We decided in April that we needed a new mattress and when we started looking we got the impression from all the marketing and reviews that “memory foam” was the only way to go these days. However, after 4 different “memory foam” mattresses we have come to the conclusion that “memory foam” is just one big con.
The “marketing” says “memory foam” adapts to your body and supports, the “reality” however is that it just sags under your body when it warms up. That’s ok if you lie still on your back all night straight as an arrow, but if you move about or lie on your side and pull up your legs then you find yourself on a slope. You also find yourself on a slope if you move too close to your partner (because then the two individual sags form one big sag) or if you move too close to the edge of the bed. Also, just because it sags doesn’t mean it’s soft, in fact “memory foam” is very firm which as a side sleeper means you wake up in the morning with aching hips, shoulders and legs.
I notice that most “memory foam” mattress reviews are written when the mattress is brand new, but if you look at those reviews written after the trial periods have ended then you see quite a few reviews mentioning permanently sagging mattresses.
Anyway, after 8 months, 4 different “memory foam” mattresses and a mattress topper we have finally given up on “memory foam” and gone with a traditional “pocket spring” natural wool mattress instead. It’s a bit scary going with a traditional mattress because (unlike with “memory foam”) you don’t get a trial period. But our “pocket spring” mattress arrived yesterday and we’ve just had our best night’s sleep in ages. This pocket “spring mattress” is just worlds apart from the “memory foam” mattresses that we tried and when you look at the “pocket spring” mattress reviews it seems we’re not the only ones who think so.
