It’s a common misconception among the public that viscoelastic is a trademarked brand name. Not true. It’s a scientific term that describes materials with two combined properties. Memory foam is viscoelastic because it changes shape (viscosity) and stretches (elasticity) at the same time. All this sounds quite boring on paper and doesn’t begin to describe the wonderful experience of sleeping on a bed that’s made specifically with these qualities.

Visco elastic foam dates back to 1966, when two engineers under contract to NASA invented it to make flight cushions safer. It was never actually put into that service, and in the early 1980s, NASA released the trademark to the public domain. The Swedish company, Fagerdala World Foams, put it into production and in 1991 released a mattress product dubbed the Tempur Pedic Swedish Mattress. This bed quickly found favor in hospitals and for the home care of bedridden patients, who found that it made them much less prone to bed sores. Tempur Pedic mattresses were so expensive that they never sold in large quantities, although the public was quite familiar with them due to an aggressive infomercial campaign by the manufacturer.

What’s it like to sleep on a viscoelastic mattress? In a word, heavenly. It combines the support features of a firm bed with the cushiness of a soft one. Users report that sleeping on a vicso elastic memory foam mattress is a completely different experience than sleeping in a conventional bed. Because the foam is temperature sensitive (which explains the brand name Tempur-Pedic), it softens and molds itself to the exact shape of your body as soon as you settle in for the night. But although it’s incredibly soft, softer than any bed you’ve ever slept on in your life, it also provides great support, no matter what your body weight. If you suffer from back pain, it might be just what the doctor ordered. If you have health problems and have to spend a lot of time in bed, you’ll be a lot more comfortable than you would be on a conventional innerspring.

Viscoelastic foam mattresses can be rated by several different methods, but for consumers, density measured in pounds of material per cubic foot is the best rule of thumb. This material is quite heavy, so densities of 5 lbs. per CF are not uncommon, and are the sign of a top quality unit. Along with this high density comes a high price tag, so most consumer level units are 1 to 3 lbs. per CF. High density foam feels much firmer and compresses more slowly than its low-density counterpart.

Unfortunately, most retailers prefer to measure their merchandise by thickness rather than density, such as a 3 inch visco elastic memory foam mattress. This isn’t the best way, because density and thickness are two separate qualities, but thickness will affect your quality of sleep. If it’s too thin, you won’t get the full luxurious effect. If it’s too thick, it will also be too soft and won’t give your body good support, unless it’s a top-end 5 lbs. per CF model. The thicker and denser the foam, the higher the price tag, so aim for a 3” visco elastic mattress with as much density as you can afford.

Much has been made of viscoelastic foam health hazards. Studies in this area have been inconclusive so far. These beds are made of polyurethane, which gives off a distinct odor that bothers some people. The smell is worse when the unit is new, so give it time to fade if you like the sleep experience otherwise. Polyurethane is also flammable, so the fire retardant chemicals PBDE is added during the manufacturing process to comply with United States federal law. These chemicals may possibly be of more concern than the material itself. However, visco elastic mattresses are more resistant to mold, mildew, and dust mites than conventional innerspring models, so people with allergies and asthma may find that their symptoms decrease.

Serta got in on the visco elastic trend several years ago and now offers a full line of products to meet the needs of the most demanding consumers. The Serta Vera Wang memory foam mattress and the Serta True Response are only two of the models offered by this manufacturer.

All in all, it’s a sleep experience that you won’t find anywhere else.

When you make a trip to the organic mattress store, the first thing you’ll notice is the cost of an organic mattress. It’s true that you can get a cheap organic mattress by buying a basic futon made from cotton or wool, but futons aren’t comfortable for everyone. Most people older than 25, or who have back problems, or are recovering from an illness or medical treatment, you’re going to need a mattress with some structure and support.

If you live outside the United States your search for a discount organic mattress will be even more challenging. In addition to the high price tag, you’ll have shipping costs, customs charges, and getting a refund on a defective product will be a nightmare. It really isn’t practical to order a mattress from a supplier outside of your home country.

The best way to approach buying an organic bed is to read as many organic mattress reviews as you can find, do a lot of homework, and know exactly what you want before you order it. Figure out what your standards are, and whether you’re willing to settle for a compromise organic mattress, or possibly an organic mattress topper, set a budget, and start shopping around.

The organic mattress prices are steep. The first question is whether you want to eat the full cost of the simply organic mattress mattress up front, or try out an organic mattress protector over a regular mattress and see how it works out. Organic mattress toppers are expensive too. Sometimes an organic mattress pad is nearly as expensive as the mattress itself.

If you’re shopping for a mattress for a small child, you might consider starting out with a crib size unit. The price of a twin organic mattress is around $800, while an organic baby mattress can be had starting at $300. Babies have smaller lungs than adults do, and while they’re growing they’re especially sensitive to toxic substances. They also spend up to twice the amount of time sleeping that grownups do, so they have more exposure.

People who want a compromise mattress in order to save money often choose the Sultan line of products from Ikea. The striking thing about Ikea products is that they have refused to use brominated flame retardants in all of their upholstered products. Ikea can’t get away with leaving flame retardants out altogether, because United States law requires them to be used. Since the majority of Ikea’s market is in the U.S., they complied with the law.

There are no regulations in the United States or anywhere else requiring materials and additives to be listed on mattress products. So if you want to know what’s in your bedding, you’ll have to contact the company and hope they’re honest. Ikea has made a proactive effort to keep brominated flame retardants out of their furniture. Here’s what their customer service department has to say about the issue:

“IKEA International made a voluntary decision to abstain from the use of brominated flame retardants and antimony-compounds in 1998. The phase-out of these chemicals was completed in 2002. Today, all textiles, mattresses and upholstered furniture sold by IKEA stores world-wide are free of PBDE and antimony compounds. In Canada, the SULTAN mattress series has not been treated with flame retardants. Only mattresses sold in countries where there is strict fire legislation, at this time, the United States and the United Kingdom, have been treated with organic phosphor or nitrogen-based flame retardants. In countries without fire safety regulations, IKEA’s requirements are based on the Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish standards. IKEA ensures that these standards are met by choosing the right material for the product, by the design of the product, by good production control and by product testing.”

IKEA also notes that their mattress covering textiles are biocide-free (pentachlorophenol a.k.a. PCP, lindane, and tinorganic/organotin compounds are banned), and there are limits on formaldehyde. They also note that their VOC emissions comply with German regulations (which are very strict), arlyamines aren’t used, and phthalate plasticizers are kept out of their mattress-foams.

The problem even with the Sultan line is that regulations change without warning in the furniture industry, and sometimes companies change what goes into their bedding products without making an announcement or changing their labeling. So it’s recommended that before you buy, call the manufacturer with a list of question and get their word that the product that YOU’RE buying has none of the materials or additives you want to avoid. You might even find that the company has found a new technology for making a flame retardant free mattress that still meets U.S. standards.

What about boric acid? Is it toxic? Boric acid is a natural pesticide that is frequently used in manufacturing mattresses and futons, organic or otherwise. Boric acid is especially common in “green” cotton mattresses and in wool mattresses. It’s not needed in a latex organic mattress, because natural latex is bug resistant without any additives. A compromise mattress is likely to contain boric acid to ward off bedbugs, mites, and roaches.

Studies are conflicting on whether boric acid is toxic to humans. There seems to be a consensus that it’s safer than synthetic pesticides, but beyond that, no one really knows. Boric acid is added to bedding in the form of borate powder. Boron occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, and the human body actually has background levels circulating in the blood. The EPA classifies borate powder as moderately acutely toxic because it can cause eye and skin irritation and is harmful if swallowed. EPA also says it’s a carcinogen from Group E, meaning that it shows evidence of non-cancer-causing properties in humans. However, it caused sterility in lab experiments using rodents. The substance is nontoxic to birds, fish, and aquatic invertebrates, and is fairly selective in only killing harmful insects. It might be harmful to threatened or endangered plants, but studies are still being carried out on this.

If you want a no-compromise organic mattress, you might have a tough time. In the United States, it takes a note from a doctor before you can buy a borate-free mattress. Considering the lack of good information and reporting standards on organic bedding, the best choice might be to go with a compromise version, which will cost you less and still reduce you or your child’s exposure to toxins somewhat.