If you want to know how to soften a memory foam mattress, we will teach you four useful techniques to succeed! It’s not pleasant to adjust to a new bed, especially if it’s memory foam. New products tend to be firm and uncomfortable, but once the cells open up, you’ll be exposed to a unique sleeping experience.
Much like other firm mattresses, it’s possible to soften a memory foam bed. And the great news is it will have the perfect balance between soft and hard, so you don’t miss out on proper support. However, the emphasis is still necessary on reading the label indications thoroughly before practicing these techniques.
How To Make A Memory Foam Mattress Softer
Upon opening
What you want to do upon getting your new memory foam bed is to use it continuously for at least a month. Your body’s usage and heat should encourage the memory foam cells to open up, so the mattress loosens and becomes softer. This is also an opportunity for you to get used to your new bed.
Remember that it’s normal for the new memory foam to feel stiff and non-conforming. Using it daily will expose it to heat and pressure, and you’re also helping the bed adapt to your body uniquely. After 30 days, or depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation, you should notice that the mattress feels more comfortable, and the foam stabilizes without feeling too soft as well.
You’ll still achieve the proper firmness for support, but the bed will be soft around the shoulders and hips because of the material’s moldability. You can also use this period to check if the mattress is underperforming or defective. Over time, you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort.
Breaking in
Speaking of new memory foam mattresses, you are probably familiar with the term “breaking in.” This is a crucial practice or period for your new foam bed to undergo for it to perform to its promises. Using the mattress for a month contributes to this, but you can also directly apply pressure on the mattress.
Make it a habit to roll, lie, or apply pressure around the mattress for 10 minutes to half an hour each day. Again, this will loosen the material, and your body heat will make the firm mattress softer. However, you don’t need to concentrate pressure by standing or jumping on your memory foam because this might void the warranty or deform the bed.
What other actions can you do to apply gentle pressure and break in the memory foam? Use your hands and push or massage the mattress surface to help the fibers relax. You can also kneel on the bed if there are areas that take too long to soften.
Using a foundation
Now that your bed undergoes the break-in period, the next techniques you can do to help it soften involve the foundation and the room itself. For one, check what kind of base or frame you’re using for the bed. Memory foam is best with a slatted frame to help it feel softer compared to using a solid metal base.
A wooden foundation with slats around three inches apart is ideal for helping you achieve a soft feel without sacrificing support or sinking too deeply. As a bonus, the gaps provide adequate airflow to the mattress to prevent you from feeling hot at night. But speaking of hot, it is another factor worth taking advantage of if your memory foam feels stiff.
Warming up the room
Memory foam is a material that is very responsive to temperature, and this allows it to conform to every user more uniquely. But did you know that placing the memory foam mattress somewhere warm at 72°F will also make it softer? Besides using your body heat, increase the room temperature to help it expand fully.
You don’t need to directly expose it to heat because the foam can get damaged, but placing it in a warm room will hasten the softening process. Doing these four practices should get your bed more comfortable in no time, but always check the manufacturer’s recommendation and product label for specifications. The key is to give your bed some time to expand and loosen.
Is Memory Foam Supposed To Be Hard?
Like most mattress materials, memory foam is not limited in firmness. You’ll find firm, medium-firm, and even soft varieties, depending on the product you have. However, there’s a reason why it’s advisable to break-in a new memory foam bed to let it expand.
Being compressed in the box will change the bed’s structure, and you need to let it ventilate for at least 24 hours. This will dissipate the chemical odors or finish off-gassing and allow the memory foam cells to open up. You can use the mattress in these 24 hours, but it’s worth waiting for the bed to loosen and soften up to achieve the ideal comfort and support.
Conclusion
Is your new bed feeling too stiff? Then, you’re probably curious how to soften a memory foam mattress. You have four techniques to do, such as using it continuously, breaking it in, putting it in a slatted foundation, and warming up the room. These practices all induce pressure and heat to encourage the material to loosen and soften safely.