What is the difference between natural latex and memory foam?

Natural latex rubber is a natural product that comes from the rubber tree. Memory foam is a synthetic petroleum product. Memory foam is designed to relieve pressure. That's what it does best. However, natural latex is also pressure relieving. In our opinion it takes 6" – 9" of latex to provide as much relief as 3" - 4" of high-density memory foam.

In terms of durability, natural latex will normally outlast memory foam, but of course it depends on the quality of the latex and of the memory foam. Higher-end memory foam with density that is over 5 pounds per cubic foot will last almost as long as top-quality latex that has no clay or other additives.

In terms of safety, natural latex is much safer for most people. We usually don’t think of mattresses as being toxic, but memory foam mattresses are manufactured completely from chemicals. We have many testimonials from people who changed from memory foam to an organic mattress. Headaches were the main health problem that cleared up immediately, but in some cases nausea and even depression improved. If you have headaches and sleep on a memory foam mattress, it makes sense to make a change. Synthetic latex (or latex “blend”) mattresses also contain synthetic chemicals. The FDA, manufacturers, and salespeople will say they are safe, and maybe they are right; but if you have a health issue, in our opinion it’s better to listen to your body than to someone who is benefiting from a sale.