Who makes the best memory foam?

I’m in the experimental stages of building a mattress. I have built a mattress with three layers of latex foam from Latex International. a 3" base stiff base layer, a 3" medium middle layer and a 4" soft (19) top layer. We have slept on it for a few weeks and it is fairly comfortable, but I’m interested in how a good memory foam top layer would change the feel. Both my wife and I like the Tempur memory foam mattresses.
I have done some research and it seems that high quality memory foam is 4lbs and above. I have three questions:

  1. What manufacture(s) make the best memory foam product in the US?

  2. What memory foam recovers quickly? Is this a function of the weight of the foam? I want the memory foam to recover when I move at night so there isn’t a “hole” when I role over.

  3. I’m thinking of using a 3" layer. I can easily switch either the 3" layer or 4" layer in my current design. Any recommendations for memory foam thickness?

I’m playing with this mattress design (a full bed size) before I commit to making or buying my final king mattress. Any opinions on making a mattress verse buying one like the Tempur Cloud or comparable Tempflow besides the huge price difference? We can afford either easily, but it just seems like they are way over charging for their products. With that said, I really want a great mattress.

Hi dbaker,

There is more about how memory foam compares to latex in post #2 here but there are many different types of memory foam that have a very wide range of different properties and densities and the thickness of a memory foam topper will also have a significant effect on the “feel” of the topper on a specific mattress. If you choose a thinner memory foam topper then the layers below the memory foam will have a bigger effect on the “feel” of your sleeping system because they will allow more of the “feel” of the layers below the memory foam to “come through”. With thicker memory foam toppers you will feel more of the specific properties of the memory foam itself and the layers underneath will have less effect on what you “feel”.

The density of memory foam (and polyfoam as well) is the single biggest factor in its durability but there are many versions of memory foam in any density that will each have different properties. There is more about the many different properties of different types of memory foam in post #9 here and post #8 here. The most reliable source of information about the specific properties of a memory foam topper you are considering would be a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that sells it and can describe the properties and differences between the memory foam toppers they have available.

All of the US manufacturers listed in the CertiPur list here make a wide range of memory foams with different densities and different properties. There isn’t one that is “best” because this would be a personal preference based on the properties and density of the specific memory foam you are considering.

Again … a knowledgeable retailer or manufacturer would be your best source of guidance about the properties of a specific memory foam you are considering. In very general terms though … lower density memory foams tend to have a faster recovery and less “memory” than higher density memory foams and gel memory foams will also tend to recover more quickly than non gel memory foams but this is very generic and may not apply to the properties of any specific memory foam.

This would depend on “how much” additional softness and pressure relief you are looking for compared to sleeping on your mattress without the memory foam topper. Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to has more information that can help you choose the type and thickness for a topper that has the best chance of success and includes a link to some of the better online sources for memory foam toppers I’m aware of as well but I would also factor in the return or exchange policies of the retailer or manufacturer as well because the only reliable way to know whether a mattress/memory foam topper combination will be suitable for you on your specific mattress in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is based on your own personal experience and a good return exchange policy can reduce the risk of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for. In terms of softness/thickness I would use “just enough” to provide the pressure relief and “feel” you are looking for because thicker toppers in combination with softer materials in the top layers of your mattress can have a greater risk of alignment issues because the heavier parts of your body may sink down too far and put your lower back out of alignment.

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” and why some mattresses are suitable for some people but not for others that have a different body type, sleeping position, or preferences or sensitivities.

You can read my thoughts about designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover that you purchase individually in option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) which can help make sure you have realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).

If you decide to buy a “finished” mattress then tThere is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress that is suitable for you in terms of PPP (either online or locally) that can help you identify and minimize the risk involved with each of them in post #2 here.

Phoenix