Innerspring, Hybrid, and Foam Mattresses: What’s the Difference?

Mattresses were never a big deal when you were a kid, you could sleep anywhere and wake up ready to run laps around the house. Those were the glory days, before back pain, and neck pain would ruin your entire week. Mattresses are vital for letting your body have its well-deserved rest at the end of the day.

There are so many types of mattresses on the market these days, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one is best for you. In this blog post, we will compare innerspring, foam and hybrid mattresses in order to help you make an informed decision. Each type of mattress has its own unique set of features, pros and cons, so it's important to understand them all before making a purchase.

Innerspring Mattresses Bounce Back

Innerspring mattresses are the most common type in America [source: furniturefair.net]. They have a support system consisting of steel springs that give the mattress its shape. In addition to innersprings, innerspring mattresses contain layers of foam on top and sometimes below as well.

Sealy mattresses are one such brand that utilizes springs in its mattresses. Their Innerspring Series Mattresses have each coil individually encased, hoping to reduce motion transfer across the surface of your bed.

Here's one video that goes into a little more detail:

Innerspring mattresses are best for people who like a more traditional feel in their mattress and want something that's not too soft or firm, but somewhere in between those two extremes. They're also good if you tend to sleep on your stomach since innersprings provide some extra lift for this position which makes it easier than with other types of beds (such as foam ones).

Queens Guard Cushion Firm Mattress by Sealy

Pros of Innerspring Mattresses:

• These mattresses are often less expensive that foam and hybrid mattresses
• Innerspring Mattresses feel like mattresses. They're more responsive to your movement, and you feel more in control of your movement.
• There is stronger edge-support meaning if you're sitting on the corner of an innerspring mattress it won't sink or fold.

Cons of Innerspring Mattresses:

• Innersprings can stick out in certain spots, making them worse at relieving pressure.
• Innersprings are not as durable and may sag over time due to regular wear and tear of the foam layers above them.
• Innerspring mattresses have less motion isolation, meaning your partner may get a rude awakening if you're a restless sleeper.

Sink Into Foam and Memory Foam Mattresses

Foam mattresses are made entirely of foam and don't contain innersprings. They come in two types: memory foam and polyurethane foam. Memory foam is more expensive but it's also more comfortable than polyurethane foam in most cases.

Foam mattresses are perfect for people who want a mattress that conforms to their bodies. It also assists those with back pain since the foam distributes weight evenly and removes pressure points. They're also good if you switch positions often during sleep because they adapt easily to whatever position you move into. Foam mattresses are known for their ability to contour around your body shape, so they offer great pressure relief and support in all positions: side, back or stomach sleepers alike! The only downside is that foam mattresses can sometimes trap heat, causing you to overheat during the night.

There are mattress brands, however, like Tempur-Pedic that have developed their memory foam mattresses to combat overheating. Their TEMPUR-LUXEbreeze™ is one such memory foam mattress that has a 4-level system of cutting-edge cooling materials that work together as you sleep, to cool you off all night long.The TEMPUR-LUXEbreeze Soft Mattress by Tempur-Pedic

There is also the Serta Arctic, which is covered in more detail in this blog article. The Serta Arctic is less expensive than a Tempur-Pedic mattress and claims that their mattresses have 15x better cooling power than their usual iComfort.

Arctic Plush Foam Mattress by Serta

Pros of Foam Mattresses:

• Better pressure relief as the foam contours to your body's shape to provide support.
• Unlike the innerspring mattresses, foam mattresses have great motion isolation. You can thrash as much as you want in your sleep (well, maybe you should work on that).
• Many foam mattresses such as the TEMPUR-LuxeAdapt® Firm Mattress incorporate their own technology to ensure you are going to sleep in ultra-conforming comfort.

Cons of Foam Mattresses:

• Can cause you to overheat during the night if not made with cooling materials.
• For those with limited mobility, foam mattresses are less responsive and be hard to change positions or even get in/out of.
• These mattresses possess many features that address the common complaints of having horrible sleep patterns, and so they're often more expensive.

Best of Both Worlds with Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses offer the best of both worlds: innerspring support with the comfort of foam on top. This makes them great for all types of sleepers, whether you like a softer or firmer surface, and they usually don't get too hot like pure foam mattresses can. They're also good if you like innerspring beds but don't want the feeling of sleeping on top because hybrids have more layers underneath which provides some cushioning in between your body and those coils.

TEMPUR-ProAdapt® Medium Hybrid Mattress by Tempur-Pedic

This hybrid mattress by Tempur-pedic is made with 1,000+ premium spring coils combined with the TEMPUR-APR™ Support Layer to deliver a more rejuvenating sleep.

Hybrid mattresses can be both supportive and comfortable depending on what kind you choose: memory foam hybrids work well for side sleepers due to their softer nature whereas polyurethane hybrid mattresses may feel too firm unless someone has back problems in need of more support.

Pros of Hybrid Mattresses:

• Hybrid mattresses offer innerspring support with the comfort of foam on top.
• Provide more response than foam mattresses.
• They're great for all types of sleepers, whether you like a softer or firmer surface, and they usually don't get too hot like pure foam mattresses can.

Cons of Hybrid Mattresses:

• Less motion isolation than foam (to be expected with its coils).
• Not as much bounce as innerspring if you like that in a mattress.
• They're hard to make a decision on because there are so many combinations of innerspring vs. foam and its yielding results (our sleep specialists can help narrow it down).

Bottom Line: What Mattress is Best for You?

In the end, there are many mattresses out there in all shapes and sizes to suit your preferences in terms of feel as well as budget so it's important that you do some research before purchasing one from us here at the Furniture Mall. We want to make sure you're getting the best night's sleep possible and that starts with finding the perfect mattress for you!

We have furniture stores in Austin, Topeka and Olathe. If your body is getting destroyed by your mattress, the time for suffering is over. Innerspring, foam, and hybrid mattresses have so many options, but we will help narrow down your search to best relieve those aching bones.

 

Written by Emily Holleran

email: eholleran@thefurnituremall.com