Memory Foam style mattresses claim conform closer to the body than other types of mattresses and thus offer improved spinal alignment and better pressure relief while sleeping. For this reason, one recent report found that “the US memory foam mattress and pillow market are projected to reach values more than $8 billion by 2023.” Despite the surging popularity of this type of mattress, coil style mattress continue to be popular for several reasons. People who are sensitive to volatile organic compounds off gassing from the viscoelastic used in Memory Foam would do well to opt for mattresses made from more natural materials. Furthermore, Memory Foam has been linked to retaining body heat, which might make sleeping uncomfortable in warmer climates. Not all coil mattresses are made alike, however, and the old-style box spring mattresses have largely been replaced by modern-day coil technology that drastically improves sleep experience. Below, we briefly explain the most common types of coils found in today´s mattresses, along with the pros and cons of each type of coil.
Types of Coils in your Mattress
Today, there are four main types of mattress coils used in mattresses. These mattresses are measured by response change, which signifies the adjustment in firmness as the individual coil or spring is compressed. A good coil mattress will initially offer a soft compression to allow the mattress to conform to your body before hardening up to provide a needed level of support.
Continuous Coils
These types of coils use an innerspring arrangement, meaning that the steel coils are strategically placed for body support. Continuous coils are connected from a single piece or wire, which makes them relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The coils are attached together with helicals. The main advantage of these types of coils, then, is that they tend to be one of the cheapest coil-style mattresses on the market. Furthermore, the strong connection offered by the helicals offers an extremely firm support system. On the downside, these types of mattresses, because they do not have individual coils, tend to not conform to your body shape or profile. Most consumers who opt for this type of coil system will want thicker comfort layers placed on top of the coil system to offer body contouring benefits.
Bonnell Coils
These types of coils have been around for a long time, and are distinguished by the traditional steel wire coil that looks like an hourglass. The Bonnell unit is formed when these hourglass coils are connected with cross wire helicals. The hourglass shape was originally designed so that the middle part of the spring could compress only with soft pressure. Today, pocket coils and offset coils (explained below), are generally better at offering needed support, though hourglass coils can do the trick. Like continuous coils, these types of coil mattresses will be much less expensive than other options. Furthermore, mattress makers can use this type of coil to design both soft and firm mattress styles, showing the flexibility of this type of mattress.
Classic Brands Carleton Innerspring Mattress Highlights
Brand: Classic Brands
Mattress Firmness: Firm/7
Mattress Construction Type: Foam and Bonnell coils
Mattress Thickness: 8"
Compatible for Bed Frame Size: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King
Mattress Sleep Trial Time: No Trial
Warranty: 25 years
Delivery: Free shipping and returns
Perfect For: Side, Stomach sleeper
Customer Rating: 4.3/5.0
Offset Coils
The main difference between offset coils and the two styles explained above is that offset coils are hinged together with a square wire. This hinging effect will allow the connected coil system to flex under softer pressure to offer superior comfort as this mattress can better conform to your body contours. Also, the main body of the coil (which also has an hourglass shape) offers deeper compression for needed firmness. The best types of mattresses that rely on offset coils will allow this hinging motion to occur on both sides, thus maximizing the softness on top while simultaneously offering deeper pressure for structural firmness of the mattress. Because all of the individual coils are connected, this type of mattress can share and distribute the weight of whoever is sleeping on the mattress. On the downside, these types of mattresses tend to be significantly more expensive. Some manufacturers will also seek to cut cost by using 15 gauge wire (or higher) and this can reduce the strength and durability of the coil system.
Sealy Classic Eurotop Innerspring Mattress Highlights
Brand: Sealy
Mattress Firmness: Medium Firm/6.5
Mattress Construction Type: Foam and offset coils
Mattress Thickness: 12’’
Compatible for Bed Frame Size: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Cal King
Mattress Sleep Trial Time: 90 nights
Warranty: 10 Year
Delivery: Free shipping and returns
Perfect For: Back, Stomach sleeper
Customer Rating: 4.7/5.0
Pocket Coils
These types of coils in a mattress are considered to have the most advanced response range for coil-style mattresses. This allows people to enjoy improved point elasticity, which means the ability of the coils to conform to your body shape. While innerspring mattresses including Bonnell coils and continuous coils have a single steel assembly, high quality pocket coils will have hundreds of individual springs that are individually enclosed in separate fabric pockets. Because the coils are separated and not connected, each spring can provide isolated, point support to the different areas of your body. A pocket coil mattress will adapt to your unique pressure points based on how you sleep. Also, because the individual coils are not affected by one another, movement and motion transfer will not be an issue, thus allowing you to ignore your partner when he or she is tossing and turning on the other side of the bed. The main disadvantage of pocket coil style mattresses is that they are routinely the most expensive mattress types on the market. Furthermore, the response range will also depend on the material that is used to surround each of the individual coils. Unfortunately, many cheaper, imported styles of this mattress use cheaper fabrics to surround the coils, thus allowing the individual coils to shift over time.
Dreamform Beddings Dream Two-sided Pocketed Coil Hybrid Mattress Highlights
Brand: Dreamform Beddings
Mattress Firmness: Medium Firm/6.5
Mattress Construction Type: Foam and Pocketed coils
Mattress Thickness: 9″
Compatible for Bed Frame Size: Twin, Twin XL, Full, King, Queen, California King, Split King, Split California King
Mattress Sleep Trial Time: 120 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery: Free shipping and returns
Perfect For: Stomach, Back, Side sleeper
Customer Rating: 4.4/5.0
Nano Coils
Recently, some manufacturers have been improving upon pocket coils by creating what is known as nano coils. Like pocket coils, these individual coils are placed as closely together as possible in individual fabric encasements. However, nano coils are much smaller, and it is routine to see coil counts up to 7,000 in queen size mattresses. Obviously, the more nano coils that are used, the better the pressure relief and body adaptation capabilities of the mattress. Also, the use of nano coils allows the coils to be situated closer to the sleeper while also offering increased sagging resistance. On the downside, these mattresses will be much more expensive due to their intricate manufacture process.
Sleepy’s Reserve Encased Coil Mattress Highlights
Brand: Sleepy's
Mattress Firmness: Firm/8, Medium/4.5, Soft/3
Mattress Construction Type: Foam and coils
Mattress Thickness: 12″, 14″, 15.5″
Compatible for Bed Frame Size: Twin, Twin XL, Full, King, Queen, California King
Mattress Sleep Trial Time: 120 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Delivery: Free shipping and returns
Perfect For: Side, Back, Stomach sleeper
Customer Rating: 4.2/5.0
