Foam vs. High Resilience Foam

Foam

Mattress foam comes in multiple different types: memory foam, polyurethane, and latex. Memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam that has lower resistance so it reacts and slowly reforms when pressure is released. It generally makes up the surface layers of a mattress.

Polyurethane comes in multiple different forms - making it useful in the middle and base layers of many foam and memory foam mattresses.

Latex is the natural alternative to memory foam and polyurethane foams. It is created from sap from a rubber tree and is treated to create different densities to cover both soft and firm requirements. Like rubber, it is highly responsive and has a bounce that some sleepers love and some others hate.

Pros: Depending on the foam type, it can be quite comfortable, safe, and responsive.

Cons: Lower quality foams can break down quickly, causing sagging issues within only a few months or years.

High Resilience Foam

High resilience is a polyurethane foam that has a much higher responsiveness than memory foam, which has a slower response. Because of this, those that enjoy more of a bounce in their mattress will gravitate towards this type of foam.

High resilience foams are much less popular than memory foam, but they make up important layers of many popular mattresses. Oftentimes the transitional layer or base layer of memory foam mattresses will contain high resilience foam at high densities. This provides a more even feel across the mattress, and less of a sinking feeling that memory foam alone would have.

Like all polyurethane foam, high resilience foam is made of a blend of polyurethane and has a tendency to off-gas. If you are susceptible to lung issues, please do additional research on the quality of foams before purchasing.

Pros: Quicker response than memory foam provides many mattresses with an even supportive feel.

Cons: Sagging and off-gassing problems with lower quality foams.

Learn More About Foam

Learn More About High Resilience Foam

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Material Scores

Overall Score:
Foam: 9.3/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.9/10

Comfort:
Foam: 9.4/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.8/10

Softness:
Foam: 9.5/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.7/10

Cooling:
Foam: 8/10
High Resilience Foam: 8/10

Hypoallergenic:
Foam: 8.1/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.1/10

No Odor:
Foam: 8.4/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.4/10

General Support:
Foam: 8.7/10
High Resilience Foam: 9.4/10

Eco-Conscious:
Foam: 8.5/10
High Resilience Foam: 8.5/10

Price Value:
Foam: 9.4/10
High Resilience Foam: 9.4/10