Memory Foam Buying Guide: 100% Foam Mattress, Foam Alternatives & Hybrid Mattresses 

Welcome to the Texas Mattress Makers memory foam buying guide! Buying an all-memory foam mattress or a mattress using foam components can be both exciting and overwhelming. There are a lot of options out there to choose from, and it can be difficult to know which mattress is the best for you.

With the help of this memory foam buying guide, however, you should be able to shop with more confidence. Learn about the different types of foam mattresses available, identify what you’ll want to keep in mind as you shop, and discover what memory foam pros and cons matter most to you.

Important: How We Talk About Foam

What is Memory Foam?

Are Memory Foam Mattresses for Everyone?

Types of Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory Foam Pros and Cons

What to Consider When Choosing a Memory Foam Mattress

Need more basic info about mattress selection? Check out our guide to How to Choose a Mattress.

Important: How We Talk About Foam at Texas Mattress Makers

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of our memory foam buying guide, let’s do a quick review of how we talk about memory foam at Texas Mattress makers.

• Traditional memory foam: Traditional memory foam is the foam that most people think of when they mention foam mattresses. Traditional memory foam is a man-made, polyurethane foam that is viscoelastic, meaning it responds to pressure in a way that isolates motion and provides natural support to your body. 
• Foam alternatives: Not all foam is memory foam! Technological advances have allowed for the creation of foam alternatives that can be denser, more buoyant, and cooler than traditional memory foam. 
• 100% / All-foam mattresses: When we talk about 100% or all-foam mattresses, we are discussing mattresses that are made entirely of foam components.
• Foam-spring hybrid mattresses: Known simply as “hybrids,” our foam-spring hybrid mattresses combine a foam comfort layer with an individually wrapped coil spring support layer. These are our most popular types of mattresses! Hybrid mattresses aren’t always a combination of foam and springs; for example, you can find hybrid mattresses with latex or other materials in the comfort layer. 

What is Memory Foam? A Space City History

Originally created in the 1970 as a means of better protecting NASA’s astronauts during a crash, the potential for traditional memory foam as a mattress material finally caught on in the early 1990s with the growth in popularity of Tempur-Pedic® mattresses.

The viscoelastic properties of traditional memory foam make the material temperature-sensitive. Traditional memory foam will be firmer in colder temperatures and softer in warmer temperatures. If you have ever laid down on a memory foam mattress and felt as though you were “melting” into the bed, that’s why: the material is responding to your body heat and becoming more elastic (or more “viscous”). The viscoelastic properties are also what retain heat in the mattress.

Both 100% foam mattresses and foam-spring hybrids are much beloved for their ability to promote proper spinal support, improve circulation, and provide pressure relief for problem areas like the joints, hips, and shoulders. 

Are Foam Mattresses for Everyone? 

Ever since 100% foam mattresses began getting popular, some mattress sellers and marketers have promoted them as being the ultimate sleeping solution. Indeed,100% foam mattresses are an excellent choice for a relatively small percentage of the population, but not everyone. 

For many individuals, 100% foam mattresses allow their hips or chest to sink too low into the mattress to provide proper spine alignment. Additionally, while the temperature-sensitive materials of traditional memory foam lend it the qualities that so many like about traditional memory foam, it comes with a drawback: heat retention. 

If you sleep hot, you should avoid 100% foam mattresses. Finally, the cradling properties of 100% foam mattresses make it hard for some people to turn over in their sleep or get out of bed in the morning. 

What about gel-infused memory foam and other types of cooling memory foam? 

Over time, mattress makers have learned to add compounds to foam that draw heat away from your body as you sleep. As the night progresses, however, the cooling properties of these compounds fade — not unlike the refrigerated gel packs athletes use to relieve injuries. 

If you like getting into a cool bed and then warming up as you sleep, this type of mattress will be perfect for you. But if you sleep hot and need a cool surface throughout the night, an 100% foam mattress made with gel-infused memory foam won’t necessarily solve the issue of heat retention for you.  

Instead, you might want to consider a hybrid mattress that uses a foam comfort layer. The open quality of the individually wrapped coil base gives the heat otherwise trapped in the foam of your mattress a place to dissipate and helps keep you cooler throughout the night. Alternatively, a mattress with Ice Blue Cooling Technology can help prevent your body heat from being absorbed by the components in the bed and keep your temperature neutral throughout the night. 

Types of Memory Foam & Foam Alternatives Used in Our Mattresses

There are several different types of foam, and each one is meant to address different needs. We cover the basics here, but for more extensive information about the types of foam and where they’re used within our mattresses, check out our foam components page. Keep in mind that many of the foam alternatives mentioned above are used only in our hybrid mattresses. You can’t, for example, purchase a mattress made entirely of Serene foam!

• Traditional memory foam: The traditional “closed cell” foam that cradles the body, providing pressure point relief. Retains heat. 
• High-density foam: A higher density (and thus firmer) foam used in the base of our 100% memory foam mattresses.
• Serene foam: A new technology that uses open cell, viscoelastic foam to create a cooler sleeping surface with the same cradling feeling you get with traditional memory foam. 
• High-resilience foam: With its more buoyant feel, high-resilience foam (called HR foam in our showroom) mimics latex. Allows pressure point relief without foam’s cradling effect and is open cell to allow airflow promoting a cooler sleep. 
• Lumbar support foam: A new technology that uses specially-engineered, high-resilience, 3-zoned foam to provide extra back support. 
• Latex: While not technically a foam mattress, latex is a natural, green, luxury product that shares many of the same qualities as memory foam but has a more buoyant feel. 

100% Foam Mattress Benefits and Drawbacks

All of the pros of 100% foam mattresses listed below can also be applied to our hybrid mattresses that use traditional memory foam or foam alternatives in the comfort layer. Some of the cons of the 100% foam mattress can be mitigated or alleviated in hybrids. We have made note of these for your benefit.

Foam mattress pros:

• Minimal motion transfer
• Provides cradling stability and pressure relief
• Great for proper spinal alignment
• Naturally allergen-resistant, with hypoallergenic options available
• Ideal for back, combination, and side sleepers
• Multiple options for comfort ranging from ultra soft to firm
• High-density mattresses last longer than the average innerspring mattress
• Less expensive than latex alternatives
• Easy maintenance
• Work with almost all bed frames including adjustable frames/foundations.

Foam mattress cons:

• Not ideal for individuals who sleep hot unless you consider open cell or perforated foams (typically does not apply to foam hybrids)
• May not provide adequate support/reactivity for stomach sleepers (typically does not apply to foam hybrids)
• Long-lasting, natural memory foam is still being developed, making memory foam less eco-friendly than natural latex mattresses
• 100% memory foam mattresses are heavy, making them difficult to move and not ideal for those who struggle to lift their mattress when making the bed.

Should I Purchase a Memory Foam Mattress Topper? 

Texas Mattress Makers does not recommend mattress toppers to our customers. Mattress toppers are a temporary band aid for a long-term problem. They simply cannot solve the support issues of the mattress below them. We highly recommend investing in a quality mattress instead of a mattress topper unless you are just using the topper to help facilitate the break-in period of a new mattress.

What to Consider when Buying a 100% Foam Mattress or a Mattress with a Foam Comfort layer

If you are ready to begin your search for a 100% memory foam mattress or hybrid mattress with a foam comfort layer, there are several things to keep in mind while shopping. We’ve outlined these factors here. 

If you’re unsure of whether or not your weight, body type, and sleeping position make you a good candidate for a 100% memory foam mattress (a mattress made entirely of memory foam), we highly recommend calling us or visiting one of our showrooms and speaking to one of our experts. We can help you determine what mattress type is best for your sleeping needs and we have them available for you to try at all of our showroom locations. 

1. Foam density, ILD, and thickness

At Texas Mattress Makers, we are often asked questions along the lines of “What is the best thickness for a foam mattress?” and “Is 6 inches of foam enough?” The answers to these questions aren’t always straightforward, and we prefer to break down how we answer them into 3 parts: mattress thickness, mattress density, and indentation load deflection (ILD).

• Thickness: Generally, a thicker foam layer (or set of layers in a 100% foam mattress) can provide more pressure relief, but won’t likely provide as much support. However, a mattress’s foam should not be judged by its thickness alone; quality, IDL and density must also be taken into account, and a quality mattress can be made using different levels of thickness. To that end, you will also want to keep in mind that the density of the foam will alter how thick of a foam layer you want; denser foams can be thicker and still supportive. The average foam thickness runs between 2-4 inches.
  
  Shopping tip: Click “Details” on any of our mattress product pages for more information on foam layers and thickness for that particular mattress.

• Density: Denser foam lasts longer and is of higher quality than less dense foam. It is also more expensive, but may ultimately be a better investment. Look for a foam density between 5 and 6 pounds, and double check that the density applies to all or most of the foam component (and not just the 1st inch).
  
• ILD: Indentation load deflection is the measurement of firmness. Foam with an ILD measurement of 25 or below is considered soft, while a measurement of 31 or above is considered firm. Your mattress may have layers with varying firmnesses (firmer layers at the base and softer layers on top).

2. Firmness, lumbar support, and sleeping position

Customer preferences for firmness tend to vary more than any other factor when determining the type of mattress they want. Foam mattresses offer a variety of firmnesses, but it’s important to look into what amount of firmness best suits your needs for back and lumbar support as well as your preferred sleeping position(s). If a full-foam mattress doesn’t fit those needs, we highly recommend looking into hybrid mattress options. These mattresses can provide you with the comfort of a foam or latex comfort layer and the support of an individually wrapped coil base. 

3. Your sleeping temperature

Traditional memory foam retains heat. For that reason, hot sleepers really should steer clear of memory foam and other types of foam. If you don’t sleep hot all of the time or are OK warming up over the night, look for foam with cooling technology such as our serene foam or gel-infused foam. Latex, which is perforated to allow air circulation, also provides cooling benefits. Hybrid mattresses with a foam or latex top and an individually wrapped coil base can also create a much cooler sleeping experience. 

4. Your preferences for your mattress’s longevity

As you’re inevitably aware of by now, not all memory foam mattresses are made equally. In terms of longevity, one of the most important factors to keep in mind is the density of your mattress. Denser memory foam is sturdier and lasts longer than less dense memory foam, so if you want a memory foam mattress that goes the distance, invest in one that uses denser materials.

5. Manufacturing information

Memory foam is a man-made material, and (perhaps inevitably) some manufacturers use safer processes than others creating their mattresses. Unfortunately, Chinese-made memory foam mattresses have gained and earned a reputation for using harsh, potentially hazardous chemicals during their manufacturing process. These mattresses are sold at cheaper prices than those made in the USA, Canada, or Europe, but are rarely your safest option.

If you do elect to purchase one of these mattresses, be aware that offgassing (the airborne release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may occur. If that’s the case, contact the manufacturer and/or move the mattress to a place where it can air out. If you purchase a mattress at Texas Mattress Makers, you will not need to worry about these issues. We make our mattresses in-house using only safe products that are CertiPUR-US® certified.

6. Layers

Memory foam mattresses are rarely (if ever) made of one solid block of the same type of memory foam. Rather, they tend to come with a denser, firmer layer on bottom and a softer layer on top. Then there are the hybrid mattresses with foam or latex comfort layers on top and an individually wrapped coil base. As you shop, have in mind whether you prefer any particular type of layering for your foam mattress.

Your Best Memory Foam Buying Guide? The Sleep Experts at Texas Mattress Makers

Texas Mattress Makers has been providing Houstonians with top-quality 100% foam mattresses and hybrid mattresses for over four decades. You can explore our full selection of handmade mattresses online and choose to shop by either comfort level, mattress type, mattress size, or budget.

Want to get more of a feel for your potential mattresses than a memory foam buying guide can provide? The sleep experts at Texas Mattress Makers can help you find the best memory foam mattress for your exact sleeping needs.

Your good night’s sleep is our passion. Come and visit any of our convenient Houston locations today!