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Shopping for a new mattress can be a confusing process. With hundreds of beds to choose from across dozens of categories, it can start to feel overwhelming. Fortunately, you can narrow down your search easily by focusing on one big question: Do you want a foam or an innerspring mattress?

We’ll focus on the differences between foam versus spring mattresses. By learning more about these two categories, you can become better informed when it comes to choosing the right mattress for your needs.

What’s the difference between a memory foam vs spring mattress, or pocket spring mattress? It all comes down to the materials used and the style of construction. The details of each style are discussed in later sections.

Which is better? There’s no definitive answer to that question.

Of the two mattress types, innerspring beds are the older and more “traditional” option. Some may think of them as old-fashioned, but there are plenty of high quality, comfortable, and modern spring mattresses available.

Foam mattresses are a newer concept, but exceptionally popular. While memory foam was originally invented in the 1960s, the foams used today are far more advanced. Manufacturers now create specialty foams designed for specific applications – cooling, support, pressure relief – and combine them to develop well-rounded mattresses.

When comparing foam vs spring mattresses, there’s no clear “best” or “worst” option. There are simply too many variables to consider to make a generalized claim that one is better than the other.

Rather, it is better to frame the question as a matter of which one is the better choice for you and your needs. Each type of mattress tends to perform better in certain ways, making them generally better suited to the needs of different kinds of sleepers. There is also plenty of variation in performance among models of the same type, making it important to investigate how a roll up mattress is constructed.

What is a Foam Mattress?

Foam mattresses are all-foam beds that are exceptionally popular for online mattress shoppers. They can be made out of a variety of foam materials, from memory foam to polyfoam, and typically contain several unique layers. Foam beds can be soft or firm, budget or luxury, so there is a huge amount of variety within this category.

Foam beds utilize a variety of materials to provide support and pressure relief. There are many types of foams, and often manufacturers will utilize several materials in each mattress.

What is a Spring Mattress?

Spring mattresses, also called innerspring mattresses, are beds that utilize dozens to hundreds of metal springs to provide an underlying support layer. They also have softer plush material layers to increase comfort. Some find that spring hybrid mattresses feel more supportive than foam, at least initially. This is particularly true for heavier people, who may benefit more from the coiled spring support systems than a foam base.

Several factors can influence how a spring bed feels. Coil count is an important factor; most quality beds will have around 400 coils or more in a queen size mattress. However, keep in mind that a higher coil count does not necessarily equal a higher quality bed, as there are many factors at play.

Spring beds will also often have foam layers surrounding the coils, as well as a plush or polyfoam comfort layer on top. The quality, material, and thickness of these layers can greatly influence the comfort and feel of the mattress.

Coil gauge, referring to the thickness of the wire used, influences the firmness of the bed. Manufacturers will clearly list the intended firmness of each mattress model, so checking the coil gauge is not too important for consumers.

Lastly, the various types of springs used in these mattresses will impact their comfort and support ratings.

Types of Springs/Coils

Bonnell Coils – Bonnell coils are the original design used in the first innerspring mattresses, and some manufacturers still use them today. They are hourglass-shaped and can be made to be either soft or firm depending on the wire gauge. Bonnell coils are simple and cost-effective, so many mattresses utilize them.

Pocket Coils – Also called pocketed coils, this design features metal coils that are individually wrapped in fabric sleeves. This allows each coil to move independently from one another, which has the added effect of reducing noise. Pocketed coils are often used in higher-end beds, and are generally more expensive to make. They do a great job of providing targeted pressure relief, and tend to provide a more buoyant feel overall.

Offset Coils – Offset coils share some properties of pocket coils, but they are joined together with hinged wires. This allows the coils to flex under soft pressure, but provide firm support when it’s needed. Offset coils can provide more firmness than pocketed coils, so many innerspring beds with higher firmness ratings over 7 out of 10 will use some form of offset coil. Beyond this application, offset coils are not commonly used.

Continuous Coils – Continuous coil design features a single wire that is used to construct an entire row of “coils”. Each of these rows is then attached to each other using helical wires. This design provides a very firm support system, but because each component is joined together, continuous coils have much less ability to shape themselves to a body profile.