Egg Crate Foam vs. Foam

Egg Crate Foam

Egg crate foam can be any type of foam where one side has an 'egg crate' shape. The purpose of this kind of foam is two-fold. It tends to be more responsive and distributes weight better than a thick layer of foam, and also it has cooling advantages because of the air flow that it provides.

Egg crate foam can be either memory foam or reflex foam, which are both blends of polyurethane foams and could be prone to off-gassing and odor.

The egg crate foam is generally found in the top comfort layers of the mattress, though they could be used in the base layer as well.

Pros: More response and more airflow than flat foam layers.

Cons: Comfort is entirely dependent on the quality of foam -- lower quality foams can be uncomfortable and break down faster.

Foam

Mattress foam comes in multiple different types: memory foam, polyurethane, and latex. Memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam that has lower resistance so it reacts and slowly reforms when pressure is released. It generally makes up the surface layers of a mattress.

Polyurethane comes in multiple different forms - making it useful in the middle and base layers of many foam and memory foam mattresses.

Latex is the natural alternative to memory foam and polyurethane foams. It is created from sap from a rubber tree and is treated to create different densities to cover both soft and firm requirements. Like rubber, it is highly responsive and has a bounce that some sleepers love and some others hate.

Pros: Depending on the foam type, it can be quite comfortable, safe, and responsive.

Cons: Lower quality foams can break down quickly, causing sagging issues within only a few months or years.

Learn More About Egg Crate Foam

Learn More About Foam

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Material Scores

Overall Score:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Foam: 9.3/10

Comfort:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Foam: 9.4/10

Softness:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.4/10
Foam: 9.5/10

Cooling:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.9/10
Foam: 8/10

Hypoallergenic:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.6/10
Foam: 8.1/10

No Odor:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.6/10
Foam: 8.4/10

General Support:
Egg Crate Foam: 9/10
Foam: 8.7/10

Eco-Conscious:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.7/10
Foam: 8.5/10

Price Value:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Foam: 9.4/10