Independent pocket spring mattresses: questions and answers
Pocket spring mattresses: frequently asked questions
People who choose independent pocket spring mattresses do so because they are looking for a mattress that is comfortable yet at the same time supportive, cool and long-lasting in performance. Indeed, many people believe that the best type of mattress is precisely the pocket spring mattress. However, there are many myths about these mattresses; let's dispel them with a list of the questions about spring mattresses that we receive most often.
Written by the Migliormaterasso.it staff
Advantages of the pocket spring mattress
Why choose a pocket spring mattress? What advantages does it offer? Springs are more reliable than polyurethane foam and memory foam alone, and they are cooler: thanks to the structure, air circulation is guaranteed (see image below), and if the mattress also has a thin layer of memory foam, it offers maximum adaptability. According to many manufacturers, in fact, a mattress with a pocket spring core and a 3 to 5 cm memory foam layer is the mattress to choose, as it manages to satisfy people with different builds and sleeping needs.
Here are the pros of pocket spring mattresses in brief:
- Greater breathability thanks to the air circulation allowed by the spring structure, which is not solid in the centre;
- the gradual support and balance of the independent spring unit with differentiated support zones, which, when combined with memory foam (so-called hybrid mattresses), make the pocket spring and memory foam mattress the highest-performing and most adaptive mattress.
- lower sensitivity to temperature changes compared with all-foam mattresses with or without memory foam, which are affected by heat. In fact, many users notice that foam mattresses feel softer in summer than in winter.
Pocket springs and sleeping position
The special feature of the pocket spring is its independent spring action, so it provides adaptive, welcoming support that does not push back. It is suitable for side and back sleepers, adapting to the shoulders and pelvis while supporting them at the same time: support, not hardness; adaptation, not softness.
Recommended for people with a slim build and well-distributed body weight, in medium support from 4 to 6; in other cases, with greater body weight, in higher support levels between 7 and 8, on a scale from 1 to 10. For mild obesity, up to a BMI of 30, we only recommend firm support, such as Gabrielli King Superior or King Air, or Simmons Excellence in firm support.
The disadvantages of pocket spring mattresses
- The price. If your budget for buying a mattress is under 1000 euros, you will find a wide range of independent pocket spring mattresses, but you will hardly find quality and durability. To guarantee excellent rest for a satisfactory length of time (8 to 10 years), you will need to invest more than 1000 euros;
- Height. If you are looking for a mattress that is not very high, you will hardly find pocket spring mattresses under 26 cm in height. Because of their various layers, these mattresses are very high.
- Prone sleeping position. If you love sleeping in this position, this is not a suitable mattress, especially with a support level below 7 out of 10. Find out more about the right mattress for your sleeping position.
Firmness of pocket spring mattresses
Considering a spring mattress firmer than others because it has springs is a wrong association. Firm ones do exist, but they are not firm by definition – quite the opposite. These mattresses are designed to perform better, and therefore to adapt more. A firm pocket spring mattress, such as King 800, is almost an exception.
Is a mattress with more springs firmer? It is exactly the opposite. With 1600 springs you should expect more comfort, not more firmness, compared with 800. More springs increase the mattress's degree of adaptation and comfort; How high should a pocket spring mattress be? Pocket spring mattresses are 22 to 30 cm high (or more), 25 cm on average; they have several layers, so they need greater heights, and we advise against mattresses less than 24 cm thick; Heat and breathability: a pocket spring mattress is always cooler, as long as it has no memory foam? Not always. Excessive heat is caused by poor-quality materials that do not breathe, regardless of memory foam. Coolest mattress on the market: Fresco Cotton mattress
Is a spring and memory foam mattress hot?
A spring and memory foam mattress is not excessively hot or soft like memory foam mattresses without springs are, because the memory foam part is only a few centimetres thick. You can also turn it over, placing the memory foam side underneath, not in contact with your body.
Find out more about hot mattresses and how to avoid them
Firmness of spring mattresses
Let's dispel some myths about springs. Considering a spring mattress firmer than others just because it has springs. Wrong. These mattresses are designed to perform better, and therefore to adapt more. Firm ones do exist, but they are not firm by definition;
Firm pocket spring mattress: King 800
More springs means firmer, fewer springs means less firm: is that true?
It is exactly the opposite. With 1600 springs you should expect more comfort, not more firmness, compared with 800. More springs increase the mattress's degree of adaptation and comfort;
How high should a pocket spring mattress be?
Pocket spring mattresses are 22 to 30 cm high (or more), 25 cm on average; they have several layers, so they need greater heights, and we advise against mattresses less than 24 cm thick;
Heat and breathability
A pocket spring mattress is always cooler, as long as it has no memory foam: not always. Excessive heat is caused by poor-quality materials that do not breathe, regardless of memory foam.
Coolest mattress on the market: Fresco Cotton mattress
How many springs should a spring mattress have?
A double pocket spring mattress should have 800 springs; a higher number does not in itself make the mattress better, as the number of springs is less important than the quality of the springs and of the mattress as a whole. A Bonnel, i.e. traditional, spring mattress should have 400 in the double size, and the spring, or rather the coil wire, should be 3.5 mm thick if you are looking for maximum firmness.
Is a mattress with more springs firmer? No, the firmness of a mattress is not determined by the number of springs; on the contrary, micro-spring mattresses, for example those with 1600 or 3000 springs, are more welcoming.
What is the difference between a spring mattress and an independent spring mattress?
Independent springs mean that each spring is free to adapt according to the pressure generated by our body lying on the mattress, so it adapts, unlike a traditional spring mattress, which is more uniform and performs less well.
Do spring mattresses bounce? In other words, are they too springy? No, that is a typical feature of traditional spring mattresses: bouncing and noise, as well as that annoying transfer of movement to your partner when you move during the night.
How high should an independent pocket spring mattress be?
A pocket spring mattress should be between 23 and 26 cm high, as the spring unit, generally 15 cm high, plus the various layers and padding of the mattress, result in greater thickness than mattresses without springs. Greater heights are due to more padding or the use of additional spring layers.
The maximum height of spring mattresses is about 40 cm, as with Simmons mattresses and some Gabrielli models.
Is a spring and memory foam mattress soft?
A spring and memory foam mattress is not necessarily soft, since the memory foam usually comes in thin layers of 2 or 3 cm, so a spring and memory foam mattress may also appeal to those who do not like memory foam mattresses, where the memory foam is at least 6 cm thick and therefore warmer and softer.
A spring mattress needs the right bed base
The best mattresses, i.e. the highest-performing ones that can adapt to us without compressing, follow our shape but also that of the slats: if they find an uneven base underneath, they deform, so the slatted bed base must certainly be of matching quality, for both double and single mattresses.
A good slatted bed base will let you enjoy all the benefits of a spring mattress.
For more information, visit our page dedicated to: The best slatted bed bases
