Mattresses come in two main varieties – foam and spring. Foam mattresses tend to be less costly than their spring counterparts while still offering numerous advantages.
Foam mattresses provide superior motion isolation, so your partner won’t disturb your rest with his or her tossing and turning during the night.
Support
Marketing claims about spring and foam mattresses vary significantly, yet neither one should be considered superior to another. What matters is finding one that feels comfortable to you while providing adequate support for your body weight – this will promote proper spinal alignment as well as pain-relief regardless of where or how you sleep.
Our tests indicate that both foam and spring mattresses performed admirably in our comfort and firmness tests, with approximately equal percentages scoring a passing result for dorsal support and lateral support in initial tests for both types.
Foams come in various densities and formulations, with memory foam being one of the most popularly utilized types. Popularised by NASA as an advanced space-age material that adapts to your body shape for an enveloping feeling and even distribution of weight distribution, latex foam (derived from natural rubber) offers similar properties while providing greater bounce back force than memory foam.
Both spring and foam mattresses come with various feel and firmness levels to meet individual preferences, although spring mattresses typically cost more than newer foam models. Spring mattresses may also provide advanced features like motion isolation or extra support for heavier weights.
If temperature control is of paramount concern to you, an innerspring mattress could be ideal as they tend to distribute heat more effectively than foam ones. That being said, many new foam models feature cooling gel technology and more breathable layers which may help with this issue. To make an informed decision between foam or spring mattresses before making a final choice at home, look for one with generous trial periods and return policies so you can test both types before making your choice – this way will allow time for consideration of which is more suited to you – whether foam mattress vs spring mattress hybrid options etc – for more help finding the best mattress guide will also be found here!
Comfort
Comfort is of primary importance when selecting between foam or spring mattresses, with foam offering more responsive feel that adjusts more to body movements than their spring counterparts. Foam may also offer better pressure relief and support than most other mattress options for light sleepers.
Foam mattresses may seem soft at first, but their durability far surpasses that of spring beds. Furthermore, foam is more breathable and comfortable to lie on; additionally it has a lower density which means less bulk or weight compared to traditional spring mattresses.
Good quality foam mattresses should not emit any chemical off-gassing, while some latex varieties do have a light fragrance which may last a few days after opening their box. This odor may be related to petroleum-based ingredients used during production; however, as regulatory bodies set safe limits for such substances.
Spring mattresses often emit an offensive or musty odor that lingers throughout a bedroom, likely caused by being wrapped with fabric that collects moisture and particles that collect. A spring mattress with this unpleasant odor may make breathing difficult while also leading to eye, nose or throat irritations.
There is no single answer when it comes to choosing the ideal mattress; each individual must consider their personal preferences and sleep needs before making their selection. Someone who prefers firmer surfaces may prefer spring over soft foam models; those suffering back pain might find foam more supportive by aligning their spine more comfortably – although hybrid mattresses provide both support and comfort simultaneously.
Temperature
Foam mattresses generally do a better job at providing consistent support than spring models do, thanks to their open-cell structure and advanced cooling materials.
Initial comfort tests showed that both spring and foam mattresses performed equally well when tested in dorsal and lateral positions – meaning they can support various body shapes and sizes – though foam mattresses performed significantly better when it came to adapting to movement and contouring to individual sleepers – especially when they include features like our AS3 with Bio-Pur(r) Foam and HIVE(r).
These layers come together to form a mattress that not only offers superior support, but is also more pliant than standard memory foam mattresses. Our HIVE technology features hexagonal cutouts in Affinity foam that allow it to flex and move with you while our Bio-Pur(r) foam replaces some of the ingredients found in traditional memory foam with more responsive components for increased responsiveness and breathability.
Affinity Foam conforms to your curves and cradles key pressure points to relieve back pain and decrease stress on joints, offering relief to backache sufferers as well as individuals with sharp pressure points such as hips, shoulders and neck pain. Furthermore, its superior motion isolation features are perfect for couples sharing beds.
However, spring mattresses tend to provide more of a stable sleeping surface with their interconnected coils, making them suitable for sleepers of petite stature; however, older models can sometimes make noise and cause disturbance during sleep.
Our tests demonstrated that spring mattresses often don’t adapt to the body of their users, leading to pressure build-up around wider or heavier areas of the body and lack of support for lower back. They may even become saggy after extended use and strain muscles in your back and neck causing poor posture and straining muscles in both. Luckily, however, foam mattresses were found to provide excellent spinal support while limiting any pressure build-up in painful spots.
Hybrids
Spring mattresses may have the upper hand when it comes to longevity versus foam mattresses, but modern hybrid models enable you to take advantage of both. These typically feature a foam layer topped with either memory or high resilience (HR) polyurethane that offers increased responsiveness than standard foam. HR polyurethane also allows your mattress to contour around your body more seamlessly with less sinkage upon lying down while still managing to wick away heat effectively and stay cool throughout.
Hybrid mattresses feature coil cores that may vary in construction. Some use individual pocketed coils while others utilize continuous wire or offset coils; the individual coils allow the mattress to conform better while offset coils reduce motion transfer and give a bouncier feel. Furthermore, hybrid mattresses with memory or foam latex cores are suitable for back/combo sleepers who desire the support of spring mattresses without sinking feeling of many foam mattresses.
Decisions between foam and spring mattresses ultimately depend on personal preference and your budget. Test results from our team, along with your sleeping habits and needs should all be taken into consideration before making your choice. For added assistance if unsure, many mattress-in-a-box brands provide 30-100 night home trials, while many bricks-and-mortar stores showcase their entire collection for trial purposes.
Foam mattresses provide cooler sleeping surfaces than their spring mattress counterparts, yet can sag more quickly and require additional upkeep. However, some types of foam may retain heat more effectively, potentially increasing temperatures while you sleep if you have high body heat levels; fortunately there are now numerous temperature controlled hybrid options that ensure you remain cool through the night.
While the choice between foam and spring mattresses may ultimately come down to personal preferences, both offer excellent support and comfort. Our tests indicate that both have similar dorsal and lateral support for back and side sleepers; foam may have slightly superior dorsal support compared to spring models however. Most often though, cost will ultimately determine the final decision; both provide various price points.
