Englander Memory Foam Mattress

The Englander memory foam mattress line consists of two beds - the Viscopedic and Synergy Fusion.

Memory foam is visco-elastic polyurethane foam. NASA developed the foam many years ago, but never used it in their space program. It was first used in therapeutic mattresses because it is very good at preventing bedsores and relieving pressure points for patients who are bedridden.

Visco elastic foam was so successful at this that commercial mattress companies began experimenting with it for the broader market. The results were dramatic. Many people who bought memory foam mattresses said that their sleep improved drastically and that they had far less pain in the morning. People with lower back problems particularly liked these beds.

Traditional memory foam mattresses contain a core of high density polyurethane foam as the support layer topped with visco elastic foam as the comfort layer. The price of the mattress correlates somewhat with the thickness, quality and weight of the memory foam layer. Of course, mattresses with different quality and thickness of the memory foam layers will feel different too.

Some people have found that memory foam can be too warm for their taste. This can be improved by using a wool mattress pad. Wool allows better air circulation around the body during sleep. There are a couple of other materials that have been developed for this purpose as well, particularly Coolmax and Outlast.

High quality memory foam mattresses can be expensive, but for people who find relief from backaches, arthritis, or other chronic pain conditions, or for people who sleep with partners who toss and turn, they can be a good investment. They form to the shape of your body and creating something like a cradle with no pressure points.

Unfortunately, trying out a memory foam mattress for a couple of minutes in a mattress store will not give you a good enough idea of how your sleep will be affected. Some of the moderate to higher end hotels use memory foam mattresses in some locations, so it could be worth calling around and booking a room before spending the $1,000 minimum that a memory foam mattress usually costs.

Englander's Viscopedic line of mattresses make use of the NASA technology to attempt to provide a more restful night's sleep. Every Viscopedic Englander memory foam mattress responds to the individual's body temperature and body weight to conform to their shape and size. The visco memory foam does not create the painful areas that are common with innerspring mattresses, especially worn out or cheap models with an insufficient comfort layer.

This line of mattresses delivers pressure-free sleep that you may find far more restful than with a traditional mattress. Englander has a patented Variable Pressure Foaming technology that manufactures memory foam with durability, consistency, and resilience.

It is free of PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylethers, a class of chemicals used as flame retardants, plastics, and wire insulation, that are being phased out in the United States due to potential environmental hazards) and are hypo-allergenic.

Despite what they would have you believe Englander is not he only company using the Variable Pressure Foaming system of manufacturing memory foam. Foamex, one of the largest producers of memory foam in the US makes memory foam this way with great success. Their 5lb Sensus and 4lb Aerus memory foams are some of the highest quality foams available and some of the few that can compare with Tempurpedic's super secret "Tempur material" formula.

Foamex sources visco elastic foam for many of the best memory foam beds made in the US and could be providing the foam for Englander for all I know. What I do know is that the variable pressure foaming method of creating memory foam works very well and produces a high quality product which can compete with Tempurpedic if done right.

An Englander memory foam mattress promotes spinal alignment during sleep. It has a finer cell structure than some other foams, which they claim makes it more responsive to body weight and temperature, and results in a luxurious feel. They say it returns to its original shape after every use for many years.

Because individual movements and vibrations are contained, there is no motion transfer with the Viscopedic mattress or any memory foam bed in general. Those who sleep with partners who get up during the night or who toss and turn should find that their sleep is more restful than with a traditional innerspring mattress.

If you worry about an Englander memory foam mattress being hot and sticky they claim that the Viscopedic open cell structure lets the mattress "breathe" and disperse body heat. However, all memory foam has an open cell structure and heat retention remains an issue with memory foam to this very day. Every company struggles with this problem and I'm sure Englander is no different.

Some people, like myself, who tend to sleep cool and live in colder climates may not mind the heat at all. However, many people who tend to sleep hot find this to be a major issue and will need to explore ways to cool the sleeping surface or explore other types of mattresses altogether. The company also makes specially designed cotton mattress covers that are more breathable and may help control heat by drawing moisture away from the body.

Englander's line of Synergy Fusion mattress sets combine memory foam and natural rubber latex to produce what they say is comfortable and luxurious sleep system. They claim the use of these two sleep surfaces results in relief from pressure points, additional comfort, and a better night's sleep. The combination of memory foam and latex should maintain its shape for years of regular use as long as the two materials are high quality.

Again, compared to an innerspring mattress there is far less motion transfer between sleeping partners with latex and memory foam. The Synergy Latex is environmentally friendly and hypo-allergenic. This line of Englander memory foam mattress sets resist mold, mildew, and dust mites.

Synergy Fusion mattresses have a 7-zone "posturized" design that supposedly gives support where sleepers need it most without reducing comfort. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of different "zones" in any type of mattress and suspect it's mostly sales talk. They claim the design also allows increased air flow over the mattress surface to keep sleepers cool and comfortable.

The way the Synergy Fusion mattress conforms to each individual's body contours is meant to promote natural spinal alignment. Again, latex and memory foam both eliminate pressure points common in mattresses which use coiled springs in the support layer.

They say the unique "pinhole" design of the latex in the Synergy Fusion mattress allows better breathability of the mattress surface, keeping the temperature regulated. Actually, it's not really unique since virtually all latex used in mattresses is manufactured with these holes making this just more sales talk. The latex layer should help the Synergy sleep cooler than a regular memory foam mattress however, depending on how it's incorporated.

The latex that goes into making this line of mattresses starts at the rubber plantation, where the sap is tapped while causing no harm to the tree, which lives for its complete lifespan. Once the natural rubber tree extracts are processed and shaped, they are developed into 100% natural rubber latex.

Englander makes a point of emphasizing eco friendly ingredients and practices in their products. I think this is admirable and a major point in their favor.

After researching consumer reviews the Englander memory foam mattress holds up quite well. The Viscopedic in particular has very few complaints and customers appear pleased with their comfort, pain relief,and durability. Some report having their mattresses for years and still working as well as the day they bought them.

There's complaints about heat of course, but that to be expected with any memory foam product and can be adressed in any number of ways. There's also complaints about the mattresses being extremely heavy, but that's a point in their favor in my opinion. Heavier foam is usually higher quality, simple as that.

A few customers have complained about deep body impressions forming with a big hump in the middle of their Englander memory foam mattress but I suspect it's because they bought a pillowtop or box top model with extra padding on top. Why anyone would buy a memory foam mattress with a big fluffy box top I don't know. It defeats the point of a memory foam mattress and is just plain ignorant if you ask me. Memory foam is supposed to be firm at first and then yeilding as your body warms it up allows you to melt into it.

The Synergy Fusion doesn't get quite as many compliments as the Viscopedic but it certainly doesn't fare poorly. I suspect it's partly a case of making thing more complex than they need to be. Memory foam does just fine on it's own why add other materials into the mix? Latex may not make that much of a difference or may even have have a negative effect on the feel of the sleep surface. Plus latex isn't cheap and will certainly add to the cost of the mattress.

You probably know by now that I sleep on a Tempurpedic and in the end I would still reccommend them over anything else. The Englander memory foam mattress may be comparable in quality but it also costs about the same. Tempurpedic is the original and probably still the best. Why risk buying something else when I know from personal experience that a Tempurpedic Contour is like a little slice of heaven. It's incredibly comfortable, I wake up pain free, and it still feels just like the day I bought it several years ago.

Good Place To Buy

If you're interested in purchasing a Tempurpedic mattress we recommend Relax The Back. They specialize in products for back care and are a well established retailer with over 100 stores nationwide. They offer free shipping on orders over $300 and have a proven track record of customer satisfaction. Most importantly they offer a 90 day comfort guarantee.