“Going into a mattress store near me is so confusing. The salesperson keeps using so many terms I don’t know.” Sound familiar to you? This is a typical issue for many people interested in buying a mattress. Let’s face it; the average person only buys a new mattress every 8 to 15 years. Technology, even in the mattress world, changes quickly. Here are some of the key terms typically used in the mattress industry, along with a brief description of what they actually mean.
Allergens – Any substance that has been found to cause an allergic reaction.
Antimicrobial materials – Fabrics made to resist the growth of a variety of microorganisms.
Your Body Impression – The permanent indentation your body leaves in your old mattress and part of why you are buying a mattress to replace the old one.
The Border Wire – A heavy gauge wire used to connect the coils along the border of the mattress, helping it to remain more stable.
A Bonnell Coil – The standard hourglass-shaped coil with individual coils being laced together with thin wires referred to as “helical lacing.”
Coil – The metal coils used to create the support in an innerspring mattress.
The Coil Count – The number of coils inside the mattress.
The Coil Gauge – The thickness of the wire used to make the coils.
Contouring – The ability of the mattress to shape itself to your body as you sleep.
Density – Foam’s weight per cubic foot; the higher the density of the foam, the more support it will offer.
Edge Support – The border rod or a foam casing that adds extra support to the edge of the mattress.
Euro Top Mattress – This is a mattress with an extra layer of padding on top of it, similar in some ways to a pillow-top mattress. However, the extra padding has been sewn to be level with the top of the mattress instead of sitting above it.
Firmness – The amount of resistance a mattress provides to your body’s weight as you lay down. The more resistance, the firmer the mattress.
The Gusset – The gusset is the squared off and reinforced corner of the mattress cover, designed to provide more strength.
Heat Tempered – The use of heat created by electricity and used to create a “memory” in each coil.
High-Density Foam – This is particularly dense foam with excellent resilience and durability.
The Hybrid Mattress – Typically a mattress that uses a combination of coils and foam to provide you with the benefits of both (and worth looking at when buying a mattress).
The Innerspring Mattress – This type of mattress uses springs to support you.
Latex Foam Mattresses – Available in both natural and synthetic forms, latex foams offer exceptional durability and support.
Memory Foam Mattresses – Mattresses made using special visco-elastic polyurethane foam. This foam offers you a mattress that will mold to your form, making for a very comfortable night’s sleep.
Motion Separation – The ability of a mattress to reduce the amount of motion felt by the person on one side of the mattress when the other person moves.
This is only the beginning of the many terms you might find when buying a mattress. However, if you come into Bed’r Mattress, we try not to use any terms you don’t understand and if you aren’t sure what your Sleep Expert is saying, be sure to ask. The only way we can assure you a good night’s sleep is by ensuring you understand what we are talking about.
Why risk going home with the wrong mattress? Consider, “what is the best mattress store near me?,” and come on into your local Bed’r Mattress to let us help you enjoy the best sleep you have had in years.