Considerations between latex and memory foam

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Hello all. I will echo many before me and preface this message by thanking everyone here for their input and sharing their knowledge - it has been an immense help in narrowing down my choices, learning more, and eliminating bad options.

I have decided that we would like to purchase a new mattress from DreamFoam. However, we have not yet decided on the type - I am a bit confused about the merits of latex vs. memory foam, and the various benefits and drawbacks of each. I am also interested in feedback as far as possible maintenance measures to extend the life of each of these mattresses.

I am 6", 260 lbs, and my husband is 5’10", 120 lbs. We currently have a very basic coil-innerspring mattress. Both having come from terrible dorm beds, it at first seemed like an upgrade. I realize now that I’ve not really experienced a decent sleeping experience in the last 5 years. I have Tourette’s and generally am stiff and achey due to my tics at the end of the day, and as a side-sleeper I struggle to completely relax in bed. I would wager my sleep is fairly poor. I am extremely excited to be getting a new mattress, but want to make sure I feel fully prepared before taking the dive purchasing online.

Our current two top picks are DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams Gel 13" and the DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams Latex.

I understand the basic benefits of each material, but am having trouble reasonably applying them to my husband’s and my sleeping situation. He tends to sleep in any position, I am primarily a side sleeper. I am obviously much heavier than he and require more support, and I have chronic pain issues related to my tics. My husband generally sleeps well and does not have any pain complaints.

As Phoenix has mentioned, I understand that reviews and such are extremely subjective, so I am really looking for some analysis on the composition and what to expect (durability, support, etc.) from these materials/mattresses. A comparable model that I might be able to find locally (I reside in Suffolk County, NY) would also be helpful.

We do not have a large budget to devote to a new mattress, but I feel that these are two strong choices that we can make a confident decision on with a bit of assistance. Thank you!

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Hi hvidlilje,

Hopefully you’ve already read it but just in case… post #1 here has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices.

The choice between latex and memory foam is strictly a personal preference but you can read more about the comparisons between them in post #2 here. Your own personal testing though will be the “best” way to decide between them.

There are many factors involved in durability and with higher weights the durability of the materials would be a much more important consideration. There is more about the factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here. Less and more durable materials may feel the same in a showroom but more durable materials are more costly.

You can read some thoughts about couples that have very different needs and preferences in the first part of post #2 here.

Post #2 here has more about the two ways to make comfort choices (personal testing or more detailed conversations with an online retailer or manufacturer) but your own personal experience using the testing guidelines will generally be more accurate and personalized than any “theory at a distance” and I would at least do some local testing to get a sense of familiarity with the materials in each mattress.

In your weight range I would be cautious with the 13" gel foam mattress because it may be too too soft for you (like the Cloud Luxe which it is similar to) and it also has 4 lb memory foam which will be less durable than latex. With the latex you could also choose your comfort level to be firmer and make it more suitable for your weight. Both of these mattresses also use 1.5 lb base foam and I would tend to consider one of their mattresses that used either a higher density base form of a second layer of latex (see post #2 here about a latex hybrid vs an all latex mattress or a mattress that has more latex in the upper layers). It will be more costly but also have a longer useful life. I would also have a more detailed conversation with Dreamfoam / Brooklyn bedding because their suggestions will also be very helpful and in the end they know more about their mattresses than anyone.

To find a “comparable” model you would need to find out the specifics of a mattress you are testing and in many cases the mattresses available locally won’t be exactly comparable. Since most of the “feel” of a mattress is in the upper layers … the more closely you can “match” the top 5 or 6" or so in terms of the type of materials, the thickness of the layers, and the softness/firmness of the materials … the more likely it is that the mattress will “feel” roughly comparable but it can be difficult to match one mattress to another (see post #9 here about “matching” mattresses. Local testing can give you a good sense of the overall “feel” of different materials and some good information about whether you need or prefer firmer or softer comfort layers and firmer or softer support layers but “matching” one mattress to another would be much more difficult.

Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Long Island area are listed in post #4 here.

Phoenix