Memory Foam Mattress Toppers

Memory foam may seem like a totally new product to most people, but in fact it has been obtainable commercially for more than forty years. From the early days until quite recently it was mainly obtainable in the form of mattresses, pillows, cushions and the type of padding that you get on doctors' couches and wheel chairs. It was very expensive, so it was not considered to be commercially viable for the mass market.

That has all altered over recent years as production costs tumbled. These days, almost anyone can afford a mattress, mattress topper or cushion manufactured out of memory foam.

Memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers help many people to rest comfortably and sleep well because memory foam moulds itself to the contours of the body, thus supporting the body on a greater surface area than a standard mattress or cushion would.

Memory foam mattress toppers are a means of converting your present regular mattress into a memory foam mattress and they are cheaper than the full job as well. They can help people with bad backs or sore joints, sufferers of arthritis and gout and people who perspire a lot. These toppers can help those who perspire a lot because memory foam 'breathes' unlike traditional foam.

A true memory foam mattress is designed to give maximum comfort in the way described above and is the correct thickness for that purpose, but a mattress topper is like a conversion kit, so can it honestly convert a regular mattress into a memory foam mattress? This is a tricky question, because the answer, as it so often is, is that it depends.

It depends on two things: the sort of mattress that you are setting the topper on and the quality of that topper.

Firstly, in order to be effective the topper has to be on a fairly firm surface or it will only sink into the existing mattress and most of the advantages it can supply will be lost or absorbed into the mattress beneath.

Secondly, the topper has to be deep enough so that you can sink into it without hitting the bottom so to speak. If it is not thick enough, it would be like trying to float in a bath tub. If you have to, you could place a sheet of plywood on your mattress first to stiffen it up.

Most memory foam mattress toppers on the market are two inches thick and this is certainly the minimum you need for it to be effectual. Less than that is probably a waste of money, unless it is intended for a baby. By the same token, three or four inches is a lot better, particularly if the user is on the weighty side.

The foam also has differing density. The low density foams, 2.5-3.5 lb foam, reacts more to body heat and so is usually better for light people, whereas the high density foam, 5 lbs and above react to heat and pressure (or weight) so are more effectual for heavier people.

One last point, if you use an existing mattress topper manufactured from something else, you will not be able to place it on top of your memory foam mattress topper.
 
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the Visco Elastic Mattress. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Egg Crate Mattress Pad for sale.
 
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Owen_Jones


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