What Is Memory Foam Pillow

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The bedroom is perhaps the most sacred place in the average household (aside from the lavatory, of course). It represents all the comforts of home that make us miss it while away: comfort, warmth, shelter, security; everything that insulates us from the big, bad world outside, localized to a single room.

Such a hallowed place deserves to be treated with the utmost reverence and respect. Your bedroom should be kept in tip-top shape. You will need to clean it regularly – dust, sweep, and vacuum – and you will need to upgrade its facilities – the bed, pillows, closets, and wardrobes – in order to ensure that this place of peace of rest is as comfortable as possible.

Sacrifices will need to be made and you will need to consider your personal needs, the needs of your partner, and your budget to furnish your bedroom properly. Before you start throwing out old wardrobes and replacing them with new ones, start with the very place where you lay down your head: your pillow.

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What is Memory Foam?

Memory foam is one of the most extensively used materials in the construction of furniture, including everything from sofas to car seats, to mattresses. Memory foam is also known by its other name: viscoelastic foam (or visco foam).

Viscoelasticity refers to a material’s inherent propensity for elasticity – its ability to stretch and twist and turn – as well as its ability to retain its overall shape and revert to its original size after a while.

Viscoelastic foam is manufactured in different ways by different companies, each of which produces different properties in the foam itself. For example, a company may manufacture its visco foam to be more resilient to changes in its shape and, therefore, be solid and sturdier. With enough effort and pressure, however, the foam will eventually give way to changes while still being able to recover its original shape in time.

There are many ways to manufacture viscoelastic foam, though the differences between them are often arbitrary or otherwise undetectable to the untrained eye. Visco foam is always solid in composition, however, meaning that while objects can alter its shape, they cannot simply pass through it.

Viscoelastic foam has been around for over 50 years and was first developed by NASA as a safe and comfortable means of seating astronauts. Eventually, corporations caught wind of memory foam and quickly began releasing products that made extensive use of the material. Of particular note are the mattresses manufactured by Tempurpedic, which quickly won over the public and jettisoned the popularity of memory foam to new heights.

Nowadays, memory foam can indeed be found anywhere and everywhere. The manufacturing process has come a long way too, and viscoelastic material is often combined with other materials that regulate the human body’s temperature. The resulting products (typically mattresses and pillows) are cool, supportive, and above all, comfortable for their users.

What Are Memory Foam Pillows?

Memory foam pillows are exactly that: pillows made from viscoelastic material designed to be both durable and elastic in equal measure. Memory foam pillows adjust to the shape of your head as you sleep, then revert to their original shapes after you have gotten out of bed. They are comfortable and supportive, providing the means that enable you to get a good night’s sleep.

Different Types of Memory Foam

Memory foam has been consistently improved upon since it first became available to the public. Memory foam can take three primary forms, whose differences are substantial enough that prospective buyers should pay attention to them.

Traditional

This is the classic memory foam used by NASA in the 1960s. It changes its shape over time, molding itself after your body as you sleep, providing a comfortable experience. Its biggest downside is that it retains body heat a little too well, making it uncomfortable on hot nights with little reprieve.

Open Cell

Open cell memory foam is similar to traditional memory foam but features an altered internal structure which makes all the difference in the world. Specifically, it allows for better airflow within the foam itself, which in turn allows for better heat transfer away from your body.

Gel

Gel-infused memory foam comes in two distinct variations. The first absorbs heat similarly to ice-packs; the other actively regulates your body temperature by absorbing and subsequently re-releasing heat as needed.

Naturally, gel-infused memory foam products – including pillows – are much more expensive, but the benefits are irrefutable.

Conclusion

Memory foam is still a popular material used in the construction of furniture, even after 50 years of extensive use. It is likely to only become more predominant as time goes on and may become the new standard in time. You can get ahead now by purchasing a memory foam pillow, which is sure to give you the good night’s sleep you always crave.