Search Title Hybrid Mattress vs Memory Foam

Meta Description Both hybrid mattress and memory foam mattress have their advantages and
disadvantages in terms of edge support, breathability, motion isolation, and
cost.

Are you looking for a new mattress and found yourself asking about a hybrid mattress vs
memory foam - what's the difference? These two mattress types can be found in 5-star hotels
like Hilton Hotels, so you’re on the right path.
Hybrid mattresses are better for some sleeping positions and body weights, and the same goes
for memory foam mattresses. Aside from the benefits, hybrid and memory foam mattresses
have disadvantages. Not knowing this information before buying may result in your buying the
wrong mattress type to support your body and give you a 5* sleep experience.
We’ll cover:
● What are hybrid and memory foam mattresses?
● The pros and cons of each mattress type
● What mattress is best for your sleeping position?
● What sleeping position is best for your body weight?
● And loads more frequently asked questions.
What is a hybrid mattress?

Image: Eve

Hybrid mattresses are a combination of spring and foam mattress types. The foam component
can be made out of the following materials
● Polyurethane foam
● Memory foam
● Gel-infused memory foam
● Latex foam
On the other hand, the spring component is usually made of pocketed coils or open coils.
● Pocketed coils are found in most luxury hybrid mattresses because it transfers less
motion within the mattress. The springs are individually pocketed. Therefore, a
movement on one area will not be carried out as much on other mattress parts.
 ● Open coils, on the other hand, would transfer motion more than pocketed coils. This is
because they are connected vertically and horizontally within the mattress.
Hybrids combine the sturdy support system of an innerspring mattress and the pressure relief
properties of a foam mattress. But why do they provide a comfortable sleep?
● An all-foam mattress can be too soft depending on preference and sleeper weight.
Combining this with spring support provides a sturdy and uplifting feeling. Heavy-weight
sleepers and combo sleepers are the biggest winners in this department.
● Memory foam mattresses have the tendency to overheat. Combining this with spring
support will allow airflow within the mattress. Hybrids are great if you're a hot sleeper
who is always sweating at night.
● A pure innerspring mattress can be too bouncy and transfer motion. Combining this with
a memory foam layer improves motion isolation and shock absorption. If you sleep with
a partner and are known for moving a lot whilst sleeping, consider a hybrid.
These are the essence of a hybrid mattress.

What is a memory foam mattress?

Image: Tempur
Memory foam was initially developed by NASA's Ames Research Center for shock-absorbing
purposes on their aircraft. It’s known as viscoelastic foam, which is flexible and returns to its
original form - known as the ‘Network Effect’.

Fact Time: Network Effect is the only force working to restore a memory foam mattress back to
its original shape after being deformed. The three other effects: Pneumatic, Adhesive and
Relaxation Effect, all work against the Network Effect to sustain the deformed foam.

Memory foam uses the body’s heat to soften and mould to the body's curves. Once the foam
starts to warm up, which is a gradual process, you’ll start to sink into the mattress. Whereas
other mattress types, such as latex, give a more responsive feel so you sleep ‘on’ the mattress.
With all this being said, memory foam has a tendency to retain heat. Several varieties came into
the picture to address traditional memory foam overheating and moisture/humidity problems.
● Gel-infused memory foam mattress - Gels are designed to draw heat away from the
sleeper. This results in a more comfortable and cool mattress.
● Open-cell memory foam mattress - Open cell will promote air ventilation within the
mattress.
● Infused memory foam mattress - Some memory foam mattresses are infused with
aloe vera, green tea extract, and activated charcoal. Depending on what's used, it helps
to reduce odour and provide aromatherapy while sleeping.
Some memory foam mattresses come with rayon-woven mattress covers to help wick moisture
away from the body. Another beneficial property for hot sleepers and people who sweat at night.

Hybrid Mattress vs Memory Foam Mattress: What are the

differences?
Hopefully, you can confidently distinguish between a hybrid and memory foam mattresses. So,
let's look at their pros and cons.

Mattress Advantages Disadvantages

Hybrid Mattress ● balance of comfort and ● can be squeaky because of

support spring
● durable ● transfers motion
 ● breathable ● heavy
● edge support ● high cost
● good for back and stomach
sleepers

Memory Foam ● great pressure relief and ● can feel like sinking into the
Mattress contouring mattress
● motion isolation ● can feel stuck in the
● quiet mattress
● with initial odour or off- ● can trap and absorb heat
gassing ● no edge support
● good for side sleepers ● can have an initial odour or
off-gassing

Pressure relief and back pain

With approximately 577 million people globally affected by back pain, it is expected that people
are looking for what mattress is best for alleviating back pain.
In a study, it was found that medium-firm mattresses are best for reducing lower back pains. A
medium-firm mattress is not too soft and not too firm.
But a mattress’ firmness is also subjective depending on a person’s weight and sleeping type.
Here’s how it goes for memory foam mattresses and hybrid mattresses.

Hybrid mattress Memory foam mattress

Sleeping position ● If made with a memory ● Memory foam mattress

foam top layer, a hybrid
mattress can mould to
the body’s contours and
ensure spine alignment
for side sleepers.
● Because of the spring
support, the hybrid
can mould to the body’s
contours and ensure
spine alignment for side
sleepers.
● Memory foam mattresses
can be too soft for back
sleepers and stomach
 mattress is supportive sleepers and cause them
enough for back and to sink deeply into the
stomach sleepers to mattress, causing a
ensure spine alignment. curved spine.

Weight ● Hybrid mattresses can ● Memory foam mattresses

support more than 100 can be too soft for 100 kg
kg without the feeling of and above and will make
sinking. them feel like sinking or
stuck.

At the end of the day, what matters is that your spine is aligned while sleeping.
Movement Responsiveness
A memory foam mattress’s comfort is relaxing, not until you feel stuck in place. If you use
memory foam it will feel like sleeping in the mattress instead of sleeping on it.
If you’ve ever tried to press your hand on memory foam before, you would’ve noticed a delayed
response to bring it back to its normal form. This might be a problem for combination sleepers
as they may have difficulties moving around.
On the contrary, a hybrid mattress has that bouncy and responsive feel due to the springs.
And compared to memory foam, it will feel like sleeping ‘on’ the mattress. This also means you
can easily change positions easily.
Heat Retention
Memory foam works by absorbing the body’s heat to soften and contour our body curves.
Because of this, body heat can get trapped on the foam, and this heat is not easily
dissipated. Heat retention is greater for memory foam with higher densities since the foam is
more compact. This can be an inconvenience for hot sleepers and people living in hotter
climates - ohh I’m sweating even thinking about the night sweats.
Are hybrid mattresses hot? Well, it’s a lot more breathable compared to a memory foam
mattress.
● A hybrid mattress can also come with a gel-infused memory foam top layer. The gel in
the memory foam will help dissipate any trapped heat.
● Even if your hybrid mattress does have memory foam, the spring system beneath will
help circulate air out and away from the mattress.
Motion Isolation
Given NASA developed memory foam for shock-absorbing purposes, it works perfectly in
preventing motion transfer. In fact, you might actually be well aware of this feature.
Take a look at this video showing the motion isolation capabilities:

<< show Youtube video https://youtu.be/iCmlIG0St-U >>

This is good news for people who don’t want to be disturbed when their partner is a combination
sleeper and changes sleeping positions throughout the night.
On the other hand, hybrid mattresses fall short in this aspect. The springs acting as a support
core, provide more bounce and springiness.
Silent Sleep
Since a hybrid mattress contain springs that may lead to squeaking. Especially after a bit of
wear and tear.
On the contrary, a memory foam mattress tends to be silent, thanks to the shock-absorbing
property. Amazing for light sleepers and for rambunctious couples.
Edge Support
Edge support is a term you don’t often hear, but I’m pretty sure you’ve experienced it.
Have you ever perched on your sofa seat or on the edge of your bed? If so, you've probably felt
a complete lack of support and your body sinking in and hitting foundational pieces.
If you sit on your bed edge and realise you're sinking in, then there's a lack of edge support.
This is common for softer beds like memory foam mattresses.
On the other hand, mattresses like an innerspring mattress would have strong edge support
because of the springs around the perimeter of the mattress. This lets sleepers lay at the edge
of the bed without falling, hence, more sleeping space.
Durability
Based on a survey of 25,000 mattress owners, both memory foam and hybrid mattresses
last, on average, 7 years.
The coil support core contributes to the durability of the hybrid mattress. On the other hand,
memory foam mattresses have varying durability depending on its density. Higher foam density
would mean higher mattress quality because of their capacity to resist compressions.

Off-gassing
Initial odour, or off-gassing, is typical in mattresses, especially memory foam mattresses. This is
due to the chemicals and materials used like the foam, resin, adhesives, and flame retardants.
Flame retardants are added to mattresses to comply with
● British regulations (BS 5852: 1982 Part II & BS 7177), or
● US 16 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1632 and 1633
This odour will typically go away in a few days if the mattress is in a ventilated room and
ventilated foundation.
If your memory foam mattress was shipped as a bed-in-a-box, the smell could linger longer
because it was vacuumed and sealed in plastic. Hence the odour is trapped and hasn't had the
chance to breathe yet.
Hybrid mattresses can also have an off-gas because of the foam layers. Still, the odour should
be less intense and easier to dissipate because it has better breathability (thanks to the spring).
Use of Box Spring
Boxspring is commonly and initially intended for innerspring mattresses to absorb shock and
protect the mattress from any shock damage.
Since hybrid and memory foam mattresses are usually made with shock-absorbent materials,
owners don't need to use a box spring. But to be sure, you can check with the manufacturer’s
guide if using boxspring is recommended.
Cost
Based on a survey, the cost of an average model of a hybrid mattress is higher than a memory
foam mattress. Checking with the top mattress brands, this holds true. For example,
● Emma’s king size hybrid mattress is priced £649.50 at, while its king size memory foam
mattress is priced at £424.50
● Nectar’s king size hybrid mattress is priced £631.95 at, while its king size memory foam
mattress is priced at £521.95
Hybrid’s pocketed coils and multiple foam layers are contributors to it being more expensive
than other types of mattresses.

What is better: a hybrid mattress or a memory foam mattress?

After weighing all the qualities of a hybrid mattress and memory foam mattress, it’s no surprise if
you’re still confused about what is better. Every sleeper has a unique
● weight
● sleeping position
● firmness preference
 ● temperature sensitivity
● budget
Maybe the list below can better convince you if the hybrid or memory foam mattress is best for
you.
Who are hybrid mattresses best for?
If you can relate to one or two of the situations below, a hybrid mattress might be perfect for
you.
● You are a hot sleeper.
● You weigh more than 100 kg.
● You are a back sleeper or stomach sleeper.
● You are a combination sleeper.
● You toss and turn a lot at night.
● You share a bed and need edge support.
● You like sleeping on the mattress.
● You don’t mind splurging on a mattress.

With that, here are some of the best hybrid mattress recommendations:
● Emma Premium Mattress
● Simba Hybrid Mattress
● Eve Premium Hybrid Mattress
Who are memory foam mattresses best for?
If you can relate to one or two of the situations below, a memory foam mattress might be perfect
for you.
● You are a cold sleeper.
● You are a side sleeper.
● You like sleeping in the mattress.
● You share a bed, and you are a light sleeper.
● You are on a tight budget.

With that, here are some best memory foam mattress recommendations:
● Tempur Original Mattress
● Emma Original Mattress
● Nectar Memory Foam Mattress
Sources
1. Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits. (2005). Retrieved from NASA
Spinoff: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2005/ch_6.html
2. Krebs, M., & Hubel, R. (2016). The Adjustment of Physical Properties of Viscoelastic
Foam – the Role of Different Raw Materials. Retrieved from Semantics Scholar:
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Adjustment-of-Physical-Properties-of-Foam-
%E2%80%93-the-Krebs-Hubel/bdd7e36f258fa75cd0452befe1b059268774e0b2
3. Wu, A., March, L., Zheng, X., Huang, J., Wang, X., Zhao, J., . . . Hoy, D. (2020, March).
Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017:
estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Retrieved from National
Center of Biotechnology Information:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7186678/
4. Kovacs, F. M., Abraira, V., Peña, A., Martín-Rodríguez, J. G., Sánchez-Vera, M., Ferrer,
E., . . . Mufraggi, N. (2003, November 15). Effect of firmness of mattress on chronic non-
specific low-back pain: randomised, double-blind, controlled, multicentre trial. Retrieved
from National Center for Biotechnology Information:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14630439/
5. Mattress Longevity / Lifespan Comparisons. (2017, April 7). Retrieved from Sleep Like
the Dead: https://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattress-longevity.html