ILD Rating - Indentation Load Deflection:

The ILD rating is going to tell you how firm the material is. The 25% ILD rating is the number of pounds required to achieve a 25% compression on a 4" thick foam using a 50 square inch pressure. An Example of this is as follows: 36lb. ILD foam indicates that this material took 36 lbs. of pressure to indent this foam 25%. ILD rating is also not an absolute value, all ILD ratings for memory foam will have a small range, for example: a 14 ILD rating product could be 12 - 16 ILD in any given batch. Keep in mind that the higher the ILD, the firmer the foam. It does not necessarily mean it's better for you, as personal preference is the main factor. Costing more does not always mean better, just that the process or material cost to produce, or that their marketing fees are higher. Always remember that if and when you decide to purchase a memory foam mattress.

Density - Weight in LB.:

The weight of a memory foam is determined by the amount of chemicals used in the structure of the memory foam(polyurethane foam). The more chemicals used, the higher the density value of the foam, and in turn more visco-elastic it will become. So what is visco-elastic mean? It is the characteristic which is defined by the ability to absorb and trap the body heat, making the foam hotter, which in turn makes the foam softer. Over time the foam will become molded to your individual body shape, depended on the weight of your body and the heat it creates, creating a sensation of sleeping on a bed of cloud. Density does not determine the hardness of the material, that is done through the ILD rating.

What is the smell that initially comes from memory foam?

Our foam does not contain any toxic ingredients like formaldehyde or PBDE, polybrominateddiphenylether, but it can have have new foam smell that lasts for a couple of days to a couple of weeks, based on the foam manufacturer. The foam smell does not necessarily trigger allergies, however, it can be bothersome to some people who have a sensitivity to smell. If the smell bothers you, try airing out the room and washing the sheets after a few nights of sleep on the new mattress. Or try placing a dish of vinegar on the night stand to help neutralize the smell. An ozonator machine will clear the problem very quickly. The smell will go away, so don't base your product on the initial smell that can come.

Spring Mattresses or Foam Mattresses?

Prior to the revolutionary memory foam mattress, spring mattresses were the standard. While spring mattresses can feel nice to sit or lay down on, they do not contour to the body shape anywhere near what memory foam mattresses can offer. Springs will push upwards, when your body weight pushes down, however the concept doesn't work quite as well since our body is not flat like a plane. Our contoured body will push down in unequal weights, however springs don't take that into account. Memory foam on the other hand doesn't just push upwards, it comforms to your shape, giving a far greater equillibrium between your body and the mattress. Laying on a spring mattress, which we all have done, and laying on a memory foam mattress is a completely different world. The main disadvantage that foam mattress have over spring is that in very cold temperature, the foam will be much firmer than normal and will take longer to adjust to your body temperature. Also memory foam mattresses are NOT for everyone. Many prefer a much firmer surface that the spring mattresses will provide.

Do I really need memory foam?

Let's face it, a good night sleep is one of the most commonly ignored activities that can have a profound impact on your health and well being. Considering that you spend one fourth of your entire life sleeping, it only makes sense that you give it alot of consideration. Wether you decide to purchase our memory foam products or another brand, isn't the issue. As long as you are purchasing quality memory foam to rest your exhausted body on, we guarantee you it will be much healthier for your mind and body.

Origin of Memory Foam

In the early 1970's, NASA's Ames Research Center funded a development project designed to create a substance that could help relieve astronauts of the incredible g-forces experienced during lift-off. They believed that one of the key secrets to reducing g-forces on the body was to use a foam material that could conform to each person's shape and hold this conformity. While a foam mold of each astronaut's body shape could accomplish this, any movement would take a person out of this position and create incorrect pressure points against the body. Instead, they created a new foam material that was visco-elastic and therefore able to conform to a person's shape, but then come back to a normal shape once pressure was removed from the foam. This could allow an even distribution of pressure or body weight over the entire surface of the foam, but quickly adapt to any movements of the body. The memory foam technology today is not the original NASA created foam, but a comparable product using similiar technology.