What is a memory foam mattress

Memory Foam Mattress Blog

Sleep is hot new business

Thursday 23rd May 2013
Virtually every aspect of live has been well and truly commercialised. Think of toilet paper. There is really not a lot of difference between the various brands and types for sale. It is all just toilet paper in the end, but to sell it the companies...

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Gadget light impact on sleep cited in study

Thursday 23rd May 2013
A new US research paper has emphasised the negative impacts that light emitted from electronic gadgets such as smartphones and tablet computers can have on sleep quality. The study at Harvard University identified that usage of such devices in the...

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Scottish developer turning teen sleep into a sleep tracking game

Wednesday 22nd May 2013
There is a smart phone app for everything, even sleep. In fact there are many sleep related apps. One that is about to be released is aimed at helping people measure the quantity and quality of sleep in a fun way. The idea that if you can turn...

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People who function properly on minimal sleep

Tuesday 21st May 2013
Are you a mess if you get less than seven hours sleep or are you one of those people who are able to function normally with only four? People’s sleep tolerances vary remarkably both across the populace and during an individual’s life. Most...

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Tired young Aussies risk car crashes – survey

Tuesday 21st May 2013
Drivers aged between 17 and 24 are up to 20% more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident when they’re sleep deprived, according to new survey carried out among drivers in New South Wales. Over 19,000 respondents were used in the study,...

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Sleep and Productivity

Monday 20th May 2013
Every employer would love to increase productivity and many implement a number of different schemes and programmes to encourage their workers to up their work rate. However, a recent study has found that the secret to increasing your workers’...

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Asthma a potential sleep apnoea risk

Monday 20th May 2013
Asthma sufferers may be at a higher risk of developing sleep apnoea, according to the findings of a new US study. The University of Wisconsin research looked at data from around 1500 people since 1988 from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, and uncovered...

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How to Remove Cat or Dog Pee from your Memory Foam Mattress

Friday 17th May 2013
Oh dear, you have let Fido or Felix sleep in or on your bed and the pet has gone and peed on there. Never fear, as long as you act quick you can save your mattress. Here is a method for removing pet stains as sent in by one of our customers: 1....

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University of Sydney announces sleep disorder plan

Thursday 16th May 2013
The University of Sydney has announced details of a new partnership designed to further research into ‘sleep-disordered breathing’, which it is hoped will lead to advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of the conditions around the...

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How astronauts sleep in space

Thursday 16th May 2013
Have you ever wondered how astronauts sleep in space? Well you wouldn’t be the first person. Almost everything we do in our daily lives is challenging in space. You can’t eat a meal like we do, as it would all simply float off the place....

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Child sleep disorder admissions on increase

Wednesday 15th May 2013
The number of children referred to hospital sleep consultants in the UK has risen by almost three times in the last ten years, with 5992 reported NHS cases in 2012. The types of sleep disorders that these cases covered ranged from difficulties in getting...

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Four hours sleep enough for Thatcher

Wednesday 15th May 2013
With the death of the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, the world lost one of the most powerful woman of the 20th century. She was a feared leader, someone who rose from the lower classes to rule the UK for almost a decade. So what was her secret?...

Read: Four hours sleep enough for Thatcher

Do not be a sleep cheat

Tuesday 14th May 2013
Do you find yourself getting up earlier than you would like because you have things to do? Do you find yourself going to bed later than you would like because there are still chores and tasks that require your attention? If you answered yes then you...

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Chelsea star reveals sleep value

Tuesday 14th May 2013
Chelsea FC and Spain star Juan Mata has revealed that regularly getting a good night’s sleep is one of the main reasons behind his performances this season. The energetic midfielder has been one of the highlights of Chelsea’s season, with...

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Synchronised sounds could help your sleep quality

Friday 10th May 2013
The sad truth is that most of us wake feeling tired every day, we spend the majority of our adult lives sleep deprived. Numerous surveys have shown that around a two thirds of western adults are constantly tired and feel like they do not get enough...

Read: Synchronised sounds could help your sleep quality

How to choose a mattress?

Memory foam mattresses are an increasingly popular choice for Australian consumers, offering a high performance alternative to the traditional continuous-spring and pocket spring mattresses. However, with this boost in popularity there has been a huge increase in the number of companies offering memory foam mattress products, and, as with everything, there is a significant difference between those at the top and bottom ends of the market in terms of performance, quality and price. With this in mind, it’s important to be aware of the differences before making your purchasing decision.

While buying the cheapest option can be a tempting proposition – after all, who doesn’t like saving money? – it can prove to be a surprisingly costly decision. If you do go to the lower end of the market, first of all you’re not getting a quality product, and it certainly won’t be able to offer the same properties as a memory foam mattress. The cheap price is invariably due to cheap materials, and this shows after a short amount of time. With poor performance night after night you’ll be looking to change your cheap mattress far sooner than you would a higher quality alternative, so you’re effectively buying twice – which isn’t such a bargain anymore. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, sleeping on a poor quality mattress can potentially cause health and wellbeing problems. In the best case scenario you’ll wake up with aches and pains, and feel tired regularly. In the worst case scenarios on a bad mattress you could cause serious muscular and skeletal damage to your body. We think you’ll agree that this is something that goes beyond grabbing a ‘bargain’,

With these two key factors – longevity and performance – in mind, you can select a memory foam mattress that is able to meet your needs both in the immediate and longer term.

You don't have to take our word for it. Why not see what our customers think?

How to compare memory foam mattresses

It can be difficult to choose a memory foam mattress, especially with so many options available these days online and in-store. The various technical attributes of memory foam can make it even more confusing.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re in the market for a new mattress, and you’ll be very much aware that a mattress that gave you great support in the early stages of ownership can dramatically deteriorate over time.

Some retailers make a deliberate decision to avoid displaying important elements of their mattresses that relate to the composition, materials and interior structure. This makes it impossible for the customer to make an accurate judgement as to how the mattress will perform and last.

Other retailers do note the attributes of their mattress, yet it can often be that mattresses with what appear to be the same qualities can be quite different in performance. To explain, a memory foam mattress of a comparable specification from different manufacturers should feel similar, although it is too often the case that this is not borne out in practice.

The main reason for the difference is due to the quality of the memory foam layer that is inside the mattress. Two products may have similar specifications, for example density, memory foam layer depth, firmness rating and ILD or IFD (Indentation Load or Force Deflection); however the quality of the memory foam mattress is likely to make the items differ with the feel and performance when they are used. In addition, with both items the density value recognised in the memory foam layer may be the same but this is not the case when looking at other important specification values where the memory foam is designed to alter property, like the ILD rating and temperature range. A genuine visco elastic memory foam mattress like the ones at Ergoflex, are engineered to respond to body temperature and the temperature range is manipulated as a result. When a memory foam mattress is advertised as having “temperature sensitive” qualities, it is likely that it will change its physical properties with different levels of heat, but what levels? The visco-elastic foam not working in harmony with your body’s temperature if the heat is too high or too low, as a result, the mattress will not provide the required level of firmness and support.

Where the memory foam is source from is an important factor for quality. Many of the popular retailers obtain their memory foam materials from one of a small selection of major manufacturers. This results in many of the retailers selling the same product to the consumer, with their branding being the only variation. This can cause differences in consistency, feel and performance of the memory foam between the different batches. This complicates the consumers understanding even further of what the product is going to feel like when they receive it and use it.

Thankfully this is not the case for all companies in this market. Premium quality mattress brands are constructed using materials made and owned by them, like the market leading Tempur mattresses. Ergoflex offers the same benefit with its material components; our material has been improved and refined over many years to achieve our 3rd generation high-density (HD) visco-elastic memory foam. This material, just like Tempur is not available from any other brand name in this sector.

Ergoflex memory foam mattresses can currently only be purchased from our Australian and European division, so that we can guarantee both consistency and quality of your mattress. This will also ensure that you will receive the best service that you would expect from a premium brand name, as it can be controlled and kept at a consistently high level.

This allows us to bring you the finest quality product that can provide you with the ultimate performance and comfort and the highest standards of customer care and attention that you expect to receive, for both post purchase and will remain after sales to ensure you are happy with your product and service. We have the highest confidence in our memory foam mattress and pillows and the professionalism of our one-to-one customer care.

To understand the material of the memory foam mattress and the specifications further, we recommend you take a moment to read a more detailed description in our Guide to memory foam.

A Quick Guide to the Memory Foam Mattress

The technology of the memory foam mattress originates a creation by the NASA space program as an innovative in-flight cushioning system in the mid-1960’s. It has progressed since than and as been developed so it can be used in hundreds of everyday products. The material is made up of billions of spherical open cells; visco-elastic memory foam is the temperature sensitive version. The visco-elastic memory foam structure allows it to compress under weight and reacts to the temperature of your body and moulds with the heat. These qualities of advanced visco-elastic foam offer the best surface for a mattress.

Why should I consider a memory foam mattress?

High grade memory foam mattresses, which are made with true premium quality materials, offer an array of benefits to the end user. The memory foam mattress offers full body support unlike the traditional spring mattresses; it supports the whole body and not just the areas distributing the most weight. This results in the ability to find a comfier sleeping position that you can stay in throughout the night. The temperature sensitive quality allows the mattress to mould around your body and provides the best sleeping environment that removers stress from pressure points and joints. These additional benefits of a memory foam mattress will help you achieve a better quality sleep, this will leave you to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a full night’s sleep, so that you can approach the day with extra energy and enthusiasm, rather than feeling tired and lethargic which is often the outcome of a poor night’s sleep.

What should I look for when shopping for a memory foam mattress?

Over the recent years there has been an increasing amount of companies selling memory foam mattresses, this can make the whole process of researching and choosing which one to buy very difficult and confusing to all consumers. When shopping for a memory foam mattress there is certain factors that need to be considered, to ensure you buy a mattress that will perform well. Looking at the ‘density’ and the ‘ILD’ rating is the best indication to whether the mattress will be high quality or not, however first, it is important to look at the basics.

Memory foam mattress sizes

Considering the amount of time that we spend in our beds, it is one of the most undervalued pieces of furniture in Australian homes. People spend plenty of money on sofas, kitchen units, tables and chairs etc, but the bed and hence the mattress can often be overlooked. When you consider the lifestyle and health benefits of having a good mattress like Ergoflex memory foam, it may be one of the most beneficial purchases in your home. Mattresses and beds should therefore receive more attention when you are ready to purchase a new one. When choosing the size of your mattress, it is recommended that you select the largest mattress that your budget and bedroom space will stretch to, as you will gain a much more comfortable sleeping experience. It is not often that you here complaints about your mattress being to big it is generally complaints if you have gone for the smaller size.

Does a memory foam mattress need a special bed base?

Memory foam mattresses provide all of their support from the main mattress itself, making a solid and more rigid bed base the best solution. The Ergoflex memory foam mattress is suitable for most bed bases in the market including divan and slatted.

Why is there so much choice when buying a memory foam mattress?

With the growth of the memory foam mattress market in recent years, there is an increasing range of options, prices and performance levels. This can make a judgement on the quality and value of any memory foam mattress in the market. At Ergoflex we strive to offer the very best memory foam mattress performance at a highly competitive price. The memory foam mattresses that we sell are directly comparable to the reputable market leader, Tempur™ and we offer it at a better value price. We vary from other memory foam mattress retailers, as we only have one grade of memory foam in our range, it is one that we know offers optimum performance to ensure a consistent high standard with every single Ergoflex memory foam mattress, this is our deluxe 3rd generation ACPT™ visco-elastic memory foam. So you know that when you buy from Ergoflex, you will get a product with high performance and quality guaranteed.

Memory foam mattress depth, density and ILD

Looking at the density, ILD (indentation load deflection) and the depth of the layered components in a memory foam mattress can assess the technical performance properties of the product.

When looking at the depth of the memory foam mattress, it can often be a regular misconception that if you have a thicker memory foam mattress it will provide more comfort and support. This theory is incorrect because a thicker mattress is far too soft, it will cover the user making it difficult to move around on as a result provides very little support to the user. At the other end of the scale, if the mattress is to thin you will simply sink into the base layer and the comfort of the mattress is significantly reduced. Therefore, there is a favourable depth for a memory foam mattress in order for it to give the best performance. The Ergoflex™ uses 9cm of 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam; this is the best for optimum comfort, support and pressure-relieving abilities.

It is then important to asses the density of a memory foam mattress. This relates to the engineering of specifically the memory foam layer rather than the whole mattress. The lower the density, the less quality materials are being used to make-up the mattress; this can result in large air cavities inside the mattress. If the density is higher the memory foam layer is more compact with materials reducing the air cavities. To gain the best performance with a higher quality experience, you need to purchase HD (high density) memory foam mattresses, as lower density alternatives are less likely to give you the benefits. The life-span of the mattress is also dependant on the density of the mattress, with HD products lasting much longer.

Indentation load deflection (ILD) is a rating that is measured to give an accurate assessment of how soft or firm the memory foam mattress is going to be. This needs to be calculated and then given as a range, this is important because there are a number of factors that can have influence on them, such as humidity and other environmental factors. It is calculated by how many pounds of pressure is needed to make an indentation of 4” on the layer of the memory foam by 25% of its depth, the ratings are displayed in weight. If the ratings are low this means it is a soft mattress and higher ratings are the result of a firmer mattress Ergoflex™ 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam mattresses have an ILD rating of 13-15lbs meaning that they are medium to firm making them the perfect sleeping environment for the user.

Memory foam mattress prices

The prices of the memory foam mattresses on the market often reflect the performance and quality of the product. With an increasing selection of memory foam mattresses on the market, the price continues to confuse consumers when trying to find the best mattress for you. The process of researching and choosing becomes more difficult due to the massive variety out there. The cheaper memory foam mattresses offer a less impressive experience compared to those at the higher end of the market offering high quality products. At Ergoflex we have refined and developed our 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam mattress so that we can offer you a premium high performance mattress that is highly competitive in the market, at great value prices that can go up against the major retailers.