A common issue you may have encountered when looking to purchase a new pocket sprung mattress is with regards to how many pocket springs you should be aiming for. With all the different amounts out there it is hard to know how many pocket springs you need. Although this is something that sounds straightforward, it isn’t as obvious as “the more the better”.
It is understandable why so many get confused at the spring count in pocket springs mattresses, as this is one of the many areas some mattress manufacturers design their mattresses around and focus their marketing.
So how can a 1000 pocket spring mattress be £700 whilst a 2000 pocket spring mattress is only £400? Hopefully, this guide should help make things a little clearer.
What are pocket springs?
Pocket springs are simply individual springs that have been placed inside fabric pockets so that they can work independently of the each of the other springs in the mattress.
Rather than each spring being directly linked to the next, they are connected to each other via their pockets. This can be done with glue, stitching or by a method known as center tying. Pocket spring mattresses have many benefits over other types of sprung mattresses as their design allows them to minimise movement through the mattress when a person using it moves whilst providing a more supportive sleeping surface that contours more closely to the body of the user.
What is a mattress spring count?
A mattresses spring count is simply how many pocket springs are in the mattress. Sometimes, however, the springs in the base may also be included in this figure.
So why are spring counts confusing?
It makes sense to think that the more springs there is the better support you will receive or the more accurately the mattresses will shape to you. This may be the case much of the time but it, unfortunately, isn’t always the case.
The spring count is now used by many bed and mattress manufacturers to give the impression that their mattresses are more superior than others. By squeezing as many springs as possible into a mattress, whether that be on top each other or even inside each other. Manufacturers can be guilty of using pocket spring numbers as the be all and end all.
The fact is, that a good quality 1000 pocket sprung mattress can be far superior to one that has 2000 or more. This can be down to build quality, the materials and methods used in construction and/or the use of other technologies such as foam encapsulation. A method that uses a foam wall around the edge of a mattress takes up space normally filled with springs.
Does having more pocket springs make the mattress firmer or softer?
No, the tension of a mattress or bed isn’t always defined by the number of pocket springs. For example, there are plenty of mattresses out there which have more than 2000 springs inside them and are very soft, whilst other mattresses with the same spring count are very firm. The tension of a mattress or bed can be down to a number of things. A few examples are:
- The fillings that have been used inside the mattress
- Whether the base has springs, slats or is a platform top
- What the thickness of the wire is used to make the spring
- How many turns are in each spring
How many pocket springs should I get?
As you can see, How many pocket springs there are isn’t the only thing to take into consideration when choosing a mattress. So, how many pocket springs should I get in my new mattress? Unfortunately, this isn’t something we can advise in a one-page article. As you can see there are many other factors that come into play. What we can give you are a few pointers to help you when making your choice.
- Choose a pocket spring mattress that has been designed and made by a manufacturer with a good reputation. Over the years we have seen many small bed companies manufacture pocket spring mattresses that seem to have all the features but aren’t the best where quality is concerned. Therefore if it seems to good to be true, it’s probably best to avoid.
- Spend as much money as you can but make sure the brand is a reputable one. In most cases, the more you spend the better you get. Better pocket spring mattresses tend to be made from companies that know what they are doing. Companies that have years of experience and a reputable name. Spending more money, however, isn’t always a guaranteed way to get a better mattress.
3. Try to stay over 1000 pocket springs – We would always recommend keeping the spring count above 1000 springs. An exception to this would be if other technologies were used in the mattress such as foams, encapsulation etc. In this situation, we would possibly choose another spring system such as a Posturepedic or Miracoil. There are however some decent, yet rare, pocket spring mattresses out there with around 800 pocket springs.