Many consumers are torn between deciding whether to purchase a mattress with coils, or an all foam mattress without any coils. What are the differences between a mattress with coils, and an all foam mattress, and which one should you decide on getting? The main differences to consider include the feel of the mattress, motion transfer, breathability, pressure relief, and the suitability with your bed.

FEEL

The first thing to consider when deciding between a mattress with coils and an all-foam mattress is the way it feels. There is a significant difference in how these two mattresses feel compared to one another. A coil mattress will give you more push back and “bounce” when lying down on it. The coils will go down with your body weight and then push up your weight as the coils try to expand back up. With regular coils this feeling is more noticeable than with pocket coils. On the contrary, an all-foam mattress without any coils will cradle your body and create a slight “sinking in” feeling.

MOTION TRANSFER

Regular coils in a mattress transfer a lot of motion between partners. They are bouncy and when one person lies down on one side of the mattress, the other person will feel the “bounce” and motion transfer on the other side. Pocket coils reduce this motion transfer greatly; however, it may still be slightly noticeable. A mattress with no coils and all foam, there will be no motion transfer as there are no moving parts in the mattress to transfer any movement. When one person lies down on an all foam mattress, the other person in the bed will not feel any movement whatsoever.

BREATHABILITY

With all else being the same, a mattress with coils naturally provides better ventilation and breathability than an all foam mattress. Air can move a lot more freely between the spaces of the coils which helps the mattress sleep cooler. All foam mattresses with a gel memory foam layer on top help to dissipate heat quickly and help to sleep cooler. However, they will never be as breathable as a coil mattress. All foam mattresses typically have a much thicker layer of gel memory foam on top than coil mattresses. This added gel helps to sleep cooler and offset the lack of breathability of a coil mattress. For most people, this thicker layer of gel memory foam provides enough heat dispersion to sleep comfortably at night without getting too hot. Sleeping in a cooler room temperature at night along with using thinner sheets also helps to mitigate heat with an all foam mattress.

PRESSURE RELIEF

Mattresses without any coils typically offer unparalleled pressure relief from your body compared to coil mattresses. The flexibility of foam allows it to contour to the shape of your body and fill a lot more spaces between you and the mattress compared to coil mattresses. Mattresses with coils do provide some level of pressure relief mostly due to the euro-top or pillow-top layers on top of the mattress, however a thicker layer of memory foam on top of all foam mattresses will always outperform a coil mattress in terms of pressure relief.

SUITABILITY WITH YOUR BED

Most mattresses whether they have coils or not are suitable to work with any platform, slatted bed frame, box spring or even directly on a level floor. The most important factor to look at is to make sure your mattress rests on a flat, level, and supportive base, whether it be a box spring, platform, or a bed with slats. When a mattress is properly supported on a level field and does not bend anywhere due to a lack of support, it will support you properly and work the way it is supposed to work. This can be said for both coil mattress and mattresses which are made of all foam layers.

With the increasing popularity of all foam mattresses compared to coil mattresses, it is safe to say that the benefits of an all foam mattress outweigh the negatives. Although breathability is not as great as a coil mattress, most people do not find that foam mattresses sleep too hot if they have a good layer of gel memory foam on top. More and more consumers are turning towards a mattress without coils due to its preferred feel, elimination of motion transfer, increased pressure relief, suitability with various types of beds, as well as the convenience of compression and easy shipping to more consumers at a lower cost. Whether you decide on a mattress with or without coils, we hope that this article informed you on the differences and will help you make a better and more educated decision as a consumer. Sweet dreams!