Don’t just see your mattress as your sleeping companion, as it serves a lot more purposes than just giving you a peaceful sleep. While choosing the right mattress allows you to sleep peacefully, doing otherwise can cost you your sleep, due to which you might toss and turn until the next morning. Before buying your new mattress, you need to know about all the different kinds that it comes in.
It’s one of the major investments for any household, as it not only influences the quality of your nightlife but of day one as well. Along with its pros and cons, you need to take into account factors like the feel and durability it gives and its build quality as well. Cost is also something that you need to take into account before finalising a mattress for yourself.
Choosing the right kind of mattress need not be rocket science at all. Still, many people end up scratching their heads while deciding which mattress they need to buy. As these sleeping companions are available in multiple materials and technologies, one needs to evaluate their buying purpose and budget before choosing one single option for themselves.
To come up with the best possible choice for yourself, take help from the following guide on the different types of mattresses to never miss out on having a peaceful slumber.
1. Innerspring Mattress
Based on a steel coil support system, innerspring mattresses are a traditional kind of mattress that is quite renowned for the firmness and bounce that they carry. The kind of support and ventilation it gives is really excellent. These are the best options for those who have lower back pain problems or are restless sleepers. Those who sleep on the back and sides also need to give it a try.
This very mattress comes in a number of forms, such as one in which a number of coils are connected to one single unit. Another variation has individually wrapped pocket coils in it. The shape of the springs, design, gauge, and number of coils that these mattresses have in them might vary from brand to brand.
They have been in the industry since the 1900s, and despite the fact that the trend is changing a lot, many people still prefer choosing them over other kinds of mattresses. The steel coils that these mattresses have get compressed once an individual sleeps on them. There are four kinds of coils that are used in them: continuous coils, bonnell coils, offset coils, and encased coils.
Pros of Innerspring Mattress
- Their installed coil systems offer firm and evenly distributed support to their users, which is great for those with back pain.
- Their open structure offers much better airflow, which keeps the user cool all night.
- It has a bouncy feel because of its springy and responsive surface.
- They are one of the most affordable mattresses on the market.
Cons of Innerspring Mattress
- You might need to get them replaced, as they might get saggy over time.
- It is not recommended for combination sleepers, as the motion transfer of one will disturb the sleep of the other as well.
- They might form pressure points for some individuals as they don’t have a sufficient top layer with them.
2. Memory Foam Mattress
These are made using high-density foam that takes up the shape from your body’s heat and weight. One of the greatest advantages that these mattresses carry is the outstanding comfort and pressure relief that they give to the user. The sleep experience that one gets after using them is quite contouring and plush. Those who have issues with joint pain are also recommended to use these mattresses by their concerned healthcare experts.
The foam used in these is a special kind of polyurethane foam combined with some specific chemicals aimed at enhancing its performance in terms of durability and comfort. They are widely used for their ability to create a feeling of cradle that allows it to take on the shape of your body once you lay on it.
This mattress’s capability to memorise your sleeping posture as well as your body shape is the reason it is named a memory foam mattress. First invented by NASA in the mid-1960s, it came on the market in 1991 and became the best option for those with any sort of allergy, as this mattress is allergen and dust mite resistant.
Pros of Memory Foam Mattress
- They adopt the shape of the individual’s body, helping to relieve pressure points and also offering marvellous support while sleeping.
- It’s good for combination sleepers as its material absorbs various movements while tossing or turning.
- They are more durable as they last a long, all while maintaining their comfort and shape for many years to come.
- These are unsusceptible to various dust mites and allergens, making them a better option for those with any kind of allergy.
Cons of Memory Foam Mattress
- It might cause discomfort while sleeping as the heat might get trapped in it.
- It has a relatively low bounce that many people find kind of restrictive in nature.
- For many, they might prove to be an expensive option.
- Their softness might make some individuals feel trapped in their beds.
3. Latex Mattress
The latex mattress is made out of synthetic or natural rubber, superficially combining resilience with comfort. One of their main highlights is the excellent bounce and responsiveness that they carry with them. The supportive sleep that one gets from using them is worth admiring, as is the cushioned material used in them. For those who truly love the balance of support and softness, they need to try their hands on the latex mattresses.
The latex that these mattresses have might be either synthetic or natural. While natural latex is considered an eco-friendly bedding option, it is also a byproduct of the sap coming from the rubber tree. In terms of contouring and pressure relief, they are kind of similar to those of memory foam mattresses, but not wholly.
The middle part of this mattress offers more support to the heavier regions of the body, like the shoulders and hips, whereas regions like the thighs, neck, and feet get a bit less support. This is how these mattresses offer a highly customised level of comfort to all while giving proper support in the parts where it’s needed the most.
Pros of Latex Mattress
- These are widely known for their longevity, as they can easily outlast other types of mattresses.
- Those made using natural latex prove to be an eco-friendly choice that is good for the environment too.
- As they are kind of springy in nature, they don’t make the sleepers feel stuck in their beds.
- Being naturally cool, they prevent overheating at night.
Cons of Latex Mattress
- Those mattresses with high-quality latex in them might prove to be a bit more expensive.
- It can’t be used by those with latex allergies.
- Due to their heavy weight, some might find it difficult to move or flip them if required.
- For some, it might not offer enough pressure relief.
4. Hybrid Mattress
These have layers of both foam and springs in them, and because of that, they are becoming more and more popular with time. For those who love the pros of an innerspring mattress and memory foam but can’t afford both, they need to try out the hybrid mattress. Along with just the foam and coils, they might also have some other components, such as gel foam, polyurethane, etc.
The general structure that these mattresses have is one layer of coiled springs laying on the bottom, along with three layers of memory foam or latex as the top layer. The main advantage of having this sort of mattress is that you basically get a more personalised experience.
Hybrid mattresses are the best for those who want a proper bounce and good pressure relief points as their sleeping companion. It’s also great for those who want to stay cool all night. The breathability is much more enhanced in them as compared to other forms of mattresses.
Pros of Hybrid Mattress
- You get the advantages of both an innerspring mattress and memory foam at once, offering balanced and combining support along with proper pressure relief.
- The layer of coil that these have increases their breathability, making them cooler.
- It offers a much better sleep for combination sleepers as the latex layer in it decreases motion transfer.
Cons of Hybrid Mattress
- Due to the complex construction process, some hybrid mattresses might be a bit priciest.
- Being heavy in weight, they are often hard to move or even flip.
- They might not last as long as the all-foam or all-latex models do due to the possibility of coil degradation in them.
5. Gel Memory Foam Mattress
It’s a modern fusion of the classic memory foam along with some sort of cooling gel put into the foam. The design is made as such so as to offer a reliable amount of comfort while mitigating the trapped heat. This sort of mattress is best for people with pain issues, couples, side sleepers, and hot sleepers. The gel added to it works very well to cancel out the heating effects of the memory foam.
As you sleep throughout the night, the gel will slowly and steadily take in the surrounding temperature, allowing the individual to get a cooler and better sleep. This happens as the gel decreases the density of the memory foam and disallows the memory heat from being trapped in it.
This sort of mattress is very gentle on the hips and joints, making it a worthy investment to go with if you’re having such issues. With the advent of modern technology, different kinds of gel memory foam mattresses are available on the market, each with various levels of feel, comfort, and heat dissipation benefits as well.
Pros of Gel Memory Foam Mattress
- They offer a much cooler sleep as compared to traditional memory foam, as the gel in them disperses heat properly.
- It also takes the body shape and helps relieve pressure points.
- Its motion isolation ability makes it great for minimising any kind of disruption caused by the tossing and turning of a partner.
Cons of Gel Memory Foam Mattress
- Some brands might have contained a synthetic material that might act as a disagreeable factor for many people.
- They also might be a little hard to move or flip.
- Despite generally being long-lasting, their material might get saggy over time.
6. Polyfoam Mattress
These are some of the best options for those who’re on a tight budget. They are much lighter and less dense than the memory foam that most people use. Despite offering a soft feel, they are most likely to degrade faster in a short span of time. Polyfoam mattresses are made out of synthetic and petroleum products that might seem scary or harmful to many, but actually they aren’t.
Work is done on them to make them less harmful or neutralise their ill effects. Plus, they come in various density measures, each of which offers different levels of durability. These are some of the most durable kinds of mattresses that one can find, and they also offer firm support to their users.
In reference to other sorts of mattresses, these ones are more comfortable to sleep on as they offer even support for all pressure points. As they have various chemical compounds in them, it’s advised to look for the CertiPUR US certification on the polyfoam mattress that you are going to buy, which will ensure that they are free from ozone depleters, heavy metals, and formaldehyde as well.
Pros of Polyfoam Mattress
- It’s one of the best options for those who have a tight budget.
- They are lighter and less dense than the traditional memory foam.
- As there is minimal movement transfer, partners are most likely to not get disturbed while they shift while sleeping.
- Many of the polyfoam mattresses are also flame-resistant.
Cons of Polyfoam Mattress
- Although they are soft, they are most likely to degrade faster.
- It might cause back pain if made from a low-quality material.
- Low-quality poly foam mattresses might cause serious respiratory disease in many.
7. Waterbed Mattress
These are the kind of mattresses that date back even longer than innerspring mattresses. Once invented just as a measure of helping patients with bedsores, almost every household had them in the 1980s. The feel that one gets after using them is just as if floating on a body of water, which is quite soothing for all.
One is allowed to set the way the water in this mattress will react to their body weight. Either they can make it free-flowing or restrict it by changing the configuration of the chambers. Some models are there that even allow the user to have a different setting on each side of the mattress, which comes in handy for combination sleepers.
The variation of waterbeds that you see nowadays is a version made using vinyl mattresses that are filled with water afterwards. Using them to sleep on is both pain-relieving and therapeutic as well. Some versions of the waterbeds also have the feature of heaters, allowing the user to heat or cool the water as per their requirements.
Pros of Waterbed Mattress
- They are a good option for those who’re suffering from body aches and pains.
- You can easily adjust the temperature of waterbeds using the heaters provided with them.
- They carry a very unique design with them.
Cons of Waterbed Mattress
- They are more prone to suffering from leakage and damage.
- These are the mattresses that are extremely difficult to transport.
- Maintaining and installing them is a lot of hassle.
- The process of filling a water bed and maintaining its heat might prove to be a little hard on your pocket.
8. Pillow-Top Mattress
They are one of the mattresses that people aren’t very aware of. Pillow-top mattresses are also referred to as euro-top mattresses and have an extra layer of upholstery sewn on top of them. It made it look like there’s a pillow on top. This extra or additional layer comes in various foams and fibres to choose from.
Based on the material used for it, it carries different benefits, such as enhanced comfort, durability, bounce, and even cooling. They are most likely to be pricey, so one needs to take their price into consideration before buying them.
The fillings in them are made of very soft polyester, which makes them look saggy very quickly and asks for their timely replacements as well. Despite carrying a luxurious feel with them, people still choose and go with some other options that they think are more reliable in their place.
Pros of Pillow-Top Mattress
- These offer long-lasting support to promote much better pain relief.
- They offer almost a perfect balance of support and comfort.
- It’s good for relieving various pressure points.
Cons of Pillow-Top Mattress
- Durability is one of the biggest problems that an individual would face while using this kind of mattress.
- Specialist linen sheets might be needed to cover them in place of normal ones.
- For many people, it’s hard to create a good edge of support for themselves.
9. Air Mattress
Built from high-quality polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags full of air comes the Air mattress. Most of them resemble a regular mattress, but there are bases on which they differ a lot. These mattresses are easy to carry from one place to another. They are filled with various foam layers that offer superior comfort to their users and carry a number of adjustable air chambers, making co-sleeping more pleasant and easier.
Being a lightweight option, they are most often used with premium bed frames, placing them among the most sophisticated and expensive sleeping arrangements. Carrying a low price, they are one of the most economical mattress options that one can go with.
Most people use them as an option for camping, but if used constantly, they might not last for a longer period of time. Plus, they won’t offer the same level of comfort as other mattresses do, so they are mostly used only when needed.
Pros of Air Mattress
- One can easily adjust the firmness of their air mattress based on the air it will have.
- It adapts your body and, hence, responds to various of your moments as well.
- Being lightweight, it’s easier to carry it from one place to another.
- They are one of the most affordable mattress options out there on the market.
Cons of Air Mattress
- Despite being made of durable vinyl, they are prone to leaks and punctures due to sharp objects.
- While moving around, unnecessary sounds might occur, making them noisier.
- Almost zero support in the case of pain relief.
Concluding Thoughts
Selecting a mattress that suits your sleeping style is a very important decision to be made since this will help you get quality sleep and maintain your overall health and welfare. The range of materials used in mattress construction aims at satisfying every person with different body sizes and preferences. However, it will be necessary to evaluate the breathability, durability, and allergic reactions of the materials to find out what suits one best.
It’s clear that there’s an endless sea of options when selecting mattresses. Just keep into account all the various pros and cons of each mattress type before finalising one. See which options seem the best for you and fit your lifestyle. After all, getting good sleep is mandatory for everyone.
