If you toss and turn all night and pray for morning, or you wake up achy or tired, what kind of mattress would you want to sleep on? Honestly, you would probably be happy to sleep on ANY mattress which could help you sleep like a baby again. But obviously because you are reading this, you are someone who hopes investing in a high quality mattress is a good move, and you want the best memory foam mattress to improve the quality of your and your partner’s sleep.
The interactive chart of memory foam mattresses below and the following analysis will help you decide what the best memory foam mattress is for you.
Ultimate Mattress Comparison Guide and key
| Memory Foam Mattresses | Density (lb/ft^3) | Total Thickness (inches) | Memory Foam Thickness (inches) | Firmness | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sleep Innovations 12-Inch SureTemp Memory Foam Mattress | 3 | 12 | 2.5" SureTemp Memory Foam | Medium | $$ | 4.5 |
Sleep Innovations 10-Inch SureTemp Memory Foam Mattress | 3 | 10 | 3" SureTemp Memory Foam | Medium | $$ | 4.4 |
DynastyMattress New Cool Breeze 12-Inch GEL Memory Foam Mattress | 4 | 12 | 7", including: --3" GEL Memory Foam --Dual 2" State of the Art Cool Airflow Foam | Med-Firm | $$$ | 4.4 |
DynastyMattress Therapeutic Deluxe 10-inch Mattress with Memory Foam & Cool AirFlow HD Memory Foam | 4 | 10 | 7", including: --3" GEL Memory Foam --Dual 2" State of the Art Cool Airflow Foam | Med-Firm | $$ | 4.6 |
DynastyMattress Deluxe 10-Inch Memory Foam Short Mattress for RV, Camper | 4 | 10 | 7", including: --3" GEL Memory Foam --Dual 2" State of the Art Cool Airflow Foam | Med-Firm | $$ | 4.8 |
10-inch Luxury Memory Foam Mattress by Red Nomad | 2.5 | 10 | 3 | Med-Firm | $$ | 4.6 |
DynastyMattress 10-inch Cool Gel Memory Foam Mattress | 4 | 10 | 5", including: --3" GEL 4lb Density Open Cell Memory Foam --2" State of the Art Cool Airflow Foam | Med-Firm | $$$ | 4.5 |
DynastyMattress NEW Luxury Grand 15-Inch Memory Foam Mattress | 5 | 15 | 7.5 | Med-Soft | $$$$ | 4.6 |
| Memory Foam Mattresses | Density (lb/ft^3) | Total Thickness (inches) | Memory Foam Thickness (inches) | Firmness | Price (Queen Size) | Rating |
Want to See Even More Mattresses? Click Here to See Our Full List of Over 40 Mattresses
Included in the matrix are 7 columns:
- Memory foam mattress brand, name/model and pictures – (click to view more details or to purchase)
- Density – Pounds per cubic foot (lbs/ft^3) (Learn more)
- Total Thickness – Combined memory foam upper layer and regular foam base layer thickness in inches. (The secret of mattress construction)
- Memory Foam Thickness – Memory foam upper layer thickness in inches
- Firmness – We generally classify our mattresses into 5 grades of firmness: soft, med-soft, medium, med-firm and firm. (Learn more)
- Price – Generally speaking: $ = under $200, $$ = $200 to $400, $$$ = $400 to $600, $$$$ = $600+. These are approximate prices of Queen size mattresses on Amazon and change frequently based on special promotions, availability and more.
- Rating – The average rating based on Amazon customer reviews. This can help you to decide whether people are satisfied with their purchase
*Use filtering dropdown boxes above the table and click on any table headers and to sort the data to help you make your decision easier.
The memory foam mattresses included on this chart only begin to scratch the surface actually. There is no way we could have listed everything because so many manufacturers and models exist. However, this chart includes many exceptional mattresses from a wide variety of quality makers and at every price range.
Contents
- What is Memory Foam?
- Memory Foam Density
- Memory Foam Mattress Firmness
- 8 Reasons For Price Differences
- The Importance of the Bed Frame/Mattress Foundation
- Top 5 Benefits of Buying a Memory Foam Mattress Online
- How To Find the best memory foam mattress That Meets Your Needs
- Your turn
What is Memory Foam?
You’ve undoubtedly heard NASA created Memory Foam. Images of astronauts who are sleeping on the high technology surface jump into your head immediately. Not so fast! Memory foam was first designed to improve the aircraft cushions’ safety in 1966. It is mainly made from polyurethane (also known as visco-elastic polyurethane) which makes it both soft and highly energy absorbent. In response to pressure and heat, memory foam molds to the body, and then distributes body weight evenly. Once you remove the pressure and heat, it returns to its original shape. This property makes memory foam mattress one of the most comfortable mattresses. Memory foam mattress is also well known as the best mattress for back pain.
Unfortunately, this property also reduces air circulation and retains heat around your body. This may be helpful in winter to keep warm, but it is definitely a down side in the summer. So the 2nd generation memory foam with open cell structure and the 3rd generation memory foam (also known as Gel visco or gel memory foam) were successively invented to reduce trapped body heat.
The most common complaint about memory foam mattress is off gassing odor. That means that when the mattress is new, it may give off a chemical-like gas or odor because of the mattress chemical composition and packaging. In most cases, the odor will diminish by putting the mattress in a well-ventilated room in less than a week (How to fix odor problems). For this reason, approximately 1 to 2 percent of owners return their mattresses. (Back to Chart)
Memory Foam Density
The memory foam density determines many differences between brands / models as well as many characteristics of mattress. You can often learn much by knowing the density of a memory foam mattress.
The most common and popular densities with consumers today are 2.5lbs, 3lbs, 4lbs and 5lbs. Foam density is measured in PCF (pounds per cubic foot). To make sure the mattress will offer adequate comfort and support to you and your family, it is important and necessary to know the actual foam density. Typically, the higher the foam density is, the more support and durability the mattress will provide, and the more expensive of course.
Correct support plays a key role in maintaining a healthy body. A quality mattress should support your body at the shoulders and hips, where most of our weight is concentrated, so that your spine is well kept in its natural curves and proper alignment. Foam density and foam firmness are independent of each other. We’ll talk about it below.
It’s easy to figure out the density of a specific memory foam mattress. All you need is the sizes and weight of the memory foam layer then do some simple math.(Back to Chart)
Memory Foam Mattress Firmness
On this issue, the biggest myth is that foam density is what makes a memory foam mattress firm or soft. This is not true according to the Foam Standards and Guidelines suggested by the Polyurethane Foam Association (PFA). With a wide range of firmness, memory foam mattress can be made at a wide range of foam densities.
Actually the Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) rating is used to measure firmness by industry experts. Most memory foam mattresses fall in the range of 9 to 17 IFD rating. The higher the IFD rating is, the firmer the foam will be. Here’s how it works. 
IFD is equal to the amount of force in pounds, which is needed to indent (compress) a memory foam sample (normally 15x15x4 inch) and make a 1-inch indentation across a disc measuring 50 square inches.
The memory foam mattress firmness is an indicator of the feel of the mattress surface, while density (support) is an indicator of the ability of the mattress to support the body sleeping on it.
| Firmness | Med-Soft | Medium (Most Popular) | Med-Firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILD | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 |
| Recommended for | Back or side sleepers who enjoy sinking into bed. | Side sleepers. Perfect balance of comfort and support. | Back or stomach sleepers. |
Without considering your sleeping style, it’s almost impossible to buy a comfortable mattress.
Side sleepers need mattresses which could relieve pressure from the hips and shoulders. A slightly soft mattress will allow the sleeper’s body to sink into it a little bit. The most common sleep position is side sleeping.
Back sleepers need mattresses which could support the lower back. A medium-firm mattress will be a great option for them. 
Stomach sleepers need firm mattresses which could keep the body floating. Many of them have been impelled to this sleeping position because of lower back pain. 
Combo sleepers need sleeping surfaces that are personally suitable for them for their comforts. That means that the mattress is not too soft for their stomach sleeping and not too firm when you turn to their sides. There is a lot of movements while sleeping.(Back to Chart)
8 Reasons For Price Differences
Prices can range from $100 to $8500 for a Queen-size memory foam mattress. Why do seemingly similar mattresses vary widely in price? Listed below are the main reasons.
- Total Mattress Thickness: Typically low-priced memory foam mattresses are thinner than high-priced ones. A mattress that is too thin may be excessively firm and bottom out for a person’s weight. So, thicker mattresses are appropriate for a bigger person, or someone like me who wants to feel like the princess and the pea.
- Memory Foam Layer Thickness: Normally memory foam mattresses are NOT totally made of memory foam. This kind of mattress is at least constructed of two layers, the firmer regular foam base layer and a memory foam upper layer. High-priced memory foam mattresses usually have more memory foam, and correspondingly provide more comfort than the low-priced one.
- Base Layer Thickness: This base layer is usually made of regular foam which is relatively cheaper. There is generally a higher proportion of base layer in the low-priced memory foam mattresses compared to the high-priced ones.
- Memory Foam Density: As said above, the higher the foam density is, the more support and durability the mattress will provide, and the more expensive of course.
- Quality of foam used, cover material, extra features and brand name are also important factors affecting price.(Back to Chart)
The Importance of the Bed Frame/Mattress Foundation
We highly recommend you purchase a bed frame/mattress foundation which is designed to match your new memory foam mattress. A foundation and mattress are engineered to work together, and the foundation contributes to the overall support and comfort of the mattress. It will reduce the durability and impede comfort of your new mattress by placing your new mattress on an old foundation or adding a board between them.(Back to Chart)
Top 5 Benefits of Buying a Memory Foam Mattress Online
- Save you money — On average, memory foam mattress prices online are about 15% less than the showroom prices. Additionally if the mattress you bought online comes from out of state, you are exempt from sales tax.
- More convenient — As the internet is open 24/7, you can shop anytime in the comfort of your home, where you can easily compare features and prices of different brands and models (with our interactive chart of memory foam mattresses). You do not need to spend a whole day off or take work off early driving from showroom to showroom anymore.
- Less Pressure — It can be a very stressful experience to test a mattress in a showroom because sales people hover and try to push you to buy a more expensive mattress. Phone support and online chat are generally there to answer customers’ questions and provide information. Additionally, if you do feel uncomfortable, you can end the conversation at any time by simply closing the chat box. Less pressure means less likely to make a poor and regrettable decision.
- Better Return Policies — Because customers can’t try the mattresses before buying, they take greater risk in buying from online mattress retailers. Thus, these retailers often offer generous return policies to remove the perceived risk and permit customers try the mattresses before making a full commitment for several days or weeks.
- Wider selection — The widest selection of mattress brands and styles are available online due to space and cost limitations. When shopping in a local showroom, it can be difficult to find the right mattress to fulfill your need of support and comfort. When buying a mattress online, it is a major advantage to shop from a wide selection and even customize your mattress.
Buying a memory foam mattress online will save you stress, time, and money. What’s more, mattress retailers know they are NOT the only game in town. To earn your business, they need to offer more favorable policies and better prices. They’ve put more power back in your hands than ever before.(Back to Chart)
How To Find the best memory foam mattress That Meets Your Needs
There are numerous brands and models of memory foam mattress on the market today. Before buying a mattress, let’s take a look at the suggestions and criteria on this guide to help you make an educated buying decision. We hope the interactive comparison chart above will assist you conveniently in sorting through those available options for the best memory foam mattress that meets your needs.(Back to Chart)
Your turn
Purchasing a new memory foam mattress is a long-term investment which is well worth the cost. A good night’s rest will improve your sleep health and increase your productivity and energy during the day. Now that you have performed thorough research and read our best memory foam mattress reviews, it’s up to you to choose what is in your budget, meets your needs, and overall helps you sleep better.
As you know, new memory foam mattresses are being created by old and new manufacturers all the time. Therefore, we will keep the interactive comparison chart above up to date as new mattresses need to get included in the list. Or let me know in the contact us if you feel like a superior mattress is missed.