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So you have decided you want to buy a memory foam mattress, but which one to buy?! It is pretty widely accepted that TempurPedic is a great choice, but they are very costly, and frankly, you can get a mattress that is just as good or better for less now. Below, we will teach you how to be a more educated memory foam consumer so that you can get the best mattress for the best price.

Here are some things to consider…

1- Density – Memory foam density is a big deal. Never buy a mattress with less than a 4lb memory foam. The density of the memory foam is the weight that 1 cubic foot of the foam weights. So, if you had a 1′ x 1′ x 1′ block of 5lb memory foam, that cube would weight 5lbs. So why does this matter? A higher density memory foam will hold up better over time. A common misconception is that high density memory foams are hard, whiler lower density foams are softer. This is not true. Along with densities, foams have a number called the ifd, or ild. The ifd/ild is a number that rates the firmness of a foam. You can have a 4lb foam with an ifd of 20 that will be much firmer than an 8lb foam with an ifd of 8. The lower the ifd, the softer the foam. Generally speaking you want between 10-15 ifd in a 5 or 6lb memory foam

Now, we’ll make your head spin a bit. Density isn’t always true! Many manufacturers use a dirty little trick so they can say they use high density memory foams when they in fact are inferior foams. That trick is using fillers in the foam to make it weight more while using less of their expensive raw materials. To do this, manufacturers will mix all sorts of things into the foam, sometimes as crude as dirt, or marble dust to make a 3lb foam weigh 5lbs when put on a scale! doing this creates a foam that does not have the same pressure relieving properties, or long life of a true 5lb density foam. BUYER BE WARE!!!

2-Amount of memory foam – a good memory foam mattress will usually have between 3 to 5 inches of memory foam. More than 5 inches is a bit over-kill, less than three inches does not give the same level of pressure relief.

When it comes to adjustable beds, most people are familiar with one company – Craftmatic. For years, Craftmatic made themselves THE source for adjustable beds. They had commercials on TV all day long, an 800 number where you could call and speak with someone that was going to get you the bed of your dreams, and you’d even have a friendly sales representative show up to your house to help you pick with adjustable bed would be best for you.

Today, you will find a wide variety of adjustable bed frames on the market for what seems to be an infinate amount of sources..but here is what most retailers don’t want you to know. Almost all adjustable frames are made by the same company. They are a US based company called Leggett & Platt. They make several different models with the S-Cape being their top of the line. These adjustable bed frames are sold all over. Sometimes they are called by their manufactured name, but many times, they are sold under a different name as in the case of TempurPedic and Select Number Sleep Comfort. No matter what it is called, MOST of the adjustable beds on the market are the exact same thing.

Being that there is so little variety, a couple companies have caught on to the need for a more affordable, yet quality adjustable bed. RestOnClouds for instance started bringing in their own version of adjustable bed from over seas a few years back, and it matches the more expensive Leggett & Platt adjustable features for feature with only one exception. You will find the Leggett & Platt S-Cape adjustable bed has 3 programmable settings so that you may get back to your favorite 3 positions at the touch of a button. The RestOnClouds model does not offer this feature, but does offer a one touch “Zero Gravity” position, which puts your feet up a bit as well as your head. This is the same position used by astronauts during take off to relieve the stress on their bodies from the excessive G-Forces they experience. From what we can tell, this model from RestOnClouds is just as good as the more popular Leggett & Platt. We believe more and more people will continue switching over to the more economical versions in the future.

That said, there are several other companies offering their own adjustable beds as well. We offer a word of caution about getting too much for too little. The fact of the matter is good manufacturing costs money. That is not to say that things that are cheap can not be good, but rather is a suggestion to take a very close look at any adjustable bed you feel is “too good of a deal”. Keep in mind that there are a lot of aspects of an adjustable bed that need close attention paid to them during the manufacturing process. The most obvious is the frame. Good quality materials are a MUST. You don’t want inexpensive metals that are going to bend over time front he everyday stress of being used. The frame must be made with good welds and machining as well. Motors should be self contained and well powered. There is ONE good adjustable bed on the market that we have found that is cheap. What do you sacrifice? Well, there is no massage, it is not a “wall hugger”(see below), you have to assemble it, and we don’t recommend it to people over about 225 pounds. It is the standard adjustable bed sold by RestOnClouds.

Ah- remember water beds? You could sleep like you were just floating on your back in the pool. Of course it only took a night or two to realize the excruciating lower back pain a water bed can cause. The idea is genius…how could you not love it (until you tried it!)

In the old days of water beds (also known as fluid support systems) the water bed was very little more than a giant bag filled with water. you could adjust the firmness to a degree depending on the amount of water, but that was about as technical as it got. Now here is the best part. It’s 9:00pm You’re all excited because you got to bed an hour early tonight. You fall asleep, and a half hour later, your partner belly flops into the bed, catapulting you into the air and onto the floor. OK- so we’re being dramtic with that example..but the fact remains, get in or out of a water bed and you partner knows for a full minute or two while the water “calms” back down. When you’re just trying to fall asleep, you shouldn’t need a Dramamine.

These two main points are the downfall to the water bed, but Put aside everything you THINK you know about water beds – We are about to ope your eyes to a whole new world of sleep!  Today’s fluid support beds are leaps and bounds better then their predecessors. Newer style water beds are no longer just a big bag full of water setting inside a bulky pine box. They instead contain a more advanced water chambers, and if you would like, look like a normal mattress fitting into any standard bed frame!  The most advanced water beds stop 100% of the water motion, and give amazing support to your lower back and mid-section. This newer technology will allow you to get that nice, pressure free surface without the “hammocking” you see in more traditional water beds. It is this hammocking that causes lower back pain.

One of the biggest benefits of a fluid support bed is the temperature control you have over your mattress. Whether you sleep hot of cold, you can adjust your mattress accordingly. In split water beds, you can even adjust your side to be a different temperature from your spouses side.

Inner spring mattresses have their place, but frankly, as far as we’re concerned, the day of the inner spring mattress is past. Inn er spring mattresses were a revolutionary idea when they were first invented in 1871 by Heinrich Westfall. The idea was to give people a more comfortable sleeping surface that would hold up over time. It worked (or else we wouldn’t have them today) But this technology is now over 140 years old…is it still the right way to go?

Here is a list of the top benefits of sleeping on a memory foam mattress. These are in no particular order.
1) Better Sleep Quality. Memory foam decreases tossing and turning. That’s right! It has been proven the a memory foam mattress will decrease the amount of times you toss, turn, and get up through the night. In addition you don’t need to sleep as many hours to get the benefits you would from a standard mattress. (For example, where it may be necessary to get a full 8 hours of sleep on an innerspring mattress, you may only need 6.5 hours on a memory foam mattress.) In a time where the majority of people are not getting the ful amount of sleep that they should, this is particularly important. If you can’t get a full nights sleep, OPTIMIZE THE SLEEP YOU DO GET! Denser foam will allow a person to get more sleep due to its conforming effect.

2) Longer Life. A memory foam mattress will last much longer than a standard innerspring. Inner spring mattress give out more and more as time goes by. TheBetter Sleep Council says the average time that an innerspring mattress is good for is 7 years. (Have you had your old mattress for longer than that?)

3) No Noise or Motion Transfer. Don’t you hate it when you partner comes to bed late and wakes you up just by getting bed?  Or how about when they get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? With a memory foam bed these are problems of the past.  Because there are no noisy springs your partner will lay undisturbed if you get up early in the morning. In addition, because of memory foam’s lack of “motion transfer” (in other words- memory foam absorbs motion), you can’t notice someone moving on the other side of the bed. You can even set a glass on the bed and it won’t fall if you move! (though we still don’t suggest you play with this-just in case. And if you DO happen to do this, and the glass spills, we don’t want to hear about it!)

4) Say Goodbye to Mattress Related Allergies. Memory Foam Mattresses are constructed to be hypoallergenic and dust mite proof. Gross Fact: The average innerspring mattress DOUBLES in weight over the course of ten years due to accumulation of dead dust mites that feast on your dead skin cells. It’s true. Luckily, you can wash your Memory Foam cover whenever you want to get rid of any skin cells you may have between the cover and your sheet AND dust mites cannot survive in memory foam, assuring you that you will not have a problem with those horrible little insects that cause allergies and worsen asthma ever again.

5) Less Joint and Back Pain. Memory foam offers some of the best pressure relieve properties of ANY bedding product.  When you sleep on a quality memory foam mattress, your don’t have any springs “pressing back at you” like you do in a traditional inner spring mattress.  What this means for you, is that you will wake up with fewer aches and pains than ever before.  Back, neck, joint and arthritis pain are just a few of the different aches memor foam will help prevent and relieve.  Give yourself a break!

6) Warranty/Longevity. Quality memory foam mattresses come with at least a 20 year warranty. Be cautious of cheap memory foam mattresses that offer a 5 or 10 year warranty.  It is likely that they use 3, 2 or even 1.5 pound memory foams.  These low poundage foams will not last nearly as long as their heavier counterparts, A good warranty should give you some peace of mind that the mattress you just purchased isn’t your problem if the mattress doesn’t hold up like it should. Many companies say they have a warranty, but when push comes to shove they don’t back up their products, so be sure you deal with a reputable mattress company.

Better Memory Foam. Look for companies that use high density visco elastic memory foam.  At the absolute minimum, they should be 4lb foams, but better yet would be 5 or 6 pond foams.  We have found that 8lb foams do not offer significant benefits.  They cost more, and make your mattress MUCH heavier and harder to move around.  

 Overall Value. Once you make the right purchase, you will get a better overall value with memory foam than any other product.  The mattress wil last for years and offer you the best night sleep you have ever had. 

With many manufacturers, you can find a memory foam mattress mattress of the same feel and quality of TempurPedic at a fraction of the cost, many with extensive warranties and in home trial periods. Many companies online offer FREE SHIPPING and some may even offer financing—getting a luxury mattress at an incredible value has never been easier – but is memory foam the way you want to go?

Memory Foam is a widely trusted material that has been featured in magazines, newspapers and is rapidly becoming a product recommended by doctors everywhere. Companies such as TempurPedic have been around for a good number of years, and other companies have only been around a short period of time. Luckily – many companies now offer outstanding memory foam, even some of the younger ones.

With many different memory foam beds for every taste there is a large variety to choose from (though we do tend to recommend premium American made memory foams for your bed) . There are several gimmicks to look for such as the “air flow” layer being offered by many manufactures. You’ll also find a wide variety of cover materials including velours, cashmere, and coolmax materials (intended to keep the user cooler while they sleep). Using materials like Cashmere, Silk, and Suede, does not make any difference in the quality or feel of the mattress, but will change the appearance – of course when you put your sheets and bedding on – this is moot. To find out which bed is best for you, continue reading through this article, as well as the rest of this site! You will find more information than you’ll know what to do with – but we promise to try and keep it organized and efficient.

Comparing a memory foam mattress to Tempur-Pedic is a good place to start. You’ll find that many beds are very similar to TempurPedic, but none of them use the exact “Tempur” foam (which is exclusive to TempurPedic, but the good news is…it’s just a premium memory foam. The construction of both company’s beds is nearly identical, both in feel and density. These companies are also the only companies that offer HD foam beds. Our memory foam pillows are also very similar. For direct comparisons, see the individual product pages or view the Tempurpedic Comparison page.

“Zero Gravity” Adjustable Beds are a premium upgrade for any memory foam mattress. Adjustable frame beds are designed to allow the user to raise and lower their head and feet. Many offer variable features such as massage and wireless controls.

High Density memory foam are the newest thing to hit the market. Probably the best on the market today is the ThermalSense HD memory foam. This 6lb High Density memory foam is sold as bed toppers, as well as used in the different ThermoPlush mattresses. Memory Foam Mattress Toppers are a great way to soften up a mattress that’s too firm, eliminate pressure points, and provide a more even support. The ThermalSense HD mattress topper is by far the BEST topper on the market..

To learn more about memory foam and our company, see our memory foam blog and buying guides. Our friendly sleep specialists are standing by around the clock to answer any other questions you may have.