The Best Mattress Technologies
Mattresses have evolved beyond their traditional innerspring designs to include all-foam mattresses, hybrid models that layer foam atop pocketed coils, and air mattresses that pump air in and out for firmness adjustments based on body weight. The best mattresses provide numerous firmness settings you can control using an app or remote.
1. Memory Foam
Few decades ago, shoppers only had access to traditional innerspring mattresses made with steel coils connected by wires as their options for sleeping mattresses. Thanks to innovative foam technology however, memory foam mattresses now offer shoppers more than one option — memory foam mattresses contour around your body, relieving pressure points while also supporting proper posture while sleeping and helping prevent you from collapsing in unnatural positions during restful slumber. They’re an especially great choice for back sleepers and people experiencing joint pain.
Though memory foam mattresses are an excellent choice for many sleepers, some individuals may prefer firmer mattress surfaces or have sensitivities to its chemicals that contribute to making polyurethane foam and can irritate skin and respiratory issues. Some brands of memory foam are designed specifically to avoid such chemicals using low emissions blowing agents in manufacturing and green manufacturing practices that reduce human health impacts as well as environmental ones.
Some companies have developed fast-response memory foam mattresses, which respond more quickly than traditional models to body movement, helping avoid that sinking feeling in conventional memory foam mattresses. With added gels for keeping sleep cool, fast-response memory foam may also benefit hot sleepers; however, they tend to be more costly.
2. Coils
While foam mattresses are excellent at relieving pressure points, some sleepers prefer something with more bounce and structure — such as coil-sprung beds. You’ll find both traditional innerspring beds as well as hybrid mattresses which combine both coils and foam layers for optimal sleep quality.
Traditional innerspring mattresses feature interlocking hourglass-shaped springs covered by batting for extra comfort, offering good support and bounce, but less effective motion isolation since movement reverberates throughout. Modern innerspring mattresses utilize pocketed or encased coils which act independently of one another, creating an airier sleeping surface and offering better support and motion isolation than their predecessors.
Innerspring beds utilize various coil types that will have an enormous influence on their feel, with thicker gauge coils tending to provide firmer support while thinner gauge coils tend to provide softer surfaces. Furthermore, different manufacturers utilize various designs — spiral/barrel shapes while others employ S-shape designs — when it comes to coil arranging and arrangement.
Some brands have implemented phase change material into their mattresses as an advanced cooling technology, reacting to your body heat by shifting from liquid to solid when temperatures become too warm, cooling the mattress cover significantly and helping those with more severe temperature sensitivities sleep soundly. Other cooling technologies may also be integrated directly into its design such as copper-infused foam or gel-infused memory foam — while smart beds even come equipped with cooling layers built directly into their design to regulate sleep surfaces.
3. Latex
Latex mattresses are among the top choices in mattress materials due to being natural, eco-friendly and highly comfortable. Produced by rubber trees’ sap, latex has proven durable yet comfortable enough for those suffering from back or neck pain. Due to its open-cell structure punctuated with pinholes that allows air flow between cells for improved cooling during sleep — which helps make Singapore’s warm humid climate bearable! Furthermore, its springiness provides ideal support for mobility issues or those who like moving around during sleep.
Natural and synthetic latex mattresses can both be found on the market, with natural latex made from sap from rubber trees having an exceptionally bouncy feel; synthetic latex, on the other hand, consists of mixed synthetic materials (usually styrene-butadiene rubber — SBR for short) which offer similar characteristics but with reduced bounce compared to natural latex mattresses.
Natural latex mattresses are durable and will outlive their spring counterparts in terms of lifespan. Furthermore, they resist sagging which is an issue in many beds over time and offer protection from dust mites and mould. Furthermore, these beds are an excellent option for people suffering from allergies because of their natural resistance against dust mites and mould. Furthermore, these beds do not absorb perspiration which causes dampness to form for those with allergic sleep disturbances and do not transmit movement between one side of the mattress to the next making them an ideal option for couples sharing sleeping areas alike.
4. Airflow
When it comes to mattress technology for hot sleepers, airflow is crucial. Cheap memory foam tends to trap body heat and then radiate it back onto you while natural isolators such as latex or Purple’s hyper-elastic gel polymer open up lots of air pockets to keep you cool while some mattresses even contain features designed specifically to wick sweat away from the skin — these options will all contribute towards keeping you at an ideal sleeping temperature.
Hybrid mattresses combine multiple technologies into one sleep surface to offer the maximum in comfort and support. The Avocado Green mattress, for instance, combines organic cotton and wool for its cover material, a layer of Dunlop latex to contour to your body and minimize motion transfer, an essential support layer with motion-absorbing coils for bounciness as well as being free from polyester, polyurethane foams, or toxic flame retardants — to name but three features!
Smart beds with sleep sensors offer the ideal way to monitor how well you’re resting without needing to get up and check the clock every hour or two. These sensors track heart rate and breathing rates as well as when breathing stops altogether — giving an accurate assessment of how well or poorly you sleep.
Adjustable bases offer both ultimate comfort and sustainability; designed to complement even the most advanced mattresses, adjustable bases allow you to raise both head and feet with just the press of a button — ideal for anyone who seeks greater out of their sleep experience. Plus, with features such as zero-g position, built-in massage therapy, under bed lighting and USB charging ports they make for the ideal bedtime companions.
5. Waterflow
Mattresses that regulate temperature and promote better blood circulation will help you sleep deeper, especially for seniors who struggle to regulate their body heat during the night. The technology behind this feature consists of an extra layer atop the mattress which dissipates heat and moisture to help you remain cool when sleeping.
The Tempur-Pedic Cloud and Nest Bedding Finch both utilize this technology, with the former providing contouring foam that conforms to people of various shapes and sizes, making it suitable for most sleeping styles and dissipating heat quickly. Furthermore, pressure relief is excellent, while heat dissipation occurs quickly as well. Finally, Allswell Luxe Hybrid’s hybrid design combines various technologies that support all sleeping styles while remaining cool while minimising motion transference.
Innerspring mattresses rely on metal coils for support, with their type and configuration typically determining their level of support. Bonnell coils feature hourglass-shaped coils with rigid structures but don’t do an effective job isolating motion compared to pocketed coils which contain individual springs that flex individually for greater motion isolation. Brooklyn Bedding utilizes high-degree tempering technology which helps their coils recover to full integrity after compression.
Latex is one of the most resilient mattress materials. Crafted from rubber tree sap, latex can be found in mattresses that are natural, blended or synthetic — an excellent option for those allergic to synthetic products and those looking for increased cushiony airiness in a mattress.
Some of the highest-performing latex mattresses feature phase change surface infusions for additional cooling. When your body becomes too warm, the gels in these infusions adapt and become cool liquid — shifting back to their semi-fluid state when temperatures return to a comfortable range.
Originally published in The Sleep Loft — Online Mattress Showroom NYC
