You’ve set your heart on a memory foam mattress, but what’s it going to be like once it arrives in your home? Memory foam mattresses are incredibly popular for a reason, but if you’ve never had one before you might not know what to expect when you unbox one. Many of our top picks in this year’s best mattress guide for all sleepers are made with memory foam, with the material providing deep pressure relief and contouring to different sleeping positions. But if you’ve come from sleeping on another type of mattress, you will need to know what to expect from a memory foam mattress, and the differences you’ll encounter compared to more traditional innerspring options.

In this guide we’ll look at what to expect — covering aspects such as unboxing, expansion time, comfort and care tips. Let’s get started..

. What is a memory foam mattress? A memory foam mattress is one that’s made entirely from memory foam and other types of foam. They don’t include any springs or coils, but use a combination of high-density foams and memory foam to provide support and comfort.

The best memory foam mattresses use plenty of memory foam to provide contouring around pressure points, but generally combine this with cooling materials to prevent overheating, as memory foam is notorious for trapping heat. You will also see memory foam used in many of the best hybrid mattresses , but we’re concentrating on all-foam versions here. What to expect after buying a memory foam mattress 1.

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