What to Know About Mattress Types

Innerspring or spring mattresses are the ones you may have slept on as a kid. As you might expect from the name, the support comes from a grid of springs, or coils, topped by layers of padding. These mattresses are bouncy, and the top layer will hold you up, rather than cradle your body. The coils themselves come in many styles, but good-quality mattresses usually have individually wrapped pocketed coils, which are better than open-coil systems at motion isolation and contouring. Either a foam encasement or a perimeter of firmer coils provide the edge support. The transition layers, if there are any, contain padding; sometimes they’ll even include micro-springs, foam (but not as much as a hybrid), or both.

The top layer of innerspring mattresses consists of fabric-encased padding that is filled with fibers, such as cotton, polyester, or wool; or foam. The line between an innerspring mattress with foam and a hybrid mattress is fuzzy, but for the purposes of our guide, we’ve designated mattresses with quilted tops as innersprings, and those with a sock cover (a simple fabric stitched or zipped over the entire mattress) as a hybrid. Pillow-top innersprings contain an extra layer of padding sewn on top of the mattress’s fabric cover. Euro-top mattresses have padding sewn underneath the fabric cover. Innersprings without the extra padding are known as tight tops.

Foam mattresses are just that—layers of foam—and because of their springless construction they tend to cradle the body and they’re not bouncy. This style, which became popular in the 1990s with the introduction of Tempur-Pedic, now makes up the vast majority of online mattress offerings. Different layers of foam provide varying levels of support (like polyurethane and latex in the bottom and transition layers) and cushioning (memory foam in the comfort layer). Mattresses made with a memory foam top layer might provide a "hugging" sensation, while all-latex foam mattresses sink less and may feel springy. How comfortable a foam mattress feels will typically rely on the subtle transition between the top and the bottom layer. That’s why, in higher-end mattresses, you’ll typically find additional layers of different types of foam sandwiched in between.

Hybrid mattresses generally use a support layer of coils topped by a comfort layer of foam. For some people, hybrids offer the best of both worlds, providing the bounce of an innerspring and the cradling sensation of foam. Foam and springs appear in varying proportions depending on the brand and model. The transition foam layers might be made of micro-springs or foam.

Innerspring, foam, and hybrid models are by far the most popular options. But if these don’t appeal, you’ll find a few other varieties that use less conventional ways to cushion and support your body.

Adjustable air beds

You’re probably thinking of the relatively inexpensive air mattresses that you blow up when guests visit, but adjustable air beds are meant for long-term use. Their virtue is that they can be adjusted to different firmness levels, whenever you’d like, with a remote control or your smartphone. Examples include Sleep Number and ReST Bed, both of which allow couples to adjust their side of the bed.

Customizable foam mattresses

These mattresses open up and let you choose your own level of support by filling the space inside with foam components of different firmness levels, and like adjustable air beds, some can be configured on both sides to tailor the bed for partners with different preferences. For instance, Reverie offers so-called DreamCells that allow you to personally create different support zones within the entire rectangle to cater to the way you sleep. You can remove and rearrange the components whenever you’d like—so you can have it as one configuration if, say, you’re pregnant and another way after you have the baby. Similarly, the M3 system by Bedgear comes with a customizable layer of coils, allowing you to adjust the comfort and support level on each side of the bed.

Waterbeds

After their heyday 20-plus years ago, waterbeds still exist but are far less common (though a new brand, Afloat, by the maker of the original Pleasure Bed hopes to change that). Most waterbeds are now designed to look like regular mattresses. The water chamber is encased in a wood frame or a fabric-covered foam frame.