Memory Foam vs Pocket Sprung vs Latex vs Natural Fillings
Every mattress construction is a trade-off between contour, responsiveness, temperature and cost. There is no best one, only the one whose compromise suits you.
The short version
| Build | Good at | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Open coil | Price, firm traditional feel | Moves as one surface — poor motion isolation |
| Pocket sprung | Motion isolation, support | Costs more; comfort layer decides the feel |
| Memory foam | Pressure relief at shoulder and hip | Sleeps warm, slow to respond |
| Latex | Fast response, cool, durable | Heavy, more expensive than foam |
| Natural fillings | Breathability, feel, longevity | The most expensive way to build a bed |
Open coil (Bonnell)
One continuous network of hourglass coils wired together. Because the coils are linked, the whole surface moves together — which is why one person turning over moves the other. It is also why open coil is cheap and firm.
Right for: guest rooms, teenagers, anyone who wants a traditional sprung feel and is not sharing. See the UK Imperial.
Pocket sprung
Each spring is sewn into its own fabric pocket so it compresses independently of its neighbours. That independence is the whole point: it is what stops movement carrying across the bed, and what lets the mattress follow the shape of a body rather than averaging it.
Spring counts are quoted per double and get used as a marketing number. Past about 1,500 in a double, extra springs stop making a difference you can feel — they are thinner to fit, so each does less. What matters more is what sits on top of them.
Right for: couples, and anyone who wants support from springs rather than foam. See the pocket range.
Memory foam
Viscoelastic foam softens with body heat, so it moulds to you over the first few minutes and holds the shape. That is genuinely the best pressure relief available at the shoulder and hip, which is why side sleepers keep coming back to it.
The two real drawbacks: it holds heat, because the thing that makes it contour is the same thing that makes it insulate; and it is slow to recover, so turning over takes more effort. Both are much reduced when the memory layer sits over springs rather than a foam block — which is how we build ours. See the memory range.
Latex
Latex does the opposite of memory foam: it pushes back the instant you move. You do not sink in and you do not have to climb out. It is also naturally more open-celled, so it runs several degrees cooler, and it lasts longer than polyurethane foam of any grade.
Costs more, and a full latex mattress is heavy — a Super king in solid Dunlop latex is a two-person lift. See the latex range.
Natural fillings
Wool, cotton, horsehair, cashmere, coconut coir. These are what mattresses were made of before foam, and they are still the best at moving heat and moisture, which is most of what makes a bed feel comfortable over a whole night.
Horsehair in particular is springy and hollow, so it ventilates while it supports. Layered over a pocket unit and hand-tufted through, it produces a settled, dense feel nothing synthetic reproduces. It is also the most labour-intensive way to build a mattress, which is the entire reason for the price. See the natural range.
How to choose in one paragraph
If you sleep on your side and wake with a sore shoulder, start with memory foam over springs. If you sleep hot or turn over a lot, latex. If you share the bed and one of you is a light sleeper, pocket springs and a high count. If you want a bed to keep for twenty years and the budget is there, natural fillings. If it is a spare room, open coil.
Common questions
Is hybrid a real category?
It is a marketing word for springs plus a foam comfort layer, which describes most mattresses sold in Britain today, including several in our own range. It tells you very little on its own — ask what the comfort layer is.
Does a higher spring count mean a better mattress?
Up to a point, then no. See above.
Which lasts longest?
Latex and hand-tufted natural builds, comfortably. Memory foam has the shortest working life of the four because the comfort layer is doing the most work and is the part that degrades.