How many options is too much choice?
The fact is that having too many options can overwhelm you because you’re not quite sure about the differences between each option.
That’s how you feel when you attempt to find the right mattress for you. Unlike many other purchases, mattresses are subjective because each person’s body and sleep needs are different.
Today, there are many different mattress “types” marketed to sleepers. Manufacturers like to introduce confusing abbreviations or labels to make their product seem unique — but that’s not helpful when shopping for a mattress.
It’s time to cut through the jargon.
In this article, we will break down the differences between a spring mattress vs. memory foam mattress. We’ll look at the benefits of each, what you need to watch out for, and where each type of mattress ranks for factors like comfort, support, and hypoallergenic materials.
What is a Spring Mattress
Today, a spring mattress is the “standard” mattress. Rewind to the middle of the 19th century, and it was a novelty. Heinrich Westphal designed the first modern-day spring mattress. He repurposed the coil spring invention used for chairs and wrapped rows of them in an iron frame.
At this time, manufacturers used raw cotton, hair, wool, or feathers as stuffing in the mattress’s encasement, with a frame of tightly-wound, uniform steel spring coils.
However, these natural materials collect vermin and mildew, especially in warmer states across the United States. Manufacturers changed their production process and some materials to make sure their spring mattresses were sanitary.
During the 1940s and 50’s these types of mattresses occupied a space in almost every home across the country. They would remain unchallenged until the 1970s and 80’s, when waterbeds and memory foam mattresses became viable alternatives.
There are two types of spring mattresses available on the market today. These include:
You can still buy an open coil innerspring mattress today, but they’re usually very cheap, and they break down quickly. They offer no pressure relief and will also start to creak and sag in no time. This is why people who prefer an innerspring system always choose pocket coil springs as a standard.
Pros of a Spring Mattress
Cons of a Spring Mattress
The red areas are significant because it means the spring mattress is pushing back against your body, rather than absorbing your body’s weight. Some areas of your body will push down harder than others, which means that you won’t be able to experience even support as you sleep.
This is also why you sometimes wake up with a sore shoulder or a stiff lower back when sleeping on an older spring mattress.
What is a Memory Foam Mattress?
Somehow, mattress material innovation is something only astronomers work on. Heinrich Westphal was a German astronomer. Similarly, memory foam mattresses came about in 1966 through Charles Yoast's work. He happened to be an American space engineer under contract for NASA.
It began as “temper foam,” and the whole point was to improve seat cushioning and crash protection for airline pilots and passengers. That tells consumers a significant fact: memory foam is designed for motion and shock absorption, and to protect the body from impact.
Today, memory foam mattresses offer superior comfort and pressure point support. Many of them are designed to align the spine for side sleepers, stomach sleepers, and back sleepers.
In fact, they’re so popular that those who are more familiar with innerspring systems will often opt for a hybrid mattress. This allows sleepers to experience the therapeutic benefits of a memory foam mattress through a spring mattress construction. It’s the best of both worlds.
Now, there is a lot of confusion about memory foam mattresses because there are quite a few types of foam materials incorporated into the construction of these mattresses. Some manufacturers use uniform foam materials, while others use a combination. With an innerspring mattress, the frame is always a set of pocketed or open coils.
But, as you can see, memory foam mattresses include several different foam layers for a truly customized sleep experience. Beyond this, you can also opt to change the density, firmness levels, and contouring of a new mattress.
To help you understand the difference between the different types of foam mattresses available, use this handy comparison chart. You’ll see that not all memory foam mattresses are created the same, even if they’re called “memory foam.”
You can opt for latex, polyurethane, gel, or combinations of these layers, based on your budget and sleep needs.
The pros and cons of memory foam mattresses relate to the use of these materials. There is a type of memory foam that addresses the “cons” of a latex or foam mattress -- and it’s used in all Essentia mattresses.
Pros of a Memory Foam Mattress
Cons of a Memory Foam Mattress
The one type of memory foam that counteracts many of these disadvantages is natural memory foam.
Despite its many therapeutic benefits, it’s hard to find a memory foam mattress that is also eco-friendly. For quite a while, sleepers had to choose whether they wanted a good night’s sleep, health-safe materials, a cooler, comfortable sleep surface, or hypoallergenic mattresses.
Natural memory foam mattresses transform all these concerns, providing a safe bed-in-a-box alternative to many memory foam mattresses that off-gas. Essentia offers the only mattresses that are:
Spring Mattress vs. Memory Foam Mattress — Which Wins?
Now that you know the essential differences between a spring mattress and a memory foam, it’s time to test which type of mattress can offer the best sleep.
Your personal experience on each mattress type is what matters most. However, you need to keep in mind that it’s not just about that first sleep. It’s also about all the nights of restful sleep after that first night, and how well your mattress supports your body over time.
Let’s take a look at four factors that will help you choose between a spring mattress and a memory foam mattress.
1) Temperature
Traditionally, innerspring mattresses have a clear advantage over memory foam mattresses when it comes to body temperature. Those who sleep hot may prefer spring mattresses. The coils allow air to flow freely through the mattress.
However, natural cooling changes through the years for spring mattresses. The accumulation of dust, allergens, and dead skin cells adds density to the coil spring mattress.
2) Support
When it comes to back support and pressure point support, memory foam mattresses win out every time. The materials used provide unparalleled support and pressure relief.
That’s not to say that innerspring systems can’t offer support. However, even pocketed coils wear out much faster and tend to sag in a few years.
One good option for sleepers is using a hybrid mattress. For example, the Tatami Hybrid uses the patented natural memory foam in layers, over an organic latex foam layer. However, it also packs in an eight-inch pocketed coil “support” core.
3) Longevity
You can always determine the longevity or durability of a mattress based on the manufacturer's warranty. They know how long their mattresses are supposed to last, so they’ll typically offer a warranty that runs out two years before the mattress is simply unusable.
Many spring mattresses come with a seven- to 10-year warranty, which tells you that you can expect to start seeing serious wear and tear by the three- to seven-year mark. Memory foam mattresses have a much longer lifespan because they’re made to absorb the force of your body’s weight.
4) Motion Transfer
Both spring mattresses and memory foam mattresses are good at eliminating motion transfer if you move around while sleeping. However, you have to rely on a high pocketed or individually encased coil count to experience true motion isolation for a spring mattress.
A memory foam mattress that claims to have motion transfer reduction can be just as effective as a pocketed innerspring system because it absorbs movement. However, these memory foam mattresses might be too soft, so make sure you can customize the firmness levels. The ideal firmness for back pain is medium-firm support.
Conclusion
While scientists are still studying the phenomenon of sleep, the mysteries of mattresses shouldn’t get in the way of truly restorative sleep. At Essentia, we believe that both foam and spring mattresses have their perks — but you should never have to choose between your health and a mattress’s comfort and . Essentia offers a variety of mattress types, including hybrid mattresses and all foam mattresses, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.
That’s why we build each of our mattresses using the world’s only natural memory foam material. Over 15 years of innovation, we’ve thoughtfully designed each mattress style to conform to your goals for a good night’s sleep. Learn more about Essentia’s world-class memory foam mattress collections today.
