Having a hard time knowing where to start -there are so many new mattress companies out there now. Is there a consensus latex versus memory foam or are both good options?
Hi marcam.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum! 
Knowing “what” to choose when shopping for a mattress may give a “hard time” to anyone who starts the search before understanding the “how” to choose a mattress based on their own personal needs and preferences and some the information that is needed in order to make an informed decision and narrow down the search to just a few good options that would match particular needs and preferences.
I would advise that you start with the first and most important step that will give you a general overview and also help you with “how” to choose in the myriad of options that are available either locally or online. The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here (there is a condensed version of it at the end of that post) which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones. Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
When you read through the suggested material keep in mind that Comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment are the two most important functions of a mattress for everyone and regardless of the componentry in the mattress the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress will be a suitable choice that provides you with both will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience when you sleep on it because different people can have very different needs and preferences in a mattress in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences).
The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Ii suggest that you read through the above information and decide on a general direction for your mattress search focusing on a few knowledgeable and transparent manufacturers or retailers and starting to collect the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Then I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else (including me) would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Latex and memory foam are very different materials and can’t really be meaningfully compared to each other. It would be like asking which type of apple would be closest to an orange and the only meaningful answer would be "none ".
There can be no “consensus” in assessing which material could be the best for you as this choice is highly personal and depends on the many variables and personal preferences involved in selecting a mattress based on your own personal value equation The only way to really know or appreciate the difference between them is to test both of them in person at local retailers or manufacturers as this can give you a reference point about how different types of latex feel to you and how they may compare with different types of memory foam in your own personal experience (which may be different from the any other person). With some good local testing you can decide on which material may be best for your "
Latex has an unusual combination of surface softness and deeper firmness/support that comes from its elasticity, it’s point elasticity (ability to conform to the shape of a body) and its compression modulus (the ability to get firmer faster with deeper compression than other types of foam). This means that it can enhance the pressure relieving layers above it because of its surface softness and point elasticity but it is also very supportive and can “stop” the heavier parts of the body from sinking in too deeply. It is also very resilient (it returns a high percentage of the energy of compression instead of absorbing it like memory foam which has very low resilience) so it can enhance the “feel” of the mattress by making it more responsive and more adaptable to different body profiles and sleeping positions rather than the less responsive feeling of memory foam or the stiffer and less adaptable characteristics of polyfoam. Latex is also a very durable material (it’s the most durable of all the foam types) so it can add to the durability of a mattress compared to other materials but the deeper layers of a mattress have less effect on mattress durability (a mattress will soften and break down from the top down) and more of an effect on performance and support/alignment so this would be less of a factor in its use. For some
The choice of materials in a mattress is a personal preference as each type of material has its own unique properties and people tend to have an affinity for one versus another. Whether you chose to go for a latex feel or memory foam feel I would also keep in mind that each layer and material will interact with all the other layers and components in a mattress to create and contribute to the overall comfort and support of the mattress.
You can read more about the pros and cons of latex in this articleand more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here . You can read more about the pros and cons of memory foam in this article and more about the different formulations of memory foam in post #8 here.
I hope the information provided here and your own testing sets you on a straight course on deciding what type of materials would best suit you and perhaps narrow down a few mattresses that use good quality and durable materials, if you have more specific questions I would be happy to assist you.
Phoenix
ive dabbled in the which foam game, i say latex all the way, and on that note talalay ! memory foam will break down, take it from me, i’ve burned threw a many a memory foam beds. latex is more durable, and has many more options in firmness.
Hi Russissleeping,
I do appreciate you taking the time to provide some input about your current latex mattress in another thread and your opinion here, and while I know it is certainly well-meant, I’ll caution people that your advice is an opinion that applies only to yourself, as it’s always important to differentiate opinions from fact.
While you personally have unfortunately had some bad experiences with memory foam products, there are many well-built beds using memory foam that use high density and better quality materials that are quite durable.
Each person can have very different criteria in choosing a mattress that is “best” for them in terms of comfort and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences), the quality and durability of the materials, and all the other parts of their personal value equation that are most important to them, which of course can be quite different as to what is import to you, me or other members here on the forum.
I do appreciate your passion, and again I’m happy that you’re sleeping so much better on your current FloBeds mattress.
Phoenix