Hi terrilynnrandall,
As sad as it may be … if you have spent more than a few hours on this site then it’s very likely that you will know more meaningful information about mattresses and the materials inside them than most of the salespeople in the mainstream industry.
There is more about the different types of innersprings in this article and in post #10 here but since the springs aren’t likely to be the weak link of a mattress I would focus much more on the quality and durability of the foam and fiber materials in the mattress which will generally be the weakest link of a mattress.
Shorter pocket coils that are used in the top layers of a mattress are microcoils and they are also a good quality and durable component that wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress. You can read more about them in this article and in post #8 here and post #2 here.
I would suggest avoiding all the major brands including Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses (see the shopping guidelines here and this article) along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out reliable information about the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it … especially the foam or fiber materials in the comfort layers of a mattress.
The most reliable way to know whether a mattress is “supportive” enough for you and would be a good match for you in terms of PPP would be based on your own careful testing. Knowing the “quality specs” of a mattress (especially the materials and components in the upper layers) are important to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to other mattresses you are considering but aren’t a reliable way to decide whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP.
Phoenix