Memory foam mattresses can come in many different firmness levels. When you are shopping for a memory foam mattress, it is important to know what type of feel you like. Memory foam can be very soft and marshmallow-like or very firm, just sinking in slightly when you lie on it. There are multiple factors that determine how firm or soft a memory foam mattress will feel and not all of those factors are determined by the memory foam itself. All memory foam mattresses are made in layers. Memory foam is the top layer(s) and base foam are the bottom layer(s) that form the foundation of the mattress. No memory foam mattress is made of just memory foam. There is always some type of base foam beneath the memory foam.
Should you just look at the density and ILD of the the memory foam and base foams to determine if the firmness will be to your liking? Since foams with the same density and ILD may not be the same quality, that unfortunately doesn’t work. Beyond checking out the specs, here are three things you should do to determine if the firmness of a mattress is right for you.
1.) Check the designation the manufacturer gives the mattress. If you want a super soft and squishy mattress, do not buy a mattress that is designated as firm. There is no universal standard for the feel of mattresses, but use the manufacturer’s designation as a starting place.
2.) Forget the store trial. There is no way you can tell if a mattress will work for you by lying on it in a store for any amount of time. Make sure you get an in-home trial which will give you your money back if the mattress isn’t right for you. We give our customers 365 days to try their mattress, but look for at least a 90-day trial no matter where you buy.
3.) Read customer reviews. Although what people think is hard or soft is very subjective (hence, the home trial), you can get a general idea of how a mattress feels by reading customer comments in the reviews.
We want you to be as informed about your memory foam choices as possible. To learn more about memory foam and memory foam mattresses, check out our Memory Foam Mattress Buyer’s Guide.