I wanted to know if there was a difference, primarily in durability between various pocket-coil innerspring components. In my case, I will be buying a hybrid mattress, and this is only one component.
I’ve seen many of the manufacturers use the Leggett and Platt Quantum Edge component - either Bolsa or Combi-Zone. I can’t always get a straight answer on what gauge of steel this uses, and it seems to vary by retailer. Not all Bolsas us the same steel, evidently, but the L&P units seem to range from about 14 to 17 gauge.
I’ve found that the non-big-name manufacturers that don’t use this unit have heavier gauge steel - usually from about 13 to 15 gauge. I’m assuming they manufacture their own coils or have a different supplier. I haven’t checked the big names like sealy/simmons/serta.
Is one unit particularly better than another in terms of durability? I know that the innerspring isn’t usually the weakest link in durability, but I’ll be buying an innerspring/latex mattress, so all the components are high durability…
Our 8" combi zone is as follows - There are actually 3 wire gauges in the QE Combi-Zone®. 16g narrow diameter perimeter coils. 17g narrow diameter coils through center 1/3 and 14g larger diameter coils on both sides of center 1/3. So basically what they do is double up on the smaller gauge coils and 2 smaller gauge coils are stronger than one heavier gauge coil. Our Combi zone has 1414 coils in a king which is an incredible amount of coils. A lot of small coils also offer a better contouring feel. Nothing wrong with heavier gauge coils and less of them but you won’t get the same benefits as you do with the Combi Zone design.
The Bolsa unit does not have the zoned feature of the Combi zone and does have fewer but slightly firmer coils. It has 15 gauge in the main unit and 16 gauge doubled up for the edge support which is typical of the Quantum Edge series. To my knowledge the Combi Zone 8" is L&P’s most expensive pocket coil to date. As far as durability goes I don’t think you can single one out from the other because both of these will probably outlast most filling materials other than latex. The independent springs using 12.5 or 13 gauge will also last a very long time but won’t have the conforming ability of the higher coils count springs.
Yes there is. But this isn’t usually the weak link within a mattress. Depending upon the number of springs, methods of joining, fabric used (you seem to be curious in marshall springs), gauge of steel, tempering, arrangement, actual coils (revolutions) and so on, there will certainly be variations in spring unit durability. But the better segments from various manufacturer’s lineups meant for adult use will typically outlast any foams placed upon them and provide good support/alignment for average BMIs and somatotypes. Specific needs or larger individuals will place more demands upon all componentry, at which point spring unit choice can be even more important for applicability and durability.
The gauge of steel works in combination with such things as the number of springs, arrangement, zoning, and diameter to provide overall support and alignment. The same designs can be made with different gauges to achieve different feels. A lower gauge doesn’t necessarily mean a less durable product. As an example, I have a line of mattresses using the Quantum Edge with a thinner gauge of steel in the Quantum Edge than within the middle of the mattress, but the perimeter springs are smaller in diameter, at a higher concentration, and wound with a different coil structure, and they provide a firmer and more durable surface than what is in the middle of the mattress (which is still quite high quality). Conversely, you could have a basic 650 or so queen unit using a thicker 13 gauge steel at a lower profile with not as many coils that could actually be quite a bit less supportive by comparison even though it was using thicker gauge steel. So there’s quite a bit that goes into overall durability of an innerspring unit, but exact testing data is something that is more technical in nature and not generally made public by the innerspring companies, as again the spring units don’t tend to be the weak link within a mattress, much of the “wearing out” of a mattress will be sure to uppermost materials, much of the data is considered proprietary and even if it was disseminated it wouldn’t be in a format that would make much sense to the general public. Manufacturers or knowledgeable retailers are usually a good source for comparing different spring units and relating the differences from one to another. Even if they don’t know the gauges of steel and some spring units can be considered similar in the level of quality/durability, there may be differences in response curves/zoning that they can relate to help see if a particular unit is more appropriate for certain applications versus another.
There are other suppliers for marshall/pocketed spring units domestically, but Leggett and Platt is by far the largest supplier. There’s over 500 different mattress manufacturers out there, and the gauge of steel used varies considerably, and very few manufacture their own innersprings. Most mattress companies actually create nothing but the finished products and are assemblers, sourcing foams, springs, and covers from suppliers. Of course, some of those materials are proprietary to specific mattress companies to provide them exclusivity. Here’s a listing of a few of them that may be of interest to you.
Latex can be a great choice for a comfort material. For the spring unit, in general take care to avoid very low spring counts. I don’t like to paint with too broad of a brush, but I have seen a recent “flooding” of imported units (Far East) at some really low prices, and I have not been impressed with the quality of many of these units, so I would be extra careful if you are looking at something like that. Aside from that, take a look at any special features (zoning, edge reinforcement) that may be useful to you and I would rely upon guidance from a good manufacturer or retailer.
Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Beducation / Mattress To Go
Hi Ken, can you confirm the Bolsa unit you refer to above is not the same as what you currently offer on your website in the Eco Sleep hybrid model? And how would you compare that in terms of firmness? With a coil count of 660 and a gauge of 13.75, it sounds similar to what Jeff mentions above when he says “Conversely, you could have a basic 650 or so queen unit using a thicker 13 gauge steel at a lower profile with too many coils that could actually be quite a bit less supportive by comparison, even though it was using thicker gauge steel.”
I don’t know what I was doing there - probably trying to do too many things at once. As I’m sure you were able to surmise, what I was trying to say you can have something using thicker gauge steel but if it uses much lower spring counts of a lower profile it can be less supportive than something using a higher spring count but thinner steel and a different spring design (coils, pre-compression, etc.). It was addressing the earlier poster who seemed to be placing much emphasis on steel gauge and I was attempting to bring up the many things that go into the overall support/feel of a spring unit. Thanks for the catch! I made a correction in my OP.
Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Beducation / Mattress To Go
Have you run across this article? You might find it interesting. Zoning systems are designed to work with the majority of the population, but if you are very tall or short, or if your sleeping style isn’t aligned with where the zones change, you may not “mesh” as well as you might like with some of the zoning systems.
Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Beducation / Mattress To Go
The unit I referred to is part of the Quantum Edge 8" series which uses 2 smaller diameter coils around the edge which provides more support than standard coils. It’s very evident when we vacuum pack our Combi-Zone coils which also use the smaller coils in the middle zone because the smaller coils do not compress as much as the larger diameter coils do. That translates into more support where the smaller diameter coils are used. The Caliber Edge unit used in our Eco Sleep does it a little different. Each coil has the same diameter but the edge coils have an extra turn in them but compressed down to equal the height of the rest of the coils. By doing so it too has a stiffer edge. Basically it’s a less expensive way of reinforcing the edges.
At 5’0 I think I should avoid zones, one i tried felt all wrong so I suspected I wasn’t lined up properly