Mattress Cover Materials

[The_Toddler]

Having read your article on quilting and ticking, I’ve been taking note of what some of the more-discussed companies on TMU are offering.

The most popular configuration seems to be cotton with wool. Here are some examples with exact text:

• [li]Sleep EZ: 100% Organic Cotton Knit Cover Quilted to 100% Organic Wool
  [li]Flobeds: All our mattress covers feature 100% Organic Cotton Euro Stretch Knit quilted to 1 inch of 100% Pure Organic Wool on top and needled wool quilted in the sides and bottom.
  [li]Plushbeds: We only use the finest organic cotton, stretched (not woven) to provide the softest, most welcoming sleep surface imaginable. We use naturally fire-resistant Joma Wool as our fire barrier to impart a layer of softness and safety that also keeps you cool while you sleep.
  [li]Savvy Rest: The sturdy organic cotton casing has organic wool batting quilted inside.

Are all these pretty much the same?

Then there are two outliers in companies I’m considering:

• Luma Sleep: Natural Tencel fabric cover breathes like cotton, feels like silk.
  [li]Arizona Premium: Bamboo and wool cover (bamboo quilted to all natural wool, as Ken says in video) [Their site also offers separate purchase of an organic cotton mattress cover (no mention of wool).]

Why would someone choose those setups vs the cotton/wool? I’m not a person who buys into the whole organic philosophy, nor do I get excited about sleeping with something that used to be attached to a sheep, but I do favor things that are natural, breathable, and temperature regulating.

[phoenix]

Hi The Toddler,

While I don’t have all of the covers you mentioned in front of me to be able to compare the “hand” and levels of flexibility, in the first group the one that is most “unlike” the others would be the Savvy Rest, as it would be the least flexible/stiffest of that group. There are variations in the blend/weave/type/certification of cotton and wool used in these covers, but they do all have wool quilted to cotton ticking and use that wool as part of the FR barrier.

In the second group you mentioned, the Luma Sleep uses Tencel, which is a trade name for lyocell. This has a soft “hand” and Luma doesn’t use wool to meet FR standards. The Arizona Premium “bamboo” cover is quilted to wool so it would be similar to the covers your first mentioned, except that bamboo is used to create the viscose dope to make the viscose rayon fiber. Their organic cotton cover is thinner than the bamboo cover and also quilted to wool (see the description at the bottom of this page).

Why would someone choose those setups vs the cotton/wool?

Like everything connected to mattresses … there is rarely one design or component that is inherently “better” than another because it depends on the specific application, components, and design goals of the mattress.

Mattress covers, the fabric they use, the quilting inside them, and their design are an important part of the design and feel of a mattress. There is a much wider range of covers or ticks available to manufacturers that they may wish to use in their mattress for various reasons, including using specific side panels, fabrics, “organic” nature, certifications, “hand” (surface feel), cosmetic features, impact upon the feel of the latex used beneath the cover, and price, just to name a few things.

In very general terms though a loose fitting, thin, or stretchy cover would “allow” the latex layers underneath it to conform to the body shape more closely. Tighter fitting covers that don’t stretch (or mattress protectors or sheets for that matter) that fit too tightly can create a “drum” effect that can also restrict the ability of the latex to compress. On the other hand … a cover that is very loose fitting can stretch and there may be some wrinkles on the sleeping surface which is more of a cosmetic issue than a performance issue.

If you have split layers (a separate layer on each side of the mattress) then it’s usually a good idea to have a quilted cover or a thin layer of material over the “split” top layer to even out the different firmness levels on each side and prevent you from feeling the split itself (see post #2 here).

Those are just a few differences. All of the covers you mentioned are high quality, but which one you preferred would come down to if you had an affinity for a certain feel or componentry.

Phoenix

[The_Toddler]

@"Phoenix" post=71457

the one that is most “unlike” the others would be the Savvy Rest, as it would be the least flexible/stiffest of that group

Thank you for pointing that out, because I’m trying to find something that’s close to a Savvy Rest configuration I’ve tried in person! Their description is not as detailed as the others. Is Arizona premium’s cotton cover closer to Savvy Rest or is that just like the others as well? Arizona says the cotton cover is “thinner” and “puts you closer to the latex.”

In very general terms though a loose fitting, thin, or stretchy cover would “allow” the latex layers underneath it to conform to the body shape more closely.

Do most of the ones listed above fall into this category? Most say either “stretch,” “knit,” or both. (But only the Arizona cotton cover makes a comment about “thinner.”)

Tighter fitting covers that don’t stretch (or mattress protectors or sheets for that matter) that fit too tightly can create a “drum” effect that can also restrict the ability of the latex to compress.

Does the Savvy Rest fall into this category or is “tight” different than “stiffest/least flexible?”

All of the covers you mentioned are high quality, but which one you preferred would come down to if you had an affinity for a certain feel or componentry.

Knowing the odds are highest that I will probably get the stretch/knit cotton/wool type of cover mentioned in the top group above, how should I factor that in when trying to get a feel similar to the Savvy Rest? That is, should I get a latex layer little bit firmer or a little bit softer to compensate for the difference in cover?

[phoenix]

Hi The Toddler,

Is Arizona premium’s cotton cover closer to Savvy Rest or is that just like the others as well? Arizona says the cotton cover is “thinner” and “puts you closer to the latex.”

They’re all different, but probably the SleepEZ or the Mattresses.net cotton would be the “closest” of this group. But neither are the same as the Savvy Rest.

Do most of the ones listed above fall into this category? Most say either “stretch,” “knit,” or both. (But only the Arizona cotton cover makes a comment about “thinner.”)

True stretch-knit covers tend to be similar to those you’ll see on memory foam mattresses, or latex mattress like Pure Talalay Bliss (just in case you’ve tried one of those out). They’re more flexible and usually used with mattresses where the cover isn’t as important in providing structure to the mattress and holding loose foam layers in place (like mattresses where the layers are glued together), and not quilted to anything.

Does the Savvy Rest fall into this category or is “tight” different than “stiffest/least flexible?”

If the foam is the appropriate thickness inside of the covering, it is a bit “stiff” when new but does break in over time. It does have very good structure and integrity.

Knowing the odds are highest that I will probably get the stretch/knit cotton/wool type of cover mentioned in the top group above, how should I factor that in when trying to get a feel similar to the Savvy Rest? That is, should I get a latex layer little bit firmer or a little bit softer to compensate for the difference in cover?

If you choose a good encasement that zippers on the top, it should still provide some decent structure whether or not is uses a bit more flexible ticking quilted to the wool. I wouldn’t try to get too complicated with your specifications of attempting to adjust for the difference in the cover, but instead focus on the actual layers on the inside to approximate the feel you desire, and you should hopefully end up with something “in the range”.

Phoenix