How to Buy a Mattress: Choosing an Innerspring Mattress1

Knowing how to buy a mattress is an advantage. When choosing an innerspring mattress, it helps to know what the term means, and to understand the difference between the various types of such mattresses on the market today. The days are past when 'feather beds' were superseded by spring mattresses, and then by innersprings. Now you have a choice.

Today, you generally have a very wide choice of mattresses, and price increases with quality. Most mattresses are of the innerspring type; in fact, unless your mattress is pure foam, it will likely be sprung in the center, hence the term. An innerspring mattress is one containing springs inside, covered by various layers of padding and foam known as comfort layers to shield you from the springs.

Types of Innerspring Mattress

The term is not a specific one, and there are various types of 'inner springs.' Here are the most common ones along with some examples of comfort layers:

Regular Innerspring Mattress: this is a mattress with normal coiled springs, attached to each other so that when one moves, its neighbors also move. When you move, your partner's springs are affected by your spring movement.

Smart Springs: Each spring is coiled in the opposite direction to its neighbor, so the effect of each spring on the other is reduced. There is still an interaction between them, but Smart springs have less of an effect on your partner when you move about on the bed.

Pocketed Springs: Springs are not connected to each other, but contained within their own individual fabric pockets. When your springs move it has no effect on the springs you are not lying on, so partners can sleep with minimum disruption.

Continuous Coils: The springs are not of the regular 'hour-glass' shape, but are continuous lengths of 'S' shaped wire. The entire mattress is one piece of these interconnected wires, and while they offer a strong base, the effect of one person on another is maximized.

Comfort Layers

Memory Foam: memory foam softens with your body heat, and so conforms to the shape of your body. It flows into your body shape rather than compress into it. This is often the outside layer of a multi-comfort layered mattress. Sometimes this type of foam can hold you in position.

Foams and Battings: These are layers of material and foams that offer a comfortable barrier between your body and the springs. A good mattress will have several layers of these, and the more expensive mattresses will have a thick layer of memory foam on the outside.

Coil Count, Gauge and Turns

When you buy a mattress you might come across these terms. It helps to understand them and their significance, because you can ask the assistant when you check out the mattresses available in your local bedding store. It often helps to show you know what you are talking about!

The coil count refers to the number of coils in your innerspring mattress - the more the better, and they tend to range from 600 to almost 8,000 in a king size mattress fitted with pocketed springs. With the higher coil count you will find that there are smaller springs coiled within larger springs to offer more support.

The gauge of the spring refers to its thickness, and tempered steel springs are the strongest - offering longer life and more resilience to continual compression and decompression. The number of working turns is another important factor: the more turns a spring has, the softer the bed will be and the longer the mattress will last because there are more coils to absorb the energy of your movement and weight.

It is essential that test your bed by lying on it and moving around for at least 10-15 minutes, and making sure that you feel totally comfortable. If there are two of you, then you and your partner should try it out together. Don't feel embarrassed - it's the right thing to do, and the sales staff will be used to it. You are more likely to get the best advice if they know that you know what you are doing.

Once you feel happy with the mattress, preferably fitted to the bed you have chosen, then you can make the decision to purchase it. Very few people know how to buy a mattress correctly, or even know what an innerspring mattress is. Now you know, but take the time to test it because you will be spending around 30% of your life lying on it!