Although most memory foam mattresses are similar in the sense that their uppermost layer is made of memory foam, there are plenty of other differences that you’ll need to consider in choosing the best memory foam mattress. I know it can be downright annoying to come across the many different complex jargons and labels especially when it comes to mattresses, so I’ll try to keep things simple here. There are 4 main things to consider in your mattress purchase: thickness, layers, warranty and average rating. All types of mattresses, including memory foam, will have thicknesses that vary anywhere from 6 inches to over 13 inches. Thickness matters for 2 reasons: weight of the user and mattress price. The rule of thumb here is that a heavier person should use a thicker mattress. Otherwise, if he were to use a mattress that’s too thin for his weight, that’s when the mattress will feel too firm, and thus uncomfortable. Generally, if you weight above 90 kg (or 200 pounds), you should get a mattress that has at least 10 inches of thickness.
If you weigh below 90 kg, you don’t have much to worry about here, though I’d still stay away from anything below 8 inches because that’s where manufacturers start to really skimp on the materials and the mattress will feel really firm regardless of your weight. A thicker mattress will be more expensive because of the additional materials put into it, so it makes no sense for someone who weighs say, 80 kg (or 175 pounds) to purchase a 14-inch mattress, when there’s a cheaper 10-inch mattress of the exact brand and model. It is very rare to find a mattress that’s completely made out of memory foam. Almost all of these mattresses will have multiple layers in them (usually 2-4). The top layer of a memory foam mattress will be made out of, well, memory foam. Despite being very well-received since its inception, some users have claimed that the traditional memory foam tends to feel warmer than other types of mattresses. This has led to the creation of something called gel-infused memory foam.
These newer gel-infused versions supposedly help with air circulation within this top layer itself in order to keep the body cooler. Some memory foam mattresses actually come with 1-2 additional layers in between the top and bottommost layers. These middle layers offer additional comfort or support. For instance, some mattresses have extra layers of airflow foam to allow even better air circulation for a cooler mattress. The base layer is usually the thickest of the bunch and consists of higher-density foam solely for the purposes of support. Nothing much to look at here. A long warranty period is great for 2 reasons. Firstly, it offers peace of mind since you’ll be protected from any potential defects that may arise in the future. Defects such as a sinking mattress or loss in firmness are some of the most common problems that people have faced, even in the most popular brands. Secondly, it shows confidence on the part of the manufacturer on the quality of its products.
With that said, after combing through some 50+ memory foam mattresses from the most popular brands, I’ve come up with a list of the 5 best memory foam mattresses that are available today: What mattress am I using? Just in case you’re wondering, I’m currently using a Tuft & Needle foam mattress. The reason why I didn’t include it in the table above is that it’s technically not a memory foam mattress, but rather polyurethane foam. From a practical viewpoint though, it could easily pass off as one. Does this mean it’s inferior? No, it certainly isn’t. In fact, it’s even better than a lot of other memory foam mattresses that I’ve tried in the past because it simply doesn’t retain as much heat as many denser memory foam mattresses that do not have sufficient cooling attributes. I’ve woken up all sweaty during the night from a couple of memory foam mattresses that I’ve tried and returned over the years, but not this one. Firmness-wise, it did take me a while before I got used to it (about a whole week).
I have switched to the Tuft & Needle mattress from my previous innerspring mattress, which was incidentally way too soft for me and which had partly sunk in at certain areas, so the difference in firmness was definitely noticeable. I’ve also had shoulder and neck problems for as long as I could remember, but they’ve slowly disappeared over time ever since I made the change. I couldn’t think of any other lifestyle changes besides my mattress and pillow (also memory foam), so this must be it. But I want a true memory foam mattress, nothing else! Okay, okay, if you’re picky about things, any of the top 5 mattresses in the table above would be excellent choices. Personally, my body gets really hot at night while I’m sleeping and I sweat really easily, so a warm bed without sufficient ventilation or cooling is a no-no for me. Thus, if you have a similar problem, I’d go with DynastyMattress since it has some of the best cooling attributes for a memory foam mattress, thanks to its dual 2-inch airflow foam layers in the middle in addition to its already gel-infused memory foam layer at the top.
There might be a slight chemical odor as you unpack the mattress, but just air it with the windows open for about a day, or leave the fan on for a couple of hours if you can’t wait and it should be good to go. In fact, many other mattresses have the exact same problem but it’s nothing a little airing wouldn’t fix. The DynastyMattress also has the longest warranty period (30 years) I’ve ever seen in any mattress brands and I’m a sucker for warranties, so.. Anyway, good luck with your choice, and if you want to get back to the comparison table above, click here.I received a free Brentwod Home Bamboo Gel 13 mattress to review. Brentwood Home is a company located out of Los Angeles. Below is a picture of their offices which house thier mattress line for inspiration. I first came across their products via Amazon. Their mattresses are very highly rated there. I have wanted to review them myself to see how they compare to the other startups and recently the company reached out to me to send me a few mattresses to review, the first of which is the Bamboo Gel 13.
Brentwood veers away from the “one size fits all” philosophy that others promote. In turn they make a variety of mattresses with different materials for a variety of budgets. Brentwood even makes specialty sized mattresses for RVs and antiques. Brentwood Home designs and manufactures all of their products in their own facilities in the USA. Keeping it local gives them more quality control and lowers costs which translates into the more affordable prices. They also focus on healthy products using non-toxic and natural materials. They use CertiPUR-US foam and abide by the standards set by the Global Organic Latex Standard Certification. You also won’t find any chemical flame retardants in their mattresses. Aside from mattresses, Brentwood Home makes pillows, bedding, draperies and even aromatherapy candles! They are planning to launch a babies and kids category with mattresses, changing pads, small furniture and toys. You can purchase this mattress from Amazon but if you purchase direct it is easier to deal with any returns.
Brentwood Home has a 120 night guarantee where if you aren’t happy with the mattress within that time frame they will arrange to have it shipped back for free with a full refund. Trying to coordinate this through Amazon is a headache because their default is 30 days and the customer service reps get confused with anything that varies from that. Once you place your order through the website, it ships very quickly. I received my mattress within a week of ordering. It arrives in a box just like the others I have tested and inflates out of the box very quickly. The dents in the box are in large part due to me sliding it across my house and down the steps into my basement. Since it’s all foam there’s not much you can break. It is wrapped well and inflated to full size in about 4 hours. The Bamboo Gel 13 is a true memory foam mattress. By that I mean it doesn’t have any bounce and does a great job with motion isolation. The trade off of course is that it won’t feel anything like an innerspring if you prefer a little bounce.
I was skeptical that this mattress could live up to its reviews on Amazon given the price. Bottom line, this is an exceptional value. The contouring and pressure relief is amazing. The issue, and it’s a minor one, is that it lacks some edge support. However I don’t see it as a deal breaker since you won’t be moving around much at night anyway. I spent a few nights watching TV on it and found that I wasn’t fidgeting like I normally do. You gently sink in and feel lighter. As you can see below there are 4 layers of foam with the top being the cooling gel layer. Here’s how each layer of foam reacts You’ll also notice that there’s little motion transfer There’s some but not too much sinkage in this mattress. It feels more like a traditional memory foam mattress. It’s a little more firm than an Endy though. Here’s a measurement of the depth of the Brentwood mattress. It is one of the thickest I have reviewed The Bamboo Gel 13 is a great mattress at an exceptional value.
Side sleepers will find this mattress very comfortable. It is one of the best mattresses I have reviewed for motion transfer. The cooling gel layer works as advertised. The bamboo cover also assists with breath-ability. If you are on a budget but don’t want to compromise on quality, this is the bed for you. It absolutely ranks right up there with a top brands. Buying this will save you thousands and you will sleep great as well! You should also note that this mattress also comes in specialty sizes such as: RV / Short Twin RV / Short Full RV / Short Queen RV / Short King Brentwood Home is one of my favorite brands. Want to learn more? Read my overview post of Brentwood Home Learn more about the Bamboo Gel 13 Disclosure: We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue. I have an affiliate relationship with Brentwood Home. Pros Little motion transfer Thick Great pressure releif Ships to Canada