Best Memory Foam Mattresses of 2021

People love memory foam mattresses for the multitude of sleep-promoting benefits they offer. Due to their popularity, mattress companies far and wide make and release new models every year. With the variety of comfortable mattresses available today, it can be tough to sort through and find a great one. 

In this post, we review our list of the best memory foam mattresses. Plus, we run through advice on how to make a good choice while comparing different firmness levels, comfort levels, memory foam layers, and other traditional memory foam mattress features. That way, you can land on the best memory foam bed to offer you proper support and unbeatable comfort.

Best Memory Foam Mattress

1. Amerisleep AS3

Amerisleep’s AS3 is not only our favorite memory foam mattress, but it earns our vote for the best mattress of 2021. It has received thousands of reviews and has earned an average rating of 4.5 stars. This bed is the best choice for most shoppers because it’s engineered to have a Goldilocks feel of comfort and support. Its versatility makes it a good fit for back, side, and combination sleepers.

In the AS3s layers and outside cover, it contains high-tech features to help you get deeper, better rest. Let’s talk about how Amerisleep designs its supportive mattresses to enhance your sleep.

First, every AS3 mattress has a soft, lightweight fabric to circulate air through the bed. The airy feel prevents you from feeling hot during the night. The cover is also washable so it’s easy to keep your mattress clean and in good condition.

The comfort layer of Amerisleep’s AS3 is 3 inches of Bio-Pur®, a plant-based memory foam. Amerisleep designs its Bio-Pur® to be more responsive than standard memory foam. It responds to movement in about 3 to 4 seconds… in comparison to traditional memory foam’s 20 to 30-second response time. Bio-Pur’s® responsiveness prevents you from ever feeling “stuck” in the AS3. Because this foam is plant-based, it boosts the bed’s breathability, too.

Bio-Pur® and breathable cover work in tandem to prevent hot nights so you get a good night’s sleep.

Below the layer of Bio-Pur® is 2 inches of Affinity foam with HIVE® technology. HIVE® offers targeted spinal support and promotes healthy sleeping positions. It does this by supporting your feet, torso, and neck while cushioning your shoulders and hips.

The third and final layer of the AS3 is 7 inches of Bio-Core® foam. Bio-Core® functions to support the two layers above and extend the bed’s longevity.

Every Amerisleep mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty. Plus, Amerisleep frequently runs deals on mattresses, so you can slash a couple hundred off the retail price.

2. Zoma Mattress

Next on our list is the Zoma Mattress, a gel memory foam mattress built for athletes. Zoma sells two quality mattresses designed to help you sleep deeper, recover faster, and wake up feeling more refreshed. We like their flagship model since its technologies help you sleep undisturbed and get the healthiest rest.

Zoma Mattress is available in one firmness and its reviews say it feels medium to medium-soft. With that in mind, we can safely recommend Zoma to back and side sleepers. Do note, it may feel too soft for most stomach sleepers.

Zoma has a stretchy, breathable cover so body heat can escape out of the mattress. The first layer of the bed is 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam with Triangulex™ technology. The cooling gel within the memory foam combats body heat to keep your temperature cool. Meanwhile, the memory foam itself molds to your body and relieves pressure.

Triangulex™ technology promotes healthy spinal alignment and prevents uncomfortable sinkage in the bed. It’s firmer under your midsection for extra lifting. Conversely, it’s softer under your shoulders and hips to offer dynamic support.

The second layer of the Zoma Mattress is 2 inches of responsive Reactiv™ foam. Zoma designs this Reactiv™ layer to feel bouncier than traditional memory foam. It keeps you lifted in the bed, serving as a nice buffer between the soft memory foam and the durable base layer.

Last but not least, is the 7-inch core of Support+ foam, a durable poly-foam. Support+ reinforces the layers and sleepers above it. Most importantly, though, it prevents premature wear and tear. Gel memory foam mattresses last, usually, just as long as regular viscoelastic memory foam, but Zoma also backs their bed with a 10-year warranty. Every Zoma also comes with a 100-night sleep trial, too.

3. Vaya Mattress

Those shopping on a tighter budget can’t go wrong with the Vaya Mattress—an affordable bed to suit all sleepers. Despite its low price, it still has a luxurious feel.

Vaya is a medium all-foam mattress with two sleep-boosting layers: 3 inches of Vaya Comfort Foam and 9 inches of durable core foam. These layers offer an even mix of comfort and support to contour to the body while keeping you lifted.

The Vaya is recommended for side, back, and combination sleepers, but stomach sleepers may find this mattress too soft. Vaya’s Comfort Foam molds to the contours of your body and allows for a bit of cradling comfort. Despite its similarities to memory foam, it also has a buoyant response and breathable feel, like latex. The core of the bed is high-quality base foam to resist wear and tear.

Vaya even backs their mattress with a 10-year warranty to guarantee comfortable sleep for the next decade.

Vaya Sleep makes and sells only one mattress, so they do not offer mattress exchanges. Instead, if you buy the Vaya and decide it’s not for you, they’ll issue you a full refund and have your mattress picked up from your home and donated.

Every Vaya Mattress also comes with free shipping and a 100-night sleep trial. You can buy the Vaya online on the Vaya website or Amazon.

4. Bear Pro

Bear is another mattress brand specializing in beds for athletes. They sell two high-quality memory foam mattresses, Bear and Bear Pro. We recommend their Bear Pro, as it has copper-infused foam and gel memory foam to prevent hot nights.

Unlike Zoma, Bear Pro has a medium to medium-firm feel, so it’s a better option for people seeking a firmer mattress for athletes.

Bear recommends this bed for back, side, and stomach sleepers, but it may be too soft for stomach sleepers. You’ll notice a lot of the mattresses on our list are too soft for stomach sleepers, as they need very firm beds. To find reviews of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers, check out our other guides.

Bear integrates Celliant’s® thermoreactive fabric into the cover of their beds. This futuristic cover regulates your temperature and facilitates muscle recovery. And since Celliant® promotes better sleep, it’s thought to help your body recover faster.

The first layer of Bear Pro is 1 inch of copper-infused memory foam. Infusing copper into the foam creates a variety of benefits. For starters, copper is conductive, so it acts like a magnet for your body heat, pulling it away from you and out of the bed. Copper is also antimicrobial, so it fights germs to keep you sleeping clean. The memory foam aspect of this layer contours to your body for instant comfort. Because it’s only 1-inch thick, you shouldn’t expect to sink too far into the bed.

The next layer is 1.5 inches of gel-infused memory foam. The gel in this layer creates a cool sleeping surface and prevents night sweats. It complements the copper-infused foam above in regards to temperature regulation. Lastly, this layer of memory foam offers deep pressure relief, so it can reduce and prevent pains.

Below the gel foam is 2.5 inches of responsive transition foam. Bear fashions this poly-foam to prevent you from sinking too far in the bed. This layer evenly distributes your weight across the mattress and offers balanced support.

The final 7-inch layer of durable poly-foam gives the bed shape and support.

Bear sells their beds online, so they offer a 100-night sleep trial with each mattress. Of course, they also back their mattresses with a 10-year warranty.

5. Lull

The Lull is a new bed-in-a-box mattress brand, but they’ve received over 20,000 5-star reviews to date. Due to its medium, versatile feel, this bed is a good option for almost all sleepers. Reviews of it mention it feels medium-firm, or a 6-7 out of 10 on the firmness scale (10 being the firmest).

The design of the Lull mattress is simple; it contains three layers and stands 10 inches tall. The uppermost layer is 1.5 inches of gel-infused memory foam. Cooling gels in this layer combat body heat, the memory foam molds to your body and relieves pressure.

The second layer is a 1.5-inch layer of poly-foam. It functions, mainly, to distribute body weight and promote proper spinal alignment. Lull designs this layer to be responsive and durable—it holds you more on top of the mattress and offers a “lifted” feel.

The third layer of Lull is 7 inches of supportive poly-foam acting as the base of this bed. This poly-foam gives the two layers above a strong, stable core and reinforces the bed’s shape.

Lull uses polyester and rayon in the cover of their mattress to keep air flowing through the bed.

Like most bed-in-a-box mattresses, the Lull comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

6. Tulo

The Tulo is another memory foam bed in a box. We like this brand because they offer their bed in soft, medium, and firm. Sleepers can choose which firmness meets their needs!

Tulo provides one of the longest sleep trials on our list, giving you 120 nights to test out their mattress. Plus, their beds are available at most Mattress Firms, so you can try them in person before you buy.

The Tulo is 10 inches thick and contains three layers. These layers are consistent between the soft, medium, and firm models. Their differences lie in their firmness. As you can imagine, the top layer in the Soft Tulo is going to feel plush in comparison to the first layer of the firm model.

The cover of each Tulo mattress is a polyester Tencel™ blend to boost this bed’s breathability. The first layer inside the mattress is 2 inches of memory foam with ventilated channels. Because of these air channels, body heat can better dissipate out of the mattress. Tulo also infuses titanium cooling gel into this memory foam to give their bed a cool feel.

The second layer is a 1.5-inch layer of responsive poly-foam with an egg-crate shape. The “peak and valley” design of this foam improves airflow and prevents heat retention.

Below the egg-crate layer is 1.5 inches of reinforced foam. This third layer distributes your body weight to prevent uncomfortable pressure points.

The fourth layer of the Tulo is 4 inches of durable poly-foam. As the core of the mattress, it supports the layers above it.

Tulo backs each of their mattresses with a 10-year warranty.

7. PlushBeds Cool Bliss®

If you’re looking for a mattress that incorporates both memory foam and latex, consider the PlushBeds Cool Bliss®.

The 12-inch Cool Bliss® memory foam mattress is nothing short of luxurious. It contains PlushBeds’ patented gel memory foam to dissipate heat and moisture. Perfect for hot sleepers. Plus, the bouncy latex in their beds prevents the “stuck” feeling some get with memory foam.

Let’s break down the layers of this bed.

The first layer is 3 inches of gel memory foam to offer cooling comfort and pressure relief. Next is a 2-inch layer of 100% ARPICO organic latex. This layer gives the bed some bounce and keeps you lifted on top of the mattress, rather than cradled within.

The third layer of the PlushBeds Cool Bliss® is 2 inches of Air Flow foam, a  porous and breathable poly-foam. Air Flow foam works with the latex and gel memory foams to dissipate body heat and regulate temperature.

The last layer of the Cool Bliss® bed is a 5-inch thick core. Made with durable foams, this layer offers lasting support and prevents sagging.

PlushBeds’ Cool Bliss® is one of the 1 percent of mattresses sold today with a GREENGUARD Gold certification. This means the Cool Bliss® bed is safe for babies and even elderly sleepers. In addition, the Cool Bliss® is CertiPUR-US® and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. With PlushBeds, you won’t have to worry about sleeping on a mattress made with unsafe or harsh chemicals.

PlushBeds rates this bed a 6.5 or 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale. The Cool Bliss® should feel medium to medium-firm and comfortable for side, back, and some stomach sleepers. Every PlushBeds mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 25-year warranty.

8. Sleepyhead

Next up is the budget-friendly Sleepyhead. We like this bed for college housing and shoppers who need something short-term. The Sleepyhead is an affordable—but still comfortable—memory foam bed designed with college students in mind.

It costs only $300 for a Twin XL, which is what most college students are sleeping on, and it stands only 8 inches tall.  The bed has three layers that each work differently to offer support and comfort.

The first layer is 2 inches of gel latex memory foam; this layer contours to your body while dissipating heat out of the mattress to keep you cool. This layer is also designed to distribute your weight evenly across the bed and prevent pressure points from developing.

Next, is a 1-inch layer of responsive poly-foam to keep you lifted in the bed and promote proper posture. Below that layer is this bed’s 5-inch high-density poly-foam core.

Sleepyhead designs their bed to be “not too soft, and not too hard,” so they should feel like a perfect medium. Every Sleepyhead mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

9. Plank

Sleepers wanting an extra-firm foam bed will love Brooklyn Bedding’s Plank. This ultra-firm mattress is stiff as a board and perfect for those wanting a bed that feels notably firm. On the website, Brooklyn Bedding even describes the Plank as a firm bed for sleepers who say a typical firm isn’t enough. (If you prefer some cushioning, or have pressure points, you’ll want to steer clear of the Plank.)

We also like this mattress because of its dual, flippable firmness. This means one side of the bed has one firmness, and the other side has another. With the Plank, one side is firm, and the other is extra-firm. Both sides have cooling technologies to prevent hot nights. Plus, both sides do feature a thin layer of quilting to provide slight cushion.

Brooklyn Bedding offers a 120-night sleep trial with their Plank mattress. And if you like the bed, it’s backed by a 10-year warranty.

10. Zinus

The last memory foam mattress in our list is an affordable bed with a luxury feel, Amazon’s best-selling Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress. This bed is available in a few variations, with 6-, 8-, 20-, and 12-inch thickness options. The thicker the mattress, the softer the feel. We recommend the 12-inch option for the most pressure relief and comfort.

Zinus’s Green Tea Memory Foam model has three layers, a super soft-to-the-touch cover, and green tea extract for freshness. The comfort layer is contouring memory foam for pain relief. Next, is a high-density poly-foam transition layer for dynamic support. Last, is a thick, durable base layer for long-lasting comfort.

Now, we should mention, Zinus’s thinner Green Tea models may be suitable for those on tighter budgets or sleepers who like firmer beds. That said, the 12-inch option is raved about the most in reviews of previous purchases. We suggest taking advantage of the sleep trial to see what’s right for you.

Like most other online memory foam mattress brands, Zinus backs their bed with a 10-year limited warranty.

Read More: Mattress Size and Dimensions Guide

What is Memory Foam?

Memory foam is a poly-foam modified to have both viscous and elastic properties. It’s otherwise known as viscoelastic polyurethane foam or just viscoelastic foam. When you lay on a memory foam bed, the top layer of foam reacts to your body weight and heat, and contours to your shape. Many describe the feel of a memory foam mattress like a “big hug” because it molds so closely to your body and cradles you in the bed.

Memory foam’s origins are back to the 1960s. It was then that NASA developed the material to make pressure-relieving seat cushions for their rockets. However, due to its pressure-relieving abilities, this material eventually made its way into mattresses. Now, it’s one of the best materials to help sleepers combat pain and stiffness.

Now, almost every single mattress out there includes memory foam in some way. (Whether it’s in the pillow top of an innerspring or acting as extra cushioning in a latex bed.) For sleepers wanting the full benefits of sleeping on memory foam, we recommend a memory foam mattress… instead of another mattress type that merely incorporates the material in a few layers.

Types of Memory Foam

There are many types of foams found in mattresses today. During your search, you’ll find most beds include a layer of poly-foam. However, standard poly-foam is not memory foam. It’s dire to understand these differences. That way, you can know what to expect from your new mattress.

There are three main types of memory foam: traditional, plant-based, and gel-infused.

Many brands advertise selling “open-cell” foams; however, that’s largely a marketing term. All memory foam found in a mattress is open-cell. Closed-cell foams are in products such as exercise mats. They have a very different feel, and you likely will not find closed-cell foams in any mattress. Don’t get too caught up in the “open-cell” marketing or let that impact your decision, because any bed you look at will tote that same feature.

Now, let’s break down the differences between the various memory foams.

• Traditional: Traditional memory foam is the most common. It offers that “hug” feeling most sleepers are looking for out of a memory foam mattress. Traditional foam is the least responsive, so it allows for significant sinkage. The main complaint sleepers have with traditional memory foam is that it sleeps hot.

• Plant-based: Traditional memory foam requires a lot of chemicals. As you may guess, the use of these chemicals often results in the bed giving off an unpleasant smell. While this smell does go away, most people prefer to not sleep on a chemical-smelling bed. To address these concerns, bedding brands have begun manufacturing plant-based foams. During manufacturing, a large amount of petrochemicals is replaced with castor bean oil, bamboo, tea, soy, or Aloe Vera. The result? A mattress that’s more breathable, eco-friendly, and better smelling than traditional memory foam.

• Gel-infused: As we mentioned, many sleepers avoid traditional memory foam because it tends to trap heat. To combat concerns of overheating, companies created gel-infused foams. Brands also infuse their gel foams with materials such as copper and graphite to dissipate body heat. However, many mattress reviews of gel-foam beds mention the cooling gels only lasting for so long. While they help you stay cool long enough to fall asleep, they don’t usually prevent middle-of-the-night night sweats. If you’re a particularly hot sleeper, you may need to use additional cooling accessories, such as cooling sheets or pillows.

Cooling and Temperature Regulation

It’s not uncommon to hear of people “sleeping hot.” Night sweats are especially prevalent amongst memory foam mattress owners. If you’re waking up often in the night to kick off the covers, make sure your next memory foam mattress has the technology to keep you cool.

We discussed gel-infused foams above, but there are other things to look for in a cooling mattress.

First, look at the cover of the bed. Is it made with a thin, stretchy material, or is it thick and cozy? Thinner, breathable fabrics, such as cotton, let hot air escape and prevent heat retention.

Next, check to see if your bed has any ventilated channels. These little “pathways” in the foam give hot air an easy escape route.

Lastly, read the product description to see if the bed has any extra cooling technologies. Some brands fashion their foams to be more breathable. Others include gel infusions to regulate your body temperature.

If a brand has taken strides to offer a “cooling” bed, they’ll be sure to make it known on their website or product description page. Just try not to get too caught up in all the marketing gimmicks.

Read More: Best Cooling Mattress

Responsiveness

Responsiveness refers to how quickly foam bounces back to its original shape after pressure is removed. Foam with slow responsiveness allows for more sinking in the bed, while foams that are quicker to respond are bouncier.

Traditional memory foam usually has the slowest response time. If you press your hand down into one of these beds, it’ll take about 20 or 30 seconds for the foam to regain its shape after you move your hand. If you’re a fan of a “sinking,” “cradling” bed, then traditional memory foam is for you. But, if you’re weary of feeling “stuck” in your mattress, you’ll want to choose a memory foam bed with more responsive foams.

Many brands modify their foams to be more responsive than traditional memory foam, so you won’t have to worry about uncomfortable sinkage.

Edge Support

Edge support is, as the name implies, support around the edge of the mattress. For some people, edge support plays a major role when deciding which bed to buy. But for others, it’s not so important.

If you’re pressed for sleeping space, you might want to find a mattress with reinforced edges. Edge support stops you from sliding off the bed.

Memory foam beds with good edge support usually have firmer foams near the sides or include strong foam rails.

Density

Density refers to the weight of the foam; a heavier weight denotes a higher foam density. However,  density and thickness are not related— just because a layer is thicker does not mean it is denser.

Higher-density foams are the most durable. If you’re looking at a mattress that incorporates layers of high-density foams, you can expect it to be long-lasting. However, the chief complaint with high-density foams is heat retention. Look for a foam bed with a mix of high and low-density foams.

Density is measured in pounds per cubic foot (PCF). If a layer of foam has a density of 3 PCF, that means one cubic foot of that foam layer would weigh three pounds.

Below, we break down the three tiers of density:

• Low: < 3.5 PCF
• Medium: 3.5 – 5.0 PCF
• High: 5.0 >

In most mattresses, the higher density foams are the first one or two layers, while the low-density foams are found in the core and base layers. This is because the first half of the mattress absorbs your weight, and it’s up to those top layers to keep you comfortably supported. The core layers function mainly to reinforce the durable foams above.

Thickness

After considering the density of each layer, look at the thickness of each layer. Many memory foam beds contain anywhere from two to five layers. The thickness of these layers plays a major role in the overall feel of the bed.

Say we’re comparing two 2-layered beds. One has a 2-inch top layer, the other has a 4-inch top layer. You can expect the one with a 4-inch top layer to offer more cushioning comfort because it has two more inches for you to sink into.

Just because a bed has more layers doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. If you’re looking at two 10-inch mattresses, and one has three layers while the other has five, you can expect the 3-layer bed to be more comfortable. Why? The bed with five layers contains thinner foams in comparison to its counterpart. Thinner foams equal less comfort and more firmness.

A good rule of thumb is to look for a mattress with less than five layers and ensure the bed has at least 2 inches of memory foam in the uppermost layer.

Off-gassing

Off-gassing refers to the chemical-like smell some new foam beds give off and is a common complaint associated with memory foam. Usually, this off-gassing scent is not long-lasting and dissipates after only a few days.

However, if the scent does not fade away, it’s a clear sign you’re sleeping on a bed full of chemicals. Should you ever find yourself in such a situation, return your mattress. Sleeping on a bed of harsh-smelling chemicals can take a toll on your health.

Many brands aim to prevent off-gassing altogether by using plant-based, eco-friendly foams. Because these foams only contain a fraction of the petrochemicals found in traditional memory foam, they’re a lot less likely to off-gas.

Sleeping Positions and Firmness

When browsing mattresses, you’ll see they’re carried in a variety of firmness levels and often compared on a “firmness scale.” This firmness scale ranges from 1 to 10; 10 is the firmest, and 1 is the softest. Most beds fall between 3-8 on this scale.

If you’ve never bought a bed before, it can be tricky to determine whether you’d be more comfortable on a soft or firm mattress. However, you can narrow down your ideal firmness options rather quickly by reflecting on how you sleep.

Side Sleepers

Side sleeping is the most common position. To appeal to the majority, many brands design their beds to be comfortable for side sleepers. Meaning, side sleepers should never be short of mattress options.

When you sleep on your side, your hips and shoulders take on all of your body weight. If your bed is not soft or pressure-relieving enough, this weight can create pain points in those major joints. However, side sleepers still need spinal support to prevent their torso from dipping too far in the bed. For that reason, the best mattresses for side sleepers are medium in firmness.

Medium mattresses offer an even balance of comfort and support. These beds will cushion your hips and shoulders while you sleep on your side, but they’re still equipped to maintain neutral spinal alignment and prevent lower back pain.

Back Sleepers

Sleeping on your back allows your spine, hips, and pelvis to relax in a neutral position. If you’re prone to back pains, back sleeping can promote better posture and prevent future discomfort.

Back sleepers have a little more freedom when choosing how firm their mattress should be. Since they’re already resting in a healthy position, they just need a bed that’ll hold their body in proper alignment from head to toe.

Depending on body weight, the ideal mattress could be medium, medium-firm, medium-soft, or firm. Back sleepers should take caution when considering overly soft mattresses. If your mattress is too soft, it can cause your hips to sink too far and throw your spine out of alignment.

Stomach Sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach is rather unhealthy, as it puts excess pressure on your spinal column. Considering how common back pain is, it’s best to avoid putting extra stress on your spine. If you’re a stomach sleeper, we recommend switching to side or back sleeping to avoid chronic pain.

If you do choose to sleep on your stomach, you’ll need a very firm bed to hold your body in a neutral position and prevent your torso from sinking too far.

Pros and Cons of Memory Foam

Throughout this article, we’ve briefly mentioned some of the benefits and downsides to owning a memory foam mattress. In this section, we break down those pros and cons so you can decide if one of these mattresses will work for you.

Pros of Memory Foam

• Pain and pressure-point relief. Because memory foam contours to your body, it reduces pressure on your joints and spine. Memory foam’s pressure relief helps eliminate current pains and prevent future discomfort. Many of the best mattresses for back pain relief are memory foam.
• Evenly distributes body weight. Memory foam responds to your body’s heat and pressure to offer all-over comfort and evenly distribute your body weight. Because it helps distribute your weight evenly, memory foam can prevent pressure points from forming.
• Little maintenance. Some mattresses can be a hassle to maintain because they need to be rotated or flipped every so often, but not memory foam! Many memory foam mattress brands actually suggest against rotating or flipping their beds. Most modern mattresses are made to support your body a certain way, so they must be used on the proper side for the best sleep.
• Hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant. Because memory foam is so dense, it’s naturally dust-mite resistant. Memory foam is also hypoallergenic, so it’s great for allergy sufferers.
• Motion isolation. If you share your mattress with a restless partner, then memory foam is for you. Memory foam limits motion transfer throughout the bed because it’s adaptive. So, if you change sleeping positions on your side of the bed, the foam underneath you will adapt to your changing movements. And it won’t create a ripple effect through the rest of the foam. This allows your partner to sleep soundly on the other side of the mattress.

Cons of Memory Foam

• Traps heat. Because memory foam does mold so closely to your body, it tends to trap body heat within its material. However, heat retention shouldn’t be an issue with more advanced foam.
• Heavy. Memory foam beds are quite heavy. But as we mentioned earlier, they don’t need to be rotated or flipped. So their weight only poses a problem if you need to move the mattress from one bedroom to another or house-to-house.
• Not waterproof. A memory foam mattress is practically one giant sponge, so if you spill a drink on your bed or your pet has an accident, that liquid is just going to be absorbed into the mattress. To protect your bed, buy a waterproof mattress protector. However, if the day comes where you ever spill on your mattress and the protector isn’t enough (or you don’t have one) to save your bed, carefully blot up the liquid and use gentle cleaners to freshen up the affected area.
• Potentially expensive. We all know a new mattress isn’t necessarily a cheap purchase, but if you’re working on a tight budget, one of these beds may not be practical.
• Off-gassing. Because the production of memory foam involves a number of petrochemicals, these beds can have an unpleasant, chemical-like scent when you first sleep on them. Most off-gassing smells dissipate within a few days, and many brands use plant-based, eco-friendly foams in their beds to eliminate off-gassing.

Bed in a Box Mattresses vs. In-store Brands

After you’ve done some research, it’s time to determine where to buy your next bed. Should you shop online or go to your local mattress retailer? The answer to this largely depends upon your personal preferences.

Bed in a box mattresses and the ones you’d buy in-store really only differ in their method of delivery. A bed in a box is shipped to your doorstep in a few business days while mattresses from retailers are delivered white glove (or you’re responsible for transporting them home).

If you prefer to shop in-store and have the extra funds to pay for white glove delivery or the means to haul your mattress home yourself, then you’re probably better off heading to a local retailer and shopping for beds the old-fashioned way. Doing this allows you to try the bed before you buy it and address any questions or concerns in person.

However, if you’re more of an online shopper, you’ll likely enjoy shopping with a bed in a box brand. Because these online brands sell direct-to-consumer, you can usually save a couple of hundred dollars by buying online— as many mattress retailers hike up the price of their beds to ensure all parties make a profit. The only downfall to buying online is not having the opportunity to feel the bed before you buy, but many brands mitigate this concern by offering extensive risk-free sleep trials.

Mattress Types

If you’re to the end of this article and feel like a memory foam mattress may not be for you, consider some of these other mattress types.

Latex

Latex beds are great for people who want the pain-relieving benefits of memory foam without all the softness. Latex is more responsive than memory foam, so it holds you more on top of the bed. Many reviews of latex mattresses mention these beds feel firmer than memory foam options.

If you’re interested in a latex bed, choose a bed made with all-natural latex instead of synthetic blends. Synthetic latex is not very durable and is made with a lot of chemicals, so it usually has a pretty unpleasant smell.

Hybrid

If you like the bounciness of an innerspring mattress or are a particularly hot sleeper, consider a hybrid. Hybrid mattresses combine foam layers with an inner coil system to offer the benefits of both all-foam and innerspring beds while eliminating their downsides.

The foam layers in a hybrid offer the cushioning comfort and pain-relieving perks of an all-foam bed, but because they have a coil system inside, these beds are very breathable, and you won’t ever have to worry about hot air being stuck inside the mattress. Like all-foam mattresses, most hybrids work with adjustable bases, too.

Furthermore, these beds give you all the bounce you could ever want out of an innerspring, but because they have layers of foam, you don’t have to worry about feeling the durable springs below you.

Because hybrids aim to offer the best of both worlds and integrate many high-quality materials, they often come with a hefty price tag.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are as old as the mattress industry itself but have stood the test of time because they’re both comfortable and supportive.

Innerspring mattresses have an inner coil system inside, but they lack an abundance of foam layers. Any cushion these beds provide comes from their soft pillow top. If you like a very bouncy bed and aren’t worried about pressure-relief or motion isolation, an innerspring is likely for you.

However, if you’re seeking a bed to promote healthy sleep positions or prevent pain, a hybrid or all-foam bed is better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a memory foam mattress comfortable?

Memory foam mattresses are comfortable for those who prefer a cushioning or cradling feeling from their bed. We suggest these mattresses for those with aches and pains, too, because they’re so pressure-relieving.

Memory foam beds come in a variety of firmness options, so you can easily find one to fit your needs and sleep preferences. Hot sleepers may find these beds uncomfortable, though, so if you’re a hot sleeper interested in a memory foam mattress, it’s best to look one for cooling technologies. Not to mention, hybrid mattresses are also great for hot sleepers since they don’t have as much memory foam as all-foam options.

Are memory foam mattresses good for back pain?

Memory foam mattresses are some of the best for alleviating back pain. These beds mold to your body to alleviate pressure and eliminate discomfort. Many memory foam beds have zoned technologies, too. These are especially helpful for those with back pain because they promote healthy spinal alignment and offer deeper pressure relief.

Do you need a box spring with a memory foam mattress?

We actually recommend against using box springs with memory foam beds. Why? These foundations can damage foam and cause premature sagging. Box springs typically consist of a wooden frame with an inner coil system, these coils work to absorb shock and offer extra bounce. While they’re great for innersprings, their bouncy support can cause foam mattresses to wear unevenly.

Instead, memory foam mattresses work with solid or slatted foundations. (Just note, slats in slatted foundations should be no more than 3 inches apart.) Memory foam beds also pair with platform beds, adjustable bed frames, and mattress foundations.

If you have a box spring that you wish to keep using, you can make it work by placing a ¾-inch piece of moisture-resistant plywood (or a bunkie board) across the top. This creates a solid surface for your memory foam mattress.

Should you flip or rotate a memory foam mattress?

Unless labeled as “dual-sided” or “flippable,” memory foam mattresses should not be flipped. Most often, these beds are designed with a specific construction, with comfort layers on top and support layers on the bottom. When you flip one of these beds, you end up sleeping on the sturdy core, which isn’t very comfortable.

Memory foam mattresses should be rotated periodically, though. Typically, it’s best to rotate these beds every three to six months. Rotating these mattresses evens out wear and tear so you don’t experience sagging.

To rotate these beds, move all furniture out of the way, lift the mattress and turn it so it’s parallel with the headboard. Then, turn it again so the head of the bed is now where the feet go and vice versa.

How long do memory foam mattresses last?

Memory foam mattresses, like all beds, do break down over time. They have a longer lifespan than innerspring and hybrid mattresses, though, lasting approximately 7 to 10 years before needing to be replaced. Latex mattresses are the longest-lasting, with an average lifespan of 15 years.

You can gauge the quality and lifespan of your bed by looking at its materials, too. If a foam bed is made with nothing but low-density foam layers, chances are it’ll break down sooner. If a bed has a mixture of high and low-density foams, you can expect it to last a while.

Conclusion

We hope our guide has helped you decide if a memory foam mattress is right for you. If memory foam sounds appealing, you should be ready to start your mattress search. But, if you’re still unsure, check out our other guides to compare different mattresses.

This article is for informational purposes and should not replace advice from your doctor or another medical professional.