• Best Mattress
    • Types

    • Best Memory Foam Mattress
    • Best Mattress in a Box
    • Best Hybrid Mattress
    • Best Latex Mattress
    • Best Mattresses Without Fiberglass
    • Position

    • Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
    • Best Mattress for Stomach Sleepers
    • Best Mattress for Back Pain
    • Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers
    • Price

    • Best Mattress Under $500
    • Best Mattress Under $1000
    • Best Mattress Under $2000
    • Size

    • Best Twin Size Mattress
    • Best Twin XL Size Mattress
    • Best Full Size Mattress
    • Best Queen Size Mattress
    • Best King Size Mattress
    • Best California King Size Mattress
  • Mattress Reviews
  • Mattress Resources
  • Bedding
  • Sleep Tips
  • Sleep Research
Home / Mattress Comparison / Memory Foam vs. Serene Foam: What’s the Difference?
Mattress Comparison

Memory Foam vs. Serene Foam: What’s the Difference?

by Ray Soberano Comment on Memory Foam vs. Serene Foam: What’s the Difference?
Updated March 17, 2023

If it’s cushioned comfort and contoured support you’re after in a new mattress, foams are where it’s at. From gel foam to memory foam to latex foam to serene foam, it seems the market is just about saturated with different kinds of foam, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

So how are you supposed to choose between them all? Fear not. We’re here to help. Today, we’ll go over two popular polyurethane foams on the market—one a classic and the other a new innovation—and talk about the advantages and drawbacks of each.

Memory Foam

Originally developed by NASA to support and cushion astronauts during a rocket takeoff, memory foam has now become one of the most popular bedding materials in the US—and for good reason! With its unparalleled pressure relief, motion isolation, and contouring ability, it’s one of the best choices for sleepers who experience pain and pressure point discomfort.

The main complaints about memory foam have to do with its heat retention and lack of responsiveness. Some people feel memory foam sleeps too hot (though this is more of a problem in older memory foam), and some sleepers also don’t like that memory foam doesn’t bounce back as quickly as some other materials.

Memory Foam Feel

Memory foam conforms to your body’s contours to create a cradling or hugging effect. If you need pressure point relief, there’s nothing better than a good memory foam bed. Memory foam responds to both your body heat and the pressure of your body weight, compressing more under the heavier parts of your body and rising to meet the lighter parts, achieving almost perfect conformity to your shape.

Memory Foam Temperature

Older, more traditional memory foams were infamous for their propensity to retain heat, but today’s memory foams are a lot cooler because of open-cell technology. All the ingredients for memory foam remain the same, but the structure of an open-cell mattress is designed with internal air pockets—or open cells—to allow for airflow, keeping your memory foam mattress cooler than it would have been in the past.

Even with an open-cell design, standard memory foam may not be the best option for you if you’re a really hot sleeper. You might consider latex or serene foam, or even a hybrid mattress with memory foam to achieve optimum coolness.

Gel memory foam is another common variation on the traditional formula, used to establish a cooling memory foam mattress for hot sleepers.

Memory Foam Cost

Depending on the additional sleep technologies included in the mattress, a quality memory foam mattress can range from reasonably budget-friendly to very expensive. Expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $3000 for a queen bed.

Best Memory Foam Mattress Overall: Amerisleep AS3

  • Price: $1149 to $2398
  • Mattress Type: Memory Foam
  • Mattress Height: 12 inches
  • Firmness: Medium (5 to 6 on the firmness scale)
  • Best for single sleepers of most sleeping styles and couples with conflicting sleep styles
  • Available in twin, twin XL, full (double), queen, king, California king, and split king

Warranty

20 Years

Sleep Trial

100 Nights

Shipping

Free

Mattress Highlights

  • Memory foam produced with plant-based oils

  • Transition foam features five support zones for extra comfort

  • Mattress durability strengthened by base foam

Recommended For

  • Most sleeping styles

  • Couples

  • Hot sleepers

Save $300 on the Amerisleep AS3 with our discount code.

Claim Deal

Amerisleep has built its reputation on offering memory foam mattresses to suit all sleeping styles. They do so by offering beds with soft feels, firm feels, and firmness options in between these two extremes. The AS3 model is their medium option, designed to suit a wide range of sleepers.

Three foam layers make up the AS3 mattress, all of which are encased in a soft, breathable fabric.

The first layer is cushioning, adaptable Bio-Pur® foam. What separates Bio-Pur® from traditional memory foam is its eco-friendly production. Some of the traditional chemicals used to make memory foam are replaced with plant-derived oils. Not only is Bio-Pur® better when it comes to sustainability, but the foam is also more breathable and responsive than traditional memory foam.

The second layer is Affinity foam with HIVE® technology, which consists of a series of hexagonal cutouts in the foam. These cutouts are placed to flex under the body and increase pressure relief and responsive support. The shoulders and hips feel more cushioning, while the head, back, and feet areas feel buoyant and supportive.

The last layer is Bio-Core® foam. This layer is dedicated to providing consistent support and preventing soft spots and sagging from developing. Bio-Core® foam is the secret behind Amerisleep’s industry-leading mattress warranty.

Every Amerisleep mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

Best Gel Memory Foam Mattress: Zoma Mattress

  • Price: $499 to $1198
  • Mattress Type: Memory Foam
  • Mattress Height: 12 inches
  • Firmness: Medium to medium-soft (5 on the firmness scale)
  • Best for active individuals and hot sleepers
  • Available in twin, twin XL, full (double), queen, king, California king, and split king

Warranty

10 Years

Sleep Trial

100 Nights

Shipping

Free

Mattress Highlights

  • Infused gels wick heat away from the body

  • Transition foam provides a buoyant feel to limit feeling of entrapment

  • Durable Support+ foam structures the mattress for greater bed longevity

Recommended For

  • Most sleeping styles

  • Hot sleepers

  • Athletes and other people with active lifestyles

Save $150 on the Zoma Mattress with our discount code.

Claim Deal

A well-made mattress promotes maximum recovery as you rest, allowing you to wake up and tackle your day with plenty of energy. Zoma designed their original memory foam mattress to do just that, relying on cooling materials and special sleep technology to help sleepers fall asleep faster and experience deeper, more restorative rest. They market the mattress toward athletes, but absolutely anyone can benefit from sleeping on a Zoma Mattress.

The Zoma Mattress contains three layers of foam for a simple-yet-effective structure. All of these layers are wrapped in an AirCloth cover, allowing absorbed body heat to escape before it causes discomfort.

The first layer of memory foam has gel infusions to promote a cool-to-the-touch feel. These infusions wick heat away from the body, ensuring a sleeper won’t wake up suddenly in a sweat. The gel memory foam also contains triangular cutouts in the head and foot of the mattress for extra conforming cushion, boosting pressure relief.

The second layer is a responsive transition foam known as Reactiv™ foam. The material is named for how quickly it adapts to movements. The buoyancy of Reactiv™ foam makes it easier to move across the surface, preventing sleepers from sinking uncomfortably far into the bed and feeling trapped.

The third and final layer is Support+ foam, a material engineered to provide an enduring mattress structure even after years of use. Support+ foam keeps soft spots and unwanted sagging from developing.

The Zoma Mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

Serene Foam

One of the newest sleep technologies around, serene foam uses billions of microscopic air capsules to increase airflow and reduce one of the biggest drawbacks of memory foam: heat retention. Since serene foam is not temperature sensitive, it sleeps cooler than memory foam.

While the temperature regulation of serene foam is great when it comes to cooling mattresses, the material does have a few issues. One problem with serene foam is it has been on the market for such a short time it doesn’t come in many firmness levels. If you want a level besides medium or firm, you’ll probably have to go with memory foam.

Serene foam also is too new to have stood the test of time. Since it was only invented in the last few years, we’ll need to wait a few more years to see how well this type of foam stands up to wear and tear.

Serene Foam Feel

Like memory foam, serene foam is excellent for pressure relief and motion isolation, but the billions of air pockets distributed throughout mean it doesn’t conform as readily to your body’s curves the way memory foam does.

You might think this is a good or bad thing, depending on how hot you sleep. If you tend to sleep hot, you may enjoy the extra airflow. But if you get cold while you sleep, you’ll probably love the warmth of being enveloped in memory foam.

Serene Foam Temperature

The tiny air pockets allow for airflow throughout the foam, meaning serene foam sleeps cooler than memory foam because it’s able to dissipate heat faster.

Serene Foam Cost

Serene foam costs less than memory foam because it’s so new not many manufacturers make products using it. This limits the price range to between $200 and $600 for a queen size mattress, though as more manufacturers begin to make products using this foam, we’re sure to see that range widen.

SEE ALSO: The Best Place to Buy a Mattress & In-Store Myths

Get resources for better sleep

Sign up for sleep health education, expert tips, and the latest and greatest mattress sales.

See Privacy Policy

FAQs

Which mattress is more durable?

Since serene foam was introduced just a few years ago, we don’t really know much about how it handles aging or wear and tear. However, memory foam is one of the most durable mattress types available, resisting sagging and maintaining its firmness for up to a decade.

Can I get a serene foam mattress topper?

Sure. There are quite a few serene foam mattress toppers out there, and they can be a great alternative if you want to try serene foam but don’t want to buy a whole new mattress. They can also be a good option if you like your existing memory foam mattress and just want to cool it off a little bit.

Which foam is worse about off-gassing?

Off-gassing happens when mattresses (and other furniture) release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or gasses that result from chemicals used in the manufacturing process. All foams experience some off-gassing when they’re new, and both serene and memory foams are no exception.

The best thing you can do to reduce off-gassing isn’t focusing on the type of foam you’re buying, but the certifications backing up its purity. Any mattress with a CertiPUR-US® label is unlikely to put out high levels of harmful chemicals into the air around it.

What is a hybrid mattress?

Hybrids are a mattress configuration that combines a pocketed coil support system with a foam comfort layer of at least 2 inches in thickness. Most hybrid mattresses have a lot more foam than that, and many come with not only a plush foam layer on top but also a firmer foam transition layer in the middle and sometimes a base layer of durable polyurethane foam to help isolate motion. Hybrids can be made with any kind of foam, including serene and memory foams.

Does my sleep position dictate what kind of foam I need?

Your sleep position dictates what kind of firmness you need more than what kind of material you need, since all mattress materials come in a range of firmness options. Side sleepers are likely to need a soft to medium mattress to help cradle their shoulder and hip joints. Back sleepers may need a medium-firm mattress for sufficient lumbar support. And stomach sleepers usually need a firm mattress to keep the pelvis lifted and the back from arching.

Bottom Line

Memory foam and serene foam are both great options if you’re looking for a mattress that can cradle you like a cloud. If you want your cloud to be a little cooler, spring for the serene foam option. And if you want your cloud to hug you like a bear, memory foam may be for you. Either way, both of these foams can be wonderful solutions for your sleep needs.

About the author
Ray Soberano

In an effort to explore his interest in sleep science, Ray Soberano became a freelance writer for Best Mattress Brand. Curious about different sleep disorders, Ray has done hours of research and written countless sleep health articles for our blog. Struggling from the occasional bout of insomnia himself, Ray is committed to helping readers find the answers to their sleep problems.

Find more articles by Ray

Comments

Cancel reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find the best mattress!

Best Mattress

Check out our mattress review guides to compare today's top-rated options and find your perfect mattress.

Explore our favorite beds

Popular Reads

Hybrid Mattress vs. Gel Memory Foam
Hybrid vs. Gel Memory Foam Mattress - What's the Difference?
Lauren Monroy
King-vs-Split-King
King vs. Split King — What’s the Difference?
Ray Soberano
Memory Foam vs. Pillow Top
Memory Foam vs. Pillow Top — What’s the Difference?
Lauren Monroy

Best Mattress Brand Fact-Checking Standards and Processes

The Best Mattress Brand writing team is devoted to creating articles that are not only entertaining and easy to understand but also as impartial, accurate, and well-sourced as possible. Whenever possible, we strive to have our articles fact-checked by our independent review board. We also do not tolerate plagiarism or ill intent from our contributors.

Here are the medical and factual guidelines that a Best Mattress Brand article must adhere to:

  • We draw upon only reputable and respectable sources when researching our articles’ topics and endeavor to only link to highly authoritative sources. Such sources would include peer-reviewed medical and academic journals, medical and academic associations in good standing, and interviews with or blog posts from certified medical professionals.
  • We may link to news articles or peer-reviewed medical blog posts about studies when appropriate, but always attempt to connect directly to the studies these pages discuss.
  • Our scientific information, conclusions, and analysis are always supported by at least one reputable source.
  • We strive to make any potential conflicts of interest attached to any studies or sources clear to our readers. When applicable, we also try to include conflicting research or questions that may throw a study’s conclusion into doubt to clarify that scientific understandings often change and progress over time.
  • Our articles typically link to other articles and resources on our site. This is solely for easier navigation, and we do not promote our website as a medical resource. Try to speak with your physician if you have medical concerns.
  • Any necessary background information on a topic will be included when appropriate.
  • Our goal is for every one of our medical-related articles to be reviewed by our independent board of experts. Should they spot any medical or health-related misinformation or errors, we will strike it out from the final published article.

What’s a Certified Sleep Coach?

Our authors have undergone sleep coach training from the Spencer Institute, becoming certified after immersing themselves in different aspects of sleep science. Understanding how we sleep means we understand better how a mattress, pillow, or other product can help us sleep better.

About Us

The Best Mattress Brand is a team of researchers and writers who are passionate about finding the perfect mattress for any situation.

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Our Guides

  • Mattresses
  • Best Mattresses of 2023
  • Adjustable Beds
  • Sleep Calculator
  • Mattress Sizes
  • Mattress Reviews
  • Mattress Resources
  • Bedding
  • Sleep Research

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out about content, features and more happening at Best Mattress Brand.

You must enter a valid email.
Best Mattress Brand Logo

Copyright ©2023 Best Mattress Brand. All rights reserved.