Novosbed, should you walk on mattress instead of flipping and for off-gassing?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

This question is geared toward Sam at Novosbed but is also applicable to other brands of memory foam mattresses.

Do you recommend walking on the mattress like Tempurpedic does in lieu of flipping? I also have heard of walking on the mattress as a way to speed up the off-gassing. Is this recommended and has anyone else tried this?

2

Hi bmbsqd7,

Memory foam mattresses can’t be flipped because the memory foam is only on one side. Walking on the mattress wouldn’t be “in lieu” of flipping because the purpose of flipping is to extend the life of the mattress and allow the comfort layers to recover and reduce softening while walking on the mattress has a different purpose.

Walking on a memory foam mattress both as a way to “speed up” the break in period and as a way to help break open the cells and help with offgassing if needed (most don’t need this and any odor is temporary) is commonly done on many memory foam mattresses … but it’s more common with higher density memory foam which can take longer to break in.

I’ll leave Sam to reply with his own thoughts and recommendations as far as walking on their mattresses which would be more specific to the foams they use :slight_smile:

Phoenix

3

I was under the impression that walking on memory foam served as a way to “even it out” since they cannot be flipped for even wear. The sales guy in one of the chain stores told me over the weekend to walk on the Tempurpedic in order to take care of it since they can’t be flipped. He acted like that advice was straight from Tempurpedic and that the process of walking all over it gets the cells to rebound to prevent permanent imprints. If there is any truth to this or if it is only a theory, I do not know…only relaying what was told to me.

4

Hi bmbsqd7,

No … walking on a mattress is just a way to you can speed up the initial break in period when needed … it’s not part of maintenance.

Phoenix

5

Hi bmbsqd7,

First, and most importantly, made in the USA and Certi-Pur certified foam does not contain any toxic chemicals. Any odors are more of a nuisance than anything else.

Memory foam mattresses (including Tempurpedic, but particularly those made in China) can sometimes smell when first unpacked from their plastic packaging. This can be caused by a few things:

  • - the foam was not completely cured before being assembled
  • - the glues used in the mattress were not completely dry before the mattress was packaged
  • - there is left-over inert gas in the foam cells (mostly carbon dioxide) used during the foaming process

Speaking for Novosbed: depending on the manufacturing run, our foams are left to cure for several days prior to being used, which gives them plenty of time to breathe. Our glues are water-based and produce little-to-no odor. In the very rare case that there is an odor it is usually caused by the third point above, which is when we recommend the “white sock treatment” (walking on the mattress) to squeeze this extra inert gas out.

As Phoenix mentioned, there is no on-going maintenance benefit to walking no a mattress. If a foam mattress starts “lumpy” then it is defective and will almost certainly remain that way.

All the best,

Novosbed