Mattress

The term foam mattress can be used to describe a number of products of varying design and function. Because of its growing popularity and heavy advertising, many people think "memory foam" when they hear foam mattress. Foam mattress can also refer to polyurothane foam, which you might recognize as traditional foam rubber, which is used in beds as well as furniture. Mattresses made of natural rubber sap, are most commonly call latex mattresses, but are also accurately called latex foam mattresses. Memory foam, foam, and latex foam mattresses are often made entirely of foam, though sometimes the composition of the foam will be layered (Tempur-Pedic used visco elastic/memory foam on the top layer, and polyurothane on the bottom). However, we are increasingly seeing foam mattresses that have foam on the top (usually memory foam) over a core of inner-springs or inflatable air tubes.

Pad/topper/cover

Pads, toppers, or mattress covers are pieces of foam (usually memory foam) that are placed on top of a mattress (usually NOT a foam mattress). There have become popular because of the expense of many brand name memory foam mattresses, because buyers want to try memory foam even though their mattress may not need to be replaced, and because of the impression that the benefits of memory foam are found in the top 4 or 5 inches of a bed. The advantage is price and versatility. The disadvantage is that the top and bottom of the bed are not designed to work together, the tops tend to slip off the mattress and need to be regularly re-alligned, and that your fitted sheets may no longer fit with the added hieight of the topper.