Just like when buying a car, a dryer, a fridge, there are quite a few terms that come up that you will not understand when looking for a mattress. Things like pillow top? Adjustable bed frames? Edge guards??? Trundle Beds!?!? It’s complicated for me, and I work in the industry.
Before even getting into the educational elements of this blog post, here’s a tip: ask the mattress sales associate to dumb down the terms they use with you.
Simple I know, but so many of us pretend to understand things so as to not look stupid, especially in selling situations when we’re already uncomfortable, that often we end up returning home with a mattress we don’t like or didn’t need to spend so much money on.
Trust us when we say, the sales associate will be happy to use more common words, it’s just that they are conditioned to fire through their mattress presentations and often forget who they are talking to.
ALWAYS ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT!
NOW, for the fun part of trying to de-mattressize some of the most common terms you’ll hear at your local mattress shop.
MATTRESS LEXICON: VERY IMPORTANT WORDS
What It Is: A sleep technology exclusive to Pure Energy Sleep Systems
Background: CellActive™ Technology is created through the use of Celliant® fabric on the top of our Pure Energy mattresses and Cellitex™ natural latex inside the bed. This exclusive combination creates a technology and sleeping environment that is so far unmatched in the mattress industry.
Celliant® fabric is loaded with a potent mix of minerals and is proven to help recycle and refract heat/energy back into the body to help you be more energetic & alert throughout the day. It is used by multi-national brands such as Under Armour because it works!
Cellitex™ is a patented material only available in the Pure Energy Sleep System. It is derived from the hevea brasiliensis tree, Cellitex™ is a natural form of latex which conforms to the contours of your body to provide pressure relieving comfort.
“Coil” (often preceded by pocket or continuous)
What It Is: Coils are the metal springs in your mattress.
Background: Some beds will have pocket coils and some will have continuous coil. Pocket coils reduce the sensation of movement on the bed because each coil is wrapped in a textile. Pocketed coils are often used in high-end mattresses because they are expensive to manufacture (Pocket coils are used in the Ignite & Radiance).
Continuous coils are made in an S-shaped curve rather than being coiled, and are made from one long wire and aren’t wrapped like pocket coils are. Mattresses with continuous coils tend to be less expensive.
REMEMBER, a high coil count doesn’t always correlate with high quality. You’ll find each manufacturer may have a different system to calculate coil count.
“Contoured”
What It Is: A contoured mattress provides pressure relieving support by conforming to your body.
Background: Mattresses that are contoured are SUPPOSED TO BE soft where you want them to be and firm where you want them to be.
“Memory Foam Gel or Memory Foam Mattress”
What It Is: Memory foam is foam with gel placed in it.
Background: Memory foam is visco-elastic polyurethane foam. It conforms to your body better than foam itself, hence the term “memory”.
“Pillow Top”
What It Is: Pillow top means that there is an extra layer of padding on top of the mattress.
Background: Pillow top mattresses provide a soft, extra-comfortable surface for sleeping. NOTE: You may need to get sheets in a special “deep pocket” size to ensure they fit over the pillow top.
What It Is: Latex is a natural, high-performance foam.
Background: There is both Dunlop and talalay latex. Both are great, the difference is just that the creation of Talalay involves a few extra steps. Talalay latex is less dense, but has a more consistent feel.
“Plush Top”
What It Is: A combination of a firm mattress and a pillow top one.
Background: This type of mattress offers more “give” in order to create a softer, more comfortable bed.
“Mattress Topper”
What It Is: A topper is a removable piece of foam to add cushiness or firmness to a mattress.
Background: A mattress topper can make a mattress softer or firmer based on your preference.
What It Is: A certification program for foams.
Background: To be a CertiPUR-US certified foam the foam has be made without ozone depleters, PBDE’s TDCPP or TCEP flame retardants, mercury, lead & other heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates. It also has to be have low VOC emissions for indoor air quality.
“Cotton & Wool”
What It Is: Cotton & wool in mattresses, when referred to in the context of a mattress, are added to the top layer of fabric, not the inside of the mattress (there are some exceptions).
Background: Wool and cotton act as natural insulators, so they help your body feel cozier in the winter and cooler in the summer. They help the fabric not develop hot or cold spots, so you’ll shift and turn less while sleeping. They also have microscopic scales on each strand that wick away moisture and prevent a “clammy” feel.
Any other terms you don’t understand? Contact me personally, and I will add them to this blog post!
For more information, reach out to us at aidanm@restwell.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Pure Energy Sleep System™ mattresses are manufactured in Canada by Restwell Sleep Products. Founded in 1990, Restwell Sleep Products is a manufacturer of mattresses and box springs with two factories in Canada. The Restwell brand is known for quality, value, and comfort, and we take pride in the fact that our mattresses are Canadian made, with high quality standards and attention to detail.
