Visco elastic foam makes a good mattress choice, as well as a good mattress topper choice. The age of your present mattress and your particular sleeping needs will help make your decision for which is the best choice for you today. Don’t let price be your determining factor. And don’t blindly subscribe to “more is better”.
There’s no question that visco elastic foam, or memory foam, is a product that has helped thousands of satisfied customers sleep more soundly at night. Once you’ve determined that memory foam is right for you, the next decision is whether a full mattress or a mattress topper best meets your individual needs.
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Full Visco Elastic Foam Mattress
Without a doubt, a full mattress visco elastic foam bed will provide you the full benefits of memory foam. High-quality memory foam mattresses have anywhere between two and six layers of foam, even though more layers isn’t always best. On the surface, a six-layer memory foam bed may seem to be better but some feel that anything over three layers is just a marketing gimmick and not worth the extra cost. Plus, the additional layers mean more seams that can tear and more layers that will break down. Two to three layers are usually sufficient to meet the needs of an average-weight person. Regardless of how many layers of foam you choose, the interaction of multiple layers, each with different densities, provides both support and comfort that help you sleep more efficiently.
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Visco Elastic Foam Mattress Topper
If a full visco foam mattress is out of your price range, a viable option is a visco foam mattress topper that fits over your existing conventional mattress. As with full mattresses, visco toppers come in a variety of densities and thicknesses, and can offer the same basic benefits as a full mattress. Not surprisingly, the foundation the topper covers significantly impacts the topper’s ability to provide the support and comfort afforded by the full mattress. If your old mattress is failing, the topper will most likely fail in the same way. An old saggy mattress will translate to an old saggy visco foam topper. The rule of thumb is that if your existing mattress is more than five years old, consider purchasing a full memory mattress system instead of just a topper.
Regardless of whether you choose a full memory foam mattress or a memory foam mattress, it’s vital to select high-quality foam. Understanding the risks of purchasing low-quality foam is important because your investment should last for years.
- Chemicals — Many manufacturers of low-end visco foam use dangerous chemicals in the manufacturing process that could cause allergic reactions.
- Manufacturing Technique — Many low-quality foam manufacturers have not invested in newer production processes, which allow them to keep their prices low. The older technology of pouring liquid foam into large molds tends to produce inconsistent densities when gravity helps settle the foam. On the other hand, manufacturers who have invested in newer manufacturing processes are able to ensure consistent foam density, which leads to higher quality visco elastic foam products.
- Durability — Low-quality foam, made up of larger cells, breaks down more quickly than high-quality, smaller cell foam. Low-quality visco foam often crumbles even before being purchased by unsuspecting consumers. Paying a little more money to ensure that you’ve got a durable, high-quality foam mattress is well worth the extra investment.
Once you’ve weighed your options and decided between a full visco elastic foam — or memory foam — mattress or a visco elastic foam mattress topper, choosing the most expensive brand on the market isn’t necessary. Many manufacturers produce high-quality visco foam, giving consumers a lot of great options without necessarily paying a premium for a well-known brand name product.
There are several decisions to make to help you reach the decision of whether a full visco elastic foam mattress or a visco elastic foam mattress topper is the right decision for you. But once you get through the various decisions, the final choice should be clear. Happy shopping and sleeping!