Articles from February 2011



What the Heck Is Coil Density?

You visit your local mattress store and start trying mattresses. You find one you like and start asking a few questions so you can compare it to other similar models. Hank, your friendly mattress salesperson, proudly tells you it has 1,000 coils!

Of course being the bright person you are, you realize something doesn’t sound right about that number. Your instinct is correct. Hank just quoted you the Coil Density, not the actual coil count.

I’m not sure who first started this practice, but coil density refers to the number of coils the mattress WOULD have, were it not foam encased. It truly is a worthless number in my opinion and causes more confusion than necessary. And I have found in my travels that most salespeople don’t necessarily explain or fully disclose the difference. I will let you decide whether or not they are being deceitful in this practice.

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The End of Offset Coils?

I have noticed that many manufacturers are gravitating towards the Marshall coil system – or a variation of it. A Marshall coil is a unit with individual coils that operate independently. The benefit to you is that it is a much more conforming feel, and far less motion transfer – you will not feel your partner move.

I think this is a wise move. The old offset and Bonnell systems, that had the coils “laced” together, did not conform well at all. In order to get the most conformance, you had to pile on comfort layers. This only made the body impression issue worse for consumers.

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