Types of orthopedic mattress

There a several different orthopedic mattress constructions and fillings and this page is intended to offer a brief description of each of the main variants. For a more detailed view of these mattress options, use the links in the left hand menu.

Open and continuous coil spring mattress

Until recently, nearly all mattress constructions used open coil springs. These mattresses remain the most widely used and are often the cheapest mattresses in the market (although they can also be the most expensive).

Open coil spring mattresses typically have springs that are about 6 coils high and a regular double bed has over 300 of them in its construction. Helical wires connect the tops and bottoms of all coils to create a single unit that is held in a frame. The internal void of the mattress is then filled and covered (with mattress ticking). There are also variations on this system like the pocket sprung mattress.

Memory foam

Memory foam is a unique material that contours itself to the shape of the body resting upon it. Upon the body leaving the mattress, the foam returns to its original (flat) shape.

Memory foam has many benefits and breaks the previously held myth that an orthopedic bed needs to be very firm. Memory foam mattresses are claimed to provide a balanced level of support for the body and in so doing avoid localised pressure points that can cause discomfort, aching and restless sleep. They help maintain the double S shape of the spine.

Latex foam (also called Dunlop or Talalay foam) mattress

The latex foam mattresses use natural latex harvested from the sap of rubber trees and offer very similar characteristics to memory foam. The two big differences are the spongier and bouncier feel of the foam and the foams reaction to heat.

With the latter, the latex foam's moulding and contouring properties are influenced not just by a body's weight, but also by the body's heat. These latex mattresses are also cooler to lie on than there memory foam counterparts.

Water beds

Water beds are fairly uncommon, but they do offer contouring qualities and the rippling effect for which they were once associated can be largely removed by the use of a gel rather than a water filling.

Water beds can be very heavy, but they do have a small, but enthusiastic following.

Air beds

There are both temporary inflatable air beds (for emergency use), but also more specialised air beds with orthopedic qualities. The latter use a multi pocketed mattress system that allows the remote inflation of different areas of the mattress to offer different levels of support. The more expensive of the mattresses (beds) can be seen in hospitals and specialist clinics.

Magnetic mattresses

Magnetic mattresses are usually not mattresses at all, but rather pads (mattress toppers) that lay on top of the actual mattress.

Magnetic mattress pads generate a magnetic field within which the resting body is engulfed during sleep and it is these magnetic properties that are the cause of great discussion at the moment. It is claimed, and with some research evidence, that magnetic mattress pads not only assist good sleep, but that they also alleviate a number of ailments, pains and symptoms.

Combination mattresses

Combination mattresses combine two or more of the above systems into a multi layered mattress where the objective is to utilise the best qualities of each mattress type's construction. These mattresses tend to be expensive, but can also offer exceptional comfort and support qualities.

For information about mattress care and cleaning follow this link.