Types of Memory Foam Mattresses (Different Kinds)

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If you’re shopping for a memory foam mattress, you may want to know which exact type has all the qualities that you need. There’s also a chance that none of them is right for you. Some are firmer and more durable, others softer and with a shorter lifespan. Today we’ll show you the main types of memory foam mattresses and explain the properties of each so you can decide whether any of them is right for you.

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Different Types of Memory Foam Mattresses

There’s a wide range of memory foam mattresses and types of foam that go in them. You can find a mattress made of just a single slab of foam, but there are also mattresses built of several foam layers, where each layer has a specific density, feel, and support.

Memory foam, also called viscoelastic polyurethane foam, gets its name from “memorizing” your impression as soon as you get up from the bed. You’ve probably seen the TV commercials where they push the hand into a piece of memory foam, leaving a palm print that’s slowly returning to its original shape.

If the foam density is higher, it feels firmer and regains its shape more slowly. A low-density foam can’t withstand much pressure, but it feels softer and springs back more quickly.

Some types of foam were specifically developed to combat the overheating problem that traditional memory foam has. That’s how we now have open-cell memory foam and gel-infused memory foam.

There are people who tend to mix up memory foam with other foam types, so we’ve also included a couple of other popular memory foam alternatives on this list – latex and polyurethane.

Traditional

When we say that a product is traditional, we mean that it originated long ago and was a precursor to many similar things that came later, usually in an upgraded form; which doesn’t mean that the original is not in use anymore. This is exactly the case with traditional memory foam which is among the most popular mattress materials.

Traditional foam is made of polyurethane that’s been combined with certain chemicals to give it viscosity and elasticity. Developed by NASA in the 1960s, this material was originally intended to cushion pilots.

This foam type was the first memory foam introduced to the market in the mid-1990s. Traditional memory foam mattresses immediately gained immense popularity due to pressure relief and their ability to contour to the sleeper’s body. On the flip side, they also reduce airflow and accumulate body heat, so you’re likely to sleep hot. A good example of a memory foam mattress is the Elm Sleep hybrid.

But even cheap traditional memory foam mattresses can get really good reviews and have lots of happy customers. One example of a cheap foam mattress is the Mainstays memory foam mattress.

Although traditional memory foam is somewhat easy on the budget and offers exceptional support, it may not be suitable for hot sleepers and those living in tropical or warm climates. To battle the problem of overheating, manufacturers came up with open-cell memory foam.

Open-cell

Open-cell memory foam was developed as a response to complaints about excessive heat retention in traditional memory foam. Although made from the same ingredients as traditional foam, open-cell foam has a different interior structure with tiny pockets that allow the air to circulate.

However, open cells make the structure less dense. As a result of their low density, open-cell memory foam mattresses have a shorter lifespan than ones with a more solid structure. Over time some manufacturers have overcome this problem by implementing an open-cell structure as a part of hybrid mattresses. When the open-cell foam is in the middle layer of the mattress, it provides airflow and lasts longer.

Open-cell memory foam is often mixed with other types of materials that memory foam is made of. For example, a combination of open-cell foam and innerspring structure may be found in many hybrid mattress brands.

Mattresses with an open-cell structure are less expensive than gel-infused mattresses but their lifespan is shorter. They are a good solution if you’re trying to save some money and need a mattress for a couple of years, for a kid’s room, or as a guest bed.

Zoma is a popular brand that uses open-cell foam in hybrid mattresses.

In hopes of creating an even cooler foam, some mattress manufacturers came up with gel memory foam.

Gel

Gel memory foam made its way into the mattress market in the early 2010s. Its purpose is to combat the trapped heat more efficiently and to be more responsive than other types of memory foam. 

  There are two main types of gel:

• Heat-absorbing gel – this gel gets warm much more slowly than other mattress materials, so it feels cool for a while longer (this means that gel doesn’t cool you down, just feels cool because it is very slow to warm up. Once it’s warm, it’s the same temperature as the rest of the sleeping surface – just slower to cool back down)
• Phase-changing material – capable of absorbing and releasing heat while stabilizing the body’s temperature (this material absorbs your body heat, and the hotter you get, the more it absorbs heat, so you’ll feel cooler. Once your body starts to cool down, this material reacts by releasing a bit of that heat and the temperature in your bed remains stable)

Gel is added to memory foam with one of two different methods.

One simply includes pouring a layer of liquid gel over the top (or bottom) surface of the foam.

Another method is the infusion of gel beads, or more precisely, microbeads into memory foam. The gel foam settles inside the memory foam layer during this process, so the whole foam contains tiny bits of gel scattered all around. Casper hybrid mattresses are made with gel beads.

Apart from temperature regulation, gel memory foam adds to the bounciness of a mattress. Those who prefer responsive and bouncy mattresses may like gel foam more than regular foam.

Those who need to improve their posture and spinal alignment should focus on something else – maybe high-density foam, such as reflex foam.

Reflex foam

Reflex foam is made of the same ingredients as memory foam, but with different memory foam technology. During production, reflex foam is specially adjusted to create a unique high density.

Because of its closed structure and firmness, the most common use of reflex foam is in the bottom or transitionary layer of a foam mattress.

There are mattresses that are completely composed of this foam. Due to their firmness and low transfer motion, these mattresses are used for therapeutic purposes and medical benefits such as pressure relief, back, and neck support, and against allergies.

A similar, but much denser foam is called evlon foam, also known as lux, and it’s used in high-end luxurious mattresses and furniture because of its firm, dense, and supportive properties. Despite its quick response, this memory foam is too dense for most mattresses.

This is not the case with convoluted memory foam which is significantly softer than other foam materials.

Convoluted

The convoluted (egg crate) foam was designed by splitting the foam in half and carving it to look like an egg crate.

Manufacturers claim that egg-crate design is implemented to increase airflow and prevent body heat from increasing the temperature of the sleep surface, but here are some facts about this material.

Making egg-crate toppers saves both money and material to manufacturers and it results in foam mattresses that are extremely comfortable for the first days of use but after a short time, gets saggy and eventually collapses under excessive body weight.

This type of foam is often used for mattress toppers, and rarely in mattresses as the top layer.

Convoluted foam mattresses and mattress toppers go well with adjustable beds. Because of their pain-relieving capabilities and the low price point they are very popular in medical and recovery facilities.

Latex rubber foam

Latex rubber foam is the first natural and organic foam that went into mass production. Unlike other foam types, latex rubber foam is completely hypoallergenic. Organic latex used in mattress production usually has an open-cell structure which contributes to increased airflow and body heat regulation.

This type of foam is among the most durable materials used in a wide range of pillows and mattress products. Latex mattresses and mattress toppers have a lifespan that often exceeds ten years. They are well known for their bouncy feel and increased breathability with great motion transfer.

There are two types of organic latex used in mattresses:

• Dunlop: The Dunlop process involves pouring latex into molds, vulcanizing, and allowing it to dry. Initially, Dunlop latex foam was firmer on one side and denser on the other as a result of particulate settling. As manufacturing techniques improve, that unevenness is minimized or even eliminated.
• Talalay: The Talalay process was perfected after World War II. The latex is whipped first to ensure aeration, then poured into molds and flash-frozen. Despite having less latex and more air than Dunlop mattresses, this soft, space-age material is typically more expensive.

Dunlop latex foam and Talalay latex foam come in a wide range of densities and firmnesses. Best latex mattresses use Dunlop and Talalay layers combined, with Dunlop on the bottom for support and Talalay on top as a comfort layer. 

Natural latex is more expensive than other types of foam, especially Talalay, due to its more complex production process than Dunlop. Despite its high price tag, many buyers find it worth it since it can last so long. California’s Avocado mattresses are some of the most popular green mattresses out there, and they don’t off-gas like other foam mattresses.

Polyurethane foam

All memory foams except latex, which is natural, come from the simplest, cheapest foam type – polyurethane (which is practically plastic). This is the basic version of foam and the main ingredient of traditional and other memory foam types. This foam is more often used as a part of a multilayered mattress rather than its only component.

This foam type may be solid or open-cell and is created by reacting polyols and diisocyanates. The quality of this foam may vary depending on the manufacturing process and density. High-density polyurethane foams are more durable.

There are three types of polyurethane foams:

• Regular grade
• High-density
• High resilience

Regular and high-density foams are mostly used as parts of multilayered mattresses. The high resilience foam is more supportive and durable and has higher responsiveness than memory foam. It is most commonly used as a middle layer in many popular mattress types.

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How to Decide Which Type of Foam is Best

You need to take into account your sleep position, whether you tend to sleep hot or not, but also your weight and personal preferences. Cost, firmness, and durability are surely not to be ignored.

One thing that can confuse you are brands that insist that their foam isn’t memory foam, but a special proprietary type of foam and they usually give it a special name. That’s mainly there to jack up the price. You should ignore all the fancy words in their descriptions and focus on the actual details we mentioned above – foam density, cell type, and materials.

Before buying a new mattress, do some research because there are some brands you should avoid because of the low-quality foam used in their products and poor design.

Comfort

Different types of memory foam beds provide varying levels of comfort. Softer and plusher beds are perfect for side sleepers and lightweight individuals. Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and overweight sleepers need a firmer sleep surface to avoid discomfort and back pain in the morning. Their choice should be latex or high-density memory foam.

If you like softer mattresses you may opt for convoluted foam or open-cell memory foam. If you want medium firmness, you will find many open cells and gel-infused foam mattress brands that offer this firmness level.

A medium-firm to medium-soft hybrid mattress is our pick for side sleepers. Memory foam mattresses like this won’t “swallow” you, but they will provide a gentle contour that keeps you comfortable even if you switch between sleeping positions. 

Another thing that has an impact on your comfort is the smell of your mattress. You may have heard of off-gassing. This means that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from foam, resulting in an unpleasant smell of a “new mattress” after opening. Most memory foam mattresses off-gas for a long time. If you want to avoid this unpleasant odor, you may opt for latex rubber foam or plant-based memory foam. Indoor quality is becoming more and more important for people once they realized a lot of their furniture releases harmful chemicals that can give you symptoms.

Heat transfer

Memory foam mattresses are notorious for trapping heat and becoming uncomfortably warm. Because of their design and density, memory foam, particularly traditional memory foam, may get quite warm as a result of retained body heat.

Hot sleepers should avoid closed-cell foam as in traditional foam mattresses. Open cell and gel-infused foam can be somewhat helpful, but they still tend to retain much more heat than other mattresses. If you already sleep hot, you might as well skip all memory foam mattresses.

If you’re looking for an organic mattress that sleeps cooler than the average, natural latex is an excellent alternative. Latex foam has open cells that allow air to circulate into the latex and provides a cooler sleep surface. Alternatively, if you do end up with a hot mattress, you can still find ways to make it cooler.

Cost

Prices of different foam mattress types vary, but in general, traditional memory foam and polyurethane foam are cheaper, while latex is much more expensive.

Significant factors that affect the price are materials, construction, and mattress size. Online mattresses may be cheaper than in-store because many mattress brands offer online discounts and free shipping.

Memory foam mattress in a queen size ranges from $800 to $1400. Natural latex mattresses (Queen size) are between $1800-$2500 while the price range for hybrid mattresses like Saatva (Queen size) is $1500 to $2000.

The price may vary depending on the quality and brand, so make sure you do your research and check out reviews before purchasing. We have an extensive overview of mattress costs which can help you a lot.

Contouring and support

A memory foam mattress contours to your body, providing support and pressure relief where you need it most. While resting on a memory foam mattress, you can feel the sleep surface melts to your body’s curves and angles.

Contouring properties of memory foam promote proper spinal alignment and support the lumbar region. By distributing weight evenly and relieving pressure on common pressure points, memory foam reduces back pain and has a beneficial effect on people with joint pain or arthritis.

High-density foams will give you a firm and bouncy feel and they are popular among back and stomach sleepers because they offer evenly distributed support. The low and medium-density foam gives a soft sleeping surface and a sinking feel that is beneficial to side sleepers who need the shoulder and hip area to sink in while being supported in the waist.

This is why the most popular memory foam mattresses are made of two or more different foam layers. Firmer and high-density foam is used as the bottom layer to give the body support and to limit potential over-sinking of the top layer which is usually made of soft and open-cell foam.

You really need to test out the mattress first and use your trial period wisely, because it’s not impossible to end up with a wrong memory foam mattress that gives you horrible back pain.

Durability

Memory foam in mattresses used every day has a lifespan of 4 to 12 years, depending on materials and quality.

Latex foam is the most durable foam with a lifespan of about 15 years. High-density foams are next on the list – quality memory foam is known to last for many long years.

Heavy people should focus on durability when shopping for a mattress, while petite ones don’t have to worry about premature wear even if they buy a cheaper and less durable mattress.

Memory foam density is measured based on the weight of one cubic foot of memory foam. Anything with a weight less than 4 lbs is considered low density and lower quality as it will not last, while anything over 5.3 lbs is high-density. If you find a high-density foam mattress from a reputable brand, it’s supposed to serve you for about 10 years, if not more.

Sagging and compressions are the main reasons why memory foam mattress gets uncomfortable. To prevent permanent body impressions on your memory foam mattress, rotate it every three months.

Conclusion

Mattresses made from memory foam are among the most comfortable mattresses available because they mold to the body better than other types of mattresses. The best memory foam mattresses aren’t solely made from one type of foam. To provide better support, their middle and bottom layers are higher density and firmer than their top layer. They are ideal for relieving pressure and back pain, plus they are nearly silent and isolate motion. When choosing a memory foam mattress, be sure to match your personal characteristics and preferences with the memory foam type. There are also mattresses without memory foam available if you decide that the material doesn’t work for you.

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Next step: Read Nectar vs. Purple vs. Casper mattress comparison. These are three of the most popular memory foam mattress brands. We break down the pros and cons of each so you can decide which one is best for your own needs.

Psst… the sleep review industry is full of liars, sharks, and thieves. It’s a modern-day version of getting ripped off at your local mattress store. So, why should you trust us?