Full Foam vs Memory Foam Mattress: The Difference (South Africa)
A full foam mattress is high-density support foam through its whole depth: it feels firm and steady and you lie on top of it. A memory foam mattress adds a slow response layer that moulds to your shape for pressure relief. Back and stomach sleepers usually prefer full foam; side sleepers usually prefer memory foam.
365 night home trial on every mattress, no minimum hold period
Written warranty: 3 years on Comfort Foam, 10 years on Active, Revive and Hybrid
Free delivery: Free State customers: usually 1 to 3 working days; national orders: 3 to 7 working days depending on your area
Made in South Africa through our own and approved partner facilities in Gauteng, Cape Town and East London
"Foam mattress" covers two quite different beds, and shops rarely explain the split. This guide compares full foam (also called solid foam or high-density foam) against memory foam properly: how each is built, how each feels, and which sleepers each one actually suits, with real prices checked on 19 July 2026.
What is a full foam mattress?
A full foam mattress uses firm, fast-response support foam through its entire depth. There is no slow, moulding layer on top: the surface you touch behaves like the core underneath it, pushing back evenly and immediately. Lie on one and you stay on top of the bed, fully supported at the hips and shoulders without sinking in.
In our range, the Comfort Foam is a 45 kg/m3 high-density core at 160 mm, and the Active Foam is a 50 kg/m3 core with a 27 kg/m3 pure virgin foam comfort layer at 200 mm. Both cores are dense reconstituted foam, sometimes called chip foam, which packs more supporting material per cubic metre than the virgin foam used in comfort layers. If that distinction is new to you, reconstituted vs virgin foam explains it without the sales gloss, and what is a high-density foam mattress covers the construction in detail.
What is a memory foam mattress?
Memory foam, technically viscoelastic foam, responds slowly. Press your hand in and the imprint lingers for a moment before recovering. On a bed, that slow response lets the surface mould to the exact shape of your shoulder, waist and hip, spreading your weight over more surface area and taking pressure off the points that dig into a firmer bed.
An honest construction note: in any well built bed, memory foam is a comfort layer, not the whole mattress. Memory foam on its own is too soft and too slow to hold a spine level all night, so a quality memory foam mattress is really a high-density support core with a measured memory layer on top. Our Revive is exactly that: a 30 kg/m3 memory foam top over a 65 kg/m3 high-density core, 240 mm deep, rated to 140 kg per sleeper. A bed advertised as "all memory foam" at a bargain price is a warning sign, not a feature.
Full foam vs memory foam, side by side
Prices checked live on 19 July 2026. "From" prices are for the smallest size in each range.
| Full foam (Comfort, Active) | Memory foam (Revive) | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Firm, steady, you lie on top of the bed | Medium, contouring hug at the surface |
| Response | Immediate spring-back, easy to change position | Slow, moulds to your shape over a few seconds |
| Pressure relief | Moderate, from even support | Excellent, weight spread over more surface |
| Heat | Coolest foam option, minimal sink | Slightly warmer; the dense core limits deep sink |
| Best sleeping position | Back and stomach sleepers | Side and combination sleepers |
| Warranty | 3 years (Comfort Foam), 10 years (Active Foam) | 10 years |
| Price | From R2,399 (Comfort), from R3,399 (Active) | From R4,899 |
Which should you choose?
Choose full foam if you sleep on your back or stomach, you like a bed that feels solid and stable, you sleep warm and want the least heat retention foam offers, or budget matters: full foam gives you the most supportive bed per rand.
Choose memory foam if you sleep on your side, you wake with pressure marks or numb shoulders and hips on a firm bed, you share a bed and want the best motion isolation, or you simply prefer being gently held rather than propped up.
If you are between the two, weight and firmness preference are the tie-breakers: the firmness guide maps positions and body weights to the right feel. And because feel is personal, every option comes with a 365 night home trial, so the wrong guess costs you nothing but a phone call.
Where the Hybrid fits in
There is a third option that sidesteps the choice: the Hybrid pairs a pocket spring support core with a foam comfort layer, giving spring bounce, airflow and pressure relief in one bed. If that sounds like your answer, read the hybrid mattress guide or the head-to-head memory foam vs hybrid comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is a full foam mattress?
A mattress built from firm, fast-response high-density foam through its entire depth, with no slow moulding layer on top. It supports you evenly across the whole surface and you lie on top of it rather than sinking in. It is the simplest and most affordable way to get durable, even support, provided the density is high enough.
Is high-density foam the same as memory foam?
No. High-density describes how much material is packed into the foam, measured in kg/m3, and mostly refers to the firm support foam in the core of a mattress. Memory foam describes how the foam behaves: it responds slowly and moulds to your shape. A good memory foam mattress actually uses both, a memory layer over a high-density core.
What are the disadvantages of a memory foam mattress?
It costs more than full foam, it responds slowly so changing position takes slightly more effort, it can sleep warmer than a firm surface you lie on top of, and cheap versions sag quickly. Most of these come down to build quality: a measured memory layer over a dense core avoids the worst of them, at the cost of price.
Does memory foam make you feel stuck when you turn over?
On thick, soft, slow memory foam, yes, some people describe exactly that. The effect depends on how deep the memory layer is and what sits underneath it. A moderate layer over a firm high-density core, like the 30 kg/m3 over 65 kg/m3 build of the Revive, contours at the surface while the core keeps repositioning easy.
Are full foam mattresses hot to sleep on?
Full foam is the coolest sleeping foam construction, because its firm surface keeps you on top of the bed with most of your body exposed to open air. The foam heat problem belongs mainly to deep-sink memory foam. We answer the whole question honestly, including what modern foam changes, in our dedicated guide to whether foam mattresses sleep hot.
Can a full foam mattress support a heavy person?
Yes, if the density matches the load. The Active Foam's 50 kg/m3 core is built for heavier bodies up to about 100 kg per sleeper, and the Revive's 65 kg/m3 core is rated to 140 kg. Above that, the Hybrid adds pocket springs and reinforced edges. What fails under weight is low-density foam, not foam as a category.
Related reading: do foam mattresses sleep hot?, the real benefits of a foam mattress, the density guide and how long a foam mattress lasts.
About Mr Mattress
Mr Mattress manufactures foam and hybrid mattresses in South Africa through our own and approved partner facilities in Gauteng, Cape Town and East London, with our head office and main factory in Bloemfontein. Every mattress comes with a 365 night home trial and a written warranty: 3 years on Comfort Foam, 10 years on Active, Revive and Hybrid. Delivery is free. Free State customers: usually 1 to 3 working days; national orders: 3 to 7 working days depending on your area. Visit one of our stores across South Africa, with more opening, or call us on 087 087 1610.