9 Best Non Memory Foam Mattresses

Amerisleep Organica Overview

If you want the best mattress without memory foam that offers a little something for everyone, say hello to the Amerisleep Organica.

We found during our tests of this mattress that has all the versatility you would expect of a medium mattress. Our team observed that it even offers many of the best features of a memory foam hybrid without having an inch of memory foam in it. Rather, we experienced that it gets its contouring and pressure relief from light, airy Talalay latex foam.

Like all Amerisleep mattresses, the Organica comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

Nolah Natural 11 Overview

Those who want a natural mattress designed for cooling should check out the Nolah Natural 11. This mattress features layers of cooling latex as well as breathable pocketed coils that offers different zones of support as an added bonus.

The Nolah mattress ships free and comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty. Our team observed that at checkout, shoppers can remove the sleep trial period for a deeper discount.

Saatva Zenhaven Overview

If you want a two-in-one mattress specifically designed for lumbar support and back pain relief, check out the Saatva Zenhaven. This is one of the best mattresses without memory foam for those with chronic back pain and other issues, in our experience.

Like other Saatva mattresses, the Zenhaven comes with free white glove delivery, a year-long trial period and a lifetime warranty. Saatva will arrange a delivery appointment and even remove an old mattress if desired.

Birch Natural Mattress Overview

Those who want a mattress that offers more layers of fibers for a plusher, cushier feel should check out the Birch Natural. This mattress for back pain features coils, Talalay latex, and multiple layers of wool to create a pillowy feel with more pressure relief.

Brooklyn Bedding Plank Firm Natural Overview

If you already know you need a firm mattress, but you’re not sure just how firm, check out the Plank Firm Natural by Brooklyn Bedding. This flippable mattress offers you two options: medium-firm and extra-firm. That way, you can try out which version of firm works for you. You can even change your mind with the flip of a mattress!

Brooklyn Bedding includes free shipping, a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

Joybed LXP Overview

Those with latex allergies aren’t stuck with memory foam or nothing. There are now a few hybrid and innerspring mattresses with plush fiber comfort layers, and the Joybed LXP is one of the best. This mattress features organic cotton, natural wool, and two coil layers for all the amazing benefits of a hybrid mattress sans the foam.

Avocado Vegan Overview

Those who want a mattress free from animal products should check out the purely plant-based Avocado Vegan mattress. This hybrid mattress avoids the use of wool in favor of plant materials only, so you can rest assured you’re resting on a cruelty-free sleep surface.

PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Overview

Those who want an all-latex mattress to share should check out the PlushBeds Botanical Bliss. This natural latex mattress features Talalay latex in its comfort layer and organic Dunlop in its support layers for the ultimate durability and buoyancy.

How to Choose the Best Non-Memory Foam Mattress

Memory foam mattresses are so ubiquitous on the bedding market today that you may fear you will have difficulty finding an alternative. However, there are plenty of options for those who do not want this synthetic, petroleum-based foam.

In fact, avoiding memory foam mattresses might be a lot easier than you think. Plenty of other alternatives to memory foam have become very popular in recent years. Just be aware you may have to pay a little more or look a little harder for certain materials.

Memory Foam Alternative Materials

The good news for those who do not want a memory foam mattress is that there are plenty of other material options to choose from, letting them still enjoy one of the best mattresses. If you want to avoid a memory foam mattress, you have alternative foam options, springs, and even plush fibers, though these are not as common.

Natural Latex

For those who want a foam mattress that is not memory foam, latex foam is the natural option. Latex is an all natural foam derived from the sap of the rubber tree. To construct latex mattresses, the liquid sap is purified and processed into a foam that has a lot of advantages over memory foam, especially in the responsiveness and cooling departments.

Natural Latex Types

There are two types of natural latex foam that you will find in mattresses, Dunlop and Talalay. The liquid rubber sap that goes into these latex varieties starts out the same, and the process is the thing that creates the two different types.

Each latex type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the one that you choose depends on what you are looking to get out of your mattress.

Dunlop

Dunlop latex is the most energy-efficient and sustainable natural latex type because the process to refine it is much simpler. This simpler process creates a denser latex foam that is more buoyant and supportive, but less contouring and breathable.

Dunlop latex is also the most durable and affordable of the latex types. Denser Dunlop can stand up to years upon years of use and abuse without losing its shape or sagging, establishing a long-lasting latex mattress. Because its manufacturing process is simpler, it is also a little bit cheaper than its Talalay counterpart.

Despite what some people will tell you, Dunlop is also quite responsive, so a supposed lack of springiness is no reason to avoid it. You can not only enjoy a mattress free of memory foam but also a mattress without springs if you wish.

Talalay

The process to manufacture Talalay latex is a bit more energy-intensive. There are a few more steps than in the Dunlop process, and these steps help fill the latex foam with millions of air bubbles.

This makes it lighter and more breathable than its Dunlop counterpart. If you want a mattress that contours and relieves pressure like memory foam but is not memory foam, a Talalay latex mattress may be up your alley.

Talalay latex is also quite springy and cooling. It might not be quite as durable or affordable as Dunlop latex, but it has all the flexibility of memory foam and all the bounce and breathability of natural latex.

Natural Latex Features

Natural latex beats out memory foam in several key categories, although it does fall behind in a couple – price being the biggest of them.

Allergy Protection

Natural latex is extremely hypoallergenic, establishing excellent mattresses for allergies. It is not a welcoming environment for most microbes and will resist the growth of many common allergens, including mold, mildew, dust mites, and bacteria.

Contouring

Part of the reason that natural latex is so responsive and supportive is that it wants to maintain its own shape. This means it is not as contouring as memory foam. If you want a highly contouring mattress, Talalay is more contouring than Dunlop, but even Talalay is not quite as flexible as memory foam.

Density

Natural latex is comparatively dense, especially Dunlop. This makes it highly durable and very supportive. So it is perfect for those looking for a little extra buoyancy in one of the most durable mattresses.

Durability

Latex is the most durable of all the mattress types. This goes for both Dunlop and Talalay, though if you stand the two against each other, Dunlop will come out as the most durable of all. Latex, as a natural material, can outlast springs and other foams.

A well-maintained natural latex mattress will last at least two decades. Many have been known to last much longer, so you can rest assured that if you purchase a latex mattress, you will be resting on it a long time.

Price

Price is the category where latex does not shine. This is the most expensive mattress material on the market. If you purchase a queen size latex mattress, you will pay over $2,000 for it up front. This cost is offset by latex’s unbeatable durability and high value over time, but it will definitely be a painful purchase in the beginning.

Responsiveness

Natural latex is the most responsive foam on the market. If you want an all-foam mattress that bounces back like it has springs in it, natural latex is virtually your only option. It can spring back into place as soon as you move, ensuring you never have to wait for body impressions to clear or deal with slow response time.

Temperature Control

If you want a foam mattress that can keep you cool all night, latex is the foam for you. This highly breathable natural foam keeps cooling air flowing all night to ensure that your mattress never overheats and can also wick away moisture.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are made by taking a support core made of open coils and combining it with a comfort layer made of plush material. Unlike hybrids, innerspring mattresses typically do not have foam upper layers.

Instead, they may have any one of a number of plush materials, including cotton, wool, fiberfill, and other fillings. This means most innerspring mattresses will not contain memory foam, and you will not have to look very hard for one that does not have it.

However, the lack of memory foam does not make innerspring mattresses a good choice. In fact, they have a number of serious problems that mean they are best avoided in favor of other memory foam alternatives.

Allergy Protection

Innerspring mattresses are decent at allergy protection. They do not build up moisture, so they do not make good growth mediums for common allergens like mold and bacteria. However, open coil systems do tend to build up dust, which can trigger allergies in some people. So innersprings are not the best hypoallergenic mattresses.

Contouring

Of all the mattress types on the market, innerspring mattresses are the worst at contouring. These mattresses feature open coils that are linked together in a network that runs from one end of the bed to the other. The coils are tied together using steel cable, which means the entire bed moves as a unit.

This means the mattress is stiff and rigid and cannot alter its shape to fit yours. These mattresses tend to sag underneath your heavier parts instead of contouring to your shape. This can lead to back pain because of spinal misalignment.

Durability

Innerspring mattresses are terrible at contouring and even worse at durability. They are the least durable mattress type, and they typically do not last longer than ten years. This is because their coils lose tension and wear out very fast, leading to sagging. Furthermore, these mattresses also have serious problems with noise because of the metal rubbing on metal inside them.

Price

Price is the one area where innerspring mattresses shine. These are the most affordable mattresses upfront, and you can expect to pay less than $1,000 on average for a queen size innerspring mattress. However, when you take into account their decreased durability, they wind up becoming much more expensive in the long run because you have to replace them more often.

Responsiveness

Innerspring mattresses are highly responsive because of the networked coils inside their support cores. However, this responsiveness goes too far in many cases. Some people believe that spring mattresses bounce like trampolines underneath them. These mattresses are also terrible at controlling motion transfer. They amplify motion and transfer it all over the sleep surface.

Temperature Control

Innerspring mattresses are great at staying cool because open coils do not impede airflow at all. This means your mattress can breathe cool air in and push hot air out all night, keeping your sleep surface cool. However, considering all the other problems that innerspring mattresses have, temperature control does not make up for them. It’s better to find cooling alternatives elsewhere.

Non-Memory Foam Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are made by combining a pocketed coil support core with at least two layers of comfort foam. For most hybrids, this foam is indeed memory foam. However, there are plenty of Talalay and Dunlop latex hybrid mattresses, and there are even some hybrid mattresses that use natural textiles, like wool or cotton, as their comfort layers.

The pocketed coils are what make hybrids a far superior alternative to traditional innerspring mattresses. Pocketed coils fix a lot of the problems inherent to open coils, thanks to the fact that they are individually wrapped in their own fabric or foam casings, rather than being networked together.

Allergy Protection

Latex hybrids are highly effective at preventing allergens from flourishing. Of course, natural latex is hostile to microbe growth. But pocketed coils also circulate air to keep moisture at bay. This improves the latex comfort layer’s ability to fight mold and bacterial growth. But pocketed coils are much better at fighting dust at the same time because of their fabric or foam casings.

Contouring

Individually wrapped pocketed coils can all move independently of one another. This means each coil can compress or rise underneath your body based on your weight and position. This makes hybrid mattresses some of the most contouring mattresses on the market.

They are even more contouring than many all-foam mattresses. This is especially good for latex hybrids because the flexible pocketed coils can help improve the adaptability of the occasionally stiffer latex.

Durability

Hybrids are moderately durable. The latex foam in the comfort layers will last just as long as the latex in an all-foam mattress. However, the pocketed coils will lose tension and break down faster than base foam will. They will outlast open coils, but they will not outlast all-foam support cores. You can expect to replace hybrid mattresses between one and two decades after you buy them.

Price

Hybrids are not fantastic when it comes to price. They are just behind latex in terms of upfront costs. You can expect to pay around $1,800 for a queen size hybrid mattress, on average. However, when you consider a hybrid mattress’s decreased durability in comparison to latex, it actually becomes the most expensive mattress type over time.

Responsiveness

Hybrid mattresses are highly responsive, especially those of the latex variety. However, unlike innerspring mattresses, hybrids do not transfer motion because the coils are not wired together. This means they will bounce back underneath you, but they will not transfer motion around the rest of the bed. This makes hybrids a better choice for couples.

Temperature Control

Latex hybrid mattresses are some of the most cooling mattresses on the market because both latex and pocketed coils are very breathable. This means your entire mattress can keep cooling air flowing from cover to base. This can ensure heat does not build up inside your mattress.

Ideal Non-Memory Foam Mattress Firmness

Even if you are not getting a memory foam mattress, you still have to think about the firmness of your non-memory foam mattress. Mattress firmness is incredibly important because it is the main factor that determines how your spine aligns and how much pressure relief you get. If you get your firmness wrong, you pretty much get your whole mattress wrong, and such a too soft or too firm mattress tends to cause pain and lost sleep.

Mattress firmness is measured on a scale of one to ten, with one being the softest. However, you will rarely, if ever, find a mattress that is softer than around a three or firmer than around an eight. This is because mattresses that are on one end of the two firmness extremes would either have no support or no pressure relief whatsoever.

As you can guess, this would be comfortable to almost no one. This is why soft mattresses are generally considered to fall around a three, while firm and extra-firm mattresses are sevens and eights.

Sleep Position

There are a couple of different factors that determine the firmness level that you need, but your sleep position is the main one. Your preferred sleep position decides everything from how your body contacts the bed to where your pressure points are to what mix of pressure relief and support you need.

This is why you should always consider your sleep position the deciding factor when choosing your firmness baseline. You will go up or down from there based on other factors, like your preferences or your body type.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers can have a tough time getting the right firmness because they have issues with both overly soft and overly firm sleep surfaces. If a mattress is too soft, it will allow the body to sink into the bed. This bends your spine forward and leaves you lying in a hunched position.

Inversely, if a mattress is too hard, it will not follow the shape of your spine and will allow your lower back to collapse onto the bed because it does not have proper support. This can lead to pain in the lumbar region. This is why you will need a mattress for back sleeping that can both follow the curve of your spine and keep you lifted onto the sleep surface at the same time.

Medium-firm mattresses (6) usually fit this bill best. These mattresses offer a balance of contouring and support that slightly favors support. This means the medium-firm mattress can keep you lifted and fight sinkage while at the same time following the curve of your spine to ensure it remains naturally aligned while you sleep.

Combo Sleepers

Combination sleepers do not have a strong preference for any specific sleep position. Rather, they may choose any position at any point during the night. This can make it difficult for combo sleepers to find a mattress that is versatile enough to accommodate their diverse sleep style.

When you’re a combo sleeper, you need a mattress that is soft enough to relieve pressure when you’re on your side and firm enough to keep you lifted when you are on your back or stomach. You also want a mattress for combination sleeping that can contour without allowing sinkage.

Usually, you find the most versatility in medium mattresses (5). Medium mattresses offer an even balance between firmness and plushness. They are equally supportive and pressure relieving, and this makes them versatile enough to adequately accommodate most combo sleepers regardless of the position they adopt.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers typically have problems with inadequate pressure relief. When you sleep on your side, your body weight presses your hip and shoulder joints into the sleep surface. A sleep surface that cannot absorb pressure will exert it. This means an overly firm mattress can cause pain in your pressure points if you sleep on your side.

This is why side sleepers usually need medium-soft mattresses (4). These mattresses for side sleeping offer enough pressure relief to ensure that you do not suffer pain in your hip and shoulder joints. But they still have enough support to provide spinal alignment to most side sleepers.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers usually have issues with inadequate support. When you sleep on your stomach, your pelvis sinks into the bed. This sinkage can pull the lower back out of alignment by overarching the spine in the lumbar region. This can cause severe lower back pain.

The best way to counter this issue is to go with a firm mattress (7). Firm mattresses for stomach sleeping help counter sinkage and keep your pelvis lifted onto the sleep surface to ensure that you do not suffer lower back pain because of your preferred sleep position.

Body Type

Your body type is not the deciding factor when it comes to your firmness needs. However, it can influence whether you need to go softer or firmer.

If you fall into what the mattress industry has deemed the average human weight range (130 to 230 pounds), then you do not have to worry about how your body weight impacts your firmness needs. You can just stick with your baseline firmness. However, if you fall outside this range, you may need to increase or decrease your firmness to accommodate your weight.

Petite Sleepers

Petite sleepers are under 130 pounds. When you are lighter-weight, you tend to have problems getting sufficient pressure relief out of your mattress. You may experience inferior contouring or even pressure-related pain from a mattress that matches your preferred sleep position.

This means petite individuals usually do best on a mattress for lightweight sleepers that is one level softer than the one that would normally match their sleep style. For instance, if you are a petite combo sleeper, you might want to go down from a medium to a medium-soft mattress.

Plus-Size Sleepers

When you weigh more than 230 pounds, you are considered a plus-size sleeper. Heavier sleepers tend to get insufficient support from a mattress that matches their sleep position. This may lead to spinal misalignment, back pain, sinkage, and other issues. Mattresses for heavy sleepers need to offer reinforced support, essentially.

This is why it’s usually best for heavier sleepers to go up a firmness level from the one that would normally correspond to their sleep position. For instance, if you are a heavier stomach sleeper, you may want to increase your firmness from a firm to an extra-firm mattress.

FAQs

How much should I pay for a non-memory foam mattress?

This depends on what type of non-memory foam mattress you get. If you choose an innerspring mattress, you will be paying the least amount up front but replacing your mattress much more frequently, which means you will be paying more over time.

With hybrid and latex mattresses, you will be paying more upfront but will not have to replace your mattress as often. As far as other alternatives are concerned, newer sleep technologies are typically much more expensive, especially if their patents have not run out. This means you may have to be aware and do some research to find out how much you can expect to pay.

Are there alternatives to foam and spring mattresses?

There are alternatives to foam and springs. For example, plush fibers are some of the oldest sleep technologies on the planet and are still in use today. You can find many high-quality wool mattresses that offer lots of contouring and breathability.

There are also plant-based fiber mattresses for those who do not want animal fibers. Kapok is gaining popularity because of its silky smoothness and squishy, comfortable feel. A more traditional route is cotton, which is highly breathable and also hypoallergenic.

Can I get a non-latex organic mattress?

Yes. You can get an organic mattress that is not made of latex. If you want an organic mattress without latex, you will have to search for natural fibers such as kapok, wool, cotton, and other materials that come from plants or animals. However, any one of these fibers can be certified organic if it meets the proper standards to earn the organic label.

What is the most contouring memory foam alternative?

If you want a highly contouring memory foam alternative, you have two options. Talalay latex is highly contouring because it is lighter and full of air bubbles, which gives it flexibility. If you want a foam that feels like memory foam and latex at the same time, this latex type may be for you.

Another highly contouring mattress option is a latex hybrid. With this setup, the contouring comes from the pocketed coil support core. Each coil in a hybrid mattress can move independently of all the others, which makes latex hybrids highly flexible. The mattress can alter its shape to fit yours, much like a memory foam mattress.

Is a non-memory foam mattress healthier?

A non-memory foam mattress can be a healthier alternative to synthetic, petroleum-based foam. Most memory foam mattresses on the market today are perfectly safe. They must adhere to strict manufacturing standards that forbid them from containing potentially toxic materials.

Even so, memory foam is not as good as some other materials at fighting allergens. It is also not as healthy for the environment as natural materials. Some people may also have sensitivities to some of the chemicals inside memory foam mattresses.

So memory foam is safe, but it is not necessarily the healthiest choice. Healthier alternatives include latex foam mattresses, latex hybrid mattresses, and natural materials like wool and kapok.

Bottom Line

In this day and age, you are not limited to synthetic foam mattresses if you want to avoid older sleep technologies like innerspring mattresses. You have tons of fantastic natural and coil options that can offer comfort, support, pressure relief, and more when choosing a mattress. All you have to do to find the best mattress without memory foam is a little digging!