Understanding Mattresses - Analysis of Mainstream Materials

Author: Synwin–Mattress Manufacturer

Mattresses are a must-have household item in every home. With the improvement of the quality of life, the emphasis on sleep also increases, which is embodied in bedding, mattresses and sleeping environment. The importance of mattresses is self-evident as the items that are in direct contact with the body and have the longest contact time.

In the domestic traditional concept, there are many misunderstandings about the mattress. The main reason is that the invention and development of modern mattresses all originated from the West, and some of the design concepts and considerations are not in line with domestic habits. Here are some typical ones to introduce: Mattress is Simmons: Strictly speaking, this is not a misunderstanding, just a misnomer.

Simmons is a mattress brand that mainly sells spring mattresses. Not every mattress is a box spring, and not every box spring is a Simmons (please pay for advertising here). Mattresses must have springs: this can be said together with the above, because the audiences of the two overlap in a considerable proportion.

There are many materials that can be used to make a mattress, each with its own characteristics, and springs are just one of many options. The advantages and disadvantages of springs are obvious, and there is no such thing as a spring. The important thing is to choose the right one for you.

Mattresses should be hard to sleep on: The human sleep system and sleep concept have always been based on science and technology. The formation of a sleep system in a certain era depends on what kind of materials can be provided by the progress of materials science at that time. For example: In the age of no wooden beds, sleep on stones and spread some straw. In the era of no sponge, sleep on the bed and make a cotton mattress.

The human physiological structure is curved from any angle, and an excellent mattress will inevitably cause more pressure on the protruding parts of the body and cannot provide effective support for the concave parts (such as the waist). Mattresses for a lifetime of sleep: No one wants to sleep on a badly aged and stained mattress, but many people don't realize that it's exactly the mattress they're lying on. Under normal circumstances, the aging of mattresses is relatively fast, and there will be obvious manifestations in 5-10 years, depending on the type of material.

Aging leads to reduced performance, noise and even pollution, which degrades your sleep experience, and you can consider changing your mattress. Therefore, reasonable consideration of the budget is also a necessary homework in choosing a mattress. As mentioned above, there are different types of mattresses. According to the market, there are mainly two categories: springs and foams.

As the name suggests, the inner core of spring mattresses is mainly spring, and some of them will also be combined with other soft filling materials as a comfort layer. Foam mattresses are all made of soft filling materials, such as sponge, latex, and memory foam. The difference between the two is summed up in the choice of different core materials.

Today, I will introduce various common mattress materials, including the following aspects: ① one-sentence history; ② support; ③ fit; ④ breathability; ⑤ environmental protection; ⑥ durability; ⑦ anti-interference; ⑧ noise; ⑨ price 1 . Attached Spring A Word History: Attached springs are the oldest form of spring mattress. In 1871, the German Heinrich Westphal invented the world's first spring mattress. Support: B, due to its narrow construction in the middle of the spring, does not provide immediate support when pressure is applied to it, but provides better feedback after compression.

Fit: C This type of spring usually chooses thicker steel wire to ensure the service life, so it feels hard to sleep. Breathable: A+ spring material has no breathability issues. Environmental protection: A metal material has less environmental problems.

Durable: D Due to its constricted shape in the middle of the spring, the middle is a weak point and is prone to aging. Anti-interference: The structure of the interconnected D+ springs does not guarantee the independence of the sleeper to a large extent. Noise: D The problem of aging noise is relatively prominent.

Price: A Because of its low cost and low production difficulty, it mostly appears in entry-level mattresses, and the price is usually not high. 2. Linear whole mesh spring A word of history: Invented by Serta, Serta is also a user of this type of spring. Support: A linear whole mesh spring can improve its support performance by increasing the spring density in all directions.

Fit: C A comfort layer is required for a more comfortable sleeping experience. Breathable: A+ spring material has no breathability issues. Environmental protection: A metal material has less environmental problems.

Durability: D+ This type of spring is less resistant to metal fatigue. Anti-interference: The structure of the C-springs connected to each other does not guarantee the independence of the sleeper to a large extent. Noise: D+ suffers from aging noise issues.

Price: A Wire Mesh Spring is one of the low cost spring types. 3. Open spring One sentence history: It was improved on the basis of connected spring by Frank Karr in the early 20th century. Support: A. The individual springs are wound together with iron wires to bear the force together.

Fit: The C+ has a relatively good fit due to the spring square port design. Breathable: A+ spring material has no breathability issues. Environmental protection: A metal material has less environmental problems.

Durability: D+ This type of spring is less resistant to metal fatigue. Anti-interference: The structure of the interconnected C-springs does not guarantee the independence of the sleeper to a large extent. But because of the square design of the port, there is a certain degree of improvement.

Noise: D+ suffers from aging noise issues. Price: B More in mid to high end mattresses due to higher cost. 4. Independent pocket spring A word of history: In 1899, British-born mechanical engineer James Marshall invented the independent pocket spring.

Support: A can improve its support performance by increasing the spring density and wire thickness. Fit: B - Each spring works independently and has the ability to provide a comfortable fit. Breathable: A+ spring material has no breathability issues.

Environmental protection: A metal material has less environmental problems. Durability: C- Metal fatigue is still inevitable, but the independent structure can reduce the interaction force between the springs to a certain extent and increase the durability and service life. Anti-interference: The B+ independent spring structure ensures the independence of the sleeper, but due to the reinforcement of the mattress edge and the isolation of the comfort layer in the mattress manufacturing, there is still some interference to the sleeper.

Noise: B+ has fewer noise problems. Price: B- is the most expensive of all spring types, and is more commonly found in mid- to high-end mattresses. 5. Polyurethane foam One word history: In 1937, Otto Bayer started research on polyurethane in his laboratory in Leverkusen, Germany.

In 1954, polyurethane was first used to make foam (sponge). Support: B+ can obtain different support properties by changing the foam density. Fit: B-Polyurethane foam can provide some comfort, but accuracy and feedback are not well guaranteed.

Breathability: B Polyurethane foam has reasonable breathability, and fewer consumers report overheating during sleep. Environmental protection: C Since it is a petrochemical product with uneven quality levels, there is uncertainty in environmental protection. Among the cheaper styles, more consumers reported odor problems.

Durability: C+ data indicates an aging cycle of more than six years. Also depending on the mass, the density varies. Anti-interference: A- sponge materials generally have relatively strong anti-interference.

Noise: A+ sponge material has no noise problem. Price: B+ Polyurethane Foam is the lowest cost sponge material and has a relatively low selling price. 6. Memory Foam History in one sentence: Invented by NASA in 1966.

Originally used in the production of aircraft seat cushions. Support: B+ Due to its slow-rebound nature, support is not its advantage. Fit: A Memory foam is one of the materials with high fit, which can give the human body a comfortable and appropriate touch.

It should be noted that due to its slow rebound characteristics, it is not friendly to bed movement. Breathable: C-memory foam is very dense and prone to overheating during sleep. And because it is very sensitive to temperature: it softens when heated and hardens when cold, which makes this problem even more prominent.

Environmental protection: B- Since it is a petrochemical product with uneven quality levels, there is environmental uncertainty. Among the cheaper styles, more consumers reported odor problems. Durability: B+ data indicates that its aging cycle is at least seven years.

Also depending on the mass, the density varies. Anti-interference: A+ sponge materials generally have relatively strong anti-interference. This advantage is more prominent due to its slow rebound characteristics.

Noise: A+ sponge material has no noise problem. Price: C The price of high-quality memory foam is relatively high. 7. Gel memory foam A word of history: invented in 2006, adding gel components to memory foam to improve the overheating problem of memory foam.

However... Support: B+ Due to its slow rebound nature, support is not its advantage. Fit: A Memory foam is one of the materials with high fit, which can give the human body a comfortable and appropriate touch. Breathability: C- Increasing the gel component did not improve the ventilation problem of the mattress, but it did improve the problem of overheating during sleep.

Environmental protection: B- Since it is a petrochemical product with uneven quality levels, there is environmental uncertainty. Durability: B+ data indicates that its aging cycle is at least seven years. Also depending on the mass, the density varies.

Anti-interference: A+ sponge materials generally have relatively strong anti-interference. This advantage is more prominent due to its slow rebound characteristics. Noise: A+ sponge material has no noise problem.

Price: C-gel memory foam is relatively more expensive. 8. Natural latex History in one sentence: In 1929, British scientist E.A. Murphy invented the dunlop latex foaming process. Support: A can obtain different support by changing the density.

Fitting: B+ can better fit the human body and has good feedback on movements. Breathability: The natural honeycomb structure of B-latex makes it relatively reasonable in breathability. Environmental protection: B+ pure natural latex has less odor, environmental protection and other problems.

Durability: A- Data indicates that its aging cycle is more than eight years. Also depending on the mass, the density varies. Anti-interference: A- sponge materials generally have relatively strong anti-interference.

Noise: A+ sponge material has no noise problem. Price: C- Pure natural latex mattresses are usually sold at a high price. 9. Synthetic Latex History in one sentence: In the 1940s, Goodrich Company brought synthetic latex products to the stage of history.

Support: A- Different support can be obtained by changing the density. Fit: B- has poorer fit than natural latex. Breathability: B- honeycomb structure makes it have relatively reasonable breathability.

Environmental protection: C- The quality level is uneven, and there are many environmental protection problems. Durability: C Data indicates an average aging period of less than five years. Also depending on the mass, the density varies.

Anti-interference: A- sponge materials generally have relatively strong anti-interference. Noise: A+ sponge material has no noise problem. Price: B Synthetic latex is a cheaper alternative to natural latex.

10. Mountain palm/coconut palm History in one sentence: not testable, welcome to add if you know it. Support: The A+ is very solid and theoretically can support a great deal of weight. Fit: D+ offers little comfort and fit.

Breathable: B Its fibrous structure facilitates ventilation and heat dissipation. Environmental protection: C- A large number of glues are used in the production process, and the quality levels are not uniform, so there are many environmental protection problems. Durability: C- The aging cycle is short, and it is easy to produce particles and fragments after aging.

Immunity: D is not immune to interference. Noise: B+ This type of material has fewer noise problems. Price: B+ is usually found in low-priced domestic mattress styles.

11. Wool A word of history: History is unrecognizable, and now it appears more in high-end handmade mattress models. Support: D Not supportive at all. Fit: A fleece provides a soft and delicate fit.

Breathable: A- The large number of pores in the wool facilitates ventilation and heat dissipation. Environmental protection: A qualified wool has almost no environmental problems. Durability: B+ theoretical life cycle is very long, but needs ventilation and maintenance.

Anti-interference: A+ Due to its soft texture, there is no interference problem. Noise: A+ fleece material has no noise issues. Price: C - Mostly seen in high-end mattress styles due to their cost constraints.

12. Horsehair History in one sentence: One of the oldest mattress materials. Support: B+ has strong support and elasticity. Fitting: C+ is hair after all, and has a certain ability to fit.

Breathable: A has larger pores than wool, which is more conducive to ventilation and heat dissipation. Environmentally friendly: A qualified horsehair has almost no environmental concerns. Durability: B+ theoretical life cycle is very long, but needs ventilation and maintenance.

Anti-interference: A- Although its texture is hard and elastic, it is hair after all. Noise: A- There is the potential for noise due to friction between the horsehair and the horsehair. Price: D expensive.