Gel Foam Vs Memory Foam. 

To know what the difference between these two types of foam mattresses are, we have to know what the qualities of both of them are. It is often thought that there isn't any difference between a gel foam and a memory foam mattress because, of the similar names however, there are some changes between the two that separate them for one another.  

What is a get foam mattress?  

A gel foam mattress is very similar to a memory foam mattress, however with a gel foam mattress the gel pods are added to the top layers of the foam. The gel foam mattress blends the gel foam with a foam or sprung base, which provides the mattress with extra support for your lower back and neck. The gel pods have cooling technology reducing your body heat as the gel draws heat away from your body, ideal for warmer countries, warmer weather or, people that just get hot easily.  

What is a memory foam mattress?  

A memory foam mattress is a mattress that is able to contour itself to fit your body shape, it is able to do this because, it is made of a synthetic material called polyurethane that uses body heat to mould to each sleeper’s position. A memory foam mattress blends a layer of memory foam with supportive foam or springs. If you are not applying pressure to the mattress then the mattress will bounce back to its original form slowly. There a two main types of memory foam mattresses, one is an open cell memory foam mattress and the other is a traditional memory foam mattress. 

The open cell memory foam mattresses are usually designed with sponge passages which allows the heat to make its way back out of the mattress as you sleep. On the other hand, traditional memory foam mattresses are created from a polyurethane by-product, which closes the cells that trap heat in your mattress. 

What are the differences?  

There are 3 main factors between both of these mattresses that that separate them for each other. The 3 main factors are:  

• Price:  

Gel mattresses tend to be made out of more materials therefore making the gel memory foam mattresses more expensive. A memory foam mattress is made up of layers of foam while, a gel foam mattress has gel-infused layers of both the gel pods and the memory foam. Another reason for why gel foam mattresses are more expensive than a memory foam mattress is because, of the way they are created, a gel foam mattress has a very complex construction giving it another reason for its more expensive pricing.  

• Temperature: 

A gel foam mattress has cooling technology that allows for your body to cool down as you sleep, this results in both improving your comfort levels and your quality of sleep. Although, the open cell type of memory foam mattress allows for the heat from your body to escape through the mattress, it doesn’t have the cooling technology that the gel foam mattress has. 

• Bounce: 

Both of the mattress bounce back however, the gel mattress tends to bounce back to its original shape faster than the memory foam mattress. This is because, of the gel pods that the gel foam mattress has, with an extra layer of support it allows for the gel foam mattress to bounce back faster than the memory foam mattress. However, memory foam mattresses tend to hold their shape longer than the gel foam mattresses. 

What are the similarities?  

In a lot of ways both a memory foam mattress and a gel foam mattress are a lot alike, they have some very similar qualities to them, some of them being:  

• Pain relief:

The way that both of the mattresses are built allows for them to offer great support in the areas that people usually need pain relief in such as the neck, lower back, hips, and joints. The support that both the mattresses offer also help reduce achy joints and muscles too, since the mattress is so comfortable and supportive it put less pressure on the more sensitive area, as the mattress contours itself around you instead of just sitting underneath you like a traditional mattress would.  

• Head and neck support:

The material polyurethane foam which is used to make both memory foam mattresses and gel foam mattresses conforms to your unique sleeping positions. Since, both of the mattresses can mould to your body well it provides your head and neck with great support reducing pains the next morning.  

• Heat reducing:

Although it has been mentioned that the heat reducing abilities for both of this mattress is a difference, it can also be looked at as a similarity. It is not a factor that all mattresses have, only some mattresses have the ability to allow heat to escape from the mattress and these two mattresses have that ability. Also, because they both allow the temperature in the mattress to reduce, it also means that the mattress is not as moist as it would have been had the mattresses not had temperature reducing factors.  

The memory foam mattress and the gel foam mattress have a lot of similarities however, there are 3 main differences that help separate them both.