High Resilience Foam vs. Memory Foam

High Resilience Foam

High resilience is a polyurethane foam that has a much higher responsiveness than memory foam, which has a slower response. Because of this, those that enjoy more of a bounce in their mattress will gravitate towards this type of foam.

High resilience foams are much less popular than memory foam, but they make up important layers of many popular mattresses. Oftentimes the transitional layer or base layer of memory foam mattresses will contain high resilience foam at high densities. This provides a more even feel across the mattress, and less of a sinking feeling that memory foam alone would have.

Like all polyurethane foam, high resilience foam is made of a blend of polyurethane and has a tendency to off-gas. If you are susceptible to lung issues, please do additional research on the quality of foams before purchasing.

Pros: Quicker response than memory foam provides many mattresses with an even supportive feel.

Cons: Sagging and off-gassing problems with lower quality foams.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is a blend of polyurethane (a polymer made as a byproduct of petroleum refining) and additional chemicals that give the memory foam its low-resilience. It was originally developed by NASA in the 1970s for airplane cushioning and has since become one of the widest materials used in mattresses and pillows.

In plain English, what makes memory foam is its ability to contour to pressure and return to its original shape slowly after pressure is released. This process allows for it to react to pressure differently across its surface and provide a contoured, but aligned feeling for sleepers.

In mattresses, older or lower quality memory foam may sag from the repetitive pressure of laying or sitting. For this reason, those that are heavier should do additional research about soft memory foam bedding as they will sink more than alternatives and could lead to discomfort for some body types.

Lastly, over the recent years, there has been reports of off-gassing and toxic odors released from memory foam. Some lower quality or treated memory foam may have this problem and cause respiratory inflamation. It is important to make sure that memory foam is high quality.

Pros: Contouring comfort, competitive pricepoints, and widespread options.

Cons: Sagging and off-gassing problems with lower quality foams.

Learn More About High Resilience Foam

Learn More About Memory Foam

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Material Scores

Overall Score:
High Resilience Foam: 8.9/10
Memory Foam: 9.3/10

Comfort:
High Resilience Foam: 8.8/10
Memory Foam: 9.4/10

Softness:
High Resilience Foam: 8.7/10
Memory Foam: 9.5/10

Cooling:
High Resilience Foam: 8/10
Memory Foam: 8/10

Hypoallergenic:
High Resilience Foam: 8.1/10
Memory Foam: 8.1/10

No Odor:
High Resilience Foam: 8.4/10
Memory Foam: 8.4/10

General Support:
High Resilience Foam: 9.4/10
Memory Foam: 8.7/10

Eco-Conscious:
High Resilience Foam: 8.5/10
Memory Foam: 8.5/10

Price Value:
High Resilience Foam: 9.4/10
Memory Foam: 9.4/10