There are numerous factors to consider when purchasing a visco-elastic memory foam mattress.
1. High density
The most important quality feature of a memory foam mattress is its density.
Density is measured in units indicating how heavy a cubic metre of PUR foam is.
In other words: how much polyurethane foam was used for one cubic metre.
The rule of thumb here is that the higher the density, the higher the quality of the mattress.
A higher density mattress also results in a longer lifespan.
If you're purchasing a new mattress, you may as well invest in a product that will last you a long time.
You can use the below table as a rough guideline to density and lifespan.
Density in kg/m³ |
Quality indicator |
Expected lifespan |
Under 30 |
Inferior quality |
Up to 3 years |
30-40 |
Average quality |
3 - 6 years |
40-50 |
Good quality |
6 - 8 years |
50-60 |
Very good quality |
8 - 10 years |
Over 60 |
Excellent quality |
10 years and more |
2. What other materials are used?
Most memory foam mattresses consist of several layers.
The upper layer is usually made of visco-elastic memory foam.
The lower layers are often made from cold foam. These give the mattress more stability and support.
Pay attention to the quality of these other foam layers as well. As with memory foam, the higher the density, the higher the quality.
3. Right degree of firmness
Memory foam mattresses can often be quite soft but the degree of firmness does depend quite significantly on the other layers of foam in the mattress.
While firmness is often a matter of personal preference, your body weight and sleeping position can affect which firmness is optimal.
For example, if you sleep on your side, you're likely to need a slightly softer mattress to allow your body to sink in at necessary points.
And if you're slightly heavier, it's likely that you'll need a firmer mattress to provide enough stability and support.
We also recommend choosing a mattress that comes with a risk-free trial period so you can test if the degree of firmness works for you.
4. Risk-free trial period
While we can certainly help guide in finding the best mattress, the only way to really see if a mattress is right for you is to try it out yourself.
This is why we always recommend purchasing a mattress that offers free delivery, a risk-free trial period, and free returns for full refunds.
With free delivery and returns, your mattress purchase is a no-risk investment.
Try it out for the available trial period and see if it's as comfortable as you hoped it would be.
And if it isn't, simply send it back and get a full refund.
Remember that it may take your body up to 3 weeks to get used to a new mattress.