A History of Memory Foam

In this day and age memory foam has become somewhat commonplace in the home, whether it be a memory foam mattress, topper or cushion. However it's still a relatively recent invention and one with an interesting history which i'd like to lead you through in the following paragraphs.

Originally developed by the boffin's at NASA, memory foam can rightfully be considered as a true space age material. It wasn't a smooth a ride as you may think though, with its initial purpose to improve the safety and comfort of seating and cushions in long distance flight, such as that at high atmosphere. However there were various problems with the initial chemical makeup of the material which resulted in the project being put to the side somewhat by NASA. Thankfully, two very clever scientists continued to tinker with what was initially named 'temper foam' due to its sensitivity to temperature and soon further uses became apparent.

At first take up of this new material was quite limited, with it finding its first real world uses in medical equipment such as x-ray tables and wheelchairs where a patient must remain for a long period of time. Closely following this was its use in sports equipment such as the padding of helmets and other cushioning. However it wasn't until NASA unleashed the foam on the general public in the early 80s that it began to fulfil its true potential. One of the first companies to commercialise memory foam was a little known swedish mattress manufacturer, and their initial products went on to become very popular indeed with the swedish people.

However there was one thing holding it back, and that was the fact that the initial expense of purchasing a memory foam mattress was quite high indeed when compared to a standard mattress. Amongst the few early adopters was the medical profession which had already experimented with earlier versions, and continued to find the relief offered by such mattresses invaluable to those who were incapacitated for long periods of time. It's benefits were obvious, with the improved cushioning and support helping to relieve many problems normally associated with the bed ridden such as pressure sores.

Back in the modern era, memory foam has found its true purpose, bringing comfort and relief to millions of sleeping souls worldwide. As well as continuing to be widely used in the medical profession its becoming more and more popular in the bedroom in anything from mattresses, to pillows, to toppers and we're even beginning to see pet bedding that feature it. I think most that have tried it will agree it's truly a worldwide success and we look forward to its continued growth as, for me, everyone should be sleeping on a memory foam mattress. Whilst it may not provide immediate benefits, in time you will certainly come to appreciate the added support and cushioning such a mattress offers, especially for those of us approaching the twilight of our time here on earth.