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What's in a Mattress?

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about what's in a mattress and how to make sense of what you're buying!

Introduction

With a variety of different materials and technologies available on the market, it is easy to get lost in all the information, especially when it comes to the finer details. This guide will help you better understand what really goes inside your mattress and how it contributes to the overall feel, quality, and price.

Dozy Mattresses are made with three things in mind.

Breathability, Durability and Comfort

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Foam

Layers of Foam

  • Base → sometimes referred to as “core foam” or “support foam”, this layer is used as a comfort layer closest to the body in cheaper mattresses or as a supportive layer at the base in more expensive mattresses
  • Transition → this layer is used in the middle of more expensive mattresses both as a support for the topmost layer and a more comfortable transition to the base layer, this layer can be either soft or firm and often determines the overall firmness of the mattress
  • Feature → sometimes referred to as “comfort foam”, this layer is used closest to the body in more expensive mattresses

NOTE: More expensive does not mean more comfortable as comfort is subjective

Types of Foam

Poly-based Foam → first invented in Germany in the 1940s, consists of any foam that is synthesized using polyols and isocyanates (polyurethane), characterized by a cellular structure that allows for some degree of compression and resilience creating a cushioning effect. Poly-based foam is often used as a base foam in high-end products or as a feature foam in low-end products

  • Low-density (<1.8lbs)
  • High-density (>1.8lbs)

Memory Foam → first invented by NASA in the 1970s, consists of any foam that involves combining basic polyurethane with other compounds and additives that affect viscosity and elasticity. Memory foam is highly viscous and elastic meaning that it takes a longer time to change shape under pressure but can contort and return to its original shape when that pressure is removed. These compounds and additives change depending on the manufacturer and the type of memory foam being produced but the process most often involves the addition of a compound called polyether polyol.

  • Traditional → a visco-elastic foam that closely contours to the body as heat and pressure are applied, this classic memory foam does have a tendency to retain heat which is in part why it was reformulated in recent years
  • Open-cell → a visco-elastic foam that contains all the same ingredients as traditional memory foam but has a different internal structure, containing open-cell pockets that allow for better airflow and heat dispersion creating a “cooling effect”
  • Gel-infused → a visco-elastic foam that incorporates gel which is usually added through the addition of gel-based microbeads inside the foam, the gel-based microbeads create pockets similar to that of open-cell memory foam while actively absorbing and releasing heat.

 

NOTE: At Dozy, we use a variety of these memory foams in our mattresses, check out this page for more details

 

Latex → rubber-like material first used by South and Central America as early as the 11th century and brought back to Europe in the 1700s, common uses include tires, surgical gloves, rubber bands, balloons, and other sporting goods.

  • Natural → made using sap from the rubber tree and processed with natural biodegradable ingredients
  • Synthetic → made using compounds such as styrene and butadiene which are currently obtained from petroleum
  • Alternative → any foam with latex-like properties also referred to as “quick response foam”
  • Blended → most commonly used latex in North America, containing a combination of natural and synthetic latex with the ratio being proprietary to each manufacturer, less expensive than natural latex

 

Process:

  • Talalay → process involving flash freezing liquid latex and then flash heating it to a gel, there is also a rigorous washing process that accounts for its hypoallergenic properties
  • Dunlop → process involving transforming liquid latex into a solid state using a vulcanized oven, there is also a rigorous washing process that allows the latex to retain its elasticity and ensure its purity, this process often creates a denser, springier-feeling latex.

 

NOTE: At Dozy, we use Talalay Latex in The Richmond, The Forest Hill, and The Rosedale

Check out this page for more details

 

Pros Cons
Poly-based foam
  • Medium pressure-relief
  • Higher support than memory foam
  • Low motion transfer
  • Higher durability than softer memory foams
  • Budget-friendly
  • High heat retention
  • Lower pressure-relief than memory foam
  • Lower support than latex
  • Lower durability than latex
Traditional memory foam
  • High pressure-relief
  • Low motion transfer
  • High heat retention
  • “Sinking feeling”
  • Low support
  • Lower durability than latex
  • More expensive than poly-based foam
Open-cell memory foam
  • High pressure-relief
  • Low motion transfer
  • Higher breathability than traditional memory foam and poly-based foam
  • Higher heat retention than latex
  • Low support
  • Lower durability than latex
  • More expensive than traditional memory foam and poly-based foam
Gel-infused memory foam
  • High pressure-relief
  • Low motion transfer
  • Higher breathability than traditional and open-cell memory foam and poly-based foam
  • Higher heat retention than latex
  • Low support
  • Lower durability than latex
  • More expensive than traditional and open-cell memory foam and poly-based foam
Latex
  • High support
  • High pressure-relief
  • High breathability
  • High durability
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Expensive

 

How is Foam measured?

Foam firmness (ILD) → Indentation Load Deflection

  • This measurement determines the firmness of a given foam layer within the mattress
  • This measurement is used in manufacturing not in retail purchasing
  • This measurement is irrelevant to the average customer because a mattress may have coils and/or multiple other layers that contribute to the overall firmness

Quality (PSF) → Pounds per Square Foot

  • This measurement indicates the quality of foam by measuring its density
  • The higher the number, the better the quality

 

NOTE:  At Dozy, the layers of foam in our mattress can range from 1.8lbs to 4lbs

 

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Coils

Types of Coils

Type(s):

  • Continuous coil → also known as “Bonnell coils”, hourglass-shaped springs made from tempered steel used in innerspring mattresses, the wide portion of the hourglass flexes easily while the more tightly curled center offers stability, these coils are fitted together in an interlaced arrangement which allows for balanced support
  • Pocket coil → also known as “individually encased coils”, spiral springs that are individually wrapped in fabric and joined together for greater stability, the individual structure of each coil allows it to react independently to pressure and minimizes motion transfer while optimizing pressure-relief in specific areas

 

Pros Cons
Continuous coil
  • High support
  • Budget-friendly
  • High motion transfer
  • Can be noisy depending on type of coil used
Pocket coil
  • High support
  • High pressure-relief
  • Low motion transfer
  • More expensive than continuous coil

 

How are Coils measured?

  • Coil Count → number of coils used in each mattress
    • Quality of coil count is measured using number of coils in a Queen size mattress

RANGE: 800-1200 coils

  • A mattress with <800 coils is less durable, over time it loses its ability to disperse weight and pressure, or contour to the curvature of your body
  • A mattress with >1200 coils becomes unnecessary and doesn’t increase comfort or durability in any significant way

 

NOTE: A lot of companies will use coil count as a justification to increase price, while the difference between 800 and 1200 pocket coils is significant, the difference between 1200 and 2400 is not.

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FAQs

  • When determining the “best” mattress material, we consider 2 main objective attributes which are breathability and durability. In terms of these 2 attributes, the “best” mattress material is Latex. Check out this page to learn more about Latex.
  • The most durable mattress material will be one that does not change its shape too significantly under pressure and returns to its original state when that pressure is removed. Latex is considered the most durable foam material as it behaves more like a rubber and is the most durable overtime. Coils are also considered highly durable as they are often made of tempered steel which retains its shape over time unlike traditional foams.
  • The most breathable mattress material will be one that does not retain heat and allows air to travel freely throughout the mattress. Latex is considered the most breathable foam material as it behaves more like a rubber so it does not retain heat and it also contains open pockets that allow air to travel. Coils are more breathable than Latex as they are often made from tempered steel which does not retain heat and there are large spaces between them which allows air to freely circulate throughout the mattress.
  • The most pressure-relieving mattress material will be one that conforms and cushions you body’s pressure points. Foam is considered the most pressure-relieving material as it is able to conform to a variety of shapes and provides ample cushioning under the weight of your body.
  • Latex is generally considered the firmest foam material while coil systems are the most firm material overall. Latex behaves like a rubber and coils are often made from tempered steel, both of which do not conform under pressure as easily as other foam materials.
  • Low-density foams (less than 1.8lbs) will be the cheapest foam material as there is not much weight to them. Continuous coils are the most budget-friendly coil system as they do not involve independent technology as seen in pocket coils.
  • Latex is the most expensive mattress material due to its many quality attributes including high breathability and durability. Latex also requires extensive manufacturing and washing processes in order to behave in the ways it does.
  • The quality of foam in a mattress is determined based on its density or pounds per square foot (PSF), the higher the number the better the quality. Generally, mattress foam ranges between low-density (less than 1.8lbs) and high-density (greater than 1.8lbs). At Dozy, the layers of foam in our mattresses range between 1.8-4lbs.
  • The quality of coils in a mattress is determined based on its coil count in a queen size mattress. Generally, coil count in a mattress ranges between 800-1200 coils. Any mattress with less than 800 coils is considered less durable as it will lose its ability to disperse weight and pressure overtime. However, any mattress with more than 1200 coils is considered unnecessary as it doesn’t increase comfort or durability in any significant way. The difference between 800 and 1200 coils is significant in terms of comfort and durability, while the difference between 1200 and 2400 coils is not. A lot of companies will use a coil count over 1200 as justification to increase price.