Memory foam mattresses are everywhere and the foam itself is intensely popular with mattress buyers. It’s used in the comfort layer for all kinds of mattresses, including innersprings. But what are your options if you want a mattress without memory foam?
There can be any number of reasons you’d want to avoid memory foam. You may want to avoid it for medical reasons, for comfort, or maybe you just don’t like memory foam! They’re all valid reasons to give up on foam.
Top Picks For Mattresses Without Memory Foam In 2021
- Naturepedic Serenade Organic Mattress
- Lifekind The Traditional – Conventional style innerspring without any foam
- Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress
- The EcoCloud by WinkBeds
- Nest Certified Organic Hybrid Latex
- GhostBed Natural Mattress
- Plushbeds The Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress
- Avocado Green Mattress
- Latex for Less Latex Mattress
Mattresses Without Memory Foam Reviewed And Detailed
1. Naturepedic Serenade Organic Mattress
There’s no polyurethane foam in this mattress, and yes, that includes memory foam. Naturepedic Senere Organic Mattress is a hybrid mattress that combines latex foam with innerspring.
The mattress has six layers or distinct parts. Going from the top to the base, these are:
- Quilted organic cotton layer, organic wool batting, and PLA comfort layer.
- A 2-inch high comfort layer made from organic latex foam.
- A fabric insulator.
- Support layer of 8-inch encased coils, packed without any glues or adhesives.
- Organic cotton batting.
- Encasement made from organic cotton and organic cotton fill.
When you touch the mattress, you feel a plush layer for the top, which is followed by a wonderfully responsive latex foam comfort layer. Latex does an excellent job conforming to the shape of your body, though not as closely as memory foam.
Latex is bouncier than memory foam, so you get a more responsive mattress. Innersprings play a role in the bounciness too, and also help with air circulation.
Naturepedic wants to highlight the use of natural products. They’ve used organic, GOTS-approved latex sourced from certified suppliers. The cotton used is US-grown certified organic. This includes cotton for the fabric and fill.
Moisture-wicking for this mattress is handled by organic wool and a PLA layer. Both these materials have exceptional wicking qualities, making them well-suited for the mattress. PLA is a synthetic fiber sourced from non-GMO sugarcane.
There is no use of chemicals here – even for the fire retardant! The company says their use of natural, well-placed materials makes the mattress sufficiently fire retardant. So, you won’t have to worry about things like fiberglass in your mattress.
Naturepedic Serenade Organic mattress is impressive with its use of high-quality materials, attention to detail, and focus on better practices for sourcing and manufacture.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOTS, UL/GREENGUARD, Made-Safe.
- A 90-day sleep trial.
- 20-year limited warranty.
- Organic mattresses made in the USA.
- Latex-innerspring hybrid mattress.
See more details and buying options
2. Lifekind The Traditional
There’s a wonderful range of comfortable mattresses available to buy. You know what isn’t easily available?
The good old traditional innerspring that doesn’t rely on foam, even for the comfort layer.
If you’re interested in a classic innerspring mattress, The Traditional from Lifekind could be worth a look. As the name implies, this mattress is all about the more traditional style.
There is no memory foam in this mattress, or for that matter, any foam. Lifekind usually employs latex foam for their mattresses, The Traditional is the only one in their lineup without latex. The comfort layer here is handled with a combination of wool and cotton.
The mattress starts with a traditional Bonnell-style spring assembly. Buyers can customize the number of coils used depending on their preference. It is hand-tufted, has heavy-duty side support springs, and is quite dependable.
Certifications for this mattress include GOTS and Greenguard Gold. Organic cotton and wool cover all sides of the mattress, including its double-stitched cover. Though the firmness is customizable, you’ll find the mattress to be in a medium to medium-firm setting.
Handmade in the USA, the mattress is 8-inch thick and backs its traditional technology with a more conventional look and feel. The Traditional has all the characteristics of a conventional innerspring mattress – faults and benefits alike.
There are several situations where you could consider this mattress outclassed by those with a more modern outlook. That’s not a problem, since this mattress isn’t competing for that setup.
Its real focus is on being The Traditional, and that’s all we want from it!
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOTS, Greenguard Gold.
- Firmness ranges from Medium firm to firm.
- Built in the style of the traditional innerspring mattress.
- Certified organic and handmade in the USA.
- Mattress height is 8-inches.
- Lifekind offers a 90-day exchange policy on mattresses.
- 20-year limited warranty.
See buying options and pricing
3. Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress
Another latex-innerspring hybrid, Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress is a high-quality choice. Though sold online, this mattress isn’t a bed in a box. Saatva says the Latex Hybrid is made to order and hand delivered. If you want it, they’ll even set the mattress in the room and remove the old mattress.
The white-glove delivery and experience works well in the favor of Saatva. It’s a small and simple touch, but immensely helpful. For many of us, it isn’t easy to get rid of the old mattress when we order a new one. Their offer to carry away the old mattress is usually welcome.
As an organic mattress, Saatva Latex Hybrid uses premium, natural, eco-friendly materials. It’s free of toxic chemicals, flame retardants, emissions, and chemical adhesives. Apart from natural latex in the comfort layer, the mattress employs GOTS certified organic New Zealand wool and sports an organic cotton cover.
The Euro top sleep surface has a cover made from organic cotton and given Saatva’s Guardin botanical antimicrobial treatment. This is followed by a layer of organic wool, which gives way to a 3-inch layer of latex foam.
The latex layer has five zones for support and pressure relief. Rather than being a homogenous layer, this one has different areas (zones) crafted in a way to provide maximum pressure relief and comfort.
Saatva Latex Hybrid Mattress has innersprings as the support layer. These are individually wrapped pocketed coils made from recycled stainless steel. This layer too has the ergonomic firmness zones to work with the comfort layer for better sleep and comfort.
Mattress Highlights
- Mattress uses natural latex, GOTS certified organic NZ wool, and organic cotton.
- Latex foam comfort layer is zoned to provide pressure relief and support.
- Individually wrapped pocketed coils make sure the hybrid innerspring mattress has good motion isolation.
- Offers a 180-night home trial.
- Has a 15-year limited warranty.
- Not a bed in a box mattress.
- Mattresses made in the USA.
- Free home delivery, including white glove delivery for many locations.
4. The EcoCloud by WinkBeds
The EcoCloud by WinkBeds is another latex foam and innerspring hybrid mattress without memory foam. Engineered for comfort, this mattress has several layers that ensure it’s breathable, responsive, and with remarkable pressure relief.
It includes a generous, 4-inch thick layer of natural Talalay latex foam. This layer is zoned into targeted comfort layers for greater comfort. It is firmer at certain points, like for the lower back, but softer shoulders and hips. This setup allows it to better cater to various pressure points, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
The support layer is formed with individually wrapped pocketed coils made from recycled stainless steel. They’re zoned too, so they work in tandem with the comfort layer to provide added pressure relief and support.
Other elements of note include its cover, which is made from organic cotton and New Zealand wool. By focusing on the use of non-toxic materials, EcoCloud takes on a healthy approach to consumer health. Plus, the use of innovative approaches, like zoned support, the mattress promises a better sleep without problems with pressure points.
EcoCloud by WinkBeds scores medium on the firmness scale. This mattress is best-suited for side sleepers, though those who sleep on the back will also find it comfortable. It’s not quite suitable for stomach sleepers, who should instead go for a firm or medium-firm mattress.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOTS, Oeko Tex, Rainforest Alliance, Eco Initiative
- Medium firm mattress.
- Hybrid mattress with latex foam comfort layer and individually packed coils.
- Offers 120 night risk-free trial.
- Mattresses made in the USA.
- Has a lifetime warranty, though some conditions apply.
5. Nest Certified Organic Hybrid Latex
Nest Certified Organic Hybrid Latex mattress uses high-quality materials for its construction. The handmade mattress has a latex foam comfort layer and a support layer made of individually pocketed coils.
For its top layer, the mattress has a quilted cover made from GOTS certified organic wool and organic cotton. These natural materials also work as a fire retardant, thus doing away with the need to use other (artificial) chemicals as fire retardants.
The comfort layer is 3-inches of organic Dunlop latex. The manufacturing process gives this layer a consistent density, making it rather dependable. Perforations in this layer allow for easier ventilation and airflow, helping the mattress stay cool.
Finally, there’s the support layer made from individually wrapped and pocketed coils placed in organic cotton. This 8-inch thick layer works with latex foam to provide a bouncy and responsive mattress. Additionally, it helps with airflow, which helps the mattress stay comfortable and dependable.
Nest Certified Organic Hybrid Latex Mattress is available in several firmness and size options to suit various preferences and tastes. The mattresses are carefully handmade to order, to maximize quality and customer experience.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOTS, Greenguard Gold, GOLS.
- Available in various firmness and size options.
- Hybrid mattress with latex comfort layer and pocketed coils support layer.
- Mattress handmade in the USA.
- Offers a 100-night sleep trial.
- Has a lifetime warranty with applicable terms.
6. GhostBed Natural Mattress
Going natural and using high-quality materials is increasingly popular with customers, and by association, with mattress manufacturers. GhostBed Natural Mattress is another mattress that offers excellent quality and build with the promise of comfort. This is a mattress without memory foam and instead utilizes latex foam for the comfort layer.
There are five layers for this mattress. The organic cotton cover is followed by a layer of wool. The latter also works as a natural fire retardant, removing the need of using a chemical for this purpose. For the comfort layer, GhostBed Natural Mattress uses a 2-inch layer of natural Talalay latex.
Pocketed coils form an 8-inch thick support layer. Being individually wrapped and pocketed, these offer good motion isolation, while providing the same airflow and bounciness we expect from innerspring mattresses. The mattress base is made from Dunlop Latex to allow for additional support and durability.
GhostBed Natural Mattress is rated medium on the firmness scale. It’s excellent for side sleepers, back sleepers, and combination sleepers who change their sleep position often during night. It’s not the best pick for stomach sleepers, who should look for something that’s firm or medium firm.
The comfort layer could perhaps be more generous with the latex foam. However, it isn’t much of an issue, since the mattress is comfortable and quite reliable. It does an excellent job at being responsive, providing support, and relieving pressure points.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOLS, USDA Organic (cotton cover), Control Union, Oeko-Tex.
- Medium firmness.
- Hybrid mattress with talalay latex foam comfort layer and pocketed coils for support layer.
- Mattress made in the USA.
- Offers a 101-night sleep trial.
- Has a 25-year limited warranty.
7. Plushbeds The Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress
One of the best known mattresses with an excellent track record, Plushbeds The Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress is an excellent pick when you want to go without memory foam. This mattress is available in a variety of options, designed to suit almost any preference.
Buyers get to choose between height, firmness options, and of course, mattress size. For height, the options available are 9, 10, and 12-inches. The sizing covers pretty much all common options. With the presence of medium and medium-firm options, the mattress covers a huge spectrum of sleep preferences.
For most sleep preferences, the medium mattress is a good choice. This includes those who sleep on their side, back, or are combination sleepers who change their position often during the night. Choosing the medium-firm option is better suited for those who prefer to sleep on their stomach, or have a weight above 275 lbs (heavy sleepers).
There are three principal layers for this mattress. The cover is made from organic cotton. Plushbeds The Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress has natural Talalay Latex for its comfort layer. Its support layer is made from Arpico organic latex core.
The thickness of the layers in this mattress depends on the choice of mattress height. This is also one of the few foam mattress options without memory foam or innerspring. It relies on latex foam instead and is excellent for comfort and pressure relief.
Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress from Plushbeds comes with a long list of certifications that further bolster its claims of being a mattress made with natural, sustainably sourced materials.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOLS, GOTS, Greenguard Gold, Control Union, Eco-Institut, Forest Stewardship Council.
- Available in medium and medium-firm options.
- Mattress made in the USA.
- Offers a 100-night sleep trial.
- Comes with a 25-year limited warranty.
8. Avocado Green Mattress
Avocado Green Mattress is one of the most liked and popular options. It’s also a great pick for people who are on the heavier side by weight (more than 250 lbs). Avocado Green Mattress uses natural components for its construction and manufacture.
The mattress doesn’t include any polyester, polyurethane foam, or toxic fire retardants. The role of the fire retardant is handled by GOTS certified, ethically sourced wool. Certified organic cotton forms the cover of the mattress.
For its comfort layer, Avocado Green Mattress makes use of certified organic latex. The support layer is handled by a system of individually wrapped and pocketed coils. These help with support and provide the mattress with great airflow, bounce, and responsiveness.
The coils are arranged in a way to provide five distinct ergonomic zones. These help the mattress provide support and pressure relief right where it’s needed the most, thus making the mattress more comfortable.
You can pick the conventional mattress for its medium firm feel. It’s suitable for most sleep positions, though side sleepers might prefer something that’s a bit plusher. Heavy sleepers will find this mattress comfortable for all sleep positions.
In its classic form, Avocado Green Mattress has quite a comfortable touch. You can choose to add a touch of luxury by choosing the pillow top upgrade for this mattress.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOLS, GOTS, Made-Safe, Greenguard Gold, Climate Neutral, and Forest Stewardship Council.
- Available in medium-firm option, becomes gentle-firm by adding a pillow top.
- Mattress made in the USA.
- Avoids the use of chemicals.
- Offers a one year (365 day) sleep trial.
- Has a 25-year limited warranty.
9. Latex for Less Latex Mattress
Latex foam is often utilized as a replacement for memory foam in mattresses. While either approach has its pros and cons, we’ll keep our focus on latex for the current discussion. Though not as cradling and conforming as memory foam, latex foam does its job remarkably well.
It also lags behind memory foam slightly on motion isolation. However, latex foam does better than memory foam on responsiveness, bounciness, airflow, and to some degree, pressure relief!
That said, natural latex has a limited supply and is often more expensive than competing options like memory foam. Latex for Less tries to offer high-quality mattresses, but with a lower price tag. It doesn’t magically get cheap, but the company seems to have hit the formula for pricing with a good value.
Latex for Less Latex Mattress packs two firmness options in a single mattress. One side of the mattress has medium firmness. However, as soon as you flip the mattress, you can enjoy sleeping on a “firm” mattress.
To achieve this effect, the mattress uses several layers of carefully arranged foam. Both sides of the mattress have an organic cotton cover followed by a layer of natural wool. The wool acts as a means of wicking moisture away and keeping the bed cool. It’s also an excellent and natural fire retardant.
This is followed by two layers of natural latex. Together, these form a rather generous comfort layer. Depending on which side of the mattress you use, one of these layers also pulls duty as the support layer!
One of these layers works as the comfort layer for the medium side, while the other acts as support foam in this situation. Flip the mattress, and you’ll find the comfort foam layer and support layer switching places between these latex foam layers.
Mattress Highlights
- Certifications: GOTS, Oeko-Tex.
- Flippable mattress with firm and medium firmness options.
- Mattress made in the USA.
- Avoids the use of chemicals/artificial products to favor natural products.
- Offers a 120 night trial.
- Comes with a 20-year limited warranty.
Things To Note When Picking A Mattress Without Memory Foam
If I Pick The Best Innerspring Mattress, Will It Have Memory Foam?
Conventional classification says that innerspring mattresses don’t have memory foam. An innerspring with memory foam combination would make them hybrid mattresses.
However, that’s not always the case. Even innerspring mattresses need a comfort layer. Most modern mattresses use foam for this part, and as it turns out, memory foam is an excellent candidate! So, even your favored innerspring mattress might have memory foam. In fact, popular mattresses do take this route.
They may use only a thin layer of memory foam. So, the mattress doesn’t quite float into the hybrid mattress territory, but stays an innerspring mattress.
Interestingly, it is increasingly difficult to find a good, old-fashioned innerspring mattress. Most modern mattresses will use foam for the comfort layer, even if it’s not memory foam. So, finding one with the classic cotton setting is rather difficult. There are a few options available, like “The Traditional” from Lifekind.
Mattress Types Without Memory Foam
Practically, you can find all mattress types that don’t use memory foam. That includes even foam mattresses. While simply using polyurethane foam could work, many mattresses use latex foam for the comfort layer.
Here Are Some Basic Types
- Innerspring: As we just saw, innerspring mattresses may have a layer of memory foam, even if it’s a thin layer. However, you can find innersprings without memory foam, even if the classical style is difficult to get a hold of. These mattresses are cheaper than competing foam options. They’re useful for budget shoppers, but barely offer any pressure relief.
- Latex: Latex foam has emerged as an excellent competitor for memory foam. However, natural latex is more expensive than memory foam. It’s a natural material with limited supply. Latex offers excellent pressure relief, good support, and is bouncier than memory foam. It’s also very adaptive and has better airflow and temperature management as compared to memory foam. Note, this doesn’t mean latex doesn’t sleep hot – only that it’s better than memory foam in this regard.
- Hybrid Mattresses: These bring together different mattress materials for a comfortable solution. For non-memory foam mattresses, this means a combination of innersprings for the support layer and latex foam for the comfort layer. These have better airflow and sleep cooler than normal foam mattresses. Additionally, they have better pressure relief as compared to plain innerspring mattresses. However, these tend to be more expensive.
- Polyfoam Mattresses: Old-style polyfoam mattresses may not have memory foam. However, these aren’t nearly as good as memory foam at pressure relief, and offer minimal support. Besides, they have similar characteristics and problems as memory foam.
Other options like futons, airbeds, or Japanese futon beds don’t have memory foam. But these aren’t usual bedding options, so it’s reasonable to skip them. Besides, airbeds (or air mattresses) aren’t replacements for a proper mattress. They shouldn’t be used as sleep surfaces for any longer than a few days occasionally.
Sleeping Cool With A Non-Memory Foam Mattress
One of the biggest complaints consumers have with memory foam mattresses is that they tend to sleep hot. People who have this problem often find themselves waking up uncomfortably hot. If these are the problems encouraging you to look for a mattress without memory foam, it’s worthwhile to have a deeper understanding.
Memory foam’s most common replacement, latex foam too has this problem, though to a lesser extent. Both these foams are conforming and provide excellent pressure relief. This process sees the foam compress and results in lower airflow. This, in turn, causes the user to sleep hot, which is uncomfortable for most.
Innerspring mattresses are a good choice, though the classic-style mattresses are hard to come by. Besides, the pressure relief with these mattresses remains questionable.
A hybrid latex mattress might actually be the best solution to all this.
Other Problems With Memory Foam
Apart from its sleep hot issues, there are plenty of reasons why some people choose to forgo memory foam. Here are a few highlights:
- Origin: Petroleum is the basic component for the manufacture of memory foam. People principally opposed to petroleum may not prefer this approach.
- Chemicals: Memory foam mattresses often come with strong chemical smells. The mattresses may off-gas for days or even months before they stop smelling. Understandably, many people aren’t fond of the off-gassing mattresses and the chemicals they release. The use of chemical fire retardants in many mattresses is also a put-off for consumers.
- Natural products: Many competitors for memory foam mattresses use natural, sustainably sourced, and organic products. Primarily, this includes latex foam, though using recycled steel for innersprings is gaining more ground.
Is Memory Foam Bad For You?
No, or better, not necessarily. Memory foam is an excellent material and offers excellent pressure relief to sleepers. However, it’s also true that the foam is flammable and requires the use of fire retardants. Additionally, the off-gassing and smells might pose a risk too.
The problem with off-gassing and fire retardants isn’t as serious with higher-quality mattresses that use memory foam.
Getting A Non-Memory Foam Mattress That’s As Comfortable
Memory foam is ubiquitous and very popular for the comfort layer of mattresses. And for good reason, it is a versatile material that offers excellent pressure relief, support, and general comfort. For all its good qualities, memory foam isn’t without fault and neither is it an indispensable material.
You can find a quality mattress without memory foam if you’re so inclined. Latex foam provides an excellent alternative that can offer similar benefits as memory foam and even add a few of its own.