There are various kinds of bed mattresses. Mattresses come in different shapes and sizes — king, queen, and full mattresses for example. There are also foam beds. A variety of natural materials are used to fill the mattresses including feathers, straw, and cotton to make them comfortable. The two types of mattresses that have been declared the most comfortable are the spring coil mattress and the foam mattress. The question then arises why foam mattress, or why coil mattress.
Spring coil mattresses were invented in the late 19th century. They are made of steel coil springs to support the body and give the matress a bouncing effect. There are many varieties of coils used for manufacturing spring coil mattresses.
Foam mattresses appeared in 1996, just after NASA had invented a material called “Memory Foam” — polyurethane with additional chemical ingredients — to make the material more viscous and dense. The life story of mattresses changed after this.
Spring coil mattresses don’t provide as much relief to the body’s vital pressure points as foam mattresses do. Foam mattresses are incredibly comfortable and distribute body weight evenly. Tossing and turning while sleeping on a foam mattress will not wake up a partner, unlike on a spring coil mattress.
In the case of spring coil mattress, the level of comfort goes down within a year’s usage, whereas the comfort level of the foam mattress remains intact after years of usage.
As far as firmness is concerned, spring coil mattresses act as excellent shock absorbers that in turn prevent quick tear of the mattress. On the other hand, foam mattresses are often firm, but a foam mattress becomes supple after you lie down on it. Thus, the two types of mattresses provide different feels. The spring coil mattresses provide a bouncy and springy effect, while foam mattresses provide a cushiony feel from head to toe with a touch of firmness underneath.
One of the biggest disadvantages of memory foam mattresses is that they are temperature sensitive. They take time to adjust to room and body temperature. When the surroundings are extremely cold, the foam is found to be rock hard, whereas the opposite is noticed when the temperatures are high. Spring coil mattresses, on the other hand, have no such effect in varying temperatures.
In terms of cost, foam mattresses are much more expensive than spring coil mattresses. Apart from being relatively inexpensive, spring coil mattresses often come with a 10-year warranty. However, these warranties allow for a maximum of 1.5-inch of “body impressions.” With regular usage, such normal body impressions begin to appear within three to six months.
So, now you now know the differences between spring coil and foam mattresses.
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