniture stores and through search engines like Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Check what websites are offering products for and what they come with and compare this to what you find at local stores. This will help you know what to expect from a good seller. Also, check ebay stores, paypal shops, and any other places you might find sellers that you can trust. Make sure you know the density & ILD of the product you are buying. It is important to know what to expect from your memory foam products. Check the warranty! TempurPedic warranties their mattresses for 20 years and you should not spend your money with a company that doesn't give you 20 years on a warranty. Did you know that you have to pay half of the cost of replacement after 10 years? Make sure that you get at least a ten year non-prorated warranty on any memory foam mattress. Check the trial time! You need at least a few weeks to find out whether memory foam is right for you. If you don't get at least a 90 day trial, don't buy the mattress! There is a reason for them not to offer you a trial. Be wary of sellers that don't offer a decent amount of time to test their product. Keep in mind that you will have to repackage the mattress and ship it back at your own expense in the event you decide not to keep your memory foam mattress, you should feel good about purchasing from the retailer you choose. With so many different companies selling memory foam make the right decision the first time around. We have heard of companies making the sale then changing the name of their website and phone number so you can't find them! How's that for customer service? A warranty and sleep trial are only as good as the company that offers it. The bottom line is that you need to make sure you can trust the company that you purchase from. Check the Better Business Bureau and see how many complaints a company has against them before you purchase from them. |
