Mattresses have undergone many years of development, so much so that the ones we have today are simply unrecognisable. Nowadays, we have a mixture of different materials to choose from. While this does provide plenty of customisation, it makes deciding between your options a real task.
For many mattress buyers, latex and memory foam fillings are often the frontrunners. So, what exactly are the differences between these two materials? To help you choose, we’ve summarised both to make your decision-making that bit easier.
One’s natural, the other synthetic. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and because foam mattresses are currently all the rage, it is important you delve into these pros and cons before you make your decision on which one to opt for.
What’s latex you ask? One of the most natural types of mattress, latex foam is constructed by whipping the sap from a rubber tree where latex famously comes from. Next, it is baked into a foam which shapes it into a mattress form.
Due to its natural properties, latex foam comes bursting with many benefits. Here are the main pros of latex foam mattresses:
- Latex is more resilient than memory foam, meaning it will deteriorate slower and be around for longer.
- Latex mattresses provide more bounce and mobility when compared to memory foam. This helps when you’re moving around at night because you aren’t so sunken into your sleeping position, so you are free to roll around more.
- Latex is a cool sleep, meaning your body heat dissipates faster and is certainly more breathable than memory foam. This makes it a great option for those who sleep hot.
- It’s perfect for solo sleepers. Because latex is bouncier, it may not be the best option for people who share a bed. This is because you can feel your partner moving around throughout the night.
With these benefits in mind, we believe latex foam mattresses are best used for sleepers that are fond of natural materials and need a more instant bounce-back response. With latex foam, there is no sinking feeling, with latex mattresses generally being firmer in comparison to other materials.
This gives greater support for your back throughout the night, being able to withstand near-constant use even after rigorous tossing and turning.
By comparison, memory foam is derived from chemical processes to create a spongy, aerated foam structure. Memory foam works when pressure is applied and air seeps out of millions of tiny holes of which the mattress structure is comprised. This allows the surface to mould to the contours of your body.
The polyurethane-based foam is commonly known as visco-elastic foam, which you may be surprised to find out was originally pioneered by NASA to be used in space shuttles.
As a man-made material, memory foam seeks to solve the problems more natural materials have faced. With this in mind, there are some distinct advantages that memory foam has over latex:
- Great at contouring your body and pressure relief. If you’re looking for something to mould to the curves of your body entirely, a memory foam mattress will be able to do this best. This also makes memory foam a great option for side sleepers who need extra cushioning around the shoulders and hips to have healthy spine alignment.
- More affordable than latex options, as there’s considerably less time in manufacturing a memory foam sleeping solution than latex.
- Due to the tiny holes, it’s comprised of, memory foam absorbs and retains a lot of your body heat throughout the night. This makes it a fairly hot sleep, ideal for winter months and solo sleepers who don’t have the additional body heat to contend with.
Generally, memory foam is a better choice for sleepers that face frequent back problems like spondylitis. The way that the material conforms to your body shape places much less pressure on sensitive spots on our body; a great benefit for anyone dealing with chronic pain.
Memory foam also offers a much more varied choice of materials. From gel-based memory foam to foams with more responsive qualities, there’s a memory foam mattress available for all sorts of sleepers.
With all these positives, there’s only one real disadvantage of memory foam mattresses that crops up most often: heat. Memory foam mattresses tend to hold much more warmth when compared to other types. This is due to the lack of ventilation provided by the dense material.
Now that you know the ins and outs of latex and memory foam it’s time to make that all-important decision. Which one will you choose?
If you need a bit more help, feel free to contact us and our sales team will be more than happy to give some guidance. It’s what we do.
