Foam Mattresses vs. Traditional Mattresses
Finding a great mattress can be a pain. With so many different materials, firmness levels, and prices to choose from, how is one supposed to know what to look for? Fortunately, this guide has you covered. The two most common materials for mattresses are foam and innerspring. Read this guide on foam mattresses versus traditional mattresses to help you find the right mattress for your body.
What Are Foam Mattresses?
A foam mattress is one made from a variety of foam materials. Commonly, today this pertains to memory foam but can also include polyfoam which contains several layers. Memory foam uses polyurethane materials and other materials to improve the mattress’s density and viscosity. It’s called memory foam because it contours based on the shape of your body. Thus, memory foam provides unmatched pressure relief to mitigate aches and pains as you sleep.
This can fall under standard memory foam, which is soft, supporting, and affordable; open-cell memory foam, which allows for better airflow and helps keep you cool during hotter days; and gel memory foam, which uses tiny beads within the foam material for cool air flow and better body contortion.
Polyurethane foam has a bouncier and springier feel than memory foam. It’s also generally cheaper. High-density polyfoam offer a firmer feel from underlying support layers, whereas high resilience polyfoam is firmer and more supportive, yet it may be costlier. Latex mattresses also exist. While these could fall under their own category, some latex mattresses use a layer of foam for a traditional yet softer feel. Latex foam mattresses offer greater durability and sustainability than traditional mattresses.
Regardless, foam mattresses come in a variety of sizes, firmness levels, and prices to match any budget.
What Are Traditional Mattresses?
On the other hand, there are traditional mattresses. Also called innerspring or spring mattresses, these mattresses use hundreds of metal coils to provide an underlying support layer for your body. While this sounds uncomfortable, traditional mattresses still retain comfort and support for your body. Some people even find innerspring mattresses to be more comfortable than foam.
Keep in mind coil count. Consumers may believe a higher coil count offers greater stability. Larger mattresses, like King-sized mattresses and Queen-sized mattresses, need more coils given their larger shape, but this does not necessarily equate to greater comfort or quality.
That’s where the type of spring mattress comes into play. The coil gauge is used to measure the thickness of the wires used. Resultingly, the coil gauge determines the firmness of the mattress. With that being said, the most common types of traditional mattresses are Bonnell coils, pocket coils, offset coils, and continuous coils. Bonnell coils are the original coil design for spring mattresses. While not as commonly used today, consumers can still find them from some manufacturers. These coils use an hourglass shape for soft or firm feels depending on the wire gauge. Bonnell coil mattresses are some of the most affordable traditional mattresses today. Pocket coils are ones that are individually wrapped in fabric sleeves. That way, each coil can move independently to further reduce noise.
Given that, pocket coils offer a higher-end feel and extra buoyancy for pressure relief. Pocket coil mattresses are generally more expensive given these advantages. Offset coils, while similar to pocket coils, are joined together with hinged wires. The coils flex under pressure yet still retains some firmness. They are more common with higher-firm mattresses, ranging from seven to 10 on the firmness level. Finally, continuous coils feature a single wire for an entire row of coils. Each row attaches to each other via helical wires. With this design, continuous coil mattresses offer firm support but cannot contour to the body.
When looking for a reliable coil mattress, there are many that still offer a desired firmness, from soft to extra firm, depending on your sleep position, personal comfort, and price.
Which One Is Right for You?
With this explanation of foam mattresses versus traditional mattresses, finding the right one for you depends on a variety of factors. No matter which type of mattress material you choose, both offer high quality, comfort, and support for your body as you sleep. Still, everyone’s different with their own sleep patterns, positions, and personal comfort.
Foam mattresses typically offer greater comfort and stability because they contour with one’s body weight. Side sleepers may prefer foam mattresses because of this. With that said, heavier sleepers, back sleepers, or stomach sleepers may not appreciate the changes of their mattress under their body weight. Instead, they may sleep better with a coil or traditional mattress given the extra support. That way they avoid the sinking feeling that comes with a memory foam or polyurethane foam mattress.
Still, hybrid models also exist that offer the best of both worlds. Both types of mattress materials range from extra soft to extra firm, so even if you prefer a firmer feel, you can find it in either a foam, spring, latex, or hybrid mattress.
Temperature matters. If you’re someone who sleeps better in cool temperatures, a gel foam mattress may be your best bet. However, don’t avoid spring mattresses, as there are many innerspring mattresses that offer great airflow to keep your bed cool throughout the night.
If you’re in the market for a new foam or spring mattress, you’ve come to the right place! Super Mattress Shop is your ultimate destination for cheap mattresses in NC. We offer many affordable, comfortable, and supportive mattresses to fit all body types and sleep patterns.
Whether you’re looking for a Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, or King mattress, we have it in stock. We also offer no credit payment plans so you take home a mattress today. Can’t come out to see us? We offer delivery within 50-miles of our flagship locations in Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Charlotte, NC, for a flat $75 fee. If you’re located outside North Carolina, we also ship mattresses across the nation. Call now with any questions or concerns and our team of mattress experts will be happy to help. Order your next mattress from Super Mattress Shop today!
