So Many Mattresses: Which to Choose?

Today there are several distinct types of mattresses on the market. Which is best suited to any individual is, just that, individual. To help narrow your options, here is some information about some of the most popular mattress types.

Inner Spring

This is one of the oldest of modern style mattresses. It's the familiar array of coils that fills the interior of millions of mattresses today. In the past, the coils were often weak and prone to sagging. They usually squeaked after very little use. But due to improved materials and manufacturing techniques this once-staid design has gained new life.

Everything else being equal, the better coil material, the better the mattress. Most mattress manufacturers will use 13-gauge steel alloy, which would suggest that all other things aren't generally equal, since mattresses do certainly differ. Manufacturers debate about the value of wrapping the coils. Whether the coils are wrapped or not, the important thing is to reduce the shifting of the coil sideways when it is pressed down. Besides wrapping, another common technique is to tie them together.

Most good mattresses will have between 700-1000 coils and, again , generally the higher the number the better the quality. Some better mattresses do use fewer coils, but on average the ones with higher number will be more comfortable for a longer period of time.

Aside from coil material and design, much of the durability and long-term comfort of better inner spring mattresses is the result of the layering of cushioning materials. More layers of thick durable foam is usually better than fewer. Different cushion layers will typically be made from different materials, with one layer being a synthetic foam rubber. The top layer is very often a dense, cushiony latex. These days, memory foam is often used for the top layer.

Memory Foam

Given many varied names from different manufacturers, this space age foam really is something new in mattress materials. While this material and its use in mattresses has been around for many years now, still over 90% of mattresses sold are the inner coil type.

But memory foam is very quickly catching on. Some sleepers find it unusual at first. It does behave differently than a traditional mattress. But given a few night or weeks to get used to it, many say they will never go back to the older type. Made from a type of synthetic rubber that responds to the body's heat, memory foam gently and closely conforms to the individual.

Some common complaints are that it takes too long to respond, making the mattress seem hard at first, especially when changing positions. Others dislike the odor which will typically dissipate after a few weeks. Still others simply don't or can't get used to the change from a coil mattress.

But after a break-in period, most consider it as a real back-saver. The material is safe, long-lasting and provides a warm and luxuriously comfortable surface.

Whatever your preference, do yourself a favor and try a wide variety of mattress types. Ultimately, the only way to choose is by how they feel to you. But getting information and opinions from reviews can help you narrow the options.