NASA, as part of its space program ,developed a foam to combat the very strong g forces exerted on the human body during takeoff of the shuttle and to help reduce the very high blood pressure at that time. However, as with many other products, it was never used in the program and was instead developed and used to help people who were bed bound and cannot move very much . Its main benefit is that it supports the body when a person does not have much movement.
It was originally a very expensive product to produce but has now become much cheaper and is used today in mattresses and pillows for people with postural problems by allowing blood flow around all parts of the body, not possible if you were lying on a hard surface. It also has the added benefit of being heat retentive and thereby helping with pain relief for many people.
The material inside the mattress topper is very dense and is part of where it offers its advantage, between very soft and totally hard sleeping surfaces.
One user mentioned she could detect a very strong chemical smell when she bought her mattress topper. It did clear in a few days. One advantage, she feels, is that mildew and dust mites are far less likely to develop in her topper
Another user bought a topper and when mattress topper arrived had a high smell of chemical, so it had to go into the another room with the windows open to let it air fully. It is now 2 years since we bought our mattress topper which cost over £100.00. Buy the best you can afford and note it is worth saving up and getting the guaranteed version.
Our third user bought her mattress topper specifically to help with her back problem. Although she found it perfectly sound in the shop, trying to sleep on it at night was entirely different because it was very hot due to its heat reflective nature.
A third user notes:feeling hot and sweaty with headaches from the constant waking up during the night. We stuck with it for over a week, because it was an expensive investment. We had tried it in the retail store, and it was comfortable, in the shop. But we eventually returned it. It was a good quality mattress from a well known shop and we although we didn't have any problems with chemical smells etc. it simply was not good for sleeping on!
Yo could choose to go for a full memory foam mattress which will last you 20 years, due the high density of the material inside.They are also a very healthy solution. It consists of 2 or 3 layers working together to give you the most support.
Memory Foam Toppers
toppers