Do you know you need a new mattress, but aren’t sure which one to get?

With more choice now than ever, it can be difficult to know which type of mattress is right for you.

On one hand there are foam mattresses. And on the other hand are spring mattresses. These are the two main categories of mattresses on the market.

So which mattress should you buy: foam or spring? We’ll explain it all and help you make an informed decision. Let’s get started.

Foam mattresses are made from polyurethane foam. This rigid, yet soft and spongy material has been used since the 1950s in many consumer applications, including vehicle seats, carpet padding, athletic shoes, and mattresses.

In the 1960s, NASA engineers developed memory foam, which is a type of polyurethane foam that molds and reacts to your body’s heat and weight. Memory foam also returns to its original form when the heat and pressure of your body is removed.

Another type of foam mattress is latex. These mattresses are made with either natural latex (which is sourced from rubber trees) or synthetic latex (which is made from polymers to mimic natural latex). Latex mattresses are known for being more springy than foam or memory foam mattresses.

Foam mattresses are the most common type offered by online, direct-to-consumer mattress brands, like Douglas, Octave, and Endy.

Spring mattresses are made using metal coils. The first spring mattresses (also called innerspring mattresses) were developed in the 1870s using a similar design used in horse-drawn carriage seats. Known as Bonnell coils, the steel wire coils are laced together to form a flat, hourglass-shaped structure that absorbs and supports the sleeper’s body.

In the 20th century, spring mattresses became the most popular type of mattress in North America. More sophisticated designs of spring mattresses have appeared, including offset coil, continuous coil, and pocketed coil.

A spring mattress compresses when weight is placed on the sleep surface, and provides immediate bounce-back when changing positions.

Hybrid mattresses are a relatively new type of mattress to the marketplace. Hybrid mattresses use a combination of foam in the top layers of the mattress and springs in the base layer of the mattress.

Hybrid mattresses are designed to offer the best of both worlds: the comfort and pressure-point relief of a foam mattress with the support and durability of an innerspring mattress. Hybrid mattresses are available for sale from traditional manufacturers such as Beautyrest, as well as bed-in-a box brands like Logan & Cove.

These days, many innerspring mattresses are actually hybrids because they contain at least one layer of foam above the coils.

It depends on many factors, including:

• Budget
• Sleep position(s)
• Comfort preferences
• Body weight

Whether it’s a foam mattress or spring mattress, there isn’t one perfect choice for all people. Instead, you can narrow down your choice based on the needs below.

Best Mattress for Back Pain

Do you wake up with a sore back in the morning? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common reasons why people start searching for a new mattress.

Back pain can be caused by a mattress that’s old, worn-out, or too soft/firm for your body type.

These factors can make your body’s posture fall out of proper alignment, which can strain the muscles. For example, an old, saggy mattress can make your hips dip too low, causing soreness in the lower back.

If your current mattress is that uncomfortable, almost any new mattress will be an improvement.

Whether it’s foam or spring, look for a mattress that:

• Keeps your back in neutral position
• Cushions your pressure points
• Feels comfortable in your preferred sleeping position(s)

Best Mattress for Couples

Do you sleep with a partner? Are you a light sleeper? Then you know what it’s like to be woken up by tossing and turning from the other side of the bed.

These night-time interruptions can make you lose precious sleep and make you feel groggy in the morning. Not fun.

The solution to this is a mattress with excellent motion isolation. This is a category tested through licensed, third-party engineers (commissioned by us).

A mattress with superior motion isolation does a good job of neutralizing vibrations that travel from one side of the bed to the other. Foam mattresses tend to have much better motion isolation than spring mattresses.

Best Mattress for Budget Shoppers

Need to stretch your dollar as far as possible? No problem. With so many value-priced mattresses on the market, competition is fierce and there are many great options available.

If you want to save money on your next mattress purchase, we recommend buying a foam mattress over a spring mattress. These mattresses tend to have a simpler, no-nonsense design, which helps keep costs low and comfort high.

Many value foam mattresses today also include features found on higher priced mattresses, like cooling gel foam, soft-knit cover, and a generous 100+ night sleep trial.

Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers

Do hot summer nights keep you from falling asleep? Does it feel like your current mattress is radiating heat back at you? Don’t worry – we can help you stay cool.

Both foam and spring mattresses of decades past were notorious for sleeping hot. But with new technology today’s mattresses are cooler than ever.

When shopping for a mattress that sleeps cool, keep an eye out for these important components:

• Cover materials: Polyester is a common choice for mattress covers because of its durability and ease of care, but it’s not very breathable. You want a mattress that has a cover that’s blended with breathable fabrics and moisture-wicking materials like cooling yarn.
• Foams: Traditional memory foam is notorious for trapping heat. You’ll want a mattress that has the latest cooling gel, open-cell, or aerated latex foam layers to help with heat regulation.
• Additional Cooling Features: Advanced features like temperature balancing phase-change materials and micro-coils can help regulate your body’s temperature and can promote better air circulation.

Drum-roll, please! Here are our top-rated foam and spring mattresses.

These mattresses were selected based on more than 25 criteria that are important to mattress shoppers, as well as comfort data from licensed, third-party engineers (commissioned by us).