More mattress springs make for a better or more comfortable mattress?

Retailers sometimes claim that mattresses with more springs equal more comfort leading to a better night’s sleep. However, is this claim designed to help you find a better mattress or another marketing gimmick designed to cost you money.

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It would seem logical that more springs would provide better support, and would also cost more to manufacture.

I would expect the “no partner disturbance” mattresses to have more springs so as to achieve the claims.

I would also expect that more springs would also increase the life of the mattress due to spreading the load better.

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If sharing a mattress, the TYPE of springs matter a lot in relation to comfort. With bonnell springs, all the springs are linked, so when someone moves on one side of the mattress the person on the other side is moved too. If someone is sitting on the mattress they can be launched off the bed by another person plonking down on the other side of the mattress - just like with the old bladder-less waterbeds.

With pocket springs, the springs are individually packaged inside the mattress and no energy transference occurs. Thus each person gets a much more comfortable night’s rest. Pocket springs also allow for more comfort in terms on better moulding to each person’s shape, no matter what position they sleep in. (Pocket spring mattresses do cost more though, but it’s worth it in my opinion.)

Only then does the number of springs come into play. The more springs, the firmer the mattress. Personally, I like a very firm mattress, so for me, lots of springs are good :slight_smile: Other people like softer mattresses with less springs.

I have lain on a ‘zoned’ bed where they supposedly have different springing top, middle, and bottom “to accommodate the shape of your body”. Personally, I think it was a sales gimmick as it didn’t feel as comfortable as a good pocket spring mattress.

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That implies spring mattresses are ‘the ones’. There are zero spring mattresses that come out very well for comfort including foam, memory foam, and gel variations.

as well as the quality of the spring itself. A spring that loses tensile after a few months is rubbish and will be evident by sag and lack of support and thus comfort.

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I bought a Lazybed mattress in a box 3 years ago. Prior to that I had a zoned sprung mattress which I was supposed to flip and swivel every couple of months. That was a nightmare, and as my arthritis increased (and I remain uncertain that it wasnt the mattress making it worse) I found that I could not do it anymore. Additionally, because I am somewhat large (not to put too fine a point on it) the sides of the mattress began to collapse and bits of wire were coming through. I gave it away on gumtree. My Lazybed has been great, though its beginning to wear now. I thought it would last longer. I think another 3 years and I will have to replace it. IN the meantime, its like sleeping on a cloud. And its light and easy to swivel about and change sheets.

I thought I would give a sprung mattress another try, a week or so back. I bought one from ebay (ZZZAtelier from its outlet store, and less than half its RRP) and I have no idea whether it would be any good because I struggled so much just to get the box in the door I decided I wasnt even going to unpack it, and sold it on gumtree for $9 less than I paid for it (not taking shipping into consideration). I wont make that mistake again. Too old and decrepit to be doing that stuff.

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Completely agree. I ignored non-spring (summer, autumn, & winter) mattresses as the original question was about springs. So for once I stayed on topic :blush:

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Yes and no…

Yes, for two reasons

  1. in reality springs aren’t really needed for a good night sleep (see foam or latex mattresses which are devoid of any springs).
  2. There will be a threshold where the addition of extra spring will have no impact on the comfort or support. If a mattress has a good lateral support (high tensile wires or tapes lying horizontally and providing connection between the springs), then an increase in the number of springs above the threshold will have little benefit other than possibly making the mattress firmer as less weight is placed on each individual spring (assuming the same spring grade and the same mass over more springs means less weight/load per spring making the spring depress less, which will in effect make the mattress seem harder).

No, for this reason…

  1. There would a critical minimum number of springs which will give a good night sleep. One spring would have no effect and provide maximum discomfort…and may make an usual shaped mattress. The number of springs is a mattress is important as not enough may make a mattress soft or feel a little lumpy. One may also sag to areas between the springs if the lateral support is lacking. There will be a point where the number of springs and the lateral support provide even support. This is possibly the optimum number of springs in a mattress…and this will be more than less. However, see dot point 2 in Yes.

If an manufacturer doesn’t want to make a plank through adding additional springs above the optimum number, then the manufacturer is likely to use softer or smaller springs which may result in a shorter spring life (softer and smaller grade springs generally have less return to shape ‘memory’ than high tensile bigger springs).

At the end of the day when buying a mattress, buy a mattress that one has been used to and finds comfortable (e.g. firmer v softer mattress). This is more likely to have more effect of mattress satisfaction than the overloading of a mattress with extra springs.

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This might surprise some people, but our top-performing mattress had around half as many springs per square metre as a $6000 hybrid mattress, but still scored better in terms of comfort. We also found that many mattresses without and springs also perform well.

We’ve heard that salespeople will sometimes use the ‘number of springs’ as a way to sell or upsell in store, but our testing indicates that spring count alone is not really a factor in making a better or more comfortable mattress.

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Interesting. Having just returned from a trip up to Townsville, I’ve sampled a few beds over the nights.

The one real surprise was an IKEA bed. MDF timber frame with a flat board base. Quality latex rubber mattress, same source. An old “F…” with bent shoulders and a lower back past it’s use by date. Zero springs and near perfect for a quarter the cost of the super dooper pocket spring preferred by the other one in the bed.

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Like others above have commented, it wouldn’t be so much the number of springs but if they were connected to each other. When connected they transfer some of the load to the surrounding springs, also they can make for a firmer feel as less distortion/compression of individual springs. If a heavier person then lies next to a lighter person some increased compression occurs under the heavier load and causes the lighter party to have a tendency to roll towards the more compressed area.

Most beds are manufactured in such a way that the individual springs in a bed are not apparent to a user. They use layers of foam and material to buffer the feel of the coils. When not enough padding is present or has become worn then the coils are more evident and I guess some manufacturers might build this “obsolescence” into their mattresses by choosing components that “age” more quickly than some others they could use.

Coils in my post means both springs that aren’t coiled or are coils.

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I am looking at buying King Koil Chiro Luxury mattress that has the little black pocket springs in mist of the other pocket springs. Cost is over $27 Queen. I feels firmer compared to the model down with less springs but for me I need this. I am concerned once home is it going to feel firmer than store. I have a sealy exquisite now which slat spring system is just too firm. Had it for 2 years, oh my body is not feeling good, Do you have any suggestions? Thankyou

Welcome to the community @Trishie

If not already looked at, Choice provides buying guidance on choosing the right mattress and selected product reviews. The product reviews provide limited content, which can be accessed in full through a Choice membership.

Have you considered a topper, if a suitable option, rather than waste a near new Sealy mattress? Choice’s guide includes discussion of toppers.

Which ever option you make, note some mattress retailers/manufacturers provide for returning and swapping or refunding a product based on your sleep experience, for a limited time after purchase.

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With many toppers on the market a few people have commented on the comfort of them compare to a normal mattress. Eg either to cold ot hot. Maybe it is the gel they use might be temperament to body. And cost i noticed varying brands charge more.

Not all toppers use gel. Some are like a thinner and softer mattress that goes on top of the normal one and made of similar materials. Good manufacturers have a range of toppers, as they do main mattresses, made of various materials, thicknesses and softness, so you can have the one that suits you best. They have the advantage of being much lighter to turn as well as more comfort for some people. Those who like a really firm mattress would probably not want one. As always take your time trying out in the showroom.

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That would be better than store bought ones for sure

Yes I have checked out choice. Sealy Exquisite mattress are firm springs which I did get this shown to me and I laid on mattress for more than 20 minutes and kept going back in store to lay so I did take my time and researched Sealy due to my back and body issues but I purchased when my back was so out of alignment and I was in massive pain soI have learnt it was not the wise time to buy.
Concerning Toppers, I literally tried many, wasted a lot of money. Anyways Alot to my story. I chose the wrong bed springs for me. Newer models of Sealy Exquisite are firmer. Thankyou so much for giving me suggestions Mark, Much appreciated.

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Some of the Mediums can feel like it is firm feel.
That is great you found a solution. I learnt my body does not like the firm springs. After all this time I found a wonderful Topper, Deborah Hutton Copper Topper. Half price. It truly feels like sleeping on a cloud, so lush and has not gone out of shape or flattened and it not overly hot at all, which I have my own Person Summers/ Menopause. The best one I have purchased.

I have learnt through searching for toppers, mattresses that certain Memory foam toppers do have real Gel beads in it or there is more of the beads compared to another topper.
Other than that the cooling gel is marketing thing I was told
but I have tried certain sleep maker mattresses with the koolkult and the copper which it does feel cooler even though room is air conditioned. Absolulely a difference in coolness than a mattress that does not have these or the tencel or silk. Those mattresses are cooler at least to help regulate.
Tencel helps me plus orgainic Bamboo sheet plus the fan

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