What’s the Best Innerspring Mattress for You? Here’s the Sleep Doctor’s Take

Just a few years ago, if you were shopping for a new bed, you were probably deciding between the best innerspring mattresses. Today, there are a wealth of other options to consider, from memory foam to latex. But there’s a reason innerspring mattresses, made with systems of supportive coils, or “springs,” topped with a layer of padding, remain some of the best options on the market.

For starters, innerspring coils are a more durable material than foam, ensuring your mattress holds up over time. As far as the sleep surface goes, innerspring mattresses offer a “bouncy” feel that many sleepers love, and according to Michael Breus, Ph.D also known as the Sleep Doctor, spring mattresses allow for ease of movement during sleep. Finally, innerspring is traditionally a more affordable choice, especially compared to high-end hybrid mattress products and latex models.

As you consider your options in the innerspring mattress department, you’ll find that there are a number of bed-in–a-box options to consider. This can make the mattress search rather daunting, but fear not–– the Sleep Doctor’s already done the heavy lifting for you. Combined with the expert advice from the review team at Mattress Advisor, we’ll highlight a handful of our top picks, and also provide some recommendations for picking the best innerspring mattress for you based on your sleeping position, comfort preferences, and budget. 

We’ll start with a roundup of 7 top-reviewed innerspring mattresses.

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Best Innerspring Mattresses Overall:

• Best Luxury: Saatva
• Best for Stomach Sleepers: DreamCloud Premier
• Best for Hot Sleepers:  Helix Midnight Luxe

Honorable Mentions:

• Best for Hip and Shoulder Pain: Brooklyn Signature
• Best Organic Mattress: Awara
• Best Flippable Mattress: Layla Hybrid
• Best for Heavier Sleepers: Big Fig

What to Consider When Shopping for the Best Innerspring Mattress 

As you seek a high-quality innerspring mattress product, several performance categories are worth considering.

Sleep Position

Do you tend to sleep on your back, stomach, or side? While there’s no “one size fits all” rule for the proper sleep position, the sleep position you choose can actually have a significant impact on the quality of your rest, and on your overall health and wellbeing. This is especially true among older adults. As you get older and have more medical issues, sleep position can become positive or negative, so it’s worthwhile to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of each position. And, your chosen sleep position may also determine the kind of mattress you should get.

Side Sleepers

For side sleepers, an innerspring coil system can provide the necessary support to keep the spine aligned in a neutral position. However, it’s important to ensure the mattress has a contouring top layer that offers sufficient padding; this will prevent your shoulder and hip from bearing too much strain by providing necessary pressure relief.

Back Sleepers

A coil system can offer exemplary support for back sleepers, helping them maintain a neutral spine position and preventing them from sinking too deep into their mattress, which can cause your spine to curve in and lead to back pain.

Stomach Sleepers

For stomach sleepers, innerspring coils can be ideal. Stomach sleepers benefit from firmer mattresses, because they provide the support they need to keep their hips propped up, so their spine stays aligned in a healthy position. Innerspring mattresses typically run firmer than other types like memory foam, so they’re a good choice for those who sleep face down.

Combination Sleepers

A combination sleeper is someone who tends to change positions during the night. Combination sleepers need a mattress that will adapt and adjust to their motion. The springy feel of an innerspring mattress is well-suited for this because the coils push back against pressure and movement, making it easy to change positions. Other mattress types like memory foam can be tricky to move around on, because you can sink into the foam, which hinders your ability to switch sides easily.

Coil Types and Gage

When shopping for an innerspring mattress, always pay attention to the number of coils present. Usually, a higher coil count will correspond with greater levels of pressure relief and support, and a longer lifespan. The type of coil is more important though because it can dictate the feel and lifespan of the mattress; here’s a summary of the major types of coils that exist.

Pocket Spring Coils

Pocketed coils are each wrapped individually, which improves their contouring ability and also promotes greater motion isolation. These coils offer a plusher feel upon initial compression, but a tighter fitness upon deeper compression. As such, they are well-suited to accommodate a wide range of motion. This is typically the most expensive innerspring option, but for many sleepers it will offer the highest level of comfort.

Offset Coils

Offset coils are connected to one another via hinges, which helps them respond in different ways to soft or to firm pressure. The upshot is that offset coils do a good job of relieving pressure points and offering targeted support for your whole body. After pocketed coils, this is generally considered to be the best innerspring option.

Continuous Coils

Continuous coils are made with a single wire that’s constructed into rows. Continuous coils are simple and cheap, and while they can be highly supportive, they aren’t as well-suited for contouring the body and can wear down more easily over time.

Bonnell Coils

Bonnet coils are made to be hourglass-shaped, and represent the least expensive and also the least durable innerspring option. Bonnet coils can be designed to provide multiple firmness options, and they are popular among budget shoppers, but be aware that they tend to become degraded within three to five years.

Mattress Firmness

While innerspring mattresses can be made with differing firmness levels, on the whole they tend to be firmer than foam mattresses. That makes them popular among back sleepers and stomach sleepers, who crave the added support.

Learn more about how to find the best firm mattress for you.

Our Top Picks for the Best Innerspring Mattress

1. Saatva Classic: Best Luxury

Many mattresses claim to deliver the comfort you’d get sleeping in a five-star hotel, but how many mattress companies can deliver on this promise without overinflating the price? Consider the Saatva, a company that has a reputation for high-end luxury and long-lasting durability, but also provides its products at reasonable prices. The Saatva Classic is actually a hybrid mattress with a strong dual pocket coil system at its base, which pushes back against your movements, providing phenomenal support. This steel coil core also helped the Saatva earn a near-perfect spine alignment score of 9.5/10 in the Mattress Advisor lab, making it a great choice for back and stomach sleepers as well as those who suffer from back pain. 

On top of that, the Saatva mattress offers a quilted euro pillow top, memory foam, and an all-foam encasement to minimize sagging and sinkage. Not that you have to worry about the materials in the Saatva wearing down overtime–– this mattress earned a perfect 10 out of 10 in durability. Another top-of-the-line benefit to the Saatva is its wide range of firmness levels to choose from. You can choose between the plush option, a 3/10 on the firmness scale, the luxury firm model, a 6/10, or the firm fit, an 8 /10. The plush works best for side sleepers, while the luxury firm is the most popular choice by Saatva customers and can accommodate a variety of sleepers thanks to its balanced feel. The firm model works best for back and stomach sleepers in need of sturdier support. And, bonus: the use of coils helps the Saatva sleep cooler as the individually-wrapped coils don’t retain as much heat. Throw in the white-glove delivery and setup that makes Saatva unboxing a breeze and you’ve got yourself a premium sleep experience. 

Learn more about this high-end mattress in The Sleep Doctor’s Saatva mattress review.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid
• Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
• Firmness: Plush, Luxury Firm, and Firm
• Warranty: 15-year Limited

Buy it: Saatva Classic, $1,299 for a Queen, saatva.com

2. DreamCloud Premier: Best for Stomach Sleepers

It’s no secret that the DreamCloud is one of the best hybrid mattresses on the market, but it’s also a phenomenal pick for stomach sleepers. Designed with cashmere, a quilted euro top, dense memory foam, and a micro coil compression system, the DreamCloud provides stomach sleepers with the resilient support they need to ensure a neutral spine alignment, and to keep from sinking into their bed. The DreamCloud’s coil system helped it earn a 9 out of 10 in durability, and offers incredible edge support and responsiveness. Plus, it’s encased in foam, and lies beneath two dense memory foam layers which provide ample padding for sore joints and pressure points. Superior motion transfer makes it recommendable for couples who share a bed. And in terms of value, the DreamCloud delivers some excellent peace-of-mind provisions, including a lifetime warranty and a year-long trial period.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid
• Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it: DreamCloud, $1,399 for a Queen, dreamcloudsleep.com

3. Helix Midnight Luxe: Best for Hot Sleepers

Innerspring coils typically allow plenty of space for air to pass through, which means they don’t trap and retain body heat the way high-density foam does. As such, it tends to be a good type of mattress for sleepers who struggle with night sweats or hot flashes. The Helix Midnight Luxe is truly exemplary in this regard, not only because it’s made with coils, but also because of a pillow top that’s cool to the touch thanks to a phase change material used, and a memory foam layer with cooling gel inserted. Coils tend to sleep cooler than foam as they don’t trap as much heat. In the Mattress Advisor lab testing, the Helix Midnight Luxe ranks as one of the coolest mattresses currently available which is noted by its 9.5 out of 10 cooling score––so it’s no surprise this mattress earned a spot in The Sleep Doctor’s round-up of the best cooling mattresses. Some additional points of interest include a high level of responsiveness, pressure relief and spine alignment, which also makes the Helix Luxe a great choice for side, back and combination sleepers.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid
• Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Firmness: Medium
• Warranty: 15-year Limited

Buy it: Helix Midnight Luxe, $1,799 for a Queen, helixsleep.com

4. Brooklyn Signature: Best for Hip and Shoulder Pain

The Brooklyn Signature mattress is made to alleviate joint pain, particularly in the hips and shoulders. It accomplishes this through a supportive coil system, combined with cushioning memory foam. Together, these materials promote even body weight distribution, saving the joints from any undue strain. And the Brooklyn Signature’s high marks in pressure relief and spine alignment, 9.5 out of 10 and 8.5 out of 10, respectively, confirm its pain-relieving abilities. This also makes the Brooklyn Signature a good choice for side sleepers, who tend to suffer from pressure point pain as the hips and shoulders collect the most weight when lying on your side.

 It’s also available in three different firmness levels, meaning you can choose an extra firm mattress if that’s what you need to support your joints. Thanks to the plethora of firmness options, the Brooklyn Signature fits all sleeping positions, earning it a recommendation as a truly universal mattress.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid
• Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5
• Firmness: Plush, Medium, Firm
• Warranty: 10-year Limited

Buy it: Brooklyn Signature, $999 for a Queen, brooklynbedding.com

5. Awara: Best Organic Mattress

For innerspring admirers seeking an eco-friendly option, the Awara mattress offers a full coil mattress experience, assembled from all-natural, high-quality materials. Specifically, the Awara mattress is made with organic latex and a sustainably sourced, traditional innerspring support system. The result is a bed that’s not only environmentally friendly, but also hypoallergenic, resistant to dust mites, and naturally breathable. And if you have doubts about the natural quality of the latex, you can rest assured that the latex used in the Awara is GOLS certified, which is one of the most strict standards for organic latex. As if that’s not enough, Awara’s latex is also Rainforest Alliance-Certiifed and the foam layers are made with petroleum-based ingredients, which ensure clean and healthy sleep. 

You’ll be happy to know the Awara didn’t sacrifice organic materials for support and comfort, though. A micro coil support system composed of 9 inches of individually-wrapped pocket coils provides incredible spine alignment, edge support and responsiveness, ensuring you’re well-supported and able to switch positions with ease.l,  Finally, note that Awara offers a year-long sleep trial and a lifetime warranty, making it easy to try the mattress in total confidence.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid (latex and coils)
• Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Warranty: Lifetime

Buy it, Awara, $1,499 (Queen), awarasleep.com

6. Layla Hybrid: Best Flippable Mattress

Can’t decide which firmness level you need? With a flippable mattress, you can get two firmness options in one bed, and simply flip back and forth to see which one best suits your sleep position. The Layla Hybrid comes with a firm side (a 7 on the firmness scale) and a soft side (a 5 on the firmness scale), plus a coil system that contours to the body and offers ample support no matter which side you’re sleeping on.  Although this is a great mattress for all sleep positions thanks to the Layla Hybrid’s dual-firmness, the soft side works better for side sleepers who need deeper compression for contouring, while the firm side is ideal for back and stomach sleepers in need of more support. The individually-wrapped coil system contains 6 inches of encased coils fit that give the Layla Hybrid a bouncy, responsive feel. And, the coils help the spine stay in neutral alignment, so you can wake up with a healthy posture without aches and pains. The Layla Hybrid is on the pricier end, but you are getting 2 mattresses for 1 after all, plus the coils and high-quality foams ensure this bed will last you for years of good sleep. 

• Mattress Type: Hybrid 
• Customer Rating: 5 out of 5
• Firmness: Soft and Firm
• Warranty: 10-year Warranty

Buy it: Layla Hybrid, $1,4649 (Queen), laylasleep.com

7. Big Fig: Best for Heavier Sleepers

The Big Fig is a mattress made with plus-sized sleepers in mind. It provides a sleep surface that’s comfortable and plenty supportive, designed to accommodate sleepers of up to 500 pounds (a total of 1,000 pounds for couples who share the bed together). With 1,600 individually wrapped coils, the Big Fig excels in both responsiveness and cooling, two major concerns among heavier sleepers. This is reflected in the Big Fig’s near-perfect responsiveness score (9.5 out of 10), which ensures ease of movement, and an impressive 9 out of 10 cooling score. In Mattress Advisor testing, this bed also fares well in the categories of motion transfer and edge support, earning high scores of 9.5 and 8, respectively. Plus, thanks to the strong coils used in the Big Fig, it’s incredibly durable and even comes with its own custom-made foundation that guarantees longevity and sturdy mattress support.

• Mattress Type: Hybrid (latex, foam and coils)
• Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Firmness: Medium-firm
• Warranty: 20-year

Buy it: Big Fig, $1,699 (Queen), bigfigmattress.com

Final Thoughts on How to Choose the Right Innerspring Mattress for You

Some sleepers are partial to foam beds, but others crave the sturdy, responsive feel of a traditional innerspring mattress. Today, many of the top online mattress brands provide advanced coil and coil hybrid technologies. As you seek a new mattress, use this as your comprehensive innerspring guide. 

Sources for this Article

Avocado Green. 2020. “Support: Our Innerspring Unit.” https://service.avocadogreenmattress.com/hc/en-us/articles/360024056791-Tell-me-more-about-the-innerspring-support-unit-How-many-coils-are-there-What-gauge-are-they-

Control Union Certifications. 2020. “GOLS- Global Organic Latex Standard.” https://certifications.controlunion.com/en/certification-programs/certification-programs/gols-global-organic-latex-standard

John Hopkins Medicine, 2017. “Choosing the Best Sleep Position.” John Hopkins Medicine, June 15, 2017. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/choosing-the-best-sleep-position

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2009. “Changes in back pain, sleep quality, and perceived stress after introduction of new bedding systems.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (Vol. 8, Issue 1), March 8, 2009. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697581/#:~:text=Jacobson%20et%20al%2C29%20in,efficiency%20with%20medium%2Dfirm%20bedding

Leggett & Platt. 2020. “Open Coil” Kansas State University Institute of Environmental Research. https://beddingcomponents.com/open-coil#:~:text=Much%20of%20their%20success%20is,University%20Institute%20of%20Environmental%20Research.

The post What’s the Best Innerspring Mattress for You? Here’s the Sleep Doctor’s Take appeared first on Your Guide to Better Sleep.

from Blog | Your Guide to Better Sleep https://ift.tt/3iUjK5u
https://ift.tt/33KUtEq