Believe it or not, memory foam came about in the early 1970’s when NASA funded an experimental project intended to invent a substance that could help alleviate the discomfort astronauts experienced during lift-off. Their research produced a new substance they called visco elastic memory foam, now generally referred to as simply memory foam. The unique properties of this foam allowed for equal distribution of weight and the ability to easily adapt to body position changes. Tempur-Pedic introduced the earliest [1] memory foam beds in 1992, to great success.

A [2] visco memory foam mattress isn’t what you would label as a “soft” mattress. Stress on the pressure points is reduced by distributing the weight evenly on the sleeping area and forming itself to the contours of your body. On an ordinary inner-spring mattress, pressure points can create soreness and cause you to toss and turn, so visco’s contouring nature will allow for a better night’s rest. Another feature of this foam is the “open cell” make-up, which allows the bed to “breathe”. For the most part, the memory foam beds won’t retain your body heat and moisture, leaving the resting surface comfortable all night.

Visco foam is highly resistant to odor causing germs, mold and bacteria. This can really assist those with allergies by removing a major source of allergens from their bedrooms and providing a better sleep environment. If you move around or get up from bed you will not disturb your significant other because of visco foam’s ability to isolate motion transfer. As you would imagine, this leads to an even more peaceful night’s sleep.

It’s important to note that good memory foam beds will not need a box-spring below them for additional support. While you can certainly use a platform base to increase the height of the bed, it has important to note that the bed should feel just as good resting on an even, concrete surface.

It is a good idea to stick with well known manufacturers that carry lifetime warranties. Be careful when ordering foam mattresses made outside the US as quality can vary widely. This advice applies even while just looking at a [3] memory foam mattress pad.