Polyurethane Foam vs Memory Foam vs. Latex: Who’s Buying Which Mattress?

Let’s discuss Foam mattresses. This page debunks a common myth about foam, describes the various foam mattress kinds, and identifies crucial demographics.

Myth: Memory foam vs. polyurethane foam

Considering that memory foam is a variety of polyurethane foam, this inquiry itself contains a mistake! Memory foam is referred to as viscoelastic in the foaming business, and it is essentially a denser, more elastic, and low-resilience polyurethane foam. Polyfoam is what experts in the mattress industry generally refer to as ordinary non-viscoelastic PU foam. So let’s reword the query: Which is better for me, polyfoam or memory foam?

Polyfoam

This type of foam is the most common and is often found on innerspring mattresses. Although the density and stiffness of polyfoam can be adjusted to some extent, normally, denser foams cost more since more resources are needed to make them. It will suffice to note that denser foams also frequently have longer shelf lives because we will be writing an entire piece about foam densities soon (subscribe to the Sunkist blog to stay up to date). Due to the internal springs, innersprings are cooler, but they are also noisier and larger as a result, necessitating compression packaging to be shipped and shrunk. Due to its widespread popularity and low manufacturing costs, polyfoam mattresses account for the bulk of the global mattress market.

Foam memory

However, many formidable American makers of viscoelastic dominate the global industry. Since memory foam has a low resilience, it is excellent for relieving pressure and pain. For instance, side sleepers won’t experience as much strain on their shoulders and hips while using a memory foam mattress. For those who share a bed, memory foam is the best material because it is more motion-isolating and quieter to sleep in. Memory foam users feel as though they are “in” the mattress, but polyurethane foam users prefer to be “on” the mattress. This sensory difference is crucial when comparing memory foam with polyurethane foam.

Memory foam has the potential drawbacks of sleeping hotter and being less responsive. For example, those with joint problems may favor memory foam for pressure alleviation, but they may find it difficult to get out of a memory foam mattress. Memory foam mattresses often come piled with a mixture of rigid polyfoam and cooling gels to address this problem.

Offgassing is another issue with memory foam that people frequently inquire about, and we go into more depth about it here.

Latex
Not to mention, latex mattresses are a significant global player. Latex is often positioned by manufacturers as memory foam’s rival. It is springy and responsive, often constructed of natural material (but synthetic latex is a possibility), and sleeps cooler than viscoelastic. On the other hand, it provides less pressure relief, is typically heavier, and costs more. While the cost of memory foam can range from about $400 to as much as $2000, latex products generally cost at least $1,000.

Takeaways
Polyfoam, memory foam, and latex are the three main kinds of mattress foams. When asked which is better, polyurethane foam or memory foam, we respond that polyurethane foam is less expensive and more widely used. Because memory foam offers orthopedic benefits as a new comfort option, it is expanding in popularity. As a memory foam substitute, latex is a market that is expanding and leaving the realm of luxury.