With so many types of mattresses to choose from, the most important thing to consider when shopping for a mattress is what type of mattress best suits your needs. In this post, we’ll be looking at some of the most common mattresses available today so you get an idea of where to start your search in the expansive world of online mattresses.
Polyfoam Mattresses
The term polyfoam is short for polyurethane foam. Also called PU foam, polyfoam is one of the most common mattress construction materials and has been in use for decades. An interesting thing about PU foam is that it can sense the user’s body temperature and can adjust its rigidity to suit their weight. A mattress made of quality polyfoam should possess the ability to distribute pressure evenly for improved spinal alignment.
However, it’s worth noting that there is one downside to PU foam – it doesn’t dissipate heat effectively. There have been complaints from people who use PU foam, with most saying that it sometimes feels hot sleeping on the mattress in summer. To circumvent this, Emma invented what’s known as the Airgocell foam – a super breathable foam that absorbs moisture and which allows air to flow smoothly through the mattress.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory foam was initially used in hospitals to provide patients that couldn’t move easily the support they needed and in aircraft cushions. A few years later, the foam finally made its debut in the mattress market. The good thing about memory foam is that it offers high-quality construction material at affordable prices. Most of the people who’ve used the memory foam mattress have described their experience as sleeping on a mattress with millions of tiny springs embedded in it. One of the unique things about the foam is that it effectively eliminates vibration feedback caused by tossing and turning bedmates, and is also quite effective when it comes to relieving pressure.
The foam is made of temperature-sensitive viscoelastic materials that allow it to conform to your body shape, leaving you feeling contoured and cradled.
While some people think that mattresses made of memory foam might lead to back pain due to the ‘sinking in’ effect, the fact is that memory foam mattress might be the best solution for people who suffer back pain due to the foam’s ability to contour.
This is one property of the mattress that makes it ideal for maintaining posture and for spine alignment. Just like PU foam, memory foam has an affinity to retain heat. This might cause some sleeper to sweat profusely during their sleep. Due to this, you are advised to go for a memory foam mattress that has cooling technology such as the Emma Original mattress. The research and development team at Emma discovered that applying a layer of the breathable Airgocell foam on the top layer of a memory foam mattress makes it breathable and improves cooling.
Read these Bear mattress reviews and find the perfect mattress for you.
Spring Mattresses
It’s worth noting that spring mattresses are available in two options. These are the open coil mattress and pocket sprung mattress.
Pocket sprung mattresses are currently quite popular amongst mattress buyers. The springs in this mattress are sewn into individual fabric pockets within the mattress to offer a greater bounce than normal mattresses. Since sleepers do not sink in as deep, means that they have more room to wiggle and turn through the night. Another thing worth noting about pocket sprung mattresses is that they don’t trap heat as is the case with foam mattresses.
Other options include closed coil and open coil and are a lot cheaper than their counterpart. The springs in continuous coil mattresses are made using one wound wire, while the springs in open coil mattresses have several individual springs arranged by a single wire.
Mattress experts advise buyers not to go for either one of the two options. While they are affordable, their cons far outweigh their pros. For instance, since all the coils are joined together, the entire mattress moves when you, or the one you are sharing the bed with, move.
Hybrid Mattresses
A hybrid mattress is a mattress that tries to combine the best of both memory foam mattresses and coil mattresses. These mattresses were created as means to quell the displeasure of some mattress buyers who were not satisfied by what memory foam and spring mattresses have to offer. Hybrid mattresses eliminate the feeling of “sinking in” that’s associated with memory foam mattresses allowing the user to feel like they are laying on top of the mattress.
Hybrid mattresses also provide the same level of pressure relief and support as memory foam mattresses. Hybrid mattresses are also pocket sprung allowing them to offer the contouring and cradling that spring mattresses have to offer.
Thick layers of memory foam are also placed on these springs to reduce noise and bounce. The overall construction of a hybrid mattress allows users to wiggle and turn freely while using minimal energy as they are sleeping on top of the mattress.
Latex Mattresses
Latex mattresses are high-quality foam mattresses that are especially breathable. Many with asthma or allergies opt for latex mattresses since the material – latex – is 100% natural and is quite effective in ensuring that sensitive users do not experience any discomforts.
Mattresses made of latex are quite firm and are recommended for people who prefer sleeping on hard mattresses. It’s also worth noting that mattresses constructed using latex are a lot heavier than other types of mattress foams. Apart from that, latex mattresses are a lot more expensive since poor-quality versions will most likely develop dents and lumps with continued use.
