I get this question a lot and, let me sincerely state to you that there is absolutely nothing natural or organic about memory foam.  However, there is no real organic equivalent.  The closest someone might be able to come to the feel is either the Land and Sky "Rainforest" or "Heaven and Earth" beds, and probably Green Sleep (but only with the Eurodowl foundation).  So, what do you do if you really want that memory foam feel but want to stay free of the mold, mildew and dust mites that are so common in memory foam beds? 

Well, first let's look at how this stuff came to be:

NASA wanted a comfortable and adaptive material for use in the seats on the Space Shuttle and training vehicles where a person is forced to sit, strapped in, for a very long period of time.  Thus, the first "visco-elastic" (the real name of memory foam) was developed.  This material has been advertised to the absolute limits by Tempurpedic, the leading manufacturer and retailer of memory foam beds.

Problem:  Memory foam is, by nature, heat reactive - meaning it uses your body heat to start it's "molding" to your body.  This creates a whole host of problems - you sweat, sweat gets into the foam and stays there.  Suddenly, you have mold, mildew and a host of bacteria that we just don't even want to talk about.  Moisture also breaks down polyurethane foam products (which memory foam is), so you're basically in a bad way from almost the start.  Trust me, I've seen this happen first hand.

So, if you really want that "memory" feel, you basically have two options:

1.  NuForm is a new latex material developed by Latex International based in Connecticut.  While certainly not 100% natural, it has a natural component to it.  It doesn't deliver the true memory foam feel, so you have to think of it as a "happy medium" between latex and memory foam.  However, it's not temperature sensitive, not polyurethane and therefore totally mold, mildew, anti-bacterial and dust mite resistant.  A drawback for a consumer, though, is that this is not a mattress but a material.  You have to find a manufacturer that is using it in their mattresses in order to get one.

2.  If you really, REALLY want a true memory foam bed, then consider a brand called Comfor-Pedic.  Based in Fife, Washington, they have developed a new type of memory foam that is pressure sensitive and not heat sensitive.  I actually broke down and slept on one and I can tell you they are really correct, it doesn't sleep hot.  They also use a higher pound density than Tempurpedic, have a longer warranty and all models except the "Original" have a layer of latex underneath the memory foam.  This gives you some dust mite protection.  They say it is totally dust mite resistant, but the jury is still out there.  I can tell you that they have about the best warranty I've ever seen - 25 years on all mattresses, 3/4 of an inch on body depressions.  They really have to be confident to do that!

As with anything that is a major purchase - and a bed that has memory foam or NuForm IS going to be a major purchase - you should do your own homework.  Always remember, there is no one bed that is perfect for everyone!