Despite the advertising blitz, especially around the holidays, the best choice for a new memory foam mattress is not the brand of memory mattress. There are several other choices that offer superior features at a much more affordable price.
Eco Appeal:
Did you know that most memory foam is made entirely from petroleum-derived products? This gives you a product that works very well, but with a large carbon footprint, is made from a non-renewable resource and is prone to off gassing. Off gassing is the gradual release of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other unpleasant odors. Some memory foam will leach these unpleasant odors and dangerous chemicals for 3 months or longer.
There are two main reasons that "old-line" memory foam does this. The chemicals with which it is made, petroleum compounds, as discussed above, and the way the material is formed. Closed-cell foam traps billions of tiny air bubbles in the structure of the foam. This exacerbates the problem of off-gassing. When you lay on the bed, the trapped bubbles are deformed, this gives the foam its famous feel, but some of the trapped air is also squeezed out. This allows the trapped VOCs and manufacturing by products to seep toward the surface, and into your body as you sleep.
Eco-friendly memory foam mattresses overcome many of these issues. Using soy-based polyoil overcomes the dependence on non-renewable petroleum. Although the soy oil cannot replace all the petroleum oil needed to make memory material, it can replace much of it and help the material to be a much more carbon neutral product.
Open-cell memory foam design prevents the way the mattress is manufactured from trapping as much of the by-product gas that is generated in the creation of the mattress. Open cellular structure allows that mattress to air-out much faster, often a matter of hours (days at the most) as opposed to waiting months for your mattress to stop smelling.
Cost:
While buying eco-friendly and sustainable products is a noble aspiration for many of us, it is not always possible to afford them. If the sustainably produced item is not comparably priced, then it is doomed to relegation as a niche item. Fortunately this is not case with eco-friendly memory mattresses. Many of the most popular memory foam mattresses can cost $4000 or more! Some of the most expensive Eco Memory Foam options available cost $2500 at most, while many Eco Memory Foam offerings can be purchased for much less.
The Anatomic Global (formerly Ecomfort) mattress is one of the best choices for well-made eco-friendly memory foam. Combining excellent mattress construction with soy-based oil makes for one of the finest, and most affordable memory beds on the market today. Anatomic Global beds are not prone to off gassing, due to their open cell foam construction and sleep cooler.
The closed cell foam that I mentioned above has the unfortunate side effect of acting like a heat trap as you sleep. Many people find their tempur-style mattress to be unbearably hot, especially in the summertime. Anatomic Global EcoMemoryFoam, with its open cell structure is up to 900% more breathable than comparable memory foam and sleeps much cooler. The cost of the Anatomic Global Eco Series 1 memory mattress is only $1299 for a queen size. If cost is your only concern, there are other options. The Eco Saver and Slumber Saver memory mattresses are available for as low as $359.99.
No matter what criteria you are using to select your new memory foam mattress, there are options available to suit your needs. Whether your concern is price, eco appeal or sleep comfort, there are choices beyond what is advertised, and overpriced, on TV. With a little bit of research, you too can find the mattress of your dreams.
Eco Appeal:
Did you know that most memory foam is made entirely from petroleum-derived products? This gives you a product that works very well, but with a large carbon footprint, is made from a non-renewable resource and is prone to off gassing. Off gassing is the gradual release of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other unpleasant odors. Some memory foam will leach these unpleasant odors and dangerous chemicals for 3 months or longer.
There are two main reasons that "old-line" memory foam does this. The chemicals with which it is made, petroleum compounds, as discussed above, and the way the material is formed. Closed-cell foam traps billions of tiny air bubbles in the structure of the foam. This exacerbates the problem of off-gassing. When you lay on the bed, the trapped bubbles are deformed, this gives the foam its famous feel, but some of the trapped air is also squeezed out. This allows the trapped VOCs and manufacturing by products to seep toward the surface, and into your body as you sleep.
Eco-friendly memory foam mattresses overcome many of these issues. Using soy-based polyoil overcomes the dependence on non-renewable petroleum. Although the soy oil cannot replace all the petroleum oil needed to make memory material, it can replace much of it and help the material to be a much more carbon neutral product.
Open-cell memory foam design prevents the way the mattress is manufactured from trapping as much of the by-product gas that is generated in the creation of the mattress. Open cellular structure allows that mattress to air-out much faster, often a matter of hours (days at the most) as opposed to waiting months for your mattress to stop smelling.
Cost:
While buying eco-friendly and sustainable products is a noble aspiration for many of us, it is not always possible to afford them. If the sustainably produced item is not comparably priced, then it is doomed to relegation as a niche item. Fortunately this is not case with eco-friendly memory mattresses. Many of the most popular memory foam mattresses can cost $4000 or more! Some of the most expensive Eco Memory Foam options available cost $2500 at most, while many Eco Memory Foam offerings can be purchased for much less.
The Anatomic Global (formerly Ecomfort) mattress is one of the best choices for well-made eco-friendly memory foam. Combining excellent mattress construction with soy-based oil makes for one of the finest, and most affordable memory beds on the market today. Anatomic Global beds are not prone to off gassing, due to their open cell foam construction and sleep cooler.
The closed cell foam that I mentioned above has the unfortunate side effect of acting like a heat trap as you sleep. Many people find their tempur-style mattress to be unbearably hot, especially in the summertime. Anatomic Global EcoMemoryFoam, with its open cell structure is up to 900% more breathable than comparable memory foam and sleeps much cooler. The cost of the Anatomic Global Eco Series 1 memory mattress is only $1299 for a queen size. If cost is your only concern, there are other options. The Eco Saver and Slumber Saver memory mattresses are available for as low as $359.99.
No matter what criteria you are using to select your new memory foam mattress, there are options available to suit your needs. Whether your concern is price, eco appeal or sleep comfort, there are choices beyond what is advertised, and overpriced, on TV. With a little bit of research, you too can find the mattress of your dreams.
Christian Koch is an author and product reviewer with over 5 years of experience analyzing and reviewing products. Many of the products he reviews can be found at Slumber Experts and at the Eco Mattress Store.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christian_Koch
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