Memory Foam Buyer's Guide
An introduction to the world of memory foam...
Page 5

Excessive Heat
In the past, memory foam has been criticized for being too “hot” to sleep on. By its nature, memory foam dissipates heat very slowly. In fact, that is an important characteristic of memory foam, as this heat retention is one of the reasons memory foam can conform so perfectly to the body. It can be uncomfortable though, especially in hot climates, if the manufacturer does nothing to help alleviate that heat.

• To avoid excessive heat buildup, choose a mattress with some sort of ventilation system. Sleep Aid has a particularly good system that consists of a series of air channels cut into the surface of the foam. These channels allow air to circulate throughout the surface, keeping the user cool.

Mattress Covers: What Are They Hiding?
Some memory foam companies sell their memory foam mattresses and toppers with a mattress cover or sleeve. These covers will only reduce the effectiveness of memory foam by reducing body contact, and these covers may really serve another purpose; covering low quality foam.

• As was discussed earlier, low quality foam tends to flake and crumble. Mattress covers do a good job of covering up that breakdown, as well as reducing abrasion in order to keep low quality foam from breaking down too rapidly.
   
• Mattress covers can help to cover up unpleasant smells associated with manufacturing. Even high-quality foams can smell funny for  couple of days, but any mattress pad with a sleeve may be covering up for more permanent odors.

Freshness Counts
Under normal use, memory foam can last upwards of a decade. If memory foam is not treated properly, however, it can break down fairly rapidly. Because memory foam is so bulky,  it has to be shrink wrapped for shipment, and this compresses the tiny cells that give memory foam its rebound. For about 60 days, that compression poses no long term risk to the product. It simply regains its original shape after being unwrapped.

However, some manufacturers and retail outlets allow their stock to remain shrink wrapped for many months or even years before it reaches the consumer. After this length of time, memory foam can lose up to sixty percent of its loft and become hard and unyielding. This process is called "compression set," and it is especially common of "big box" stores that buy huge quantities of memory foam, and ship products to multiple warehouses for storage and eventual sale.

If you do buy from a retail outlet, make sure to find out when the foam was packed. If the retailer can't give you this information, do not buy their products. The best bet is always to buy products that are shipped directly from the manufacturer, whether through an authorized direct online dealer, or through the manufacturer directly. Some brands like Sleep Aid even "custom cut" their foam in small batches, and never shrink wrap for more than thirty days.

Conclusion and Resources
Memory foam is changing lives every day. The process of buying memory foam, and making sure that you select the right product for your needs, can be somewhat confusing, but the rewards far outweigh the inconvenience. Hopefully this guide will give you some basic knowledge, and make the task of navigating the memory foam market a little less of a chore.

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