A good mattress is the epitome of comfort, and if it’s the best foam mattress, you can only expect the comfort to be as dreamy as you can imagine! As we grow older, we resonate with the kind of conversations our parents would have about how important it is for one to choose the right mattress for themselves. After all, it’s an investment, and you’ll be stuck with what you choose for a long time. So, what exactly are foam mattresses? Let’s find out!
A. What is a Foam Mattress?
Foam mattresses rely on air trapped within aerated substances rather than springs to offer good support and bounce. A foam mattress offers a great middle-ground by providing the right amount of support and pressure-relieving fit while rendering comfort and softness. These mattresses are ideal for side sleepers as it does a better job of conforming themselves to the shape of one’s body. When it comes to mattresses, there are many determining factors such as your sleeping style, any bodily conditions you might suffer from, the type of mattress to be chosen, the density of the mattress, its thickness, and much more. Hence, it is important to read through the mattress buying guide in detail before you decide to purchase one.
B. Mattress Foam: Different Types of Foam Mattresses
Let’s dive in to understand the different foam mattress types. The features of the foam mattresses will help you decide which type of foam mattress is best for you.
1. Latex Foam Mattress
Latex foam mattresses are produced by vulcanizing liquid latex into a solid foam. These mattresses provide optimal support and comfort and are known to react instantly to every move of your body.
They don’t sink in or bottom out but maintain constant support without getting softer or warmer with use. Hence, sleeping on these mattresses ensures undisturbed sleep throughout the night. What’s more, organic latex mattresses, while excellent for all, are especially a good choice for side sleepers or people with body posture problems.
These mattresses can be pricey owing to the abundant advantages they offer. However, it is important to note that not all companies offer natural latex mattresses, and you might encounter synthetic latex mattresses that aren’t eco-friendly. Thus, always check for GOLS certification when buying organic latex foam mattresses for adults online.
2. Polyurethane Foam Mattresses
Polyurethane foam, also known as poly-foam, is one of the least expensive and lowest quality foams used in mattresses. This kind of foam is often used in sofa cushions and primarily comprised of compounds derived from petrochemicals.
Polyurethane foam has been used as the top layer of spring mattresses and as a base layer of some mattresses while replacing spring coils. It can be compressed easily owing to its low density, which works as an advantage of not being an uptight mattress and also saves up a lot on shipping costs!
While it provides softness and support, all polyurethane foam, irrespective of its density, will degrade faster than any other latex foam mattress. Moreover, it does tend to collapse quicker when the pressure is applied. Thus, conclusively, it does not provide the kind of contoured support that memory or latex foam mattresses are known for.
Although polyurethane foam has a high resiliency grade, it doesn’t do a better job than a natural latex mattress. With its bouncy nature, any movement on the mattress is transmitted throughout the whole mattress. Unlike a natural organic mattress, they offer little to no airflow.
3. Memory Foam Mattress
The memory foam mattress is a type of polyurethane foam that consists of additional compounds that change how polyurethane foam feels. This gives rise to the slow-moving property that memory foam is known for; one where, when you press your hand onto the mattress, it holds up the print for a few seconds.
Memory foam is denser than regular foam and provides a much more pinpointed, precise, and comfortable support. There are several benefits of memory foam mattresses, right from providing body-hugging comfort to being able to customise according to the kind of support you seek.
However, although it has several advantages, the sinking property of memory foam establishes the need for constant movement during sleep and might also lead to disturbed sleep for some. It is also heat reactive, which means it absorbs heat. This means it causes sweat and body heat to make you feel hot. In such a scenario, you may have to opt for a cooling filter, which is an addon in the mattress.
Harmful chemicals were used in memory foam to make it comfortable and soft. Even with the use of technology and scientific upgrades, the government’s consideration has helped change the manufacturing of this mattress into healthy and fewer harsh chemicals only.
Plus, it keeps getting softer over time which adds to the sinking issue mentioned above.
4. Gel Foam Mattresses
Gel foam mattresses are a modern take on memory foam mattresses and aim at a more cooling mattress experience. It is the fundamental traditional memory foam mixed with microbeads of gel.
While these provide cooling comfort and a childlike gel mattress experience to sleep on, it is also a phase-changing material in the end. These mattresses can store heat only up to a certain temperature post which it releases heat. However, these mattresses help sleepers stay cool and keep them from getting too cold!
These might come at an expense, yet they are a boon for people who struggle with body temperature issues while sleeping. Even the cooling effect of these mattresses may not last long since they’re made using synthetic materials. They even emit a chemical smell and weigh more than other mattresses.
5. Reflex Foam Mattress
Reflex foam mattresses are made of polyurethane foam branded by ‘Reflex’. It is a high-density, responsive foam that provides the sheer comfort of support and firmness.
It is made up of tiny holes that adapt to body shape and bounce back just as you get up. It is often used in orthopaedic mattresses and offers good spinal alignment. The main advantage of the same is that it is versatile and can take various forms for a mattress.
The drawback of choosing reflex foam mattresses is that if you aren’t too sure about the quality, low-quality foams can release toxic chemicals and sag faster than alternate foam mattress options.
6. Convoluted Foam Mattress
Compared to standard polyfoam mattresses, these mattresses are known to cradle the body, making them an excellent choice for side sleepers, people suffering from back pain, and people who tend to feel hot when sleeping.
These mattresses are cost-efficient and offer comfort along with advantages such as less noise when moving and low maintenance. However, they also come with the disadvantages of short-lived durability, odour potential, and limited scope for options of thickness to choose from.
7. Evlon Foam Mattress
Popularly known as lux or luxe foam, they are renowned for their firm & dense supportive properties, making them a sought-after choice for mattresses and sofas.
Out of its several advantages, the ones that stand out the most are the fact that it renders high-quality comfort at cost-efficient pricing. Moreover, it also lasts for a long time, and its options concerning density are far more than other foam mattresses. The density of Evlon foam mattresses is higher than the average. So it is bulky and heavy, which might be a disadvantage when handling these mattresses.
Conclusion
These are the various kinds of foam mattresses that you can choose from. Among the many types of mattresses listed here, the natural latex mattress tops the list as it provides abundant health benefits while being eco-friendly. This blog is just the preface to your quest to find the perfect foam mattress, so we hope you make the right choice to land the most comfortable one!