Latex or Memory Foam or Either?

For the most part people don't want to learn or even care about things like latex or memory foam. There is a lot of pre-conceived opinions on them and often times it's a negative one from a past experience. We get asked quite frequently which one we recommend or which one we think is better. Just like a seasoned diplomat, we defer the question by saying "well, it depends". Which, it truly does depend on several different things. Let's take a quick look at it one at a time.

Latex is the quiet cousin I guess of the foam industry. You don't ever really hear too much talk about it, especially at stores with lower end mattresses. It is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, foam you can put in a mattress. One of the most common concerns is with latex allergies. That is a fair question and we always gladly put the customer's mind at ease. You see, there are several different types of latex, but it is usually broken down into two, crude, categories: natural & what we like to call "laboratory" latex. Most of the time, the allergy to latex is from the chemically produced (laboratory) type of latex made outside of the USA. It comes from the proteins developed on the latex and/or the residue from the latex (latex dust). The Talalay latex that we choose to use is a naturally produced latex from the serum of a rubber tree. It is then brought into the manufacturer and the NATURAL proteins are then washed at a minimum of 3 times. In fact, one of our store owners is does have an allergy to latex, but she has slept on a latex product for over 10 years and never had any sort of a reaction to natural latex.

Now that we answered the allergy question as best we can, you might be asking yourself is latex comfortable for you. Our answer is "it depends" :). It depends on a simple question that we ask customers, "do you like to sleep in a mattress or on a mattress". If you answer "on a mattress" you might like the feel of a latex mattress. It is more springy than a memory foam or even a traditional mattress. That is because of the natural properties of the rubber tree. It is always trying to go back to it's original shape when you are laying on your mattress. We commonly refer to that as a "positive push back". Latex tends to be more "intimate friendly", yes we said it. It matters to a fair amount of customers so we figured we would include that. The best thing about latex is the longevity of the product. It can outlast and outperform almost any thing compared to it. It far surpasses standard foams, memory foams or quilted type of foams. It's lower maintenance requiring little to no turning/flipping of the mattress. There are numerous other benefits to latex and that is why we include it in our Heritage Series Heirloom mattress and why we also choose to carry the Pure Talalay Bliss line of mattresses.

If you chose to answer the question with "I like to sleep in my mattress", then most of the time you will find memory foam to be more of your comfort. Unlike latex, memory foam does not really provide a "positive pushback". Instead, it accepts your body the way it is and forms around you. A lot of customers really like the cuddling nature of memory foam and the immersion it gives them when sleeping. Memory foam comes in all kinds of different features with cooling infused technology, adaptive to body temperature for firmness and many more. Memory foam is also a great mattress to use with kids because it doesn't allow them to play "monkey's jumping on the bed" game. It doesn't give you any kind of a springy nature or any enjoyment in that category. It's kind of like jumping into wet sand at the ocean, it's just there. The mattress is great for the cold natured sleepers and gives them extra layer of warmth to nuzzle into at night. Memory foam mattress requires the same amount of attention that a traditional mattress needs with some rotation involved, especially when couples are sleeping on the surface.

If you find yourself not fired up about in it or on it, you don't care about longevity of a foam, or keeping the kids from bouncing on the bed. Then the classic old mattress is your huckleberry. It's not that you are a simple person or some one not living on the edge, in fact there are a lot of new cutting edge designs going into the traditional innerspring mattress for better comfort. We include layers of these foams in some of our mattresses to give you a little best of both worlds approach. It allows you to feel the comfort of those foams, without having to buy a whole mattress of them which can save you a fair amount of money.

At the end of the day you just have to lay on each version of the mattress to see what is actually comfortable. I know, you read this whole article and it didn't tell which one is right for you. That's not the intention, we want you to know the difference and break some of the myths so you can make an informed decision or even narrow it down. The good thing is, now you know that there is a difference and it does matter.