Why are memory foam mattresses all the rage among mattress shoppers today?
To answer this question, among others, I spent at least 250 hours looking through about 50 online forums, message boards, consumer websites, etc. gathering information from at least 1,600 people on what they think of their mattresses.
According to my research, here are some of the advantages that memory foam mattress owners say their beds have.
1. Comfort
At least 70% of memory foam mattress owners find their bed to be comfortable, according to my research. This is considerably higher than innerspring mattresses.
2. Little or no motion transfer
Motion transfer has to do with how the mattress localizes motion. In other words, a bed that has no motion transfer absorbs the movement of one person on the mattress so that the other person is not affected by it. Memory foam mattress owners praised their bed for a lack of motion transfer much more than did owners of other types of mattresses, such as innersprings, airbeds and waterbeds.
3. Long-lasting support
Memory foam mattresses do not last forever. They will sag over time, causing them to lose support and comfort. However, they tend to sag less often and less severely than do innerspring mattresses, according to my research.
4. Dust mite resistant
A mattress that is dust mite resistant is made of materials that deter dust mites. (The shedded skin and feces of dust mites are recognized to be the main cause for asthma, hay fever and other allergies.) Memory foam is considered to be dust mite resistant to at least a significant degree, unlike innerspring mattresses.
5. Little or no flipping required
Unlike innerspring mattresses that often require regular flipping to maintain their support and comfort, memory foam mattresses require little if any flipping.