Mattress Toppers for your House : Brief Guide
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Heard about mattress toppers made of memory foam ? This is a brief guide about memory foam mattress toppers.
What are mattress toppers?
Mattress toppers were unheard in India till recently. It is so for most of the world but they are quite popular in North America including USA and Canada. I am sure many of the NRIs residing in those countries use them. Mattress toppers are basically mattresses but with smaller thickness ranging from 2-4 inches. They are laid on top of a mattress, like the names says, to alter its comfort level. They are obviously cheaper. Let’s say you bought an expensive mattress but it is too firm. Instead of spending money on another one to replace it you can simply buy a soft mattress topper and use it on top of the mattress. The topper will supplement its softness giving you a comfortable night while saving money. They can also be used standalone and are frequently used while camping or travelling.
What is memory foam?
Memory foam is a soft material used for making mattresses and toppers. The name is so because the foam ‘remembers’ its shape! If you press it will deform to the counters of your hand and even after you remove your hand it retains that hand impression for a while and then slowly comes back to its original shape. It is this property that earned it the name ‘memory foam’.
It was first discovered by NASA, the American space agency, to be used in aircraft seats. At that time the production of memory foam was expensive and was used mainly as special beds for medical purposes. But now they are mass produced and the prices have come down.
The Good
Memory foam mattress toppers add a luxurious feel to your mattress. It is firm at room temperature but when you lie on it the foam absorbs your body heat and moulds to the contours of your body giving a cuddling feeling. By doing so it reduces the building up of pressure points. Ever experienced neck or body pain on waking up? It is these pressure points that cause those pains. By avoiding the buildup of those pressure points memory foam saves you from most body pains associated with disturbed sleep. Is your old mattress worn out and sagging in the middle? Using this mattress topper can make it feel brand new. It definitely improves your mattress and gives you a good night’s sleep.
The Bad
These mattress toppers usually trap heat. This is the major drawback of memory foams. But there are gel memory foam mattress toppers in the market which are a combination of gel and memory foam where the gel acts as a coolant. Some also use Open Cell technology which allows more circulation of air thus carrying away the retained heat in the topper. Another drawback or let’s say ‘temporary’ drawback is that the foam has a chemical smell. It can be strong or mild depending on the product you buy. But this definitely is only a temporary problem, if you air it for about 2 days the smell will be gone, permanently.
Where to Buy ?
In India,you can buy these from online retailers or other malls.It is not currently popular at the local stores.They are available in a lot of sizes and most mattress brands have them. Before you buy,it is advisable to visit memory foam mattress topper reviews and make your choice. They are packed compressed and vacuum sealed. So when you receive the product it will be very compressed but once you open it the foam will slowly expend. Do know that it will take 1-24 hours for the memory foam to expand to its full size? . Once expanded you can use it on your mattress.
Interested ? Go for one !