Memory Foam Grades

Unfortunately there seems to be no universally accepted method of grading memory foam for the consumer. This means that reputation of the manufacturer, personal recommendation and independent reviews remain important. That said, there are a couple of things you can look for.

There are two basic measures that can be used when comparing memory foam products. The first is the thickness of the foam. This is probably of most importance when buying a topper or pad. A pad that is very thin is unlikely to give much support, a pad that is very thick is unlikely to be providing enough extra benefit to justify the cost. Most people find a thickness of two or three inches seems to work best.

The other objective comparison is the density of the foam. This affects the amount of support given by the product. In general, denser foam will be firmer than the less dense variety. However foams of different densities from different manufactureres can have different levels of firmness (is there a word for that? firminosity perhaps?). In the US, foam density is usually described in terms of pounds per cubic foot. Common densities are 3, 4 and 5lb.

Some manufacturers describe their products as being of premium quality. There's no real definition of this term, in general it refers to the denser foams.

So at the end of the day there's no clear method of comparing the quality of different memory foam products. The advice remains to shop around and remember that what's right for someone else might not be right for you.