Best Adjustable Base Latex Mattress

Choosing the best adjustable base mattress is an important step towards getting the most out of your new adjustable bed. In fact, choosing the wrong mattress for an adjustable base could significantly damage your new purchase, or at the very least, take away important functionality from your new adjustable bed frame.

Unfortunately, selecting the perfect mattress for this type of foundation is not as simple as choosing the best adjustable bed (we recommend Ergomotion Adjustable beds, as the top choice). Many factors must be considered, including but not limited to:

• Support.
• Pressure relief.
• Durability.
• Ability of mattress to function properly on the adjustable base.
• Flexibility.
• Mattress thickness for being able to feel massage features.
• Other manufacturing details and features.

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Best Latex Mattresses for Adjustable Beds (Top Choice)

Full disclosure: we sell our own Sleeping Organic latex mattresses! However, even if these were not our specialty, we would still choose the latex mattress as (without a doubt) the best type of mattress to use with an adjustable bed frame. 

Latex Mattresses and Benefits of a Latex Mattress on an Adjustable Base

Most latex mattresses are completely natural and a great choice for your health. And while these are important points, let’s touch on the functionality of these mattresses first…

First, let’s touch on the structural benefits of using a latex mattress with your adjustable bed.

1. Flexibility

It’s in the name; adjustable bed! People buy adjustable beds because they want to easily change their sleep position. And for a mattress to work well with this primary feature, it needs to conform perfectly with the movements of the adjustable base. Fortunately, that’s one of the strengths of a latex mattress! 

2. High Quality Durability

A typical guarantee for these types of mattresses is a 20-to-25-year warranty. A company’s ability to make these claims is for good reason because mattresses using latex as the sole material are amongst the most durable beds in the world. Whichever mattress you choose, durability is one of the most important qualities because the mattress will be adjusting, flexing, and changing positions multiple times nightly. 

If the mattress material is not durable enough, it will be sure to break down quickly. You certainly don’t want to buy a new mattress after only a few years, right? The density of latex foam (especially 100% natural latex, which guarantees a lack of filler materials) make it a long-lasting, dependable choice for use with all adjustable bases.

3. Comfort

What’s a mattress without comfort? If the mattress isn’t comfortable, you might as well sleep on the floor!

Adjustable bed buyers have comfort in mind, or else they would have chosen a less expensive bed foundation, so why buy the most comfortable mattress foundation then choose an uncomfortable mattress? If you’re looking for a cheap solution, just choose a mattress and box spring, or similar foundation.

4. Customizable (Adjust Your Comfort)

The only material that compares to latex in terms of comfort is memory foam, which we’ll discuss later. But one advantage latex has over generic memory foam is that you can more easily choose your desired firmness and customize your latex mattress when you buy your mattress. 

Latex mattresses use an ILD scale to rate how soft or firm the latex of the mattress is.  Extra soft feeling beds have low ILD ratings, with extra firm mattresses coming in with high ratings on the scale. The benefit to buyers is knowing exactly what they’re purchasing which leads to personalized, comfortable sleep. 

Memory foam mattress companies are unreliable because they rely on internal ratings (not an internationally recognized scale) and often only include labels like soft, medium, or firm. 

5. Naturally Springy for More Support

Latex has a natural springy feeling, unlike memory foam which has more of a sinking feel. This means you’ll have the unmatched comfort that comes with a responsive mattress material, without sinking in too much. The sinking and over-responsiveness of memory foam mattresses is a primary complaint, with sleepers reporting soreness when waking up in the morning. 

While this may not be the first thing you think of when buying a mattress, it is one of the things to consider because it has a tremendous effect on relieving pressure points.

6. 100% Natural Talalay or Dunlop Latex in Latex Mattresses

Another important factor to consider when choosing the best latex mattress for your adjustable base is which type of latex to use. The best latex is 100% natural latex which either comes in 100% natural Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop. We recommend using one or the other or a combination of both depending on your weight and sleep preferences.

Here are couple things to watch out for when searching for the best latex mattress.

Benefits of a Latex Mattress for your Health

While this may not be a feature many folks consider when shopping for a mattress to go with their adjustable base, it is a factor that arguably matters most in the long run! If you sleep on a mattress that could potentially include lots of harsh chemicals, this can have adverse effects on not only your long-term health, but your nightly sleep too. 

If you’re leaning towards a latex foam bed, we strongly recommend considering either a 100% natural or certified organic mattress product over some of the “latex hybrid” options on the market today.

1. 100% Natural Latex Mattress

100% Natural Latex mattresses are latex mattresses that contain no synthetic latex blends. 100% natural latex mattresses come in either 100% talalay latex, 100% dunlop latex, or a mix of the two.  At Sleeping Organic, you can customize each layer of your mattress to give your mattress the mixture of comfort and support that’s best from you. Healthy and comfortable sleep from head to foot has never been easier or more personalized!

2. Certified Organic Latex Mattress

Certified organic latex mattresses are typically 100% natural latex mattresses made with other natural materials like organic cotton and wool that meet the high standards and certification requirements of certified organic regulatory bodies, such as GOLS and GOTS. These certification agencies produce a transaction certificate to prove the organic material’s authenticity.

In order to meet these requirements of these two organizations, manufacturers must:

• Purchase all components of their products with certifications.
• Have transaction certificates.
• Have their manufacturing facilities inspected and certified.
• Have their warehouses inspected and certified.  

Meeting all of these standards and requirements is costly to manufacturers which increases the price to consumers for a “certified organic” latex mattress.  In almost all cases, it is our opinion that a 100% natural mattress that is made with organic components will be just as healthy for you as an option that’s “certified organic.”

Note: Sleeping Organic’s mattress uses 100% GOLS certified organic latex, but the mattress itself is not certified organic. Using certified organic components but not actually certifying the mattress as an GOTs certified organic end mattress product keeps our price point well under other certified organic mattress brands while providing a quality organic mattress. 

Other Good Mattress Options for Your Adjustable Bed (Average Picks)

While there is no option quite like 100% natural latex foam when it comes to benefits, there are a few choices that are sufficient options for your adjustable bed frame.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Behind latex, your second-best mattress for an adjustable bed is a memory foam mattress. 

Memory foam is similar to latex in that the material conforms to your body, eliminating pressure points and matching your body’s unique shape. As long as the mattress is 100% foam, most memory foam mattresses are flexible enough to use with adjustable beds. You should be careful of mattresses labeled as memory foam that are actually hybrid mattresses because a lot of these “hybrids” mix some sort of base product that might not working well with the adjustable base such as certain memory foam, coils, poly foam, gel foam or latex together. You never really know what you’re going to get.

Reasons Memory Foam Mattresses are Good but Not as Great as Latex Mattresses

Though memory foam does have some advantages over latex, the drawbacks are significant…

First, memory foam is not as durable. Your memory foam mattress simply won’t last as long as a high quality 100% natural latex mattress. In fact, many people report that their beds only last for 3-5 years before the foam’s elasticity begins to run out. When this happens, the mattress begins to dip and sag which leads to a significant lack of support.  You’ll wake up each morning in a divot, potentially feeling sore and will need to start the mattress search all over again.

Second, memory foam is made with harmful chemicals. Memory foam mattresses are made using petroleum and other harsh non-environmentally friendly synthetic chemicals, these chemicals the cause of off-gassing.  Where 100% natural and certified organic latex mattresses are not.

Third, memory foam mattresses sleep the hottest of all mattress product choices, whereas 100% latex mattresses sleep cooler. This is due to the molecular structure of memory foam not being breathable. 

Positives for a Memory Foam Mattress for an Adjustable Base

1. Low Motion Transfer

Enough of the negatives…

Memory foam does have some advantages over latex foam, and one of those is lower motion transfer. 

Memory foam is naturally responsive like latex but absorbs movement better because the foam is denser. If you lay down on memory foam then get up, you’ll watch the foam slowly raise back up to its original form. If this “return to form” happens slower, then the motion transfer is considered lower. In general, this means you’ll feel your partner’s movements less than if you were sleeping on a mattress with higher motion transfer. Out of all mattresses, innerspring mattresses (which we’ll discuss soon) have the highest motion transfer.

2. Affordable Option

The process used to manufacture memory foam mattresses is generally quite cheap. The end result is a lower quality, short lived and a less healthy bed, but more importantly for some people, also a lower price tag. You can buy a memory foam mattress for your adjustable bed at a much cheaper rate than you would pay for real latex. 

Memory foam mattresses are also more widely available in local big box stores, if this matters to you.

Hybrid Pocketed Coil Latex Mattress

Pocketed coil latex mattresses are sometimes called open coil mattresses, pocket spring mattresses, or pocket coil mattresses for short. These hybrid mattresses are generally part coil and part foam, whether the foam is latex or memory foam. The coil section is at the bottom of the mattress and includes the newest variation and technology in the type of coils you would find on an innerspring mattress.

Because the coils are so small in a pocketed coil mattress, they allow the mattress to move and function well on an adjustable bed. It doesn’t have the same flexibility as a material like latex or memory foam, but it is good enough to fall into our “average picks” category.

Other Hybrid Mattresses

A hybrid mattress is a type of mattress that combines memory foam, latex, or gel material with an innerspring system or latex foam combined with memory foam or poly foam. In many cases, a hybrid mattress can be considered a pocket coil mattress but not in all cases. Hybrid mattresses come in all styles and sizes.

Worst Mattresses For Adjustable Beds (Avoid These Types)

You’re probably here because you’re wondering what types of mattresses work best for adjustable bed setups, but while we’re at it, it’s worth mentioning the mattress types you should definitely avoid.

Below are the mattress types that either won’t work with an adjustable base or may work to some degree but could ruin the base’s hardware and functionality. Or they just won’t let you get the full function of the adjustable base.

1. Air Mattresses for Adjustable Bases

When most people think of air mattresses, they either picture the blow-up mattress you bring out of the closet when you have visitors from out of town, or the cheap air mattress you bring along on camping trips. And while these are indeed air mattresses in the traditional sense, we are cautioning more against new style airbeds that are built for long term use.

Using an air mattress with an adjustable bed is a big no-no because adjusting the bed will cause the mattress to bend and, in some cases, this will pop the air pockets. Even if the air pockets do not pop on the initial use, these mattresses are not built to hold up to long-term functionality of an adjustable bed. The air pocket’s seams will slowly break down over time and you will be quickly back to square one.

2. Water Mattresses for Adjustable Bases

Much like air mattresses, water beds are not recommended for use with an adjustable bed, nor recommended for use in general. Some brands may be comfortable, but they simply do not offer the full body support you need while sleeping at night.

Operationally, using a water bed as an ‘adjustable mattress’ doesn’t make much sense either. When you raise the back of the base (to elevate your back), the water from the top of the mattress will rush to the bottom of the mattress. This creates an uneven and uncomfortable sleep experience. The same will happen if you try to elevate your legs while sleeping. With so many great bed options on the market today, it’s best to avoid water mattresses.

3. Bed in a Box Mattress

In conjunction with the rise of the internet and online shopping in the early 2000’s, mattress innovators created a clever way to sell mattresses online. The trick was to make sure you could ship mattresses to the customer without paying exorbitant shipping costs. The result was the rise of “bed-in-a-box” mattress companies that would compress the mattress to fit in a smaller box, then ship it to the customer. 

Beds in a box come in all shapes and mattress sizes and while we cannot cover all of the variations here, it is worth noting that many of them are not a long term solutions for use with an adjustable bed because of the materials used. The primary goal for these online mattress companies is cutting costs to increase their bottom line and shipping isn’t the only way they do so. Many brands will use cheap and low quality materials in order to drive down the price of the bed… 

This cost-cutting serves the dual purpose of a low cost mattress for the customer at the highest profit margin for the company. The downside is that these mattresses do not last long, even without the bending and flexing that an adjustable base introduces. Once you add a lot of movement into the mix, the shelf life of these mattresses is reduced to a few years if you’re lucky.

If you go this route, make sure you look for an outstanding warranty.

4. Innerspring Mattresses

Before latex and memory foam were introduced as a mattress material, innerspring mattresses used to be one of the most popular types of mattresses in the world. Most people at some point in their life have slept on an innerspring mattress!

An innerspring mattress consists of big metal springs throughout the mattress. These coils are supposed to help prop up and support the sleeper but unfortunately, the springs are notorious for creating painful pressure points and an uneven sleep surface. Waking up with aches and pains in the morning is common if you sleep on an innerspring mattress. 

If you see a mattress that’s labeled “pillow top”, it’s usually just an innerspring mattress with a thin layer of foam at the top to protect against the poking and prodding caused by the springs. 

An innerspring mattress will not work with an adjustable bed because the metal coils used for the springs are too large and rigid and will not bend with the adjustable bed.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions that are not listed above or below on this page, then please feel free contact Sleeping Organic directly and we’ll be happy to help!

Do Adjustable Beds ruin mattresses?

Using an adjustable bed will generally not ruin your mattress. As long as you choose a mattress type that works with an adjustable bed (ie. latex, some memory foam, and some pocket coil mattresses), you will be just fine! If you use a mattress listed under our “worst types” category, then there is a chance the base will ruin the mattress.

Can I use a firm mattress with an Adjustable Bed?

Firm mattresses are fine for adjustable beds, as long as the material is approved for use with adjusting beds. It won’t matter how soft your mattress feels if you are using an air mattress or an innerspring mattress because these types will not work with adjustable beds. Extra firm latex mattresses, for example, are fine for use with an adjustable base.

How thick should my mattress be to function properly on an Adjustable Base?

Unlike firmness, thickness does matter! If your mattress is too thick, then it will not bend while staying flush with the adjustable bed. We recommend mattress thicknesses under 13 inches in order to be on the safe side. When the mattress is too thick on an adjustable bed you lose functionality like complete range of movement and feel of the massage feature. 

What is an Adjustable Mattress?

Some people search for an “adjustable mattress” thinking that this is the only mattress that can be used with an adjustable bed, but the truth is that there are many types of mattress materials that are okay to use, as we talked about above.

In reality… the term adjustable mattress means different things for different people. 

The most popular view is that adjustable mattresses are ones that use an internal system to allow you to adjust the softness and firmness of the bed with the push of a button.

Others have conflicting opinions. For example, many people view an air mattress as an adjustable mattress because they can be inflated or deflated based on the user’s preference. 

At Sleeping Organic, we like to think of our personalized latex mattress as an adjustable mattress because the layers can be completely customized and adjusted to make it as soft or as firm as the sleeper pleases.