I have had experience with the following mattresses in memory foam: Tuft and Needle, Sleep Innovations, and Luxtouch (all purchased through Amazon).
And with a latex mattress that I purchased at Mattress Makers in San Diego, a store that seems highly regarded around here from what I can glean, and which is highly reviewed on Yelp.
Side by side comparison:
Memory foam (9.5/10): Comparing the three brands I listed, Tuft and Needle has been the best combination of price and quality. Strong, firm mattress with more inertial dampening (ie. less elasticity and bounce recoil than the latex). Also, by comparison to the latex, far easier to move. Not as easy to use for bedtime activities (reading, lying in bed, etc), more comfortable for sleep. Overall my pick between the two. Cost: $
Latex (8/10): As far as comfort, similar to memory foam, though more elasticity, so more suited for âin bedâ activity like reading, et al. Not quite as sedating for sleep as the memory foam mattress. The Tuft N Needle is like a glove, where as the latex has a more trampoline-like feel, if that makes sense. Cost: $$$
Also, the major detractor from latex is that they are poorly suited for those with allergies. Most peer reviewed studies have not found much difference between latex and foam for dust mite allergies, etc (the only one I found actually said box springs had lower concentrations of mite feces on their surface, so there is a component of advertiser claims on this that may be, well, advertising). And the latex mattress is nearly impossible to move by yourself, and still extremely difficult even with two people.
It is not only the weight, but the fact that the mattress has almost no form that can stand on its own (ie. standing it on its side is essentially impossible), so itâs like trying to move an amorphous 200 lb mass of latex. The movers needed to use an odd contraption to even get it from the truck to my first story bedroom, and it literally took them hours. I had to put a piece of solid wood under the mattress (after they left) as my slatted frame was not compatible with the latex (it is so amorphous it would have âoozedâ through the wood bars, per the sales folks). Getting this done by myself took an entire day, and I am a 200 lb 6â athletic guy.
My point is this: it is nearly impossible to put on an encircling mattress protector around the king size mattress, so dust mite protection in that way is essentially impossible. You can put an enclosing mattress cover (ie. open bottom), but the barrier is obviously incomplete. Also, moving the mattress for cleaning is essentially impossible, so not good for closed bedframes (ie. not open from the side), at least as far as cleaning.