Latex vs. Memory Foam – What’s Best For You?

Latex and memory foam are two of the most popular materials used in luxury mattresses today. Latex Foam is hailed for its durability, responsiveness, and natural properties. Memory Foam is well-liked for its low motion transfer, dramatic contour and hug, and use across many products where comfort is a priority.

Both latex and memory foam have pros and cons, but which type is best for you?

Let’s dive into this guide and find out how they’re similar, how they’re different, and which mattress type may work best for you.

In This Comparison
Best Models | Comparison | Latex Foam | Memory Foam | Summary | FAQ

Mattress Type	Best For	Average Price	Average Performance
Latex Foam	Natural material, can be organic, restrained body-contouring hug	$1,621	8.56
Memory Foam	Deeper contour, low motion transfer, incredible pressure relief	$1,139	8.10

Memory Foam vs. Latex Foam—Which is Better?

We conduct data-driven and objective tests for every mattress we review (see how we test here). Each mattress has 64 individual data points that are recorded and analyzed.

The comparison chart below looks at the average performance for each category based on all relevant mattresses we have tested to date.

Testing Factors	Latex	Memory Foam	Average Mattress
Top Picks	Best Latex Mattresses	Best Memory Foam Mattresses	Best Mattresses (All)
Average Price (Queen)	$1,621	$1,139	$1,555
Overall Score	8.56	8.11	8.53
Cooling	8.9	7.9	8.6
Motion Transfer	8.2	8.6	8.2
Response Time	10	7.6	8.7
Edge Support	8.3	8.1	8.7
Sex	8.3	7.0	8.2
Pressure Relief	8.3	8.4	8.6
Off-Gassing	7.6	7.7	7.9
Company	8.5	8.9	8.8
Sinkage	2.18″	2.17″	2.26″
Bounce	8.87″	5.92″	8.62″

What mattress is best for whom? It depends on what you’re looking for. The table below highlights the best mattress type for each category.

Best For	Winner
Overall Performance	Latex Foam
Best for Cooling	Latex Foam
Lowest Motion Transfer	Memory Foam
Fastest Response Time	Latex Foam
Best Edge Support	Latex Foam
Best for Sex	Latex Foam
Best for Pressure Relief	Memory Foam
Best for Off-Gassing	Memory Foam
Best Company Score	Memory Foam
Best for Balanced Feel	Latex Foam
Best for Less Sinkage	Memory Foam
Best for More Sinkage	Latex Foam
Best for Low Bounce	Memory Foam
Best for High Bounce	Latex Foam
Best for Budgets (lowest average price)	Memory Foam

You should consider a latex foam mattress if you’re looking for:

• Better overall performance
• Better cooling
• Fast material response time
• Better edge support
• A more generalized hug
• More sinkage
• More bounce
• Prefer natural/organic material

You should consider a memory foam mattress if you’re looking for:

• Less motion transfer
• Better pressure relief
• A more dramatic contour
• Less bounce
• Faster off-gassing
• Greater affordability

What Is Latex Foam?

Latex foam is a durable material used in mattresses, pillows, and other bedding products. It’s produced from the milky white sap of the rubber tree. After extraction, liquid latex goes through the Talalay or Dunlop process. The end product is latex foam.

Natural latex is the only natural foam on the market—hence its higher price. While all latex made with rubber tree sap is natural, not all latex is organic. There are additional requirements for a latex foam to meet organic certifications.

The cells inside latex foam contain air and may have different sizes and shapes. Since they’re filled with air, the foam is more breathable than many other types of foam. Plus, it can quickly spring back to its initial shape.

There are two major types of latex, Dunlop and Talaly. Generally, Dunlop foam is denser and more durable than Talalay foam. Dunlop foam is more commonly used as a support foam. Dunlop foam also requires less energy to produce.

However, Dunlop is not as soft or pressure relieving compared to Talalay latex. Talalay is generally considered a superior foam for comfort and pressure relief.

What Does Latex Foam Feel Like?

Latex is highly responsive and able to adapt to your shape more easily. On one hand, this helps prevent excessive sinking. However, it also means that the contouring hug isn’t as dramatic.

For back and stomach sleepers, this is less of an issue, but some side sleepers may find the support dynamic isn’t quite right with latex.

A frequent descriptor of latex mattresses is “buoyant” because it often has a sensation that is closer to floating atop the mattress rather than sinking down into it.

Advantages of Latex Foam

#1. Fast Response Time

While modern memory foam is far more responsive than the earliest versions, it still is relatively slower to respond compared to latex.

This means once the memory foam has contoured to your shape, it can take up to several seconds before it is able to release the contour and adapt to the new pressure being applied to the mattress.

Latex is almost always more responsive than memory foam and many other materials. For many sleepers, this helps prevent any “stuck” feeling while sleeping on the mattress. See the video above for a response time comparison of latex vs. memory foam.

#2. Better Cooling

Latex foam has superior cooling abilities compared to memory foam. As mentioned earlier, this material features multiple cells that allow for airflow. See the thermal cooling videos below.

Memory foam tends to retain more body heat. However, newer materials and technologies, such as gel memory foam (among others), are designed to reduce heat retention, increase airflow, and keep you cool at night.

#3. Natural Material With No Synthetic Smells

Latex will typically have a rubbery smell during the first several days of use. 

• If you’re concerned about strong smells, unpack your new mattress in a well-ventilated area. 
• Keep the windows open after placing the mattress on your bed. 
• You may also use fans to increase air circulation and get rid of unpleasant smells. 

Disadvantages of Latex Foam

#1. Not As Affordable

Latex mattresses are typically significantly more expensive than memory foam mattresses. On average, they are about $480 more expensive for a queen size.

Depending on the above factors, you can expect to pay about $1,600 or higher for a (queen-sized) latex mattress. 

This material isn’t cheap, but it typically lasts longer than memory foam.

#2. High Motion Transfer

While latex foam’s responsiveness makes general movement easier, it also doesn’t absorb energy as well as other foam types. This means you’re more likely to feel your partner tossing and turning in bed.

In our tests, we can usually see the motion ripple through the latex foam as it travels through the mattress more visibly than most other material types.

#3. Slightly Worse Pressure Relief

All-latex mattresses offer a unique feel that we’ve found to be more polarizing than other mattress types. Especially when it comes to its floating sensation and the generalized hug, those who are accustomed to plush, traditional mattresses may find this unappealing.

Side sleepers, in particular, may find this feel off-putting, and we know that 86% of people are side sleepers at least some of the time (based on a NapLab survey of 70,000 people).

What is Memory Foam?

Memory foam is a man-made foam made from polyurethane and other chemicals that provides a high level of body-contouring and hug as you lie on the mattress. You’ll sometimes see memory foam labeled as viscoelastic polyurethane foam.

It is the viscoelasticity that makes memory foam memory foam. That’s what gives it the unique hug and body contouring.

Lastly, it’s important to know that not all memory foam is created equal. Memory foam has no legal definition. As a result, we see memory foam quality, performance, density, and feel ranging widely.

What does memory foam feel like?

The feel of memory foam is marked by deeper contouring and hug around the body. Memory foam conforms to the contours of your body as you sleep, providing better pressure relief and spinal support.

You know the visual of the hand being pressed into the mattress? And when it is removed, the handprint remains? That is traditional memory foam.

Advantages of Memory Foam

#1. Deeper, More Dramatic Hug

If you like the feeling of your mattress hugging you, memory foam is a great choice. Especially for side sleepers, this deeper hug helps to relieve pressure points along your hips, spine, and shoulders.

#2. Minimal Motion Transfer

Because traditional memory foam has a denser feel, motion is absorbed into the foam instead of reverberating back (like you may experience on a coil mattress). This can be a real advantage for sensitive sleepers or those who are easily disturbed by partners who toss and turn.

The chart above shows motion transfer in our test of the Loom & Leaf, a luxury memory foam mattress. As you can see, there is an initial energy spike at the point where the ball was dropped in our tests, but that energy dissipates very quickly.

For comparison, here is a similar motion transfer chart on the Birch latex mattress, which uses latex foam and coils. As you can see, it’s a more significant energy spike, and the energy continues to bounce across the mattress for over 1 full second.

Disadvantages of Memory Foam

#1. Heat Retention

Traditional memory foams sometimes struggle with heat retention. When body heat gets trapped in memory foam, it can be hard for that heat to dissipate through the mattress. This is just the nature of many viscoelastic poly foams.

Some memory foams try to counteract this by having an open-cell structure or by including additives in the foam like cooling gel or a copper-infusions.

But especially when compared to the perforated design of latex, it is hard for memory foam to compete in this category.

#2. Worse Edge Support

Memory foam can sometimes create worse edge support, as foam tends to allow for more compression.

Among all memory foam mattresses we’ve tested to date, we do see a range of performance. Even though many memory foam mattresses struggle in this area, not all do. Memory foam is not a singular material. It is a classification of a material type with a wide spectrum of performance and quality.

Memory Foam vs. Memory Foam Hybrids

I will add that if you aren’t looking for 100% foam, memory foam hybrids could be a good option, as they perform better regarding both of these disadvantages.

See our top-rated memory foam hybrids here.

Memory foam hybrids have a pocketed coil base, which improves airflow for better cooling performance and enhances edge support (as most hybrid mattresses use reinforced coils at the edges).

Which is right for you?

So you’ve made it this far… how do you know which mattress is right for you?

Latex foam mattresses are better if you’re looking for:

• Natural and/or organic materials
• Well-rounded performance
• Better cooling
• Faster response time
• Better edge support
• Better sex

Best Latex Foam Mattresses

Memory foam mattresses are better if you’re looking for:

• More hug and contour
• Less bounce
• Minimal noise
• Less motion transfer
• Better pressure relief

Best Memory Foam Mattresses

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