Quick answer: "full foam" means high-density foam, 50 kg/m³ or higher, running through the entire mattress, not just a comfort layer on top of springs. The Mr Mattress Active Foam, from R3,399 on a SABS-approved 50 kg/m³ core with a 365-night home trial, is our benchmark full foam build.
"Full foam" is one of those phrases the South African mattress industry uses constantly and explains almost never. Shoppers see it on labels next to "memory foam," "hybrid" and "orthopaedic" and reasonably assume it's another flavour of marketing. It isn't - it's actually one of the few genuinely useful terms on a mattress label, once you know what it means.
I manufacture full foam mattresses for a living, so let me define it properly.
What "full foam" actually means
A full foam mattress is exactly what the words say: a mattress made entirely of foam, with no springs. No coil unit, no steel - the support comes from a solid foam core, and everything above it is more foam. That's the whole definition.
Which means "full foam" tells you what a mattress isn't (a spring or hybrid bed) but says nothing about how good it is. Two full foam mattresses can be worlds apart, because the thing that separates a full foam bed that lasts a decade from one that craters in eighteen months is a single number: the density of the foam core, measured in kg/m³. A full foam mattress with a high-density core is a durable, silent, motion-free bed. A full foam mattress with a low-density core is a showroom prop.
See the Active Foam - Our Firmest Full Foam Mattress →
Full foam vs memory foam vs hybrid: the three-way confusion
Here's where buyers get tangled, so let's untangle it:
- Full foam describes the construction: all foam, no springs.
- Memory foam describes a type of foam - slow-responding, contouring foam, usually used as a top comfort layer. A memory foam mattress is almost always also a full foam mattress (memory foam layer over a foam core). So the two terms overlap; they're not rivals.
- Hybrid is the opposite of full foam: a steel coil core with foam layers on top. If there's a spring in it, it's not full foam.
So the real buying decision isn't "full foam or memory foam" - it's springs or no springs, and then which foam feel on top. Full foam gives you zero spring noise, excellent motion isolation and consistent support edge to edge. Springs give you bounce and airflow. We've written a detailed side-by-side in our full foam vs memory foam guide.
How to judge any full foam mattress in 60 seconds
- Ask the core density in kg/m³. This is the entire ballgame in a full foam bed - there's no spring unit to share the load. No published number, no sale.
- 50 kg/m³ or higher for nightly adult use; 50+ for a genuinely firm, long-lived core.
- A written warranty that covers sagging with a stated depth.
- A real home trial. Foam feel changes as it warms to your body over weeks - a showroom lie-down can't show you that.
Our full foam range, with the numbers attached
We build full foam mattresses at our own facilities in Gauteng, the Free State, Cape Town, East London, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and we publish the density on every one:
- Active Foam - our firmest full foam mattress: 50 kg/m³ high-density core, from R3,399, 10-year written warranty. The pick for back and stomach sleepers and anyone who wants firm support that stays firm.
- Comfort Foam - firm, entry-level full foam: 50 kg/m³, from R2,399, 3-year warranty. The honest budget option.
- Revive Memory Foam - full foam with a contouring, breathable open-cell memory foam surface over a high-density core, from R4,899, 10-year warranty. For side sleepers and pressure relief.
And if you decide you want springs after all, our Hybrid (Bonnell coil core plus foam layers, from R4,999) is the not-full-foam option - we'd rather name the difference than blur it. Every mattress ships direct from Mr Mattress with free nationwide delivery and a 365-night home trial.
Shop the Active Foam Mattress →
Regional guides
Comparing options where you live? Start with our national full foam vs memory foam comparison, and if you're in the Western Cape, see our dedicated full foam mattress guide for Cape Town.
Frequently asked questions
What is a full foam mattress?
A mattress made entirely of foam with no springs - support comes from a solid foam core. Quality is determined by the core's density in kg/m³, not by the "full foam" label itself.
Is full foam the same as memory foam?
Not quite. Full foam describes the construction (all foam, no springs); memory foam is a type of contouring foam usually used as a top layer. Most memory foam mattresses are also full foam mattresses.
How long does a full foam mattress last?
It depends almost entirely on core density. A 45-50 kg/m³ high-density core can hold its support for around a decade; low-density cores can sag within two years. Always ask for the published number.
Which Mr Mattress models are full foam?
Comfort Foam, Active Foam and Revive Memory Foam are all full foam builds on a SABS-approved high-density core - 50 kg/m³ on Comfort and Active, 65 kg/m³ on Revive - from R2,399. The Hybrid is the exception: a Bonnell coil core under foam comfort layers. Every mattress comes with a 365-night home trial.
Written by Andries Taljaard, founder of Mr Mattress. 15+ years making foam mattresses in South Africa.