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What is the Best Innerspring Mattress?
In the mattress world, the innerspring mattress is old faithful. It’s fairly likely the majority of people in America have, at one point or another, slept on one. They are incredibly common and, nowadays, often overlooked during the buying process. But why is that?
Innerspring mattresses have come a long way since their inception. New technologies and methods have been created to improve them. They’re more comfortable thanks to pillow tops. Independent wrapped coils allow for more even pressure and less movement. And memory foam can help give even support.
Table Of Contents
Best Innerspring Mattress Comparisons
Brand | Details | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
 Voila Mattress |
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 Saatva Mattress |
| |
 WinkBed Mattress |
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 Alexander Signature Hybrid Mattress |
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 Aviya Mattress |
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Why choose innerspring over a completely foam mattress? For some folks, memory foam gets too hot or can feel restrictive when laying in bed for a while. Some people also just prefer the feel of innerspring. If that’s you, a hybrid mattress might be just what you need.
Whatever the reason, you’re here because you want to find the best innerspring mattress, and I’m going to help you.
What to Look For
A mattress can be a big investment. Not only can the cost be high, you also have to consider this is something you’ll be sleeping on for many years to come. With that in mind, you are going to want to make sure you’re picking the right mattress for you.
In order to do that, there are a few things to consider, and I’ve got some tips on things you should look for to make sure what you’re buying is a quality product.
Size
You probably know this stuff, but just in case, I’m going to briefly go over it. Mattresses come in several different sizes, ranging from twin size to king size. Both the twin size and king size have variations to give additional height with the twin XL and California king versions.
If you’re an adult sleeping alone, you’re probably going to want to aim for the full or queen size if you don’t want to go ahead and spring for the king. At 60 inches, the queen is only six inches wider than a full, but it also has an additional five inches on it with its 80-inch length.
If you’ve got a partner, a queen will definitely work, but a king is going to be your best bet. With the queen at only 60 inches, each person only gets 30 inches to sleep, which is nine inches smaller than a twin, a size usually considered for children or dorm rooms.
A king, however, gives each sleeper 38 inches of space with its 76-inch width. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend the California king unless you’re very tall. It adds four inches in length, bumping it up to 84 inches, but only has a 72-inch width, losing four inches in that direction.
Foam Layers
The majority of innerspring mattresses you come across these days are likely going to be some form of hybrid mattress, meaning they use springs for deep support and, typically, some sort of foam for the top layers.
What this allows for is the deep support of springs, but the cradling and comfort of memory foam. While the memory foam layer isn’t likely to be as deep as the layers on a foam mattress, it will still help distribute pressure across your body and help keep your spine aligned as you sleep.
There are a couple variations of memory foam which you should take into consideration. Gel foam is memory foam infused with a gel material. Another type is open cell memory foam. Both of these are designed to help keep you cooler as you sleep, so look for them to be included.
Latex foam is also a thing. Unlike memory foam and polyfoam, it is made from renewable resources and is better for the environment. It also performs similarly to memory foam, but with a little more spring to it.
There are two processes of creating latex foam, Dunlop and Talalay. Each use the same materials but have a slightly different result. Dunlop is the standard method and produces very dense foam. The Talalay method adds two more steps and results in a less dense foam, but one which has more breathability.
Foam Density
When it comes to foams, you want to make sure you try to find out the density of it, as this is what will determine how durable it is. The more durable, the longer it will last. For any memory foam layers, you want a density of at least 3.5 pounds per square inch, though four is preferable.
If a mattress has memory foam with a density of 5 pounds per square inch, you’re in high-quality foam territory, which is a good thing. If you come across one with a density greater than 6 pounds per square inch, consider downgrading. Anything over six won’t be noticed much.
Standard foam layers should be at least 1.8 pounds per square inch. Since you’re looking at mattresses with springs for the support layer, this may not be an issue. Standard polyfoam is typically used as the deep support layer for full foam mattresses.
Coil Layers
If you’re going to have an innerspring mattress, it’s obviously going to have springs. The kind of springs, though, can make a big difference. Primarily, there are two different types, these days.
Traditionally, the spring layer of a mattress would be a large bed of interlinked coils. In this situation, each coil supports the other, providing good support, but this also means they all move together. Because of this, you’ll feel more movement and your support won’t be as contoured to your body.
In recent years, companies have developed various types of individually wrapped coils, also called pocket springs. A layer which uses these will allow each spring to move independently of the others, allowing the bed to shape more easily to your body. They can also be adjusted to provide different levels of support across the bed.
Top 5 Innerspring Mattress Reviews
The number of mattresses on the market is, frankly, a little staggering. Manufacturers are producing pretty much every combination of materials possible, some of which work pretty well. We likely wouldn’t have the hybrid mattress had it not been for a little experimentation.
Considering the large number, we’ve narrowed it down to five great options, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. All of these are hybrid mattresses, and all utilize wrapped coil technology. Let’s see if we can’t figure out which is the best pocket sprung mattress.
Voila Mattress
The Voila mattress has a lot of parts to it. It boasts 12 layers, which is more than I’ve seen on any mattress, and I’ve seen quite a few mattresses. On the outside of the mattresses is a breathable mesh fabric which works in tandem with the gel-infused memory foam layer to keep you cool as you sleep.
Below that is a layer of high-quality memory foam and then a layer of Talalay latex. Together, these will serve as the comfort layer, giving you a good sinking sensation while still having a little bounce thanks to the latex layer. This is good for reducing pressure across your body.
Next up are the springs. These individually wrapped coils are set up to create five different support zones, each designed to provide the right firmness for different parts of your body. Around this is a triple layer edge support system which is intended to help keep the mattress firm on the edges.
The Voila mattress is available in three firmness levels and is shipped to you in a box.
Pros
Cons
Saatva Mattress
Saatva prides themselves on their luxury. Their goal is to make you feel like you’re sleeping in a five-star hotel every night. In order to achieve this, their mattress has five different parts.
The top layer is a pillow top stuffed with extra material to make it nice and soft, then covered with an organic cotton cover. Instead of being an actual pillow top which is sewn on, Saatva puts this under the top layer of the mattress to give it a more even look.
A layer of high-quality memory foam sits below this. This layer is intended to provide lumbar support by helping to distribute pressure and keep your spine aligned. Next up is a layer coils, which are individually wrapped, and below that a layer of more traditional linked coils made of tempered steel. You know, like a sword.
Around all of this is a dual perimeter system which uses foam-encased coils to provide support around the edges. They suggest this will give you a little more sleep area and keep the sides from sagging if you spend too much time on the edge of the bed.
The Saatva mattress is available in three firmness levels and two thicknesses.
Pros
Cons
WinkBed Mattress
The WinkBed, when broken down to its multiple parts, is actually quite similar in construction to the Saatva mattress, but includes some interesting options.
From the top! The outer cover uses a plant-based material called Tencel which is apparently “softer than silk, cooler than linen and more absorbent than cotton.” This sounds like a magical material. I’m not entirely sure why my entire wardrobe isn’t made of the stuff.
Below that are two layers of foam. One is an inch of 1.5 lb density Hypersoft foam, the other is an inch of 1.5 lb density gel foam. WinkBed refers to these as “designer” foams.
The Hypersoft foam is claimed to have a bit more bounce than memory foam while being softer than latex foam. The gel foam is a “stabilizing” foam and serves as the contouring part of the comfort layer. Since it’s gel-infused, it will also keep you cooler.
Below these two is a layer of individually wrapped “Micro Air-Springs.” From what I can tell, they seem to be just shorter versions of your standard pocket springs. This layer is designed to help maximize airflow, another step toward keeping you cooler.
After the “Air-Springs” you’ll find a layer of dense cotton intended to provide lumbar support.
The final two parts are the pocket springs which make up the deep support layer and a 2-inch wide perimeter of 1.5 lb density polyfoam to keep the edges of the bed firm.
The neatest part of the WinkBed mattress, to me, is the optional coolControl base. It uses a device and several tubes to take air from your room and push it up into the mattress. As it runs through the machine, it is either warmed or cooled, to your preference. Super neat stuff.
The WinkBed mattress is available in one firmness level.
Pros
Cons
Alexander Signature Hybrid Mattress
If you want something a little simpler, but still with good technology, this mattress is a good option. It only has four layers, but packs in some fun things.
First off, the mattress is topped with two inches of 1.5 lb density quilted polyfoam covered in a fabric designed to keep it cool to the touch. This is pretty standard foam, though the density is on the lower end of what you’re looking for. Since it’s not a support layer, it should provide decent comfort.
Below this is their pride and joy, two inches of 3.5 lb density copper-infused gel foam. Yes, they have somehow managed to pump copper into their memory foam, and claim they’re the first to do so. They’re not wrong when they claim copper is a good conductor of heat, so the science supports their theory.
The goal of this layer is to provide a fair amount of that nice sinking sensation while keeping you cool. The gel foam should work in tandem with the copper to make that happen.
The final layer is a series of pocket coils sectioned into five different zones of firmness. As with the Voila mattress, this is intended to provide different levels of support to different parts of the body for maximum comfort.
The Alexander Signature Hybrid mattress comes in two firmness levels.
Pros
Cons
Aviya Mattress
Surprisingly, the Aviya mattress contains no memory foam, instead opting to use only high-quality polyfoam. They assure in their FAQ that everything is at least 1.8 lbs per cubic inch, which is pretty decent stuff.
The layers are pretty simple. Up top is an inch of foam underneath a quilted cover. Below is a layer of foam to give you a bit of a sinking sensation, then another layer of support foam meant to help out your back and distribute pressure across your body.
Next are the springs. Each coil is individually wrapped and are made of steel. It’s 15 gauge steel, if that’s something important to you. The coils in the middle of the mattress are a bit denser to provide additional support there.
Surround the spring layer is a 3-inch thick foam edging to keep the sides sturdy. The bed is rounded out at the bottom with a 1-inch thick stability layer meant to make sure weight and energy are transferred evenly.
The Aviya mattress is available at three firmness levels. The company also offers their own 12-slat foundation which is available in either a 5 or 9-inch height.
Pros
Cons
The Breakdown
So many mattresses with so many different qualities! I really like the WinkBed for its foam and Air-Spring layers. I feel as though this is probably the best innerspring mattress for side sleepers. The foam and springs should contour enough to give you great alignment and relieve pressure.
For the same reasons, I feel it is also likely the best innerspring for stomach sleepers. For someone who sleeps on their back, I would recommend the Alexander Signature Hybrid because I think the copper idea is neat, but I worry about its durability.
Some inner spring mattress reviews pointed out potential durability issues with the Alexander mattress, specifically saying they could feel the springs when running their hands along the side. Without any edge support, they could wear through. The Saatva may be a better option.
For the most part, each of these mattresses is pretty favorably rated by pocket spring mattress reviews from owners. With that in mind, it’s going to come down to features and options.
For my money, overall, I think the Saatva mattress is the winner of this roundup. It’s dual spring system, utilizing both pocket springs and traditional linked coils, is able to provide adequate contouring and pressure displacement while also giving deep support.
It also sports a longer-than-most warranty period, which is absolutely never a bad thing. If you decide to go with this mattress, just cross your fingers and hope you don’t have the same delivery experience many folks seemed to have.
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