Memory Foam vs. Hybrid Mattress: Your Buying Guide

July 28, 2021 | Casper Editorial Team

Are you trying to figure out whether you prefer a memory foam vs. hybrid mattress? With so much information at your fingertips, it can be tough to narrow down your preferences and figure out which mattress type is best for you.

The main difference between hybrid bed mattresses vs. foam mattresses is coils. While hybrid mattresses use a mixture of memory foam and coils, foam mattresses rely on only — you guessed it! — memory foam to get the job done for a sleeper.

While memory foam mattresses are an excellent choice for budget-conscious shoppers who prioritize motion isolation and pressure relief, those who sleep hot or want an extra bounce may find a hybrid memory foam mattress to be the better choice.

From pros and cons to pressure relief and pricing, we cover everything you need to know about hybrid and a memory foam mattresses so you can make the best decision for you.

Shop our most popular mattress, the Casper Original, with balanced support and cooling, available as both an all-foam and hybrid mattress.

Memory Foam vs. Hybrid Mattresses: Comparison Chart

Memory foam beds and hybrid beds are some of the most popular types of mattresses on the market, so what sets them apart? While memory foam beds may be the perfect choice for some because of the motion isolation and lower price, others may prefer the breathability and longevity of hybrid mattresses. They go far beyond your traditional mattress.

Check out our comparison chart to get an idea of whether a memory foam vs. hybrid mattress is best for you as a sleeper.

Cost

While both mattresses are available in a wide price range, hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive than their all-foam counterparts. Our queen memory foam mattresses range from $1,245 for our most affordable choice to $3,745 for our most luxurious line, so you can find a hybrid bed at the price point that works for you.

Winner: Foam mattress

Durability

While both memory foam and hybrid mattresses are durable, hybrid mattresses are known for their longevity and can last upward of 7 to 10 years. Because hybrid mattresses are supported by durable coils, they also tend to hold their shape longer than a traditional memory foam mattresses.

If your memory foam mattress starts to sag, it doesn’t have to mean the end of the road — you may just need to rotate your mattress to extend its lifespan.

Winner: Hybrid mattress

Motion Isolation

Since memory foam is made of naturally absorbent materials, it’s great at absorbing motion throughout the bed. 

Have a partner whose tossing and turning keeps you up? A memory foam mattress may be the better choice to ensure you both sleep soundly through the night.

Winner: Foam mattress

Responsiveness

The durable pocket coils in hybrid mattresses can provide additional responsiveness and support to your body during the night. While hybrid mattresses don’t have the same level of motion isolation, they have a firmer structure that makes them ideal for those with limited mobility.

Winner: Hybrid mattress

Temperature Regulation

When comparing breathability, the pocket coils in hybrid mattresses allow for more airflow when compared to memory foam. If you tend to sleep hot, you’ll likely prefer the cooling technology of a hybrid mattress.

However, while traditional memory foam was hot and stuffy, newer technology has helped us engineer memory foam with perforated AirScape™ foam, which can circulate air to help keep you as a hot sleeper feeling refreshed. 

Winner: Hybrid mattress

Pressure Relief

Memory foam may be the better option if you’re looking for pressure relief. Since memory foam is designed to adapt to your body’s curves, it can provide more variation in pressure relief for the areas where you need it most, like your shoulders or hips. 

Winner: Foam mattress

Noise Level

The coil spring in a hybrid mattress may become squeaky over time and can cause disruptions to other sleepers (or to you) if left unchecked. However, the all-foam composition of memory foam makes foam mattresses nearly silent throughout the night.

Winner: Foam mattress

What Is a Memory Foam Mattress? Pros and Cons

Memory foam mattresses are made entirely of foam, making them great for pressure relief and motion isolation. Memory foam mattresses have risen in popularity as a more affordable and convenient option to a traditional spring mattress.

Components of a memory foam mattress:

  • Comfort layer: The comfort layer is made to relieve pressure and contains perforated, breathable AirScape™ foam, which circulates air to keep you feeling refreshed as a hot sleeper.
  • Transition layer: The transition layer is made with three zones of Zoned Support™ that’s softer under the shoulders and firmer around the hips, waist, and back to help promote spinal alignment.
  • Base layer: The durable base layer is designed to prevent sinking or sagging while supporting your body.

Benefits of Memory Foam

Let’s take a look at what makes memory foam such a great mattress option:

  • Contours to your body: Soft and absorbent foam adapts to your curves for a fit that’s one-of-a-kind.
  • Pressure relief: Memory foam can provide additional support around the shoulders and hips, making it a favorite of side sleepers who may experience pressure at night.
  • Motion isolation: Naturally absorbent memory foam can isolate movement across the surface of the bed,  meaning that your partner’s tossing and turning may not need to keep you up.
  • Less noisy: Since memory foam mattresses don’t contain springs, you won’t run into the pesky issue of a squeaky bed.

Drawbacks of Memory Foam

Understanding the potential cons of memory foam can help you make an informed decision about if it’s the right choice for you. Here are some drawbacks of memory foam mattresses: 

  • Can trap heat: Traditional memory foam tended to trap heat, but newer advancements like our AirScape™ foam have made memory foam mattresses much more breathable.
  • Can be hard to move around: The contouring properties of memory foam may make it challenging to switch sleeping positions at night.
  • Can sag over time: Since memory foam molds to your body shape, a long time in the same sleeping position may lead to the mattress sagging in certain areas.
  • Less bounceback: For those with limited mobility, the contouring in memory foam may make it difficult to get out of bed.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Mattresses

A hybrid mattress is made of a combination of foam and coil layers, meaning it has the pressure-relieving capabilities of all-foam mattresses with the classic comfort of an innerspring mattress.

Components of a hybrid mattress:

  • Comfort layer: The top layer of our hybrid mattress is made of cushiony components like memory foam or cooling gel. 
  • Transition layer: The transition support layer makes up the bulk of a hybrid mattress, where resilient springs provide lifting and support.
  • Base layer: The base layer of our hybrid mattresses is made of 1 inch of foam, designed to provide sturdiness, padding, and stability.

Benefits of Hybrid Mattresses

While there are pros to both types of mattresses, these are some areas where the hybrid mattress takes home the gold:

  • Breathability: With a top layer of AirScape™perforated, breathable foam, the hybrid mattress can increase airflow and circulate air underneath you, so your bed always has that cold-side-of-the-pillow feeling.
  • Durability: Hybrid mattresses typically last around 7 to 10 years, but just in case, we provide a 10-year limited warranty so you can sleep with reassurance that your mattress is cared for in the years to come.
  • Structure: Because of the coiled base, hybrid mattresses have a firmer structure that makes them great for adjusting to various sleeping positions. 

Drawbacks of Hybrid Mattresses

While hybrid mattresses can be the perfect choice for some sleepers, it’s important to get an accurate picture of the drawbacks of a hybrid mattress:

  • Can be noisy: Depending on the quality of coils used, some hybrid mattresses can become squeaky over time.
  • More motion transfer: The construction of some hybrid mattresses may lead to increased motion transfer, meaning you may be disturbed if other sleepers move around at night.
  • Price: Hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive than their all-foam counterparts.

Hybrid vs. Foam Mattress: Which Should You Choose?

Memory foam and hybrid mattresses are both great options — but which one is right for you? Check out our different types of mattresses so you can find your perfect match.

Casper’s Foam Mattresses

Ever heard that two is better than one? Well, we thought so too, which is why we have two different all-foam mattresses, so you can pick the one that’s just right for your needs: 

  • The Casper : For the budget-conscious who don’t want to sacrifice quality, the The Casper uses AirScape™ foam for seriously comfortable sleep at cozy prices.
  • Casper Original: Our most popular mattress, the all-foam Casper Original is engineered for cool, comfortable sleep with our AirScape™ and Zoned Support™ technology.

Casper’s Hybrid Mattresses

At Casper, we know that one hybrid mattress doesn’t fit all sleeping preferences. Side sleepers, back sleepers, and combination sleepers all need and desire different features in a mattress.That’s why we created three different mattresses that are customized for your specific sleeping needs:

  • Casper Original Hybrid: Our most popular mattress, the Original Hybrid is designed for balanced support and cooling at prices that won’t keep you up.
  • Casper Nova Hybrid: Our most soothing mattress, the Nova Hybrid has two layers of perforated foam to reduce heat and increase support where you need it most.
  • Casper Wave Hybrid: The Wave Hybrid is our most supportive mattress, with three layers of perforated foam for maximum airflow and a layer of cooling gel to keep you comfortable all night long.

Choosing between a foam vs. hybrid mattress is all about personal preference. If you love what you currently have, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. But if you’re struggling to fall asleep and are looking for a new mattress, you can use this guide to figure out which mattress type is just right for you.