subject: What's The Difference Between Latex And Memory Foam? [print this page] They're both fancy, foamy, and generally too expensive. But what's the difference between the two?
If you place a latex mattress and a memory foam mattress side by side, you won't see much of a difference between the way they look. But the second you touch them, you'll begin to notice big differences.
How they feel
* Memory foam reacts to heat and pressure. The more pressure you apply with the natural warmth of your hand, the more the foam will shift around your hand, displacing itself and conforming to its shape. Surrounding air temperature also affects the foam - a colder room will cause it to feel more firm, while a warmer room will soften it. Typically, you shouldn't let your room fall below about 60F/16C.
* Latex does not shift around or displace itself when pressure is exerted. Instead, it resists and bounces back, pushing against your hand. One may compare it to the feeling of Jello.
One way to see the difference is to drop a marble from about 1ft above each mattress: the marble will drop without a bounce on memory foam, whereas it'll bounce enthusiastically on latex.
Firmness
* Maybe it's an paradox, but memory foam combines firmness with softness. At first, you sink into the mattress and it feels soft as it takes in your weight. But you are then supported evenly throughout your body and the mattress feels strong against your weight. In a way, you get the best of both worlds.
* Latex is naturally more firm to sleep on, as it doesn't distribute itself around your weight. If you lay down on a latex mattress, it feels quite bouncy and not particularly comfortable.
Ingredients
* Memory foam is made by combining innate materials that expand to form an open-cell polyurethane structure.
* Most people think that latex mattresses are made using natural materials derived from rubber trees, but in reality, the majority are made from harsh chemicals to make production cheaper. In the 1960's, latex mattresses were very popular since they were believed to contain natural ingredients. They quickly went out of style when people discovered that they're bad for the environment, they don't decompose, and they're generally uncomfortable.
Both types of foam are hypo-allergenic and anti-microbial, which is a great solution for people with strong allergies. Bed bugs and dust mites have a hard time living in both types of mattresses, which is assuring whether you have allergies or not.
Most memory foam and latex mattresses also use a supportive base layer typically made from a high density poly-foam - neither type of mattress uses springs.
