Support Systems to Consider When Choosing and Buying a Mattress
When buying a mattress springs are the most common support systems used by modern beds. There are relatively cheap springs and more expensive spring systems available in the market. There are springs to reduce partner disturbance and there are springs that cater to individuals of different body weights. Some springs have thicker (or higher gauge) wires while some have more or higher turns on the coils.
There are also support systems that do not use any springs at all. The Internet is full of information on support systems. Some of it are misleading and conflicting, but spring systems are by far the most common type of support.
Examples of Popular Spring Systems
1. Bonnell spring system
The Bonnell spring system is often called the budget spring (probably because it is the cheapest in the market). It uses a traditional inner spring unit and is the most widely used system worldwide.
2. LFK springs
LFK or “left facing knot” type of spring system is made up of well contoured spring units with lighter gauge wires. This spring system has substantially more springs than the Bonnell system.
3. Pocket springs
For low partner disturbance, pocket springs are the ultimate match. They are made up of individual pocketed coils and have a much higher spring count than the aforementioned spring systems.
Comfort Layers that Go on Top of Modern Mattresses
You should choose the mattress with different foams that will make up the comfort layers, and there are hundreds of them – including Latex and Memory foams.
These foams can have different attributes and quality standards. There are other things too like Gel, either in layers or impregnated into foams to help reduce heat.
Even the more expensive Latex and Memory foams have varying levels of quality. You may even have smaller springs in the comfort layers to supplement or replace the foams.
Other Components
The other important considerations when buying a mattress is the construction of the spring mattress, and to some extent the non-spring mattress, are:
- Mattress foundation
- Side support system
- Ticking (or cloth covering)
- Type of pillow top
They all have attributes that are worth considering when choosing and buying your mattress.
Cut Away of a Modern Pillow Top Mattress
Another area to consider when buying a mattress is the cut away of pillow top mattress.The figure below shows the pocket spring support system with various comfort layers above it, namely: the foundation, foam boxed edge support, and a Euro pillow top.