Gel vs copper vs charcoal memory foam: what’s the difference?

Hi, we’re John and Mimi. Shop for memory foam and you’ll see “gel-infused,” “copper-gel,” “bamboo charcoal” and even “graphite” on almost every label. They’re all things blended into the foam (or layered with it) to change how the surface feels, mostly how warm it sleeps. Here’s what each one is, what our own listings say it’s for, which of our mattresses and pillows use which, and how much it really matters next to the rest of the build.

The short answer

• Gel is the most common infusion. It’s mixed into the comfort foam (as gel-infused foam, gel swirls or a gel “air” foam) to draw heat away from the surface, so the bed feels cooler when you lie down. Most of our foam mattresses use it; lowest queen today: 6" Essentials Firm at $309.
• Copper (usually copper-gel) is copper blended into the memory foam, normally alongside gel. Our listings describe it as cooling and temperature-neutral. Our copper models: the 12" Copper Gel, the three ActiveAlign mattresses and the 14" Hybrid Copper-Gel; lowest queen today: 12" Copper Gel at $519.
• Bamboo charcoal is charcoal blended into ventilated memory foam. Our listings describe it as helping with temperature, odor and moisture. We use it in the two Allureluxe hybrids (paired with graphite Lumi Bands) and in two pillows; lowest queen today: 10" Allureluxe Hybrid at $889.
• The infusion is a small part of the story. Airflow (ventilated foam, Air Grid or Air Channel bases, coils), the cover and your room matter at least as much. If you sleep really warm, a hybrid usually does more than any one infusion.
• Choose by feel and build first. Pick the firmness and type you want, then let the infusion break a tie.

Gel vs copper vs charcoal at a glance

One honest note: copper is often marketed online with wellness claims. We don’t make health claims for any of these foams. Choose them for comfort, feel and how they’re built.

Gel memory foam

Gel is the everyday cooling infusion and the one you’ll find on most of our foam mattresses. Plain memory foam softens with body heat, which is part of its cradling feel and part of why some people wake up warm. Gel in the top layer is meant to pull heat away from the surface, so it feels cooler when you first lie down. On our beds it shows up in a few forms: “gel-infused” memory foam, “gel air” foam (an open, airier foam with gel), and “gel swirl” foam in the iSwitch flippables. The Ananda models blend gel together with natural crushed pearls, and list cooling fibers woven into the cover.

Gel mattresses at today’s prices (a dash means that size is sold out today):

Gel runs from our firmest budget beds to our plushest. To sort them by feel, see the firmness guide; to compare every all-foam model layer by layer, see best memory foam mattress.

Copper and copper-gel memory foam

Copper foam has copper blended into the memory foam of the comfort layer, usually together with gel (“copper-gel”). Our listings describe it as cooling and temperature-neutral. In practice, what you’ll notice most on our copper models is the rest of the build. The 12" Copper Gel is our classic slow-sinking memory foam; the ActiveAlign mattresses put copper-gel foam with a springier reactive foam that their listings describe as having a latex-like bounce back, and the 12" and 14" ActiveAlign add a zoned layer with plush cooling gel under the upper torso.

Comparing our 12" copper models in detail? Our 12 inch copper memory foam mattress and zoned copper gel guides go deeper.

Bamboo charcoal (and graphite) memory foam

Bamboo charcoal foam has charcoal made from bamboo blended into the memory foam. Our listings describe it as helping regulate temperature, with odor and moisture-wicking properties. In our mattresses it comes only in the two Allureluxe hybrids, where it’s ventilated and paired with Lumi Bands, cooling strips made from natural graphite that their listings say pull excess heat away from the sleeping surface, plus a gel foam layer and an Air Grid layer over pocketed coils. They’re the only mattresses we sell that use charcoal or graphite.

The 10" is medium firm with 5" edge-to-edge pocketed coils; the 14" Classic is plush with 7" foam-encased coils. More in our best hybrid mattress guide.

So which one sleeps coolest?

We can’t honestly rank gel, copper and charcoal against each other: the listings don’t give comparable numbers, and the infusion is only one layer of a mattress. What we can say from the builds:

• Airflow matters most. Ventilated foam, Air Grid and Air Channel bases, and pocketed coils give warm air somewhere to go. Every infused foam still sits on one of those.
• For warm sleepers who want foam, look at a gel or copper-gel model with an Air Grid base, such as the 12" Copper Gel (queen $519 today) or the 12" ActiveAlign Zoned (queen $819).
• For the warmest sleepers, a hybrid with a cooling top: the 10" Allureluxe Hybrid (queen $889) or the 14" ActiveAlign Zoned Hybrid (queen $889). Our gel memory foam vs hybrid for hot sleepers guide explains why coils help.
• The rest of the bed counts too. A breathable cover, light sheets, and a cooler room all make a difference. Our sheets guide covers our bamboo viscose and cotton sheet set.

Not every foam is infused

A few of our mattresses skip the infusions and rely on airflow instead: the 10" EcoCore Origin uses open-celled soy-based air foam over an Air Channel base, the 12" Lavender uses air foam over an 8.5" Air Grid base, and the 12" Sofinity Hybrid Essentials uses breathable Sofinity foam over coils with a Tencel cover. If one of those is the feel you want, don’t pass it up for lack of a gel or copper label.

Infused memory foam pillows

Pillows are where infusions are easiest to compare, since the build is simple. Ours, at today’s prices:

Prices are today’s prices, read live from our catalog, with free shipping included.

The two-sided Bamboo Charcoal & Cooling Gel pillow is the easy way to try both: gel side up when you want a cool-to-the-touch feel, charcoal side up the rest of the time. Picking by sleep position matters more than the infusion, though; see how to choose a pillow.

Caring for infused foam

• Same care as any foam. Most of our mattress listings describe a zip-off, machine-washable cover (cold, gentle cycle, air dry without heat). The foam itself shouldn’t get wet.
• Use a protector. Our mattress care instructions recommend one, and liquid damage isn’t covered by the warranty. See do you need a mattress protector.
• Charcoal is not a substitute for cleaning. Whatever the listing says about odor, wash covers and spot-clean spills; our how to clean a mattress guide has the steps.

10" Rose - Medium Firmness - 10BNV

The gel memory foam bed we point most people to: a medium feel with a gel air memory foam top, at an everyday price.

• 2" gel air memory foam over support foam
• Machine-washable zip-off cover
• Non-skid bottom fabric

From $279 (Twin) · Queen $399 · See sizes & details

10" Allureluxe Hybrid Advanced Cooling Mattress with Lumi Bands - Medium Firm

Want charcoal and graphite? This medium-firm hybrid stacks bamboo charcoal foam, Lumi Bands and gel over pocketed coils.

• Ventilated bamboo charcoal infused memory foam
• Lumi Bands: natural graphite cooling bands
• 5" edge-to-edge pocketed coils

From $589 (Twin XL) · Queen $889 · See sizes & details

Questions we hear a lot

Still deciding? Just ask us

Tell John how warm you sleep, your sleep position and your budget, and he’ll point you to the one or two that fit, infusion or not. Text or call 818-924-3744, 6 AM to 9 PM Pacific, take the 60-second mattress quiz, or start with our how to choose a mattress checklist. See our Purchase Policy & Warranty for the details.

Written by John & Mimi Venti, MimiJohn. Materials and features are as described in each product listing; we make no health claims; prices are read live from our catalog and update automatically.