In May we started our mattress material breakdown series and covered memory foam mattresses. This month we are talking about what a hybrid mattress is, what it’s generally made of, and how it can be beneficial for your body. We’ll even explain hybrid vs. foam mattresses so that you can understand the differences between them.
If you need a new mattress and are interested in learning about hybrid mattresses, read on to get the lowdown on your potential new bed.
What’s a Hybrid Mattress Made of?
A hybrid is when two or more different elements are combined to make something entirely new. In this case, most common hybrid mattresses combine the coils from innerspring mattresses and the foam from memory foam mattresses, fusing the best of both worlds into one super bed.
Last month we talked about memory foam and how it is made of a viscoelastic polymer called polyurethane which affect the overall elasticity and viscosity of your mattress. Basically, this makes the material change shape and contort when pressure is applied but will return to its previous appearance when the force is removed. This foam material is what is usually placed in the top layers of your hybrid mattress.
The second main material of your hybrid mattress is what gives your bed that bounce: the springs. These springs – or pocketed coils as they are more often called in the mattress industry– are made of steel and are individually wrapped so they can move freely from one another. The way these coils are covered may be a little different depending on the brand, but generally they all have a similar design and each spring is hidden within a flexible cylindrical tube
Hybrid Vs. Foam Mattresses
When you look at hybrid vs. foam mattresses, it doesn’t seem like there are too many differences. In fact, you may just think that the only thing that stands apart between the two is that foam mattresses are only made up of foam materials while hybrids are made up of foam and springs. While this is the biggest difference, there are still a few other ones worth mentioning.
For instance, because foam mattresses are layered in thick foam materials, the circulation on this style can be rather poor. The coils within a hybrid mattress provide space for air to circulate through which makes sleeping on a hybrid a much cooler experience. And speaking of coils, these springy pieces are what give hybrid and innerspring beds that traditional bounce which some prefer over the “squish” of a memory foam style.
How it Works
Like we said earlier, hybrid mattresses really are the best of both worlds. You get all the benefits of spine aligning memory foam with the refreshing ventilation of innerspring coils. Hybrids are good for people who want a foam style mattress that conforms to their shape while at the same time something that can apply some pressure to all the appropriate places with the help of the pocketed coils.