Pros And Cons Of The Tempur-Pedic Mattress

As unbelievable as it sounds, the story of how the Tempur-pedic mattress came to be starts at NASA. That’s correct…the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. During the Sixties, NASA was trying to create a material that would help lower the effects from g-forces that astronauts have to deal with. In the end, the called this advanced product “temper foam”.

NASA never actually used the stuff but they eventually released the formula to the public domain so other companies could use it in their products. At that point the manufacturing process had not yet been fully developed and the material was very difficult to produce which limited it’s usefulness.

However, a group of Swedish scientists working for Fagerdala World Foams saw the potential application of the material for use in mattresses. These scientists spent over a decade along with millions of dollars of their own money developing an entirely new type of sleep surface. They called the temperature sensitive material they created “TEMPUR” and a little while later they had it patented.

The process of making a Tempur-Pedic mattress is a fairly involved one. It includes integrating several layers of memory foam with a number of other materials that are commonly used in mattresses. The result is a bed with therapeutic support which is arguably better than that found in a traditional innerspring design.

How does this end up being done? Well, the top most layer of the mattress is the comfort layer and it has the TEMPUR material that’s specifically designed to reshape to your weight and size. It molds itself around your body. Then, as you lie on the mattress you begin to sink in and the next layer, which is the supporting layer, absorbs your weight and distributes it equally across the bed.

Finally, there is the base layer which is the toughest and provides a firm foundation for the mattress. The base layer is typically not made of memory foam since less expensive high density polyurethane foam is sufficient.

A Tempur-pedic mattress has a big difference in that it’s designed to respond to both temperature and pressure. Depending on what your needs are, the mattress can be either firm or soft. This special material will conform to the unique proportions of your body and give you necessary support in all the right places. Studies have confirmed that this mattress can be very helpful for people with neck or back issues.

Something you should be aware of is that a regular mattress won’t distribute weight evenly. This is the reason that the part of the bed you lay upon starts to sag. Continuous pressure on the same spot all of the time will eventually stop the mattress from supporting. Most of the time, the hips and lower back are the worst places causing your spine to be in the wrong position. Normal mattresses commonly aggravate a prior condition such as a bad back.

A benefit in having a Tempur-Pedic mattress is that they require almost no maintenance. You won’t have to turn them over or do anything at all. You don’t have to worry about springs poking you or dealing with body impressions in your bed and they sometimes last twice as long as a normal mattress. The company even offers a twenty-year warranty on every mattress they sell. This may be the right mattress for you if you have a problem with your back, neck, and circulation or if you are just in the market for a high quality mattress that will last you twenty years.

It’s important to remember however, that a Tempur-Pedic mattress isn’t for everyone. They’re very different from a coiled spring mattress and may take some getting used to. While the majority of people report coming to like them after a short period, some never do and have to switch back to a regular mattress. Common complaints include the mattress being too firm, having an unpleasant chemical odor, or retaining too much heat and causing the user to wake up sweaty.

Fortunately, a close look at Tempur-Pedic mattress reviews shows that these problems are fairly rare so you probably shouldn’t worry too much about them. If you’re having trouble sleeping, or are waking up in the morning with aches and pains caused by your current mattress, then it’s definitely worth trying one out to see if it can help.

Anne Randyl spends eight to ten hours testing mattresses every night and considers herself an authority on the subject. If you’re thinking about buying a visco elastic foam mattress you should really read her article about the various Tempurpedic beds.