The Ultimate
Mattress Buying Guide

An innerspring mattress is what most people think of when they think of a mattress. It has been the standard for sleep for decades, and is only very recently losing its tight grip on the world of sleep.

With that said, it is still by far the most common type of mattress, as it provides relatively good customer satisfaction at a great price.

The core of the mattress is a series of sturdy, intertwined steel springs, supported from the outside by more steel for strong edge support.

Foam is packed all around these springs to provide the cushion to the mattress. The overall mattress weight is generally high due to the steel springs, and they have to be shipped full size.

Innerspring mattresses are cooler because they do not hug the body. However this also means they do not contour to the body much and may be less comfortable. Overall they still provide stronger support at a good cost. However, they do break down faster than other options.

All foam or Memory foam mattresses are more popular than ever, especially with people who look to move away from innerspring mattresses.

The entire structure of a memory foam mattress is made from specific low-resistance foam. This foam has a good response to pressure, and helps contour the body much better than spring mattresses, thus reducing pressure points.

The mattresses tend to be medium-firm to firm, and may provide the ideal comfort and support for people with aches and pains during sleep.

As the now-famous commercials show us, memory foam mattresses do not transfer motion from one part of the bed to another. This is great for partners who work different hours or those who move throughout the night. Movements on a foam mattress are much less likely to disturb someone sleeping next to you.

However, foam mattresses have a reputation for being much hotter than other options. Luckily, technology has also helped the mattress world evolve. Now there are a number of cooler foam options to choose from, including specific cooling gel foams or foams which allow more air to circulate to the body. They can be packed and shipped much easier than innerspring models. Also, keep in mind these All foam or “Memory Foam” Mattresses do tend to develop soft spots where a person lays over a period of a couple of years.

The type of foam is important to note here, as most models are not made of 100% memory foam. Some may contain other harmful ingredients, such as formaldehyde or flame retardants. There are a bunch of lesser expensive All Foam or Memory Foam mattresses that are being sold on Amazon, Wal-mart, and Wayfair that are imported from China and these mattresses have lots of complaints about strong chemical smells. Look for CertiPUR-US certified mattress foams to avoid these issues.

Latex mattresses are often marketed as an alternative to memory foam. They provide sturdy support, but do not give as much as you lay on them. This means you are less likely to feel swallowed up by a latex mattress compared to a memory foam mattress.

Additionally, latex mattresses are cooler than memory foam – even with the advanced cooling foams on the market. Latex mattresses are much more responsive to motion than memory foam. The more you push on them, the more they push back.

Because of this, hybrids tend to be good for many sleepers, and provide a nice mix of comfort and support. They also tend to be cooler than memory foam or all foam mattresses, but not as pricey as latex.

They also have a much higher lifespan than other mattress options, as they are extremely durable.

However, latex mattresses are very expensive compared to other options. They are also very heavy.

They can also give off a chemical smell for the first few days that can make it difficult or impossible to sleep on, though this goes away with time.

Individual pocketed coil mattresses make a good choice for many people. They take the strong support of a spring mattress and add new levels of comfort to it.

They can have a lower price than many more “luxurious” options such as latex and foam, but may offer comparable features.

In many areas, pocketed coil mattresses are taking over the “industry standard” slot from innerspring mattresses.

The main reason for this is that the mattress is made up of hundreds of individual springs. These individual springs allow for new levels of comfort and responsiveness in the mattress that the design of an innerspring could never achieve.

Because these springs move independently, they can also contour to the body better than intertwined springs. The added foam on top of these mattresses helps provide more comfortable support as well. Together, these features mean these mattresses also have less motion transfer than innerspring mattresses.

At the same time, pocketed coils are more sturdy than foam mattresses, and provide stronger support for those who need it. The spring strength also means they tend to last much longer than a foam core.

However, these mattresses can also be very heavy, and they have to be shipped full size. Additionally, foam quality can really make or break these mattresses. Low quality foam can make for a very uncomfortable sleeping experience down the road.

A hybrid mattress may refer to a blend of one or more mattress types, though it initially meant a blend between a pocketed coil mattress and a memory foam mattress. Plus hybrid mattresses have a smooth top fabric without the traditional tack and jump quilting that an innerspring or pocketed coil mattress may have.

Hybrids aim to make up for the ways mattress types are lacking by combining them with other supportive mattress types. For instance, the individual pocked coils in a hybrid mattress provide strong support, but the memory foam top provides the needed comfort the pocket springs may lack.

Because of this, hybrids tend to be good for many sleepers, and provide a nice mix of comfort and support. They also tend to be cooler than memory foam or all foam mattresses, but not as pricey as latex.

The memory foam or gel memory foam on these mattresses will make for better motion transfer, while the pocketed springs will help keep you from feeling swallowed by the foam.

However, hybrids are very heavy, which makes shipping and delivery a chore. They can also be much more expensive than simple spring or foam options. With that said, people who are willing to spend the money may be much more satisfied with their purchase. Hybrids are a great choice for someone that wants to dial in their comfort and maximize support.