Mattress Materials: Spring VS Foam Mattress

When it comes to enjoying a good night’s sleep, there’s no room for compromise. We well deserve it after a long tiring day, don’t we? For a total restful experience, we need peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. The mattress we lay on has a vital role to play in this entire process. It is what makes this experience comfortable, after all, among many other things.

Now, mattress-buying is a crucial decision because it’s a costly affair. The type of mattress you buy today can have lasting effects on not just your sleep but your overall health in the long run. With frequent revolutions in the sleep technology and ample choices of mattress materials at the disposal of customers, purchase decisions have gotten even more difficult. We’ve put together a thoroughly researched list of the best mattress in India, that you may refer if you’re out in the market for a reliable mattress.

Here we try and help all those who have little experience with buying bedding and mattresses in weighing out the pros and cons of different mattress materials. Today’s write-up is limited to to comparing spring and foam mattresses. We’ve put together other such comprehensive comparisons for your reference. You can find them them listed below:

• Coir Mattress vs. Foam Mattress: Which is best for Back Pain?
• Mattress materials: PU Foam vs. Memory Foam
• Innerspring Mattress vs. Latex Mattress: Which is best for Back Pain?

Having learned the major differences between different mattress materials and types, you’d finally be able to judge if a certain mattress possesses the qualities ideal for your personal requirements. Here’s an unbiased comparison of the most

What is a Spring Mattress?

Spring mattresses are the conventional types that have been in existence since ages (most of us remember growing up sleeping on them). These are popularly known as ‘coil spring‘ or ‘innerspring‘ mattresses and are acclaimed for their good reactive support. A spring mattress necessarily comprises of steel coils beneath a soft layer of latex or foam. The coil system may be pocketed and hence independent of other pocket coils around it or it may be a single frame of coils. Innerspring mattresses with a pocket coil system offer better comfort as compared to single-frame coil spring mattresses.

What is a Foam Mattress?

Polyurethane foam and memory foam mattresses are rather newly introduces in the bedding industry. As they are believed to rectify some major cons of coir, innerspring and latex mattresses, these have gained a commendable popularity in the past few years. Unlike their traditional innerspring counterparts, a foam mattress helps distribute the body weight evenly over the entire mattress when sleeping, thus providing personalized pressure point relief irrespective of the sleeping posture.

This is because a memory foam mattress can adapt to the individual contours of a person’s body, based on their body heat. This conformity lends brilliant alignment to the spine, relieving and preventing back ailments like sciatica pain. This is why foam mattresses are higher in demand in light of the changing lifestyles.

Memory Foam Vs. Spring Mattresses

One has a well-established presence in the market, while the other is comparatively newer but has well proven its worth already. The decision as to which one to buy has to be a tough one, indeed. Are foam mattresses good, or are spring mattresses better? Let’s find out!

1. Support

The newer foam mattress without springs scores a point here as they’re designed in such a way that they can shape themselves according to the sleeper’s contours in response to their body heat. Besides, they help distribute the body weight evenly, facilitating natural spinal alignment and lending full support to the back too.

Innerspring mattresses, on the other hand, generally start sagging after a year or two of purchase. They also start losing a part of their support in the first year of use itself. Besides, unlike a foam mattress, spring mattresses don’t address the issue of spinal alignment, not lending as efficient back support.

2. Comfort

In terms of comfort, is memory foam good? Well, some new and fancy spring mattresses that come with pillow-tops do offer something to brag about; however, the conventional ones aren’t good at providing enough pressure point relief to the body. This is because the body doesn’t push down over the whole mattress evenly, and uneven support causes discomfort, even poor blood circulation, frequent tossing and turning at night, body ache, and joint pain after waking up.

Since memory foam mattresses can distribute your body weight evenly, they tend to offer better pressure point relief and firmness, both of which are essential for a good night’s sleep. Moreover, these characteristics help prevent pain in the back, hips, and joints.

3. Price

Cost of the mattress is always an essential factor to take into consideration during purchase because it’s generally a one-time investment – an investment into a good sleep and better health. It’s only natural to make price comparisons and analyze your choices carefully before investing money into either one. Spring mattresses are generally low on cost owing to their low manufacture cost.

Some top-end memory foam mattresses can be on the higher side of the price scale, of course, depending on the quality and brand. Higher costs are determined by the use of expensive materials used in the manufacture of these mattresses. As a rule of thumb, you’ll find mattress brands selling their mattresses at higher costs if they use certified raw material conforming to esteemed standards.

4. Motion Transfer

Since memory foam mattresses offer splendid firmness, there’s much scope for bouncing or sinking in (a feeling which doesn’t go down too well with most sleepers, especially the elderly). Also, you wouldn’t have to experience the frequent tossing and turning around at night, neither disturbing your sleep nor your partner’s.

On the other hand, a spring mattress behaves as a whole unit. You’d definitely feel movements on the other side of the mattress as the coil system is often integrated and passes on disturbances throughout the system. If you’re easily waken out of your sleep and looking for a mattress that promises minimal disturbances due to the movements of your sleeping partner, an innerspring mattress isn’t what you should be looking into.

5. Temperature Sensitivity

Memory foam mattresses have generally been observed to be more temperature-sensitive as they can respond to body heat. This means that the foam in the mattress takes time to adapt to body temperature, and this delayed response time is a common complaint among foam mattress users. This is because the colder the room, the longer it takes for the foam to adjust, not to forget that in freezing temperatures, memory foam can get rock hard. And, since it traps heat within, the warmer the room and your body heat, the sweatier you’d end up feeling.

Spring mattresses can’t adjust to body temperatures and thus don’t face this problem!

6. Maintenance

Since spring mattresses tend to sag within 1-2 years, they need frequent replacement. Besides, you even need to rotate them every three months for even wear and to avoid indents. Foam mattresses don’t require much maintenance as such besides being kept tidy with sheets and covers on. You might need to deep clean your mattress once every six months to maintain hygiene.

Conclusion

Spring and foam mattresses both have their unique set of pros and cons yet, they both are equally popular in the mattress market. So is foam mattress better than spring or the latter still holds strong? We’d personally bet our money on a good-quality gel memory foam mattress. Although a bit costlier, these tend to compensate with their augmented feel and comfort. Briefly, memory foam mattresses completely overshadow spring mattresses in most aspects that matter for a good night’s sleep.