Latex seems to be the hot material now for mattress manufacturers. This is especially true in the organic or natural lines but even the old time firms such as Sealy Serta and Simmons are jumping on the latex bandwagon.

If this is news to you, just search online for latex mattress reviews and you will find reading material that never ends.

And there is good reason for this. Latex mattresses are already  popular in Europe and are picking up steam in the U.S. also.

I trust that this article will help you make and educated decision if you are considering buying a latex mattress.

There is no doubt that latex is a good, durable product. It is quite dense and gives comfortable support. By varying the size on number of pincor holes in the mattress core they can be made softer or firmer. The larger the holes, the softer the latex mattress will feel.

Most latex mattresses are made with only one size of hole throughout the mattress. This gives the mattress a uniform feel throughout. In order to provide zone comfort, some mattress cores are made with different size hole for different zones. This provides more firmness under heavy body areas and softer support under lighter areas such as the shoulders.

You can also find latex mattress with a latex core overlayed with softer latex or memory foam. Some people find this and ideal combination. It gives the mattress a softer, more yielding feel and still provides the bouncy support of latex.

Either with or without an overlayment, latex mattresses are a big improvement over coil spring mattresses.

Natural latex comes from the sap of the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). During Word War II scientists also discovered how to create synthetic latex. Although synthetic, this man made latex has the same properties of the natural product.

Some latex manufacturers combine natural and synthetic to produce a product they claim is more resilient. I know of no studies that actually document this.

Whether you opt for synthetic or natural latex mattress or a combination, you will be getting essentially the same material and both are subject to chemical and mechanical processing. Natural latex will cost a little more but many people do prefer a "natural product" rather than one made from petrochemicals.

Latex mattresses can also be different in the manner in which the cores are made. There are two ways they are manufactured:

1 - In the Dunlop method the liquid latex is whipped into a foam and poured into a mold where it is heated and cured.

2 - The Talalay method utilizes a vacuum mold and other processes which advocates claim produces a foam that is more consistent in cell structure.

In either process the foam is then washed to clean it of excess soaps and proteins that shorten the life span of the foam latex. this washing also minimizes the rubbery smell some people find objectionable.

If you want to stay as natural and as organic as possible, look for natural latex mattresses. You can find many online and some at your local shopping center.

You may find that the latex mattress does not give you the pressure relief you need and opt to go with a memory foam mattress instead. Or you can do what more people are tending toward. Go with a natural latex mattress with a memory foam bed topper. This just may be the ideal combination for you.

Coil spring mattresses have been around a long time and have improved tremendously. Springs in individual pockets, padding material and basic design changes have all been steps in the right direction.

But no matter how manufacturers improve coil spring mattress you are still sleeping on a bunch of metal springs that can never be made fully comfortable.

This is the mattress your grandparents used because that is all that there was - except maybe some cotton ticking stuffed with corn shucks and straw!

Antiques are great to collect and look at, but is this what you want to rely on for a good night's rest?

Today, we have a better choice.

Coil spring mattress have been around since the Civil War with only minor improvements and no significant changes. In the past century and half automobiles, airplanes and computers have not only been invented but continue to be dramatically improved in an on-going basis.

There just hast to be a better way to get pain-free sleep.

The space age and NASA provided us an answer when memory foam was developed as an off-shoot of their research.

Memory Foam Mattresses Win The Comparison Here are just several of the benefits offered by memory foam mattresses and why they provide a better night's sleep.

Even Body Support

When you lie on a coil spring mattress, it forces your body to adjust to the springs.

The springs exert constant, even pressure against you all the time and even forces you to move to get comfortable.

While you are pushing the springs down to get comfortable they are pushing back just as hard . This is a major reason many people wake up in pain with stiffness and aching muscles.

A memory foam mattress works differently.

The foam mattress material moulds around your body, because the weight of your body pushes into the mattress and the foam material gives, rather than pushing back as a coil spring does.

You can even feel this difference as you lay down. Memory foam accommodates your curves and body parts so you can relax totally.

Because a memory foam mattress moulds to each person individually in the bed you do not feel springs forcing you to roll toward each other or toward the center of the bed. Coil spring mattresses have not been able to solve this problem because they cannot provide even support of your weight.

Sensitivity To Temperature

As memory foam senses and responds to different temperatures it softens to a different degree according to the temperature of the body lying on it. The higher the temperature, the softer the foam becomes.

This makes the bed warm and comfortable depending upon the body pressure applied by your weight and the temperature of the various  parts of your body in contact with the memory foam mattress.

Your trunk is the heaviest and warmest part of your body and the mattress softens under it. Since your arms and legs are lighter and cooler, the foam under them is a little more firm. This makes the whole experience comfortable, just like you were floating above it rather than lying on it.

There is no coil spring mattress that can provide this feeling.

Longer Usable Life

Standard coil spring mattresses have a real life of about 5 years although most people keep using them for a longer period. This is one of the main reasons they seem to get more uncomfortable. They are getting worn out and the springs are failing to do their job.

A memory foam mattress should last at least ten years and some manfacturers offer guarantees of up to twenty years, each of those nights will be comfortable and restful.

A king memory foam mattress may seem more expensive than the run-of-the-mill king coil mattress but that is because you cannot buy a  cheaply made memory foam mattress. You cannot say the same for a king coil mattress - there are many that are cheaply made.

For some of us the search for a restful, pain free night of sleep starts as our body matures (ages?) a little. But for people with serious health problems, such as degenerative disk disease this has been a lifelong search.

The introduction of memory foam mattresses have permitted some of these folks to finally get the rest that the need but many simply cannot afford the price of a memory foam mattress.

A memory foam bed topper has proven a good substitute for those on a limited budget.

A memory foam mattress topper comes in the same standard sizes as a mattress and various thicknesses to provide the support you need while keeping the cost down. Toppers can be purchased for as little as around $40.00 to over $600.00. This is just a fraction of what a memory foam mattress costs.

A memory foam bed topper is made from the same type of material developed by NASA in the 1970s to protect astronaut's from G-force pressure during lift off. Toppers are made of visco-elastic layers and allow equal weight absorption regardless of a person's weight.

Memory foam mattress toppers are manufactured in several different ways. Novaform basically pours in liquid foam into molds where it is cooled and firmed up. This is the type of memory foam that has been shown in the television commercial where someone jumps on the bed without tipping over a glass of wine.

You may wonder who would want to jump on a bed with a glass of wine sitting on it but many consumers bought memory foam mattresses and bed toppers simply because of this ad.

Body heat retention was a problem with older memory foam mattresses and toppers. This has been pretty well cured with the introduction of visco-elastic material which helps disperse body heat by increasing air flow through the material.

Sleep Aid is another manufacturer of memory foam and use a different process. They produce their foam in a vacuum chamber which they feel produces a foam of more uniform density. Sleep Aid uses a system of heat reduction channels to permit better air circulation and cooling of your body.

Some consumers have complained about a chemical smell of memory foam mattresses and bed toppers. The manufactures claim that this smell will dissipate in several weeks but some customers have reported that it never seems to go away.

If you are sensitive or allergic to odors it would be a good idea to read up on the different brands before making a purchase. Some are hypo-allergenic. These cost a little more but your health is certainly worth it.

Do not let temporary odors discourage you from trying out memory foam. Mattresses and bed toppers made from memory foam provide many benefits. They are not conducive to bed bugs or dust mites. They can provide a rest free of joint and back pain. This is especially important to anyone on long term bed rest.

Memory foam bed toppers offer an ideal combination of quality and price for anyone seeking a restful, pain free sleep of a memory foam mattress on a limited budget.