| Benefits
of Foam Mattresses over conventional Spring Mattresses
While a spring mattress was the standard for many decades, foam
mattresses are becoming more and more popular due to their unsurpassed
comfort and ability to support the body. While spring mattresses
can feel nice to sit or lay on, they will not offer anywhere close
to the body contouring and vital spinal support offered by a high
resilience foam mattress. Sprung mattresses rely on springs
that force upward pressure against the body. This causes the
body stress and can result in a restless sleep. Foam works in
a completely different way ; it more easily absorbs the weight
of the body, whatever shape or size, and forms a cradle that moulds
to the body contours without as much pressure or force as that
of a sprung mattress,
A large percentage of the population in mainland Europe sleep on foam mattresses,
compared with a very small percentage of the British population who still rely on conventional sprung mattresses.
Conventional spring mattresses actually cause a trampoline effect
and bend inwards when pressure is applied without conforming to
the specific bumps and curves of the body. While foam can shrink
over time, springs can bend and lose their shape over time. Therefore,
an old foam mattress will likely feel better and offer better
support than its spring counterpart.
Mattress Foam Grades and Thicknesses
The core of a mattress is most effective if made from a high
resilience foam which will give the springy or bouncy attributes
to the mattress . Thicknesses of mattresses vary from manufacturer
to manufacturer and is often used as a selling point. Some companies
sell 200mm ( 8 inch ) to 250mm (10 inch) thick mattresses, (this
is mainly because domestic spring mattresses are this depth) they
can afford to be as 90% of a spring mattress is made from air. The cost of a foam mattress this size will therefore be far
more than a thinner foam mattress . However if a good quality
base foam is used (ideally a 38 kilos or above with a "V"
foam classification) then a mattress needs only to be 150mm thick,
many medical mattresses that are used in hospitals 7 days a week
24 hours a day are 150mm thick. Different manufacturer's foams
will have different properties, and all mattresses react different
to differing body weights. Overall the comfort and feel of a mattress
will be subjective to the person using it.
More detailed information on foam grades and classifications
can be seen by viewing our foam grades page click on the underlined
link below
Foam Grades
Visco Elastic (memory foam) Mattresses
Many mattresses today also have a top layer of Visco elastic
(memory Foam) This will give a unique feel to the mattress when
used in conjunction with a high resilience foam base layer, Visco-elastic
foam consists of open, self ventilating cells which sense the
body temperature and weight and adapt to the body in seconds,
helping with comfort posture and circulation and therefore promoting
a more restful sleep. More detailed information on Visco elastic
(memory foam) can be seen by viewing our visco elastic foam page
click on the underlined link below
Visco Elastic Memory Foam
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