The office vs. friends, books vs. movies and cricket vs. football; there are unending debates one can have comparing two things. But a critical discussion that we miss out on, given its impact on us, is spring mattress vs. foam mattress.
It might be challenging to navigate the mattress shopping process. It can start to feel overwhelming with hundreds of beds to choose from across dozens of categories. You can quickly focus on one major decision to limit your search: Do you prefer foam or spring mattresses? Here is a guide to help you pick the right mattress.
Understand the difference
The spring mattress is one of the oldest and possibly most traditional bedforms. They come in various coil and spring varieties and offer springy support. On the other hand, foam mattresses are much more contemporary, with soft, dense materials that can mould to the body’s shape and evenly distribute weight.
Every sleeper style enjoys the support, bounce, and spinal alignment that spring mattresses offer, thanks to their innate response. The high-end innerspring mattresses currently available on the market strike an almost ideal balance between comfort and support.
Foam mattresses are popular today because they provide the best pressure relief and spinal alignment.
The foam wasn’t employed as a primary mattress material until the 20th century. With the development of visco-elastic foams in the second part of the twenty-first century, the market for foam mattresses saw a dramatic increase.
What is a foam mattress?
Foam mattresses are pretty popular among internet mattress consumers, as are all-foam beds. They often have several distinct layers and can be manufactured from several foam materials, including polyfoam and memory foam. Foam beds come in many styles, including soft, hard, affordable, and luxurious options.
For support and pressure alleviation, foam beds use a range of materials. There are many kinds of foams, and manufacturers frequently use various materials in each mattress.
A polyurethane foam base supports the many foam layers that makeup memory foam mattresses. There are various density levels used while producing polyurethane foam. The foam is more resilient the higher the density.
There are many kinds, like a single soft memory foam mattress, extra soft memory foam mattress, and firm gel memory foam mattress.
However, the type of memory foam utilised will affect how your memory foam mattress is built. A transitional layer of support foam, numerous layers of memory foam, and a polyurethane base are placed on top of each other. These layers can be made of various materials, such as latex foams, memory foams, and hybrid blends of memory foam.
Benefits of foam mattresses
- The comfort layer offers a cushioned sleeping surface and is constructed of softer foams.
- In high-end mattresses, there may be more than one foam layer for insulation and transitional support, as well as quilted foams on top for immediate comfort and pressure relief.
- The support core is the mattress’s base and is often built of high-density foam to keep the bed from sagging and prolong its life.
- Best suited for those who want more adaptability.
- Best for people who share a bed
- Most beneficial for side and combination sleepers
- Works well for those of average weight and tiny stature.
- Softer, more padded comfort
- Outstanding conformance with precise pressure relief
- Most foams keep the spine in perfect alignment.
- Effective motion isolation
The downside of foam mattresses
- They are heavier to lift than typical spring mattresses.
- They contain Volatile organic chemicals that cause the initial chemical odour (VOCs).
- Softer and less responsive than spring mattresses.
- Cheaper foams give less support
- Can trap heat
- Difficult upkeep
- Foams based on petroleum may emit gases.
- The majority of foams are too dense to permit unrestricted airflow.
What is a spring mattress?
Numerous to hundreds of metal springs are used in spring mattresses, also known as innerspring mattresses, to offer an underpinning layer of support. For added comfort, they also include layers of softer plush material. Some people discover that spring beds first feel more supportive than foam. This is especially true for more prominent individuals who can benefit more from coiled spring support systems than foam bases.
How a spring bed feels can be influenced by many things. Best pocket spring mattresses typically have 400 coils or more in most high-quality beds, so coil count is an important consideration. However, keep in mind that there are numerous other elements at work. Thus, a larger coil count does not always equate to a higher quality bed.
Spring mattresses can be made from a variety of springs and coils. The various types include Bonnell, offset, continuous, pocket, coin-on-coil, and innerspring. How these coils and springs are layered, placed, and connected within a bed is determined. Spring mattress price varies on these factors.
Benefits of a spring mattress
- Spring mattresses are bouncier than memory foam mattresses due to the spring and coir on the spring mattress.
- In spring mattresses, the coil layer improves airflow, which helps with temperature regulation.
- Memory foam mattresses are typically more expensive than spring mattresses.
- Most comfortable for back and stomach sleepers,
- These mattresses are mostly odourless
- Innerspring mattress is good for the back, supporting it
- easy upkeep
- Ideal for those who prefer a bouncy lift during sleep
The downside of a spring mattress
- Spring mattress cause back pain as they are nonconforming and provides mediocre pressure reduction
- Less long-lasting
- Due to the tightly knit metal coil layer that conveys motion, not good at isolating motion.
- Even the best pocket spring mattress can be noisy springs
- Less expensive and cheap.
Buying guide
A top-notch foam mattress will make the majority of people content. Foam offers a perfect compromise because it feels soft and comfy while simultaneously giving a supportive and pressure-relieving fit. In particular, side sleepers typically prefer foam beds since they frequently better fit the curve of the body.
Those who have night-time heat sleep may choose to get a spring mattress. Better airflow is provided by innerspring beds, which keeps the bed cool at night.
For adequate support, heavy or stomach-sleeping sleepers should choose an innerspring, hybrid, or firm foam bed. Softer foam types will probably sink too much for these sleepers to feel comfortable.
Nowadays, most internet mattress sellers provide free trial periods during which you can try the mattress for up to several months. This flexibility may offer a little reassurance during the purchasing process if you’re not convinced about a bed.
Summing up
There are several factors to consider when buying the best bed for you, beyond merely choosing between foam and spring. Both mattresses are high-quality, cosy, and supportive; thus, selecting the proper mattress model is more important.
In the end, it boils down to your personal needs. You can buy an innerspring mattress online or even a 6-inch memory foam mattress, as long as you know what you want.