Mattress Materials

There are many types of mattress styles but they all tend to be made in three types of materials.

Inner Spring
This type has been made the longest and is probably the construction with which people are most familiar. The inside consists of many coiled springs that are laid out in a grid. The shape of the coil springs may vary by manufacturer but they all are intended to do the same thing. These coils are attached at the sides to keep them in place, then covered with layers of upholstery for cushioning and insulation.

Foam
New foam production has allowed creation of large slabs of foam suitable for mattress sizes.
The mattress is made with either a solid foam core or with multiple layers that can be different densities. Foam type can be urethane or latex, having some variation in properties to include hard, soft and visco-elastic 'memory'.

Inflatable Airbed
As expected, an air mattress is an air-tight material that can be inflated to form the standard sized mattress, and can include the box support underneath.