Understanding Serta Mattress Types: Which is right for you?

Innerspring Mattresses

Latex Foam and Memory Foam Mattresses

Innerspring mattresses are the most common type of mattresses. They consist of a spring zone and a comfort layer. The innerspring is the source of support and provides proper spinal alignment while you sleep.

Beneath the ticking of the mattress are the comfort layers that cushion your body at the sleep surface. The combination of various foams and fibers provide varying levels of softness and comfort. Pillow Top mattresses include additional comfort layers on top of the mattress for additional supportive comfort at the surface.

There are four main types of coil mattresses:

• Open (or Bonnell) coil mattresses have hourglass-shaped coils, which are attached to surrounding coils with a small wire spiral called a helical. This design provides good initial support and works to isolate motion transfer. However, open coils do tend to wear more quickly than other coil constructions.

• Offset coil mattresses have a construction similar to open coil but have a square head, which in theory enables the mattress to contour better. An offset coil is slightly more cylindrical in shape than an open coil which gives it durability. Serta’s latest offering in this category is our VertiCoil Premier™ Innerspring, featured in our Sertapedic® collection.

• Individually wrapped (or Marshall) coilmattresses have an individually wrapped cylindrical coil contained within separate fabric pockets. Each coil is separate so the rest of the bed isn’t disturbed by the movement of the coils surrounding it. Unlike other manufacturers, Serta’s individually wrapped coil mattresses use advanced twice-tempered steel for additional durability. Tempering is the process of heating and cooling the coils to ensure they retain their proper shape over time. A “double heat tempered” coil has gone through that process twice, ensuring increased durability.

• Continuous coil mattresses have rows of advanced coils made of a single continuous wire. By sharing the weight load across several innersprings, each spring holds its share and integrity longer. This results in a system that is stronger and more supportive than other innerspring systems. Serta uses continuous coil in our Continuous Support® Innerspring and our Free Flex® Innerspring.

You might have heard a rumor that the more coils in an innerspring, the more supportive the mattress will be. While this can be true, coil count is not nearly as critical today as it once was. These days, the combination of coil count, coil gauge and the construction of the coils is a much more important factor in determining the overall comfort and support of the mattress. For example, Serta’s continuous coil innerspring systems can provide greater support than other coil systems with similar coil counts because of the unique construction.

Latex foam mattresses are quickly gaining popularity with today’s consumers. These mattresses feature a latex foam core as the support system, rather than the traditional innerspring.

Latex foam is extremely resilient and breathable which helps to reduce the heat buildup typically associated with all-foam mattresses. Its unique construction allows it to instantly respond to the body to provide a high level of comfort while helping to promote proper spinal alignment. These qualities allow latex foam to act as a support system in lieu of a traditional innerspring.

By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are two types of latex – natural and synthetic. The advantage of synthetic latex is that it is more durable than natural latex, so it will maintain its resilience and provide pressure-relieving comfort longer. The latex used in Serta mattresses is a blend of both natural and synthetic latex designed to deliver optimal performance that will last throughout the life of the mattress.

Latex foam is manufactured utilizing two distinct production methods - Dunlop or Talalay. Both processes use a blend of natural and synthetic latex. The Dunlop process is the most commonly used latex production method. The foam is designed to be responsive, supportive and comfortable but it is limited in firmness range. The Talalay process is a highly controlled process that produces the highest quality, most resilient and consistent foam. Serta is proud to feature a 100% Talalay latex foam core in its Vera Wang by Serta® Specialty collection and its Pure Response® by Serta collection. Visit http://www.latexfoam.com/ for more information on Talalay Latex.

Serta’s latex foams are naturally antimicrobial, dust mite resistant and hypoallergenic.

Memory foam mattresses feature a visco-elastic memory foam core as the support system, rather than the traditional innerspring. Like latex foam, memory foam’s ability to deliver both comfort and spinal support allow the foam to act as a support system in lieu of a traditional innerspring.

Memory foam responds to your body temperature by softening under warmth, allowing the foam to contour to your body when you lie down. However, this also creates a disadvantage because memory foam can sleep hotter than other foams. Serta has addressed this issue with our Smart Fabric Technology™ featured in our memory foam core mattresses and our KoolComfort™ memory foam quilt featured in our Perfect Day® by Serta collection.

Memory foam can help to promote a more restful sleep because it provides significant pressure relief to help reduce tossing and turning that can cause an individual to toss and turn, wake up and shift positions during sleep. Plus, motion transfer is drastically reduced as it absorbs movement without affecting the other parts of the mattress.

Memory foam is typically denser than other foam mattresses. This makes it very supportive, but also heavier. It can be considered a good compromise between the comfort of a soft mattress and the support of a firm one for those who prefer a foam core mattress.

Memory foam comes in several densities. In general, a higher foam density number of 4 to 5 pounds is desirable since it provides a more resilient foam to enhance the contouring benefits of the mattress. Serta’s Memory Foam System featured in the Vera Wang by Serta Specialty collection and True Response® by Serta collection is made with 5-pound memory foam.