My wife and I have narrowed down the mattress search to The Original Mattress Factory’s “Serenity Latex” or the “Serenity Plush” (memory foam). The latex mattress is a blend of 60% synthetic and 40% Talalay. We feel that the memory foam is a little softer to lie on, but is only one-sided. However, we also prefer the cooler potential of the latex, as well as its durability. Both mattresses have a HD Polyurethane core of 26-34 ILD (for the latex), and 28-32 ILD (for the memory foam) at 2.5 lb. The latex comfort layer is 3" of 16-22 ILD Talatech at 3.25 lb. The memory foam comfort layer is 5" of memory foam (10-16 ILD 8 lb.; 8-14 ILD 5 lb.; poly topper of 15-21 ILD 1.9 lb.). We are at an impasse at which way to go. Any direction would be sincerely appreciated.
Hi joehull,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
The Talatech Talalay latex used in the Serenity Latex mattress is a blend, which I believe is now 70/30 SBR/NR from Talalay Global. In either ratio, it would be a high quality and durable material.
The visco-elastic memory foam used in the Serenity Plush will have less resilience (bounce) than the latex used in the Serenity Latex mattress, so it would be a common for most people to refer to that as a bit more of a “soft” feel, as you will tend to sink into that a bit more. The Serenity Latex is two-sided, with different ILDs of latex used on each side (16-22 ILD on the “plush” side and 21-27 ILD on the “firmer” side).
All foams are an insulator to an extent, but latex will generally be more breathable than memory foam. There is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
The density of the memory foam used in the Serenity Plush is a good quality, and the polyfoam core used in each mattress is also a good quality at 2.5 lb. The latex used in the Serenity Latex mattress is also a very durable material.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for a mattress or combinations of materials or components because 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 which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) 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).
You can read about some of the pros and cons of latex in this article and some of the pros and cons of memory foam in this article but the most effective way to know which one you prefer is testing both in the store one after the other. They are very different materials with a very different feel and performance, but in the right layering and combination they can both be part of a mattress that provides good comfort and alignment.
As compared to memory foam, 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.
In terms of suitability … the only way to know how these two mattresses would compare would be based on your own careful testing or your personal sleeping experience. In terms of durability … both mattresses use high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in either of them that would reduce the durability or useful life of either mattress. The latex will tend to sleep a bit cooler and be a bit more durable than the memory foam product.
If you have more specific questions, I’ll do my best to answer them, but these are quite different products with different comfort characteristics, and your own personal testing will be the most accurate indicator of your potential happiness with the product.
Phoenix
Thank you for your response. This site has been remarkable in providing outstanding and valuable information for mattress shopping. I highly recommend the Mattress Underground for anyone looking to purchase a mattress.
Hi joehull,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad that the information presented here on the site has been useful to you, and I’m hoping that you’ll be able to apply that knowledge to choosing one of your new Serenity mattresses. I’ll be interested in learning about what you decide to do.
Phoenix