Hi, I was wondering if anyone has an opinion about the Verticoil vs SmartResponse coils. It also seems that Verticoil is a generic term?
I have seen it mentioned in different brands. Anything I should look out for?
Thanks
Hi cownox,
A Verticoil is a name for a family of open offset coils (an offset coil where the top turn has a free arm or top coil that isn’t attached or knotted to the coil) made by Leggett & Platt. The idea behind an open offset is that the free arm provides more sensitivity and more independent movement and response at the top of the coil. They also use alternating turn direction which can reduce sway if the coils all turn in the same direction. They are available in different versions with different coil counts and you can see more details here. They are very widely used and generally seen in lower to mid range mattresses depending on the version.
The SmartResponse is a proprietary name for a pocket coil used by Simmons which has two types of spring with different shapes and pitch angles one on top of the other. This would create a dual spring rate where the top part of the spring would be softer and compress more than the firmer lower part of the spring. It would be somewhat like having a thin softer layer of foam over a thicker firmer layer. You can see a video here which shows the two separate spring rates. Pocket coils are generally used in a higher budget range and are usually considered a more “premium” coil but again it would depend on the specifics of the innerspring.
You can read more about innersprings in general in this article and in post #10 here but in general I would focus more on the overall characteristics and response of the mattress itself (how a mattress with each type of coil differs in its feel and performance) and on how well it provides you with PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences). Innersprings are the deeper support system of a mattress and aren’t generally the weak link and I would also focus more on the quality of the foam layers or materials above the springs (which are the weak link of most mattresses). I would also avoid getting involved in technical comparisons of springs (such as coil counting) which is mostly a meaningless exercise unless you are comparing innersprings which are virtually identical except for the number of coils which usually isn’t the case.
Phoenix