Composite (or combination) v memory foam

A composite mattress is generally considered to be a mattress made from a composition of different materials, each intended to add something of value to the overall product. All of these mattresses are regarded as an orthopedic mattress.

Composite mattresses "can" be considered to be sleeping surfaces made from different layers of the same material, e.g. different density layers of visco elastic memory foam. However, more normally, they combine different technologies like pocket springs and memory foam, or pocket springs and Talalay latex.

Because composite material mattresses use different material and different technologies they tend to be amongst the most expensive of mattress products. However, those who design these mattresses claim that they combine the best of springs with the best of foam to produce the ultimate sleeping surface.

Retail price

Both high quality brand name memory foam mattresses and spring-memory foam, spring-latex foam, or other combinations, e.g. spring-memory foam-gel, are at the top end of the mattress pricing structure. None of these products are in the budget price bracket.

Springiness

Memory foam has its own unique slow recovery or slow reflex action. Composite beds can mix any combination of materials to be springy, bouncy or slow recovery like memory foam - it just depends on the mattress material composition.

Cool or warm feel

Memory foam feels warm, however composite mattresses tend to be neutral because they mix materials and usually have some kind of venting system incorporated into their more complex design.

Ability to mould

Memory foam shapes and moulds and most composite mattresses, although having springs a base layer, use a memory foam, latex foam or a gel mix at the sleeping surface level, to achieve the same result. This is why some manufacturers will say that their composite mattress designs feel likes springs but work like memory foam.

Mattress displacement

Both of these mattress types are intended to produce a minimum of displacement or deflection around any person lying on them. For this reason these mattresses are ideal for two people in a double or king size bed because the movements of one sleeper should not affect the area of the mattress surrounding the other.

Spring count versus foam density

A memory foam mattress may have a single density foam, or different layers made up of different density foams.

A composite mattress with spring will have a spring count for the pocket spring base section and a density for any visco elastic memory foam used in a top layer. Alternatively it may utilise Talalay latex foam, gel, or any combination of these materials.

Hypoallergenic properties

Memory foam is hypoallergenic.

Any memory foam layer, latex foam layer, or gel layer in a composite mattress will be hypoallergenic, however the other components of the mattress will not be hypoallergenic.

Life expectancy

Good quality memory foam beds and composite or combination beds and mattress products are orthopedic in quality and this means that they will have extended warranties of 5 or 10 years. How long these mattresses can last before they start to depreciate is open to question, however the manufacturers generally expect them to last up to 15 or even 20 years.

Turn or none turn

All composite mattresses are none-turn and all good quality multi-layer memory foam mattresses are none-turn.

Cleaning and maintenance

Follow any manufacturer's recommendations, e.g. swivelling the mattress through 180 degrees every 4 to 6 weeks.

Sales popularity

Both of these mattress types are popular at the higher end of the price market. Memory foam products were once dominated by a single brand name, however there are now many high quality manufactures of these products.

New or old technology

Both use the latest technologies in mattress manufacture. Composite mattresses are probably the most advanced technologically.

Packing and delivery

Composite mattresses and high quality visco elastic memory foam mattresses will be delivered in a ready-to-use state. Both memory foam and composite mattress products that have visco elastic foam or latex foam may exhibit a chemical smell for a few days after the packaging is removed. This is not considered harmful.

Weight

Both of these mattress types will be heavy.

Our verdict

If you are unsure of what type of mattress to select and you have the budget to afford a composite mattress, then this will give you the best of both worlds. However beware, there are a massive number of composite mattresses on sale, so your choice will still be across a broad selection which means that you still need to think about your decision.