Memory Foam - The Sequel

[Vagabound]

Hi all,

There are other previous memory foam (MF) related threads.  Main ones are listed at the bottom of this post to save you time.

In this case, I'm hoping to get at something different, maybe a bit more detailed, and I'm hoping to arrive at some kind of consensus on what is likely a very subjective thing.  If not a consensus, then a gathering of important facts.

To the best of my knowledge, I've only slept on a MF mattress one night in my life.  It was one of very few nights in many years that I can remember nothing.  I didn't wake up.  Didn't toss and turn.  In fact, I woke up in exactly the same position that I fell asleep in, after a longer sleep than usual, totally rested, with no sore spots or goofy feeling body parts.  Not prone to raving, but it was truly unexpected sleeping heaven.  Made a believer out of me.  The bed owner said the mattress was 100% MF.  I have no idea/can't remember if that was true or not.

So, some questions to get the ball rolling:

1.  Mythbusters Question:  Are any MF mattresses 100% MF from top to bottom?  Not talking about thin pads here, but instead the entire depth of the mattress (10-12")?  If yes, pros/cons of that type?

2.  The MF mattresses that I've found online all seem to be the same -- a thinner MF pad (1/2" to 3") on top of and adhered to a harder/normal foam base.  Is this type the standard MF mattress?

3.  What is the best thickness for the MF top layer (yes, I know this is more subjective than most)?
a.  1" or less
b.  2"
c.  3"
d.  As much as you can get (> 3")
e.  Other (please comment)

4.  Any problems with MF or reasons not to buy one for vandwelling?

5.  Is there anything better than an MF mattress?

Thanks.

=========

Some other MF threads:
* https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Foam-bed-Density
* https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Decent-mattress
* https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Switching-from-air-mattress-to-memory-foam-question
* https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-Which-Foam-Mattress-to-buy

 

[BradKW]

I've been looking at this for awhile and it appears to me that not only is there no such thing as a 100% memory foam mattress, it wouldn't be desirable anyway. It's the second (and occasionally third) layers of non-MF that give the mattress the bed characteristics everyone expects, notably firmness and edge support.

I've hesitated to complete a purchase yet because there really aren't any easy answers to your questions regarding which combination is best and at what thicknesses. Find a popular mattress that has a fair amount of reviews, reverse engineer the construction layers and thicknesses, try to find reviews that seem to fit your sleeping habits and needs, then rebuild the mattress on a less expensive website...all based on a fair amount of guesswork for a $400-$1000 purchase.

This is a really useful website: http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattressreview-memory-foam.html

 

[Hippiechk]

I sleep on nothing else since the magical night my arthritis first slept on memory foam.

I just bought a new one, 8", 3 layers...reason I chose this one was it was reasonably priced @ $259.

I tried out the thicker ones & yes, they were cushier but this one works fine. I sleep okay & don't wake up with pressure pain.

When they first came out I bought a $1,000 one & it wasn't any better.

I did find the 'gel' foam one I once had to be a bit cooler but they are more costly so I just keep my down duvet between me & the mattress in summer.

If money is no object I would say get a 10", the 12" are a beast to get sheets onto I have found.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

A few of my friends have bought them and say they wake up in pools of sweat and I have others that swear by them. The part about being too hot has always kept me at bay because I get hot rather easy when I'm sleeping. I've always wanted one though. Luckily I have a mattress that I think is extremely comfortable anyways, but when this one needs to be replaced I'll give the memory foam another serious thought.

 

[wagoneer]

The xx firm 3" natural latex I use in the TC is about as thick as I wanna get. the cabover is not thick mattress friendly.

 

[akrvbob]

All of them I've had when they get cold, they get hard. So when you get in them on a cold night they are hard/uncomfortable till your body heat warms them up. If you are sleeping in your side, under you is warm and soft. When you roll over it's cold and hard, has to warm up again.

I switched to the biggest, thickest Thermarest self-inflating pad they make, the Mondo King 3d. As an air mattress I can make it as hard or as soft was I want it to be. It has an R-Value of 11.5. I've been extremely pleased with it.
http://amzn.to/2bXA9Vb
Bob

 

[NickTheoBennett]

For what it's worth, this (Amazon) is what I use.  I cut it to fit around my wheel well and I like it a lot, but I do tend to lean toward firmer mattresses.  It's something my ex-wife used to complain about as she wanted to sleep on a cloud.  It's a 1.5" layer of Memory Foam on top followed by a 4.5" layer of high density foam.

I enjoy it a lot.

 

[Vagabound]

This is a really useful website:  http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattressreview-memory-foam.html

You're right about that!  I wandered into it after I posted this thread.  There's more MF info on that website than you can shake a stick at.  Thanks for all of the good info and for posting that link for all of us.

Vagabound

 

[Vagabound]

...
I switched to the biggest, thickest Thermarest self-inflating pad they make, the Mondo King 3d. ... It has an R-Value of 11.5. I've been extremely pleased with it.

Just to confirm ...

1.  Did you switch to the Thermarest because of the MF mattress' "cold" problem?

2.  Does the Mondo King 3D have an issue with the "hammock effect" (cold underneath due to air underneath) or does the 11.5 R-value you mentioned prevent that?

Vagabound

 

[MrNoodly]

I have a 4" memory foam topper on an 8" standard foam mattress. I love it. Yes, memory foam reacts to temperature. Firmer when cold, softer when warm. That's how it conforms to your body. My sleeping style works well with that, though. I settle into one position and stay that way for hours at a time. If I move onto a cooler, firmer spot, it's refreshing to me, like flipping a pillow to the cool side. Sometimes, if I'm in a stretch of hot weather, the memory foam can trap too much body heat. So I flip the mattress so the topper is on the bottom. But I miss the feel of the topper wrapping around me.

 

[akrvbob]

Just to confirm ...

1.  Did you switch to the Thermarest because of the MF mattress' "cold" problem? Yes, partly. I was having a very hard time getting a bed right for my back. So I put my old 2 inch Thermarest on top of the memory foam and that solved the whole problem both with the cold then hot and getting it right for my back. A couple of puffs of air or opening the valve made it just right. 

2.  Does the Mondo King 3D have an issue with the "hammock effect" (cold underneath due to air underneath) or does the 11.5 R-value you mentioned prevent that? There are zero temperature issues with it. The main reason backpackers love them is they keep you warm when sleeping on the cold ground or even on snow or a glacier. Other big advantages with them is that they are light and compact and incredibly durable. Those are all things vandwellers value as well.

Here is another big issue with low top vans. I wanted to fit a 5 gallon bucket under my bed, but a thick mattress meant banging my head. This solved that problem as well!!! 
Bob

 

[Vagabound]

... Find a popular mattress that has a fair amount of reviews, reverse engineer the construction layers and thicknesses, try to find reviews that seem to fit your sleeping habits and needs, then rebuild the mattress on a less expensive website...all based on a fair amount of guesswork for a $400-$1000 purchase.

I appreciate your recommendation of an analytical approach.  Right up my alley.

That said, I do have years of experience with a regular Thermarest camping pad, and I know and like their quality.  Bob's Mondoking 3D is giving me more to chew on now, regarding whether to choose MF or air/foam combo.  Hmmm.

 

[Vagabound]

Bob:  Very good to know.  Last question at the moment ... I think I remember you saying that you bought the biggest Mondoking 3D -- the XXL -- which would be 80" long (vs. 77").  I'm guessing that won't fit across the back of your van, or will it somehow?

 

[akrvbob]

I have an extended van so my bed is along the side, so I didn't try but I'm certain it wouldn't.
Bob

 

[Bast]

Bob Have you had any problems with leaks. Do you ley Homer lay on it.

 

[accrete]

Hi all,
...

4.  Any problems with MF or reasons not to buy one for vandwelling?

5.  Is there anything better than an MF mattress?

Thanks...

Greetings,
Like Bob, my wife and I switched to using an insulated inflatable pad...with a twist. For any who've followed our van conversion, you may remember we incorporated a Froli Sleep System in the design from night one (link to the FSS site, no affiliation except being a happy camper).
Like others, we also found little comfort in the memory/gel mattresses when the temps were outside the Goldilocks Zone (~55F to 76F~) for sleeping. Either side of that and you are either chilled to the bone or sweating like crazy on the typical memory/gel mattress.... Not so with the insulated pad that Bob mentioned (or the ones we use; Big Agnus Q-Core _manufacturer link_). So what we are using now is; Platform=1/2" marine ply in welded 3/4" custom steel frame, Foundation=Froli Sleep System, Mattress=Big Agnus Q-Core insulated inflatable pad. We sleep like babies!

: ) Thom

 

[akrvbob]

Bob Have you had any problems with leaks. Do you ley Homer lay on it.

No, the Thermarest and other backpackers pads are extremely high quality, failures are uncommon. And if they do get leaks, they are easily repairable.  

I bought a cheap, rectangular sleeping bag and zipped it up around the thermarest (so it stays in one place) so I sleep on it, not the pad itself. But, my dog Cody does sleep on it with me.
Bob

 

[Bast]

Bob Thanks for answering my questions and I apologize for getting your dog's name wrong.

 

[ArtW]

I like Bob's solution, memory foam sound great if you don't get hot, but I do, My ex would tell you, I'm a radiator when I sleep, on a cold night, no need for the heater haha
I like air mattresses, but if they leak, and most do, you wake up on the floor
That thermarest pad looks like a good compromise
just wish they cam in 'standard, bed sizes

 

[wagoneer]

I've had a thermarest dream cloud for about 10 years bought it when the wife kicked my out of the bedroom. I use it in the truck camper when i have a sleepover it fits next to my 3" xx firm latex no one has ever complained about the comfort.