Memory foam to latex change --- Casper review

I am in the market for a new mattress. I say I because my wife is perfectly happy with the current mattress, a 9 year old Restonic Memory foam mattress. For me, I can only get about 30 minutes of sleep before the memory foam warms up and creates a dip I sink into a good 3 to 4 inches and I only weigh 130 lbs. I wake up with pain in my hips running down my IT band which has gotten worse over the past 6 months (my Chiropractor assures me there is no spine/disk issue causing the pain and I only get it at night on the bed, I sleep pain free in my Lay-z-boy). I have been primarily a 50/50 side/back sleeper. As this is my second memory foam mattress (the first lasted about 5/6 years and did the same thing over time, it was made by a local company in Dearborn, MI if I recall correctly) so I am considering latex (I don’t care if its natural/synthetic/blended) but my concern is how big of an adjustment is there going from memory foam to latex (I am more concerned about my wife as she loves the memory foam mattress always saying “glad to be back on it” after a stay in hotel).

I would like to hear opinions of people who have made the switch from memory foam to latex and either succeeded or failed and went back to memory foam.

The beds I am considering are

UD: Freedom as it is adjustable and in the king configurable on both sides. My main concern is what happens at the "split’ between the two sides over time, I could see a gap forming) and as there are not lot of reviews on this mattress, I don’t want to purchase it and pay the $99 return fee if I or my wife do not like it.

Casper a thought is it may be a compromise between latex and memory foam but I am not sure how much of the memory foam feel is retained with the latex top layer but at least with them they do have a no risk return policy (if UD had the same I would purchase the Freedom with out hesitation). My concern with this mattress is the reviews of it being to too firm and not providing a lot of pain relief for people like myself. It is new and not sure of the longevity of the mattress and being new few if any reviews from “long time” owners exist. Most reviews are with in a week or two of opening the bed and given the fact many “positive” reviews came with a $50 credit not sure I am overly confident of the validity of the review.

I have tried latex at the local stores but as I have read here, just because the latex felt okay in the store a different latex bed from a different manufacturer with most likely different level materials will not feel the same.

Again, I am most hoping to hear stories from people who have transitioned from memory foam to latex, good or bad. If you have a view of either of those mattress (or a recommended alternative) feel free to share.

Thanks

Hi mville032,

These types of “symptoms” are generally an indication of a joint or spinal alignment issue … possibly caused by foam softening or possibly by changes in your body over the years. Your mattress may have been closer to the edge of the comfort/support range that is suitable for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) than your wife when it was new so a smaller amount of foam softening that would be fine for someone else may have taken you outside the comfort/support range that is suitable for you and may be having a bigger effect on you than it is on your wife (see post #2 here)

I would be very cautious about using other people’s experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress or any specific material may be for you and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).

This would be very similar to asking whether you will like an orange if you happen to like apples and these types of “poll” questions will bring a wide range of different opinions and none of them may be applicable to your own preferences or experience. The most reliable way to know how you feel about any particular material or type of mattress will be based on your own personal testing and experience.

I would also keep in mind that there are hundreds or even thousands of different types of mattresses with a different “feel” and firmness level in each mattress category and you (or anyone) may like and sleep well on some of them and not like or sleep well on some of the others at all even if they have the more general feel of a specific material in common.

Some people will transition from memory foam to latex (or vice versa) and take to it like a “duck to water” and not need any time at all to get used to it because they prefer the different feel and performance from the first day. Others may take a little longer to get used to the feel of a different material and others yet may never get used to a material that they don’t like in the first place (just like some people will never like certain foods). These are always preference choices that can be unique to each person and not “better/worse” choices.

The Freedom mattress has a tight fitting quilted cover which will help the mattress keep it’s shape and latex is also “sticky” and doesn’t tend to shift inside a mattress and with a suitable tight fitting quilted cover the materials inside a mattress are much less likely to shift than if the cover was looser either initially or over time. There is more about the pros and cons of split layers in post #2 here and there is more about glued vs unglued layers and layers shifting in post #2 here.

The Casper has 1.5" of synthetic latex on top of 1.5" of 4 lb memory foam so you would feel some of the properties of both materials. The layer on the surface will have the biggest effect on the surface “feel” of the mattress and being latex it would be more resilient and “lively” than memory foam but you would still have some of the slow sinking in feeling of memory foam underneath it that you would notice as well. It would probably be fair to say that those who really dislike the “feel” of memory foam would probably dislike this mattress less than having memory foam in the top 3". Those who dislike the feel of latex would probably also dislike this mattress less than a mattress that uses 3" of latex in the top layers. Those who like the feel of latex would probably like this mattress more than a mattress that used 3" of memory foam in the top layer and those who like the feel of memory foam would probably like this mattress more than a mattress that used 3" of latex in the top layer.

While there are many different models of latex mattresses that may use different types of latex in different firmness levels … they will all have the the more resilient (faster response), ease of movement, and more “on the mattress feel” of latex in common to different degrees even if they are in different firmness levels just like memory foam mattresses will all tend have the less resilient (slower response) and more more motion restricting “in the mattress feel” of memory foam in common to different degrees. There is more about the pros and cons of latex vs memory foam in post #2 here.

Hopefully some of the members here will see your post and share their comments about switching from one to the other but again I would be very cautious about using anyone else’s success or failure on the specific mattresses they are switching between as a reliable indication of your own.

You may have seen this already and I’m not sure if you meant that you are in Dearborn or whether that was just the location of the company that made your mattress but just in case you are local … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the area in and around Detroit (subject to the value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Just a follow up thought. Does anyone else do latex on top of memory foam layering like Casper? I have not found any online.

Hi mville,

I haven’t seen any others online but I have seen some that are available locally although they are less common. I don’t keep a record of individual mattresses that are available in the many stores or manufacturers on the hundreds of local lists that are throughout the forum (it would be more than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) and I don’t remember any specific ones off the top of my head so it would involve some calls to the retailers or manufacturers on your local list to find out if there are any in your area.

There are many people who accomplish the same “effect” by adding a thinner latex topper with the type and blend of latex they prefer on top of a firmer memory foam mattress that uses a thinner layer of memory foam.

Phoenix

yes I have considered something similar, I spoke with Chuck at Dream Foam about the ability to replace one of the layers in the Freedom with the 3 inch Gel Foam Topper (at a cost of course). My thought being the firm latex as a base, the memory foam as a middle layer and I would be able to choose between the medium and soft for the top. Would be an interesting experiment for sure. Would only add a couple hundred to the cost but give a lot of options.

Hi mville032,

I would be a little cautious with this if you are working with thicker 3" layers. With a 3" layer of latex on top of memory foam the thickness would reduce the effect and “feel” of the memory foam and if you have a softer 3" layer of latex on top of a 3" layer of memory foam you would have 6" of softer materials in the upper layers of your mattress and this much thickness/softness could be risky in terms of maintaining good alignment over the course of the night.

With this type of construction I would normally suggest a thinner layer of latex over a thinner layer of memory foam so that you can notice more of the “feel” of both materials and there would be less risk of alignment issues.

Phoenix

Good point, I think I should just move past my paralysis by analysis phase and just order the Casper as I like the concept, nothing to loose I guess.

Hi mville032,

If the Casper is the mattress that seems to be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you then as you mentioned they have a great return policy that lets you start all over again with choosing another mattress with little risk outside of the time you spent trying the mattress or returning it.

The bottom line is that the only way to know how you will like it will be to actually sleep on it.

Phoenix

Well after another poor night sleep I pulled the trigger on the Casper. It was a close call between it and the UD: Freedom but in the end the no risk policy over the $99 restocking fee was the ultimate deciding point. I will update with my thoughts once I receive and sleep on the mattress. Just FYI, mattresses I considered in addition to the two already mentioned were the Leesa, Tuft & Needle and Yoga bed.

Hi mville032,

Sleeping poorly on an old mattress can certainly speed up the choice to replace it!

It sounds like you made some careful comparisons and ended up choosing the mattress that was the “best value” choice for you … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

How are you liking the Casper? A friend of mine in another state bought one and says they really like it. I got in a latex mattress from Sleep EZ last week and have been using it for 5 nights, but has too much “up pressure” for me.

Hi FAUguy,

Just for the sake of clarity … there is really no such thing as “up pressure” (from a mattress) or “down pressure” for that matter either (from the weight of your body) because when you are lying still on a mattress the pressure you feel has no “direction” and the opposing forces are balanced between the compression forces from your body and the resistance from the mattress (see the last part of post #11 here about “pushback”). Even materials that have little to no resilience at all (resilience is the "up pressure or “springiness” of a material) such as memory foam become progressively firmer and more resistive as you sink into them more deeply.

Resilience does have an effect on the “feel” of a mattress and on the ease of movement when you change position or get out of the mattress and can help with some of the “other activities” that happen on a mattress (see post #2 here) but it doesn’t affect the pressure relief of a mattress and isn’t a factor in the firmness of a material.

You still are in the early stages of your break in and adjustment period you have some good options available to you if your mattress ends up being too firm although of course you can’t change the resilience of a material and this is part of why some people prefer some types of material over others (although a layer of a less resilient material on top of your mattress can certainly change the surface feel and resilience of a mattress)

Phoenix

In attempt to give back I will begin providing feedback on my Casper mattress (no coupon code I promise :lol: )

I ordered the Casper on Friday 2/28 around 11 PM, I received the mattress yesterday 3/10. This is a bit longer than the site led me to believe but it is a minor issue (weather supposedly delayed the mattress a couple days).

Unboxing was what was expected and exactly as can be seen in the myriad of youtube videos on the topic. Of note, no real off gassing that I could smell other than for the initial opening and expansion.

My first impression is about fit and finish. The mattress cover seam fits nicely on 3 of the 4 edges with the seam running along the top edge of the top latex layer of foam. However with the 4th edge the foam edge sticks up a good 1/3 to 1/2 inch above the seam. While from a functionality and aesthetics stand point this is a minor issue as I will be placing a mattress cover and fitted sheet over the mattress, if does give a bit of lower quality look when compared to my older Restonic mattress. Again, this I assume is only an aesthetics issue and I do not expect it to cause any durability problems.

I did not jump on the mattress immediately, I let is sit open on the foundation for 8 hours before putting the mattress pad and fitted sheet on and going to bed. Upon laying on it, my initial impression was “oh, oh this thing is too soft” (a concern as the main reason for getting a new mattress was because my old memory foam mattress had softened to the point where it was causing hip/IT band pain after about 30 minutes laying on it.) However, I can say it firmed up within a few seconds and I did not sink more than and inch into the mattress (fyi I weigh 120 lbs for reference). The real test, I fell asleep on my back and good news I slept solidly for a good 3 hours waking up with only the slightest hip pain which for now I will put down to residual pain from sleeping far to long on my old mattress. As usually I rolled over to my side and fell back to sleep though from this point on I spent the night tossing and turning a bit from back to side to stomach. Over all each period of sleep was longer than any I had sleeping on my old mattress. According to my fitbit, I was waking up an average of every 45 minutes with my old mattress but on the Casper last night the average was about 2 hours (longest being 3, shortest being about 30 minutes). One of my concern was my wife would find the Casper too firm as she really liked our old mattress and was having no issues with it. The first night report from her was “I couldn’t tell the difference”. I guess that is a good thing.

So this is my first night review. I will try and follow up in a couple week and then again in 30 days. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Hi mville032,

Thanks for taking the time to share your initial comments and feedback … I appreciate it.

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Week 3 follow up.

Well what started off well, did not continue, I contacted Casper yesterday to begin the return process. While this bed has reduced the nightly hip pain I have been experiencing, the pain has now moved to my shoulders. This bed is just to firm for myself (partial side sleeper) and my wife (primarily a side sleeper) . While I now wake up in the AM with sore shoulders if I happen to sleep on them that night, my wife has had nothing but issues since the 3rd or 4th night. She complains of neck, shoulder and back pain something she did not have before, she also commented she misses the “sinking in” we got from our old mattress… Casper returned my email within 24 hours and replied they would schedule a pickup at my convenience. I believe I will be moving back to memory foam as we have slept on one for over 15 year. It is my hope that a new memory foam mattress will be supportive enough to prevent the hip pain from returning and provide comfort level my wife needs. If the memory foam mattress causes a reoccurrence of the hip pain, I will look at going a dual king route, with latex side for myself and memory foam side for my wife.

Hi mville032,

I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out as well for you as you hoped for.

Just for reference there could be other reasons for the neck and shoulder pain other than the mattress itself. Some of the suggestions in post #2 here may be helpful. An upper body/shoulder issue can connected to the pillow you are using (a new mattress will often require a new pillow as well to keep your head and neck in good alignment and it can also help with upper body pressure issues as well) and it could also be connected to the type of mattress protector or mattress pad you are using because thicker mattress protectors or pads can interfere with the ability of the mattress underneath it to contour to the shape of your body and relieve pressure points.

I would keep in mind that the Casper isn’t a latex mattress or even a latex hybrid (it only has 1.5" of latex which isn’t enough to put it in a latex hybrid category) so it wouldn’t be a good indicator about how you would do on a latex or a latex hybrid mattress. In the same way the Casper also only has 1.5" of memory foam which also isn’t enough to be a good indicator about how you would sleep on a memory foam mattress because there also isn’t enough memory foam in the mattress to call it a memory foam mattress either.

I would also keep in mind that the material or type of mattress that you tend to prefer is a preference choice and is much less important than whether the specific design of a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP. You may find that you sleep well on a particular memory foam or latex mattress for example but that other types or designs of memory foam or latex mattresses are completely unsuitable for you to sleep on so I would be cautious about ruling out an entire category of mattress based on your experiences on only one mattress (that is this case isn’t really in the category in the first place). In other words … type of materials in a mattress is a preference choice and not a “better/worse” choice and the specific design of a particular mattress is always much more important than which “category” the mattress fits in or the type of materials inside it.

In your case it appears that you don’t do particularly well with any mattress where either the comfort layer are too thick or soft or the support core is too soft to keep the heavier parts of your body (your hips/pelvis) in good alignment. Regardless of which type of mattress or materials you choose … if a mattress is “on the edge” of being too soft for you then even the foam softening that can happen in initial break in period for any new mattress can be enough to put you outside the comfort/support range that is suitable for you (see post #2 here).

There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”. regardless of the type of mattress or materials you tend to prefer.

Phoenix