Recently purchased a queen size Kinsdon ‘Landmark’, because I was sold on pocket coil and also because it was on sale. I don’t think it is made anymore.
When purchasing I mentioned I wanted a ‘firm’ mattress, and aso needed ‘motion isolation’ since my partner often disturbs my sleep.
When I tested it in store it seemed firm enough (I’m not very heavy at 160lbs)
After using the mattress for 2 weeks now I have mixed feelings.
In general I sleep well, there is great motion isolation but I have started experiencing lower back pain in the mornings!
If I return the mattress, should I stay with the pocket coil design but try and get something ‘firmer’? I’ve read good things about S&F pocket coils.
Hi eco_bach,
In almost all cases, the innersprings … regardless of type … are not the “weak link” of a mattress and most manufacturers have several pocket coil options that can work well for any individual. There are also many different versions of pocket coil (different coil counts, different gauge, zoned or not zoned, different coil shapes, different types of pocket materials, different types of coil attachment, different types of coil layering patterns and many other factors) and one that may be suitable for a particular individual may be completely unsuitable for another depending on the person’s weight, body profile, and sleeping patterns and the rest of the materials in the mattress.
In general though … a pocket coil allows for the use of thinner layers in the comfort layers of a mattress because they are more independent than other types of coil and help with pressure relief more. As you mention, they are also more motion isolating than other types of coils.
The major brands like Stearns and Foster and Kingsdown are a very expensive way to get a good pocket coil and the problem is not so much the quality of the coil but the quality of the materials that are over it. Back issues would normally indicate that the spine is out of alignment because the lower back/pelvis is sinking in too far relative to the rest of the body and this could indicate that the comfort layers are too thick or soft or that the coil gauge in combination with the coil count is not ideal for you (although it could be perfect for others) when used in combination with the comfort layers in that particular mattress. Lower quality materials will also go through an initial softening period which means that what was a"perfect" in a showroom may quickly become too soft in day to day use.
In general I would tend to stay away from the major brands or for that matter any mattress where the layers of the mattress are not known because knowing what is over the coils can be more important than the coils themselves. they can be a very expensive way to buy “cheap foam” or “unknown foam” which comes with the coils they use.
While Stearns and Foster (Sealy) is known for good coils … like all the major brands they are also known for using lower quality or unknown quality foams in the layers over the coils (compared to most local or smaller brands) and charging too much for them and this is the thing that needs to be known to make any meaningful comparisons between mattresses. They can be a very expensive way to buy lower quality foam regardless of the coils used. While higher quality coils can make a good base for mattress surgery (cutting open the mattress and replacing the lower quality foam with better materials when the foam layers fail) because the coils will outlast the comfort layers … it’s not a great idea to pay the price to buy one for this reason and it’s usually much better to buy a mattress which uses better quality or at least known quality foam and materials in every layer of the mattress so you are buying a mattress based on knowing the quality of the materials in it rather than paying for the label that is on it.
Phoenix