Bedroom Design

Pocket Coil Mattress: What You Need To Know (Cost, Motion Transfer + More)

Last Updated

October 11, 2021

min read

The Differences Between Wrapped Coil and Innerspring Mattresses

A wrapped coil is known by many names: wrapped coils, encased springs, or Marshall coils. wrapped coil mattresses are the most popular type of innerspring mattress available.

Purple utilizes wrapped coils that are often referred to in the industry as Pocket Coils ® (trademark wholly owned by Dreamwell, Ltd.).

Wrapped coils Date Back to 1899

In 1899, an English engineer by the name of James Marshall invented the Marshall Coil, which is more commonly known as a wrapped coil.

He received a Canadian patent for his invention in 1900. Later, he started his own business, called the Marshall Mattress company, which used wrapped springs.

So, What Is a Wrapped Coil?

Wrapped coils are springs wrapped individually in a fabric sleeve. This allows them to react to pressure independently instead of all together, which minimizes movement and allows for a more buoyant feel.

What is the Difference Between Innerspring and Wrapped Coil?

The Workings of an Innerspring Mattress

A traditional innerspring mattress, or open coil, has a network of metal coils that are all connected. This means that when pressure is applied, the springs all react together. This transfers motion, so if your partner moves you’ll feel it.

Additionally, because the coils all move together, traditional innerspring mattresses provide less comfort and don’t spring back as easily. They also don’t contour around your body as much as a wrapped coil mattress.

The Wrapped Coil Mattress: A Different Approach

Wrapped coils, on the other hand, are not connected and act on their own. This means that if you apply pressure to a Wrapped sprung or coil sprung mattress, only the coils being pressed down will react, whereas on an innerspring mattress all of the surrounding coils will compress.

This approach allows the individual wrapped coil mattress to contour to your body better and doesn’t transfer motion as much as a traditional innerspring mattress. This technology could save your relationship one day.

Open Coil vs Pocket Sprung

Open coil mattresses also use a different type of coil than pocket sprung mattresses. While pocket springs are thin-gauged and knotless, open coils are wired together.

The open coils are designed differently as well, using an hourglass shape so that the springs are wider on top and bottom, but thinner in the middle. Pocket springs maintain their width for the entire length of the coil.

Foam Mattress vs Wrapped Coil

The wrapped coil mattress may be the most popular innerspring mattress, but it has a fierce competitor in the foam mattress. Ultimately, the right mattress for you comes down to personal preference.

Why People Choose Memory Foam

Memory foam is known for contouring around the body, preventing movement at night, avoiding motion transfer, and absorbing pressure.

However, memory foam can sleep hot since it absorbs body heat, and may lead to a sinking feeling that claustrophobic people especially want to avoid.

Why People Choose Pocket Springs

Pocket sprung mattresses provide many of the same benefits as memory foam. They contour to the body, but without the stuck feeling some people report with memory foam. They help avoid motion transfer more than innerspring mattresses, and instead of absorbing pressure, it reflects it, which offers solid support.

Because of the air flow through wrapped spring mattresses, which allows these beds to sleep cooler than memory foam, dust may sneak into the mattress, which can upset allergies.

How Much Do Pocket Spring Mattresses Cost?

The cost of pocket sprung mattresses vary greatly based on brand and size. For example, a twin size pocket spring mattress can start around $100, while the most expensive king mattresses can be over $2,000.