Memory foam mattresses have been the craze of all those pining for a good night’s sleep ever since its benefits were discovered. By now, most of us know that memory foam works by reducing the body’s pressure and adjusting itself to the body temperature. However, the reason behind this unique quality proved to be a unique case study. Designed originally for astronauts and later used especially for medical treatment, memory foam has become very popular recently. It helps us in experiencing sound sleep by relaxing the body. Even though it was Tempur-Pedic that first brought it to the consumer market, several manufacturers have now started manufacturing their own memory foams.

The first thing that one will notice while studying memory foam mattresses is the way in which the cells of memory foam deform when weight is applied on it. Contrary to other standard foams, memory foam cells compress fully thereby spreading their air pressure to the adjoining cells. This is because each individual cell in the foam has hole in it. However, this is not so in case of standard foams which spring back to their original shape immediately after being compressed. The unique working of memory foam enables it to spread the body pressure through a greater number of cells. This makes it instrumental in reducing the pressure that an individual may feel while he is lying on memory foam.

The above mentioned theory is also applicable when one is looking to explain the reason behind the ability of memory foam mattresses to deform and conform to an individual’s body's shape and weight bearing areas. No other material has this unique ability apart from memory foam. The third quality that makes memory foam mattresses unique is its temperature sensitivity. At lower temperatures it is firmer and viscous, and again, at higher temperatures it is softer and more elastic. This is why memory foam is sometimes known as visco-elastic memory foam. It is this temperature sensitivity that is responsible for the melting feeling that we experience on lying down on memory foam. The ability of memory foam to mould itself is also attributed to this quality.

There are quite a few reviews for memory foam mattresses out there. Specific memory foams, such as Tempur-Pedic's Tempur foam, are quite temperature sensitive and can get firm and viscous even at room temperature. The Healthy Foundations memory foam mattresses have a broader range of temperatures where they stay nice and soft and thus, work well in different climates. Due to the cut throat competition in the consumer market, companies are increasingly looking forward to cut down the price of products to a bare minimum such that at times, they end compromising with the quality of the product. In this context it should be clearly stated that customers should refrain from purchasing excessively low priced memory foams which are either of a lower density or used as layers along with other cheaper things. It is pertinent to note that the cheaper ones neither produce the desired results nor do they last long.