Memory, latex, and reflex foams have different feels and price points.
Reflex foam is the cheapest and firmest material, usually the primary foam in pure foam mattresses and a padding layer in some open coil ones.
Memory foam is an entirely different material. It is still based on polyurethane but has an open or closed cell structure to provide a soft or firm feel. It conforms to your body and retains its imprint for a few seconds after you get up.
Latex foam—natural or synthetic—also conforms to your body, but it is resilient, bouncing back instantly when you get up. It provides better support than memory foam and aids mobility, making it easier to toss and turn in bed.
Which is right for you? We provide more colour below.
Reflex foam mattresses
Reflex foam is a polyurethane foam that has tiny holes to allow compression but no elasticity, giving it a firm surface without retaining shape.
It’s an excellent material for firm mattresses because the foam doesn’t collapse under your weight – it resists and constantly pushes back.
That resistance makes reflex foam perfect for a thin, pure foam mattress.
Most reflex foam mattresses are on the cheaper end. Children’s and thinner foam mattresses use reflex foam—a prime example is the Giltedge Beds Flex 150 (15cm thick with firm support).
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Flex 150 Firm 4FT Small Double Mattress. Priced £223 (Save £95 on RRP).
Latex foam is available as a natural or synthetic product.
The natural version is made from the sap of the rubber tree. It’s firm and bouncy with elastic properties, bouncing back immediately after deformation.
Natural latex absorbs more energy than reflex and memory foam, providing superior motion isolation and a better sleep surface for couples.
Latex foam is also superior for edge support because the foam structure is resilient against deformation and isolates load to the first few centimetres.
Synthetic latex foam is made from styrene-butadiene rubber to mimic the characteristics of the natural version – and it does a good job.
Latex foam mattresses are usually more expensive than memory and reflex foam ones, but in return, you get an unbeatable support system.
Memory foam is available as an open-cell or closed-cell foam—both are polyurethane derivatives with varying pinhole sizes to change the firmness level.
Memory foam's body-conforming abilities are unequaled thanks to its changeability with heat—your body heat softens the foam, making it collapse under your weight to hug every curve tightly.
Latex and reflex foams can’t match memory foams for squishiness and pressure support, but memory foam does have a weakness – heat and support.
Memory foam does not provide any support (springs do all the work) and traps heat, making it a warm sleeping surface. Memory gel technology solves that issue with tiny gel beads that dissipate heat.
