Mattressbasics.com earns commissions through affiliate links in this article—at no extra cost to you. These earnings directly supports helping us deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews and sleep product insights. Learn More
The Story of Memory Foam Mattresses: History, Construction, and Pros and Cons
Memory foam is used in roughly 95 percent of mattresses in the market today. Often it is used as a comfort layer in traditional innerspring mattress. It is also used in hybrid and all foam mattresses as well. We will explore the history of memory and its use in the mattress industry and the pros and cons of this material.
History Memory Foam
Memory foam was created back in the mid 60s by an aeronautical engineer working as a contractor for NASA. Its purpose was to cushion astronauts during their journey from take off to re-entry. This slow-spring back foam material was designed to absorb G-forces while contouring to their bodies. It is a viscoelastic polyurethane foam the responds to both heat and pressure and when the heat and pressure are removed, the memory foam returns to it’s original shape.
How Is Memory Foam Used in Mattresses
Pressure Relief & Spinal Alignment: Distributes weight evenly, reducing stress on joints and aligning the spine.
Motion Isolation: Absorbs movement, ideal for couples (no disturbance from a partner’s tossing/turning).
Layard Construction: When used in the top of the mattress it is typically soft foam that contours to the body. Then below that layer is a Transition Layer that balances soft comfort and support. Finished with a Base Layer, dense foam is used for durable structure to create the overall comfort of the mattress.
Cooling Techniques: Memory foams can have one or more property designs used to combat heat retention. These designs include Gel-Infused, aluminum, graphite, copper, open-cell, and many others.
Pros & Cons
All-foam mattresses offer numerous advantages that make them a popular choice for many sleepers, but they can also have some potential drawbacks.
Pros
Hypoallergenic: Often resistant to dust mites.
Comfort Life: With the right quality and density memory foam can increase a mattresses’ life expectancy to 8-10 years.
Targeted Pressure Relief: Quality memory foams can often enhance pressure relief for those with should, hip, and knee issues.
Motion Isolation: For those looking to minimize the movement of their partner in bed memory foams can greatly reduce motion transfer across the entire mattress.
Cons
Heat Retention: Older and less expensive designed mattresses using memory foams can often store heat. (Look for gel-infused, copper, open-cell, etc. foams).
Cost: Good quality mattresses using higher quality memory foams typically cost more money.
Poor Edge Support: Depending on the entire design on the mattress (all memory foam or no edge coil), memory foam can cause the edge of mattresses to not have edge support when you apply body pressure to them.
Weight Concerns: High density memory foams and hybrids using multiple thick layers can cause some mattresses to be extremely heavy. This can cause issues when attempting to move them and or putting bedding on.
Memory Foam Mattresses In Summary
Memory foams have come a long way since the 60s. It softens under body heat and pressure, conforming to the sleeper’s shape to provide personalized support and pressure relief, making it ideal for alleviating joint pain and improving spinal alignment. Unless the mattress you choose is 100% all natural there typically with be some memory foam inside of it. This can be incredibly advantageous to sleep quality. Remember that most, if not all, foam, hybrid, and traditional innerspring mattress include some level of memory foam construction.