A comfortable bed is a must, so it’s essential to test the different mattresses offered before settling for one. When bed shopping or searching for different sleeping accessories, one of the things you’ll hear often is rubber and foam mattresses.
How do you choose between memory, latex, and polyfoam with so many options? There are numerous foams and rubbers utilized in the mattress industry, but which one will be most ideal for you and whatever specific sleep needs you have?
What Is the Difference Between Foam and Rubber?
A foam rubber item has many of the same material properties as a similar sponge rubber one, but they aren’t the same. Foam is created by injecting gas-filled bubbles into a polymer melt using a blowing or “foaming” agent. The small interconnected chambers in sponge rubber, on the other hand, are created chemically by combining sodium bicarbonate with water.
Types of Foam and Rubber
Foam rubbers are long-lasting materials made of various polymer and elastomer mixtures that yield a combination of the most flexible and unique foam materials. The different types of foam and rubber come with a long list of uses and characteristics.
1. Black Gymnastic Foam
Neoprene is an average-sized, resistant foam rubber that comes in various colors. The most popular types are:
- Chloroprene rubber (CR)
- Ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer (EPDM)
- Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)
These various blends cause slight modification of the constituent, each coming with distinctive features.
2. Foam Memory
Memory foam, also known as viscoelastic polyurethane foam, gets its name because it “remembers” your weight when you get up. So it forms a comfortable dip, taking the shape of your body and giving you a hugging feeling when you sleep. Sleeping on such beds can be described as “sinking” into the bed, a sensational feeling.
3. Polyurethane/Polyfoam
Polyfoam is a common petroleum-based synthetic alternative. It has a similar composition as memory foam, though it lacks the artificial additives that make up memory foam’s plunging, “melting” sensation. The most common type is polyfoam, which is commonly found in couch and mattress padding.
Due to its lack of combination, CR foam rubber is the most basic and “pure” form and is one of the pioneer materials of all of them. The fabric is long-lasting, though not as much as some mixed alternatives with formulaic additions to improve performance attributes.
Despite this durability and resistance to fluids and oils, this material operates well as sealants, gaskets, and bearings. SBR material is a blending of the monomers styrene and butadiene that was developed as an alternative to authentic rubber to compensate for its scarcity.
Conclusion
Do your research and find the best option that suits your needs. Getting a comfortable rest each night is essential to functioning optimally, so if you have to go to a bunch of stores to test multiple beds before finding the perfect one, do just that!
References;
https://foamsealant.com.au/material-differences-between-foam-rubber-and-sponge-rubber/#:~:text=In%20fabrication%20terms%2C%20a%20foam%20uses%20a%20blowing,chemically%20by%20mixing%20sodium%20bicarbonate%20with%20an%20elastomer.
https://www.foambymail.com/blog/the-types-qualities-and-benefits-of-foam-rubber-products/
https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/plastics-rubber/types-of-rubber/