Mattress Forum

memory foam maybe it will help you
Feb 28, 2011 5:55 PM
chas0512
Joined: Jan 26, 2011
Points: 32
Sensus is a Foamex product. (I'd done quite a bit of research and (through some prying phone conversations with Foamex) found out that they once supplied Tempurpedic.) They are THE memory-foam authority. (Let that sink in for a minute.) If Tempurpedic chose this company to make their products, it must be top-quality.

I own this particular topper and I can say it is everything you want a memory-foam product to be; resilient, durable, firm, supportive, responsive and COMFORTABLE! I promise, you won't be disappointed with it.

I've also "done the math" and figured out the actual density. My Sensus topper has a density of 5.3 pounds per cubic foot; the exact density of the Tempurpedic topper. So there's no skimping on density, here. I reiterate, the up-front price is tiny compared to the long-term value. Expect 5 years of flawless performance from this dense foam. You may even get ~10 years out of it, depending on use.

Some generic info about memory foam:

There's a few things you MUST consider, it's long but I think you will find this helpful.

#1 Density. Density refers to the weight of the foam given a certain volume. It is measured in pounds per cubic foot or lb/ft3. As a rule, the higher the density, the firmer and more resilient (durable) the foam. There are exceptions to this rule, but that's for later. Generally speaking, a density of less than 3lb/ft3 is extremely soft, very low resiliency; it's bottom of the barrel stuff and should be bought as a super light-duty item (for your toy poodle's bed.) Foam with a density between 3lb/ft3 and 3.9lb/ft3 is marginal; expect it to be very soft and to wear out after a scant year of regular use. Densities of 4lb/ft3 - 5.3lb/ft3, you're into the better range; expect this foam to be soft to medium firmness and to last for 2 years of regular use (at the high end of the range, up to 5 years). Memory foam with a rating of over 5.3lb/ft3 is where the quality products are found; these products can best be described as medium-firm to firm and should last 5 years or more (you pay for what you get.) There's even an 8lb/ft3 foam on the market!(Good for the supportive middle layers of mattresses.) Some important notes: If you are a back-sleeper, I suggest a minimum of 5lb/ft3 memory foam; this will prevent sagging. Side-sleepers can get away with a softer density (4.5lb/ft3 is about the lowest I suggest for anybody.)
The firmness of memory foam varies greatly with temperature; a foam that is firm at 65 degrees can be squishy at 85; also, there are differences in manufacturing procedures that can produce very different firmnesses in different products of the same density. If you want to delve further, you'll have to go looking for yourself; the details are far too complicated for this post. lol


#2 Thickness. After you've chosen the density that suits you, consider the thickness. I'll keep this short; if you sleep on your back, go for about 2" and if you sleep on your side, go for 3". DON'T GET SOMETHING TOO THICK!!!, you'll just get a hammock effect. (Higher density foams will be more supportive at any given thickness, so if there's a choice between thick and light or thin and dense, go with the latter.)

#3 The Underlying Structure. If your old mattress is uncomfortable, putting a topper on it will not improve the situation by much. Memory foam is made so that it takes the shape of whatever is underneath it. If you need a new mattress, buy one. Expensive band-aids are just that...band-aids. Here's a BIG hint: Use a 6" thick slab of traditional polyurethane foam as the base for your topper; this will be a smooth, firm base. Remember this is NOT memory foam, it's a dense version of what's in your sofa cushions. Using a density of over 2.5lb/ft3 is vital for a base layer. If you need a new mattress get this as your base. Here, I can't mention a particular website, but there are manufacturers that make this stuff: (you know how to Google it)

* Lux High Quality Foam
* DENSITY: 2.8lb/ft3
* COMPRESSION: 50 LBS
* FIRM
* EXTREMELY RESILIENT
(The site (which shall remain nameless) makes a medium firm conventional foam, too)

#4 Cost. Many make the mistake of confusing the price of a particular item with its cost. Considering that very high-density (5.5lb/ft3 and up) polyurethane memory foam (all memory foam is made from polyurethane but not all polyurethane foam is memory foam) can easily last twenty times as long or longer than a low density foam, I don't need to explain how the "expensive" high-density products are anything but.

#5 The Break-In Period. Memory foam products will be their firmest when brand-new. After a break-in period of a few weeks, the foam softens significantly. So, when you first lie down on new memory foam, if it feels soft, you're in trouble; for after the break-in period, it will be much too soft. A memory foam product should be almost uncomfortably firm right out the box; give it time; after a few weeks, it gradually soften to the perfect firmness. If it's soft right out the package, SEND IT BACK!

I hope this was informative and please rate this review as helpful so it may see the light of day!
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