When current foams, especially HR high resilience foams, were introduced to the market, it was an important addition compared to the conventional foam that existed until then, which was latex.
HR allows greater air circulation thanks to its higher porosity.
Nowadays we use HR in two ways: the first is that the core is entirely HR (foam mattresses), the second is that HR is part of the mattress core, usually complemented with a sheet of another material.
What is foam?
Foam in mattresses is an open-cell and breathable material. Depending on the manufacturer, we will have their own particular foams with different characteristics and densities; thus, we also have mattresses with soft foams and mattresses with firm foams, which are often combined with fiber cushions and viscoelastic and latex padding.
Foam cannot be compared in any way to viscoelastic material, since it is also a foam but with characteristics totally different from standard foam.
In general, foam mattresses are more economical than others.
What is HR?
There are several types of foam on the market, but the one normally used for so-called foam mattresses is HR (High Resilience), which indicates that the foam composing our mattress is high resilience, meaning it has a high capacity to recover its original shape once deformed by the pressure of the user's weight or an object on it.
How long does a foam mattress last?
The lifespan of a viscoelastic mattress is exactly the same as others, by agreement, about 10 years, just like higher-priced mattresses.
This does not mean that after this time the mattress becomes unusable, but after this, the mattress no longer has the same qualities it had initially. This useful life will also depend greatly on the care and maintenance we have given the mattress, and the prolongation or reduction of this lifespan depends on how well we have cared for it.
What is the density and rebound of a foam mattress?
A foam of high density is one above the normative limit (30Kg/m3). The term HR indicates that the foam's rebound capacity exceeds a minimum (45%). It is obtained by calculating the % rebound over the height from which a steel ball is dropped.
We must know that the higher the density, the better the material, but we must always be alert to alarmingly low prices as they may offer high density but based on junk additives, thus composing fraudulent foam.
What firmness is appropriate for a foam mattress?
We must know that the firmness of a foam mattress does not necessarily depend on density since we can find a high-density HR with low firmness and vice versa.
When dealing with firmness, there is no good or bad but appropriate or inappropriate depending on the user's needs or the function of the foam sheet within the block.
Firmness is measured in Kpa (Kilopascals) and N (Newtons), these values can generally be found in the technical specifications of mattresses or by asking the seller.
What porosity is optimal for a foam mattress?
The porosity of our mattress determines the amount of air passing through it and thus whether we will have optimal ventilation or not.
It is measured in l/min, we recommend a porosity of 9 l/min for HR foam. This is where foam mattresses may have an advantage over viscoelastic ones since in an open-pore viscoelastic mattress, porosity ranges around 5 l/min.
What usage resistance does a foam mattress have?
This information is very difficult to find in market data either because it is not a concern for customers or to avoid overloading them with excessive information.
Different laboratory tests determine that an HR block cannot decrease more than 10%. Thus, the lower the percentage below the 10% we indicate, the greater the resistance to use and weight endurance over time.
If someone advises us when buying a mattress, it is enough to ask if the mattress is resistant and by what percentage it decreases, knowing that the lower the better.
What can we finally say about a foam mattress?
A foam mattress makes it possible to have total freedom of movement when lying down. Bed independence is guaranteed when sleeping with a partner. They offer the best air circulation compared to other types of mattresses and always remember to ask the seller for information not on the label to ensure you are making a quality purchase.
