Is The Simmons ComforPedic Mattress A Serious Contender For The Tempur-Pedic Mattress?

Time was when buying a Tempur-Pedic mattress meant buying the best memory foam mattress but now other leading manufacturers are producing mattresses that they claim are better. The Simmons ComforPedic mattress collection is one such contender that's trying to knock Tempur off its perch. But just how does it compare?

Tempur-Pedic was the first commercially available memory foam mattress. The company took the research initially done at the NASA space program and perfected a form of viscoelastic that was durable - early viscoelastic foams broke down easily. The Tempur-Pedic mattress was first used in hospitals where its pressure relieving properties were recognized and documented. Soon after, the company released its mattress to the public where it immediately became a favorite. At first the company sold only one model of mattress but now you can chose one from its extensive collection. Models include the OriginalBed, ClassicBed, CelebrityBed, RhapsodyBed and GrandBed.

Simmons is one of the largest mattress manufacturers in the world. It would be fair to say that the memory foam revolution caught it by surprise - as it did with every other manufacturer. To hold on to its market share, the company needed its own brand of memory foam mattress. It got its own brand, the Simmons ComforPedic when it bought out the Comfor-Pedic company. The company now offers the consumer a choice of 5 mattresses, the Original, Nassau, Natural, Mystere and Nuvo.

Is the Simmons ComforPedic as good as the Tempur-Pedic mattress? Well, Simmons tells the consumer that its mattress is not just as good but better. So, is it?

There are rumors that a couple of people left Tempur to go and work for Comfor-Pedic. If this is true it would mean the company would certainly not be lacking in the expertise needed to manufacturer a viscoelastic foam that was as good as Tempur's. Also, the company claims that the mattresses it makes have a few key points that make them better.

Each Simmons mattress uses the company's proprietary viscoelastic foam, which it calls NxG Advanced Memory Foam. It claims that this foam has 2 points that make it superior. The first is that it responds quicker to weight and movement. The 'sinking' feeling that many complain about with memory foam has been eliminated. Secondly, the other major problem with memory foam, 'sleeping hot', isn't a problem with its mattress because its NxG foam dissipates heat far quicker than other brands.

Each mattress also comes with an inner support core of latex foam rather than ordinary high-density foam used in other brands. Using latex helps to give the mattress a 'springy' feel that consumers are used to feeling when sleeping on innerspring mattresses.

Lastly, each mattress comes with its patented Edge Support System. The geometric construction of the firms up the side of the mattress and, the company claims, increases the overall sleeping surface by 20%.

The foam used in the Simmons ComforPedic collection certainly does feel more responsive and 'springy' compare to other brands, including the Tempur-Pedic mattress, and this will certainly appeal to many consumers. Its claim of reducing heat more quickly than other brands is something the company doesn't seem to offer real proof of. Other brands, including Tempur have introduced a layer of high-density convoluted foam between the inner core and the memory foam top layer - the idea being that air can dissipate more quickly through the 'channels' in the convoluted layer.

However, Simmons doesn't use a convoluted layer as it claims that its unique foam dissipates heat quicker. The company states that tests have shown that its mattresses dissipate heat at a rate of nearly 3 to 1 compared the leading visco brand. However, what tests and what leading brand remains unclear. All manufacturers make claims about their mattresses sleeping cooler than their competitors and it's really impossible for the consumer to know for sure which mattress actually does sleep cooler.

The Edge Support System is a good selling point. Many people do like a mattress to have a firm edge, so this system will definitely appeal to them.

Many will also like the 'springy' feel of the Simmons ComforPedic. However, despite the company stating 'springiness' will not cause any motion transfer - a big selling point of memory foam mattresses - it's inevitable that introducing a little 'springiness' is bound to also introduce a little motion transfer.

If you like a firm edged mattress and like the idea of a memory foam mattress that has more of the feeling of a traditional innerspring mattress, then you'll definitely like the Simmons ComforPedic. However, if you're already a fan of viscoelastic mattresses and like their 'sinking' feeling and total lack of 'springiness', the Tempur-Pedic mattress is the one to consider.

Follow the links for the Simmons ComforPedic mattress and the Tempur-Pedic mattress as well as other brands of memory foam mattress.