Latex or Memory Foam

I live in the Baton Rouge, La area and have been looking at latex and memory foam mattresses for the last couple of weeks and now i am more confused than ever. These sales people will tell you anything to try and sell a mattress. Can someone tell me what is the best quality mattress for the money and is latex better than memory foam. I am 250# and my wife is about 150#. Our mattress is worn out and we are getting older with lots of aches and pains. Can you help with some info.

Hi Stullier57,

I think post #2 here which asked the same question (which is “better” between memory foam and latex) may help.

Regardless of which you choose (or if you choose other materials completely) … the goal is always to find the right balance between support/spinal alignment and comfort/pressure relief regardless of which materials you choose. Because low quality versions and better quality versions of any material may feel very similar … it is particularly important to know the specific quality of the materials in a mattress so you have some reasonable assurance that the quality, value, and durability of a mattress is suitable for what you are paying for it.

Post #1 here and the links it contains will help you with a step by step process that can help you find the most suitable and best possible quality/value mattress for your unique needs, preferences, and budget. It will also help you identify the local manufacturers and retailers that know what they are talking about and can give you the kind of help and guidance that is more about educating you than “selling” you.

As you will see … knowing who to buy from can be even more important than knowing what to buy.

With your heavier weight and the weight difference between you it becomes particularly important to use both good quality materials that won’t break down too quickly and find a mattress with layering and components that work well for both of you. There is more about this in the overviews and pages that are linked in the step by step guidelines and in the first part of post #2 here.

Once you are “armed” with some basic information that can help you know a little about how mattresses are made, the materials that are used, and how they “work” (and ask better questions when you are shopping and know when someone knows what they are talking about) … and you have connected with the local manufacturers or retailers that know more than you do (after you have scanned the overviews) … then mattress shopping can be much more of a pleasure than a frustrating and painful “chore”.

Some of the better options I’m aware of in the Baton rouge area are listed in post #10 here.

Phoenix