What sort of mattress is on your bed?

Gone are the days when all mattresses were the same. In the 21st century, there are traditional mattresses, mattresses designed to support you if you have back problems and even mattresses that were first used by the American space agency, NASA.

Before you buy a mattress, read our useful guide to the six main types of mattress on the market today.

Coil Sprung

Whilst there have been many innovations in mattress technology, many mattresses are still manufactured using the traditional 'coil sprung' method. These feature coiled wires that are linked together in a metal net frame.

Example: Layezee True Micro Quilt Mattress.

Continuous Sprung

A 'continuous spring' mattress is made from coil springs linked together in once chain, rather than the standard criss-cross metal connection. The continuous spring runs from head to toe which helps to distribute body weight up and down the bed, giving you and your partner increased support.

Examples: Silentnight Ortho Star Mattress, Sealy Ortho Best Mattress.

Pocket Sprung

A 'pocket sprung' mattress features individual springs enclosed in separate flexible fabric pockets. These pockets are attached to adjacent pockets which allow each spring to move independently. This helps to create a more responsive feel.

Examples: Rest Assured Eliot 1000 Mattress, Sealy Silver Better Mattress.

Natural Latex

Latex is an excellent material for a mattress as is it is elastic, durable and has hypo-allergenic features that can help allergy sufferers.

A natural latex mattress offers excellent support as its elasticity means that pressure is distributed evenly. It recovers its shape straight away when pressure is removed.

Examples: Sealy Classic Better Mattress, Rest Assured Verona 1000 Mattress.

Memory Foam

Memory Foam was first used by NASA to help astronauts during rocket launches. It responds to your body shape and gently cushions your body to provide a restful, relaxing night's sleep. The cellular structure of memory foam is extremely dense. The memory foam cells are spherical in shape and are temperature sensitive which means that they react to your body's shape, weight, and heat. Since the memory foam moulds itself to you, there is no need to toss and turn when falling asleep.

A memory foam mattress distributes your bodyweight more evenly than any traditional mattress. By relieving pressure, a memory foam mattresses reduces and helps prevent a range of aches and pains including neck pain, rheumatism, aching joints, arthritis, sciatic pain, circulatory problems and back pain.

Example: Silentnight Mattress Now! Memory.

Combination

These mattresses combine pocket springs, coil springs or continuous springs with memory foam. You benefit from the properties of memory foam as well as the firmer and more traditional support from the spring system.

Example: Silentnight Breeze Mattress.