Memory Foam Mattress TV Reviews | Mattress Reviews Blog

I didn’t know a play called “Once Upon a Mattress” existed, and am almost happy it received the reviews it did based on the plot synopsis below. The reviews: VERY mixed. In other words, it was horrible. But hey, anyone that can feel a pea (or weapons) through 20 mattresses is fine by me! But they wouldn’t have if they were memory foam mattress…

Once Upon a Mattress takes place in a fictional medieval kingdom ruled by the devious Queen Aggravaine and the mute King Sextimus the Silent. King Sextimus suffers from a curse that can only be reversed “when the mouse devours the hawk.” As the show opens,(Many Moons Ago) the populace of the castle complains about an unjust law levied by Queen Aggravaine. She is testing Princess #12; to the queen’s delight, the princess misses the last question (“What was the middle name of the daughter-in-law of the best friend of the blacksmith who forged the sword that killed the beast [the dragon killed by St. George]?”) and is given a dead bird. The law states that no one may wed until the Prince, Dauntless the Drab, first marries (“throughout the land no one may wed, ’till Dauntless down the altar led”) . However, every petitioning princess is sent away after failing an unfair test devised by the Queen. It seems that no one is good enough to marry Prince Dauntless. (Opening for A Princess)

The crisis escalates when the leading knight of the realm, Sir Harry, discovers that his girlfriend, Lady Larken, is pregnant. Facing great embarrassment and loss of his station, Sir Harry embarks on a quest to find the last princess in the realm. (In A Little While) He soon returns with Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, a brash, unrefined, and muscular princess from the marshlands. She immediately charms Dauntless and most of the townspeople. (Shy) However, she also succeeds in offending the Queen, who vows to find a way to stop her.

The Queen, assisted by her Wizard sidekick, quickly designs Winnifred’s secret “test.” They will place a tiny pea beneath twenty thick downy mattresses. If Winnifred is unable to sleep due to the pea, then she will be sensitive enough to marry Dauntless. (Sensitivity) Later, the king pantomimes to the Minstrel and the Jester that Larkin is pregnant, he tells them to not say a word, but they both are more worried about the king saying something, because even though he’s mute, he can still communicate. (The Minstrel, the Jester, and I).

Meanwhile, Winnifred tells Dauntless and the ladies in waiting about her home in the swamp (Swamps of Home). Then, after spilling a flower vase, Winnifred is caught cleaning the mess by Lady Larken who mistakes her for a chambermaid. Soon Harry gets mad at Larken for her mistake and they get in a fight. Larken vows that she’ll run far far away where she’ll never see him again.

Then The king, the Minstrel and the Jester catch Larkin trying to run away, and they all try to stop her (Normandy). Later that night, the queen throws a ball so Winnifred can dance the (Spanish Panic.)The wicked Queen hopes that Winnifred will tire herself to sleep, but the plan fails. Winnifred is the last one standing as everyone collapses with exhast at the song’s climax. Dauntless admits that he loves Winnifred, who mentions that her nickname is Fred (Song of Love.)

During the late night, the Queen leads the knights and ladies to carry the twenty mattress to Fred’s room (Quiet), while Fred and Dauntless study for the test, and Fred convinces Larken to fix things with Harry. Larken leaves to find Harry, Dauntless bids Fred goodnight, and now she is left alone. While studying a fairytale, she complains about how other fairy tale princess’ had it easy and how she want’s to live (Happily Ever After.) Later, Dauntless and King Sextimus have a (Man to Man Talk) about the birds and the bees, while the Jester and Minstrel trick the Wizard into telling them of the test (The Potion) and the Jester reminisces about his father’s dancing days (Very Soft Shoes).

Sir Harry and Lady Larken run into each other and they confess that their love is stronger than ever (Yesterday I Loved You.) When Fred finally takes the test, the queen brings in the Nightengale of Samarkand to sing her to sleep (Nightengale Lullabye) but Winnifred cannot fall asleep. It seems that there is some “lump” under the mattresses that is keeping her from relaxing.

She drowsily confronts the Queen the next morning, but Aggravaine insists that the test was rigged. Dauntless tells Aggravaine to “shut up,” and the curse on King Sextimus is lifted (the “mouse,” or Dauntless, thus devours the “hawk,” or Aggravaine). Aggravaine discovers that she cannot talk, and Dauntless and Winnifred are free to be married. The Wizard falls for the King’s charm and wit, and leaves the poor Queen hopelessly hopping and skipping on stage. (Finale)

In the final seconds of the play, the real reason why Winnifred passed the test is revealed. After learning about the test, the King, Minstrel, and Jester stuffed the mattresses full of weapons, jousting equipment, and other sharp items. All the items are removed by the Jester in the Finale. After the items are removed Winnifred still has trouble sleeping until Dauntless takes the pea out from under the mattress, when she then falls asleep almost immediately. Everyone, in classic fairy-tale tradition, lives happily ever after.

* Neolithic period: The mattress and bed are invented. Beds are raised off the ground to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests. The first mattress probably consists of a pile of leaves, grass, or possibly straw, with animal skins over it.
* 3600 B.C.: Beds made of goatskins filled with water are used in Persia.
* 3400 B.C.: Egyptians sleep on palm boughs heaped in the corners of their homes.
* 200 B.C.: Mattresses in Ancient Rome consist of bags of cloth stuffed with reeds, hay, or wool; the wealthy use feather stuffing.
* 15th century: During the Renaissance, mattresses are made of pea shucks, straw, or sometimes feathers, stuffed into coarse ticks, and covered with velvets, brocades, or silks.
* 16th and 17th centuries: Mattresses are stuffed with straw or down and placed atop a bed consisting of a timber frame with support latticeworks of rope or leather.
* Early 18th century: Mattresses are stuffed with cotton or wool.
* Mid 18th century: Mattress covers begin to be made of quality linen or cotton. The mattress cane box is shaped or bordered, and fillings include natural fibers such as coconut fibre, cotton, wool, and horsehair. The mattress is tufted or buttoned to attach the stuffing to the cover and the edges are stitched.
* 1857: The steel coil spring is invented and is first patented for use in chair seats.
* 1865: The first coil spring construction for bedding is patented.
* 1871: The German Heinrich Westphal invents the inner spring mattress. He later died in poverty, never having profited from his invention.
* 1873: Sir James Paget presents a waterbed designed by Neil Arnott to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital as a treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers.
* 1885: J.P. Leggett patents improvements to the steel coil bedspring. His innovative method of coupling the springs and attaching them to wooden bed slats launched a successful partnership with C.B. Platt, which eventually became Leggett & Platt, Inc.
* 1895: A few waterbeds, which resemble large hot water bottles, are sold via mail order by the British store Harrod’s.
* Late 19th century: The box-spring is invented, making mattresses less lumpy.
* 1900: James Marshall of Simmons Bedding Company invents the pocket coil mattress
* 1906: Sealy Mattress Company forms after buying all patents and knowledge from a local inventor.
* 1929: The most expensive mattresses are constructed of latex rubber and are produced by Dunlopillow.
* 1930s: Innerspring mattresses and upholstered foundations become widely used, and artificial fillers become common. Pocket spring mattresses, which consist of individual springs sewn into linked fabric bags, are introduced.
* 1931: Orders’ Mattress is established in South Carolina
* 1940s: The futon is introduced in North America.
* 1950: Sealy introduced the Posturepedic mattress designed in conjunction with Orthopedic surgeons.
* 1950s: Foam rubber mattresses and pillows are available for purchase.
* 1958: The Simmons Company introduces the Queen size and King size mattress.
* 1960s: The modern waterbed is introduced and gains its first widespread use with the invention of vinyl. Adjustable beds gain popularity.
* 1970s: NASA invents material that later becomes known as memory foam[2].
* 1971: Selther is established in Mexico City.
* 1980s: Air mattresses constructed of Vulcanized Rubber or vinyl are introduced.
* 1981: Comfortaire invents the air bed mattress with remote control.
* 1987: Select Comfort creator of the Sleep Number is introduced in North America.
* 1992: Tempur-Pedic introduces a mattress made from memory foam.
* 2003: ZeroGravityBed introduces changeable and replaceable components in their adjustable mattresses.
* 2005: Selther introduces in Mexico, Latin America and the US a mattress made from dispersion chambers and latex foam known as Flotek.
* 2007: Park Place Corporation invents a aroma therapy mattress infused with lavender.

Latex is 100% natural and eco-friendly, making it a great way to “go green” when you buy a new mattress.

To quote a prominent green memory foam mattress website:

“Durable orthopedic support, hypoallergenic material, and an ecofriendly makeup highlight the features of Rocky Mountain Mattresses’ Natural Latex. The mattresses are made of 100% natural latex, and contain no synthetic additives. Their natural composition makes them hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, so they are ideal choices for allergy sufferers and those with sensitive skin.”

Here is a video of the latex at work!

This past weekend I was out of town at a bachelor party. We had a great and memorable time celebrating a good friend’s soon-to-be married life. 13 of “the guys” took an hour and a half road trip to a house we rented in a mountain resort. The house was incredible – 8 bedrooms, hot tub, airplane hanger, etc. We entered the house like a hurricane – I immediately set up shop in the kitchen (fajitas were on the menu).

Video games were basically the only thing on the itinerary. Oh, and eating and drinking as much as we could hold. No one even claimed a bed until after 11 the first night, and then we came to a harsh realization. This house was built in the 70′s, and all the beds were hard as rocks.

If their is one thing that can make or break my vacation it’s the bed I sleep on. On this trip, I decided the sofa was a better alternative than one of the blanket-covered-plywood “beds” they had set up.

Ideally I would have brought one of these…

Energia™ 5lb Topper

Energia™ is the first memory foam to combine the high resilience & durability of latex with the elegant, heat sensitive comfort of memory foam, culminating in a revitalizing sleep experience. This unique design will transform your current sleep system into a luxurious dreamlike experience. The Energia™ foam features the ultimate in support and comfort available in three different density levels – plush 3 pound, firm 4 pound, or extra firm 5 pound. The Energia™ is available in three different profiles, including 2, 3, and 4 inches of resilient, heat sensitive memory foam.

Read more about this memory foam mattress topper here.

A Waterproof Mattress Cover is an absolute necessity to protect any memory foam mattress you may purchase. Check out this demonstration of the cover at work! You can find them at this memory foam mattress cover site.

If you Google the phrase “Memory Foam Mattress”, you will find over 16 million results. And 99% of those results will give you great information about memory foam mattresses- and why you should buy that site’s mattress!!

It’s different here. The goal of this site is to give you a place to come for in-depth, honest, at times humorous, and most importantly unbiased information.  We will review mattresses through case studies, stories, testing, and every other possible way you can think of.  I will start it off with a story, of a mattress. And the smallest room I’ve lived in.

Long ago, in college, I was very poor.  I was forced to live in a house with six other gentleman in our college town.  To say this house was sub-standard was to imply their were any to begin with.  To say we cared was moot- we were young, broke, and didn’t know any better.

Being the broke-est of them all led to me getting the smallest bedroom of them all.  This wouldn’t have been such a big deal – I don’t need a TON of space and the price was right.  Unfortunately, I’m 6’3″. And my room wasn’t.  I literally couldn’t lay down.  I was about 3″ short of being able to stretch out.  And hand in hand with that problem was my mattress. It was too big.  So being the industrious college kids that we were, we came up with a solution (genius in our eyes)- just cut the mattress down to size.

So there I was, A giant with little lodging, and a sawed off mattress.  At first we laughed, then I realized I was living there. Suffice to say I didn’t impress too many chicks with my cut off mattress. Suffice to say I tolerated about two months of that situation.  And then I realized life’s too short, and I’m too tall.

The moral of the story: Don’t shorten your mattress, widen your room.

So my brother recently graduated from college and will be spending the next few weeks at my house before moving to Philadelphia for dental school.  Luckily for him, we have two memory foam beds for guests in our house.  Unfortunately for him, my Mother and Father were both in town last weekend for his graduation and therefore they were occupying those two beds. Kevin knows the drill – “Honor thy Mother and thy Father”.

So Kevin, was relegated to the folding guest bed.  For those of you who have not seen a memory foam folding bed they are actually quite cool as they fold out into a standard twin mattress (38 W by 75 L), but fold back up into an easy to store cushion.  See picture:

Kevin looked very skeptical when I fist pulled out the folding foam mattress from the closet.  He has a bad back and I guess he was worried that at only 4″ thick his back would not get the proper relief it deserved.

Much to everyone’s surprise Kevin liked the folding bed so much that he actually continued to sleep on the bed for a few nights after my parents left!  He has since moved to one of our two memory foam beds, but his experience on the folding foam mattress has me feeling pretty good about my purchase.