Memory foams have become an ideal filling for all modern bedding accessories and are much prefered by customers today. It is primarily because memory foam is highly visco-elastic and cups the head without deforming permanently. It conforms perfectly with the body’s contour, providing ultimate support to the head and the neck. However, the way memory foams are used to form pillows shows highly distinct properties which need to be evaluated before buying them.
How are Traditional Memory Foam Pillows Made?
Traditionally, memory foam pillows have been made with a single loaf of foam enclosed in soft fabrics. Despite the foam’s visco-elastic properties, using a whole slab of such foam makes it a bit harder to conform to pressure.
As the slab of foam is highly dense and resistant to the passage of air, a process known as ‘breathing’. Due to this density, the foam often heats up under the head and neck.
Moreover, memory foams are manufactured using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like polyurethane and several other chemicals which make them smell much like paint or calk. This stench is often referred to as “off-gassing”, which makes them uncomfortable and often irritating to sleep with. These VOCs are also being considered to be harmful to the environment to some extent.
How Are Shredded Memory Foam Pillows Better Than the Traditional Foam Pillows?
To overcome the drawbacks of a single-slab memory foam pillow, the latest foam pillows are filled with ‘shredded memory foam material’. Shredding down the foam to smaller pieces has proved to be the best alternative for manufacturing foam pillows as it comes with the following crucial advantages:
Formability:
Traditional foam pillows, being a single unit, are more rigid and less elastic. Hence, it is almost impossible to fold or compress them for suiting different positions.
Shredded memory foam pillows being an integration of tiny pieces, can be folded and twisted to form any desired shape for any desirable posture.
Breathability:
Unlike the traditional pillow which resists the breathing process, shredded foam allows substantial air passage.
This design reduces the stench of ‘off-gassing’ significantly and also prevents the pillow from heating over time.
Environment-Friendly:
The traditional memory foam VOCs released are harmful gases that cause its stench along with some potential harm to the environment.
About The Author
