Memory Foam Pillows and Mattresses are all over the place in today's world, whereas Latex Products are still sort of a niche product most people don't know about.
Here's some pro's and con's of both:
Advantages of Memory Foam:
- Uses your heat and body pressure to adjust to your body which gives you that contour feeling when you lay down on it.
- Reduces pressure points (very helpful for people with back pain or hip issues)
- Hypoallergenic. Great for people with allergies. The high density of memory foam reduces the dust, mold and all sorts of allergens)
Disadvantages of Memory Foam:
- Depending on the density of the foam, it can be very heavy. This is partially a reason why a lot of memory foam pillows are underfilled because filling them up all the way would make the pillows much heavier and therefore also more expensive to ship for most companies resulting in less profit for them ;-)
- A lot of memory foam pillows are made in China. Which is not a bad thing but it can be if companies claim their foam is Certipur certified and what not but in reality it's packed with chemicals. Certipur is and independent US company which certifies supplier and retailers of memory foam products.
- Memory Foam Sleeps hot. Products like Cooling Beads, Copper infused, Charcoal infused, Green Team infused etc. Pillows, are just another marketing thing which has not been proven yet to this point that they actually work and make a difference with temperature regulation and/or other benefits this special pillows claim to have.
- Synthetic and man made material. If you are looking for an all natural pillow or mattress, you should most likely steer clear of memory foam. Although there are natural memory foam versions out there on the market, they still are not completely chemical free.
- Strong Odors caused by the chemical composition of the foam. Certipur US certified foams are the way to go if you truly care about reduced smell and chemicals in your memory foam pillow and/or mattress.
- Your Body's spinal and neck Alignment when sleeping on a memory foam pillow or mattress, strongly depends on your weight and body heat. Those two factors eliminate what so many companies these these claim are "ONE MATTRESS FITS ALL" products. For that reason mattress firm offered a in store test years ago, to make sure they sell you the right mattress based on your weight and softness preference. These days where everything is sold online it is much harder therefore to find the right mattress for you. We recommend you go to a store and try out a mattress therefore before purchasing one. With Pillows it's a bit simpler, because they can be adjusted, IF they have a zipper. So always make sure whatever pillow you buy, has a zipper for adjusting the fill level.
Advantages of Latex:
- Latex is a natural product which is produced from the sap of the rubber trees. Thailand is the worlds largest rubber producer, and most latex used in pillows comes from Thailand therefore.
- The structure of latex makes it more bouncier which in return provide you better and also more reliable support than memory foam as heavier bodyparts (which are usually our head, hips and legs) don't sink in that much as they would with memory foam mattresses or memory foam pillows. This is one of the biggest advantages Latex has over Memory foam.
- Latex is naturally resistant to any sorts of mold and dust mites without the need for added chemicals etc. When you live in a warm and humid climate like Florida or Hawaii, this is something you should keep in mind when shopping for a new pillow or mattress
- Better Air Circulation. The natural open cell structure of Latex allows for enough air flow to keep you cool all night. Our Latex Stix Pillows enhance the air flow even further as latex does not clump together that much compared to shredded memory foam for instance.
- Latex is highly durable and will outlast any memory foam product by years.
- No chemical Smell. Latex has it's own natural smell to it which is stronger when a product is still new but reduces over time.
Disadvantages of Latex:
- Latex is rather heavy, specially when used in mattresses. This can become and issue when it comes to shipping costs for your new mattress or pillow. Latex cannot be compressed for shipping purposes.
- Cost. Real latex is expensive because it is much harder to produce and make than man made memory foam
- Some people have allergic reactions to latex. It's usually rare but still worth mentioning
As you can see there are pros and cons to each. We use latex and memory foam to make our specialty hybrid pillows, because of the fact that these materials are both great for when used in combination with buckwheat, to create a pillows unlike any other.
And we wouldn't be PineTales if we'd not endorse Buckwheat Pillows as the go to Pillow. Innovation meets Tradition when in comes to Buckwheat or Millet Pillows. You can't beat that.
