| It's well known that a memory foam mattress provides the best possible support and can really improve sleep quality. It's also well known that this type of mattress sleeps hotter and can 'cook' the sleeper. What isn't so well known is that the introduction of the 'convoluted layer' really doesn't help in reducing heat and may be the biggest consumer con in recent times.
First, I must admit that I'm a fan of this type of mattress. I bought my Tempur Pedic mattress quite a few years ago, when it was still relatively unheard of, and have never regretted it. In fact sleeping on a memory foam mattress, also known as viscoelastic, is the best thing since sliced bread in my opinion.
While I have never noticed sleeping hot, many others have complained about sleeping a lot hotter in their viscoelastic mattress. This problem relates to all brands, not just Tempurpedic. I imagine that complaints about being 'cooked asleep' were very damaging to the reputation of this new wonder mattress so, naturally, something had to be done.
At first manufacturers would tell customers to turn their heating down, or replace their bedding with lighter bedding, or remove the protective cover off the mattress itself. Naturally, this didn't impress the consumer. To be told that one would have to adapt to a mattress didn't sit right; especially when everyone was being told that memory foam 'adapts' to the exact shape of the sleeper.
So, I guess the manufacturers scratched their heads and wondered what could be done. Eventually some bright spark came up with the idea of the convoluted layer that would increase air circulation and cool down the mattress. A brilliant idea, except that it just doesn’t work.
So what is this convoluted layer? Basically, it’s a piece of polyurethane based foam (not viscoelastic) that has been run through a convoluting machine to give it a ripple or wave pattern. This piece of foam is then placed between the high density base foam and the memory foam layer. The idea is that air can now freely flow in and out of this convoluted layer, thereby keeping the sleeper cooler.
But this simply does not work. Let's take a look at why.
All memory foam mattresses are made of at least two layers; a high density polyurethane foam layer, to provide support and a top layer of viscoelastic foam for comfort. Some manufacturers obfuscate things by adding extra layers of polyurethane foam or by adding soft pillow top layers on top of the memory foam. But anyhow, each layer is laminated together; this means glued together.
So when inserting a convoluted layer, it is also glued between the top and bottom layers. What gluing does is that the lumps of the convoluted layer are flattened, so no air can possibly pass through it.
What many manufacturers do, rather sneakily in my opinion, is not to glue together the layers at the side of the mattress. The can show off this new fangled layer to potential customers and instill the illusion that air can freely pass through the convoluted layer.
But let's suppose they claim that by not gluing the sides of the mattress, air can still circulate freely enough to cool the mattress down. This is clearly a lot of nonsense. The convoluted layer is first covered by the mattress cover itself, then by sheets, then by blankets, etc. No air is ever going to pass through.
The convoluted layer does not cool down a mattress but it's been a bit of a marketing success. Consumers no longer have to be told to sleep without any clothes on; instead manufacturers have been seen to take the initiative and to be seen to have solved the problem.
I haven't tried comparing the temperature of my old Tempur Pedic mattress with one of the new fangled convoluted ones, but I doubt if I, or anyone else for that matter, could tell the difference.
My advice to anyone when looking to buy the best memory foam mattress is to pay attention to the density of the foam (it should be at least 5lbs) and pay no attention whatsoever to convoluted layers. Mattresses with convoluted layers are always more expensive, so buying one without this dubious layer will save you money.
Follow the links for more about the memory foam mattress on leading brands like the Simmons Comforpedic and the TempurPedic mattress.
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