Hi Shew,
Thanks for letting me know. I’ve replaced Eastside with their new link and deleted Seattle Better Bedding (which was a duplicate site anyway).
I use them (and others) as a reference and for research but they don’t tend to carry the types of mattresses I would buy (local manufacturers and alternative brands that have better quality and value). If they happened to carry a specific mattress or product that I wanted for some reason and their price and return options (if that was important) was better than any other options that I had then I would probably buy from them but I can’t imagine this happening. They are the internet equivalent of a mass marketing outlet or chain store that carries mostly major brands and these are the types of outlets and brands that I tend to avoid for the most part. If I was buying from an outlet like this (mass marketing online outlet) … I would tend towards Costco, WalMart, and Sams Club because they offer no questions asked refunds.
This “seemingly” simple question has a far more complex answer that might be apparent.
There are hundreds of different types of memory foam that are formulated or fabricated differently to achieve different characteristics such as breathability (how open celled they are), response rate, temperature sensitivity, “relative” firmness (all memory foams are soft and suitable only for use in upper layers) and other properties. In addition to this … memory foam is only part of the mattress layering and how it feels and performs is also greatly affected by layer thickness and the layers that are above and below it. There are so many variables that only personal testing of a mattress or a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable online outlet that knows the specific qualities of the mattresses they build or sell can answer these types of questions. Memory foam is a very “tricky” substance. There is more in post #9 here about the different qualities of memory foam. In terms of quality and durability … density is the most important “spec” but density is only loosely related to the other properties of memory foam.
In terms of gel memory foams … there are also several types in this emerging sub category of memory foam. There is more in post #26 here about the various types available. Each of these would have different properties as well because the gel polymer can also be added to a base of any of the many types of memory foam that are manufactured. I personally would tend to avoid the gel foams that have “beads” or “particles” of gel embedded in them. In general though … gel memory foams would be on the firmer end of the memory foam range and have a higher compression modulus (they get firmer faster with deeper compression) and because the gel is convective (like a marble countertop that feels cool) they would also tend towards being a little cooler than many memory foams but they would still have many of the drawbacks of memory foams in general and like all memory foam I would tend towards using thinner layers rather than the much thicker layers that are quite common in many mattresses today and that I believe is much more risky in terms of alignment. It is yet to be seen if gel foams are just one more temporary phenomenon or whether they are just a “me too” response. IMO … their benefits are overblown in the current marketing frenzy but there is also some basis of “truth” to some of the claims about them.
A firmer, less temperature sensitive, faster response, higher density, and more breathable memory foam would provide similar qualities to a gel foam. Higher density memory foam (like the 7 and 8 lb memory foams available) would also tend towards being firmer although this is not directly linked to density. They are also more conforming (than gel foam as well) but they tend to take longer to conform. In other words … they have more “memory”. The rest of the mattress layering would also have as much or more to do with the overall feel and performance of a mattress that included gel foam than the gel foam itself. Aerus (made by Foamex/FXI) is an example of a much more highly breathable “regular” memory foam but it is softer than the gel foams. All of the foam manufacturers though are making more breathable and “cooler” versions of memory foam using various methods ranging from different formulations and foam pouring methods, ways of mechanically or chemically opening up the cells, fabrication methods like punching holes in the foam, using various types of channels to encourage airflow, or using various phase change additives or various types of ticking/quilting layers to cool down the sleeping temperature.
Overall … whether a foam was a “gel” memory foam or a “regular” memory foam wouldn’t matter to me nearly as much as the combination of factors that lead to a mattress having good pressure relief, alignment, and sleeping cooler and performing and feeling the way I wanted. Just like one mattress that has memory foam can be very different from another … the same is true with a mattress that includes gel memory foam. Both types in essence are just visco elastic slow recovery foams that use different methods to get to similar goals. I would either make decisions between them based on personal testing and making sure that the mattress layers had the quality that justified the price of the mattress I liked best and/or (just as importantly) I would use the knowledge and expertise of the person I was buying from (either online or in person) to tell me about the specific qualities of the materials they are using in their mattresses. This of course assumes that I am buying from someone who is more knowledgeable about mattress materials and construction and has much less focus on “marketing” than they do on educating. The more they know and the more they are on your side (rather than on the side of their profit margin) … the less a consumer has to learn.
Phoenix