So, you have been searching for the best mattress for your bedroom, but you are unable to decide yet between gel bed vs memory foam. Which one is the best mattress? Well, the answer depends on what you desire from a mattress along with how much money that you are willing to spend. Both gel bed and memory foam can give you similar comfort. Perhaps the real pickle is choosing between heat retention with a lower price and cooler sleep with a slightly higher price. Let us see the pros and cons of each type of bed mattress below.
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About Memory Foam Mattresses
When the first memory foam mattresses hit the market, people were all crazy about it. Many reports claimed that memory foam mattresses were derived from a material specially designed by NASA. It is especially popular because of the incredibly low motion transfer; you will not feel the movements of your partner on the other side of the bed. This feature is made possible by the chemicals infused into the memory foam to increase the density and viscosity. The material is often called as viscoelastic foam to distinguish it from common polyurethane foam. The added chemicals in the material can be manipulated by body heat to soften or to conform to the shape of your body.
There are three primary types of memory foam. The first type is the traditional memory foam, which is very comfortable but has a potential to warm up due to the heat retention. The second type is the open-cell memory foam, which has been designed to increase the airflow throughout the mattress so that the heat can be released away. The third type is none other than the gel-infused memory foam which is also a subject of our article here. We are going to compare the qualities of traditional memory foam against gel-infused memory foam.
Pros of Memory Foam
The first advantage that memory foam offers is that it does not create pressure points. Unlike spring beds which tend to create pressure points, memory foam does not have any spring to create any pressure point. Instead, the material is made to conform to the shape of your body. The viscoelastic material softens when receiving heat from your body. As the effect, the material flows down, taking the sleeper’s body to sink in and giving full body support.
The second big advantage of memory foam is the extremely low motion transfer. If you have ever used a spring mattress before, you certainly know how the mattress can be so bouncy when your partner moves. With a memory foam mattress, there is no need to worry about getting woken up in the middle of the night by your partner’s movements. Every motion is absorbed into the mattress, hence preventing the motion from transferring and causing a disruption the other sleeper.
The third advantage of memory foam is the density. Memory foam mattresses are available in many different densities. For the best benefits, especially if you are a heavy person, you should aim for a mattress with a high density. It will last for a longer time.
Cons of Memory Foam
If we compare gel bed vs memory foam, the memory foam mattresses indeed have several disadvantages. The first is the high heat retention. Memory foam tends to have a hard time to pull away heat from the sleeping surface. As a result, it may make you sweat during your sleep, especially if the weather is particularly hot, which is not a very comfortable thing.
The second disadvantage is that some memory foam mattresses may release unpleasant gases which may cause respiratory issues. This issues is usually found in poor-quality products.
About Gel Bed
Gel-infused memory foam or simply gel bed is actually very similar to the traditional memory foam. The difference is that it has gel microbeads mixed into the material. These gel microbeads enhance the mattress’s capability in regulating sleep temperature, and they also help to increase the mattress’s density.
Pros of Gel Bed
As a matter of fact, gel bed also provides similar benefits like memory foam. You still get extremely low motion transfer and even support for the entire body. So, gel bed is also great for people who often experiences pains and aches when using a spring bed. However, there is one added benefit: gel bed comes with millions of gel microbeads that effectively wick away heat and keep the sleeper cool throughout the night.
Also, one difference between gel bed vs memory foam is that gel beds tend to have higher densities. This is because of the added gel microbeads, which also make the mattress thicker and denser. Of course, there are also different products with different densities. So, you will actually receive better comfort, support, and durability from the gel bed.
Cons of Gel Bed
The first disadvantage of a gel bed is that it is usually a little more expensive than a traditional memory foam mattress. So, you will need to spend some more bucks for a gel bed.
Next, note that the gel beds inside the mattress may actually damage the cellular structure of the mattress. This becomes more significant if the product uses large gel beads.
Finally, note that the coolness of gel bed is not permanent. You will eventually find yourself warming up as well. However, this is less of an issue, because it takes much longer to warm up, and your body also cools down during the sleep.
| Gel Bed | Memory Foam |
|---|---|
| - Much better cooling | - High heat retention |
| - Tends to have higher densities | - Available in many densities |
| - Not as durable | - Great durability |
| - Usually more expensive | - Usually more affordable |
Conclusion
So, between gel bed vs memory foam, which is the one to choose? In general, if you don’t mind spending more money for the best comfort, gel bed is the way to go. It has much better temperature control, and it will not retain heat very much. It also has great full-body support. However, if you are living in a cold area and you can appreciate the heat retention, you should choose memory foam. You may also want to choose a memory foam mattress if you are on a tight budget.