Buying Guides

Published April 9, 2025

10 min

Mattress Terms Glossary

Nectar Editorial Team

Table of contents

A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Essential Mattress Terms Mattress Types & Base Structures Bed Frames and Foundations Mattress Materials Mattress Layers, Comfort, and Support Features Mattress Design & Construction Mattress Coils Sleep Experience Mattress Firmness LevelsTypes of Certifications Health and Safety Trial & Warranties Your Mattress Knowledge - and Shopping - Journey

A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Essential Mattress Terms

If you're in the market for a new mattress, you'll find significant advancements in mattress construction and technology. Terms like interlocking coils, zero gravity, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX can make mattress shopping feel overwhelming. If you don’t know what these terms mean, we’re here to arm you with all the information you need to make a confident and informed mattress purchase. Let’s get started.

Mattress Types & Base Structures

Do you need a hybrid mattress or memory foam? Does your mattress need a box spring? (What even is a box spring?!) Choosing the right mattress type is essential when it comes to comfort and support, as different structures cater to different, unique needs.

Mattress Types

Choosing the right mattress - whether it’s memory foam, hybrid, or innerspring - depends on your specific needs.1. Hybrid Mattress: Combines innerspring coils with foam layers to offer a mix of support and comfort.2. Innerspring: Features a coil support system for traditional bounce and support.3. Memory Foam Mattress: Uses a type of foam that molds to the body in response to heat and pressure, evenly distributing body weight.4. Orthopedic Mattress: Designed to support your joints, back, and overall body.5. Double-sided Mattress: A mattress that can be flipped over and used on both sides, extending its lifespan.

Bed Frames and Foundations

The right bed frame or foundation can enhance your mattress's performance – but it can also enhance your overall sleep quality. Explore these various base options to find the one that provides the support and comfort you need.6. Adjustable Base: A bed frame that can be adjusted to various positions for personalized comfort and health benefits.7. Box Spring: A mattress base consisting of a cloth-covered wooden frame with springs on the inside.8. Low-profile Box Spring: A thinner version of a traditional box spring that provides a lower bed height.9. Bunkie Board: A thin, flat foundation that sits between the mattress and bed frame or box spring. It's a low-profile alternative to a traditional box spring, typically 1-3 inches thick.10. Foundation: The base support for a mattress, similar to a box spring but typically sturdier.11. Zero Gravity: A bed designed to reduce stress on the body by distributing weight evenly. This is a common setting in adjustable beds.

Mattress Materials

The materials used in mattresses affect comfort, durability, and health, with each type offering unique benefits. Understanding these materials can help you choose a mattress that aligns with your own preferences when it comes to comfort and sustainability.

Types of Foams

Foam mattresses are popular for their exceptional comfort and support. Mattresses can have different types of foams, including memory foam and gel-infused options. Each offer their own unique benefits.12. Memory Foam: Foam that molds to your body in response to heat and pressure, evenly distributing body weight.13. Viscoelastic Foam: Another term for memory foam.14. Closed Cell Foam: Foam with closed cells that don't allow air or water to pass through, providing firm support.15. Polyfoam: A less expensive foam than memory foam, used in many mattresses.16. Gel-infused Foam: Foam that includes gel to provide a cooling effect and additional support.17. Latex Foam: Foam made from natural or synthetic rubber, known for its resilience and durability.

Types of Latex

Latex is a resilient material used in mattresses for its durability and comfort. When shopping for a mattress, you’re likely to come across mentions of Dunlop and Talalay Latex. This refers to the manufacturing processes used to make these materials.18. Dunlop Latex: Results in a firmer, denser foam, and is typically used in the support core of the mattress.19. Talalay Latex: Produces a lighter, more buoyant latex foam than Dunlop. Talalay Latex is often used in comfort layers thanks to its pressure relief and contouring properties.

Other Mattress Materials

Beyond foams and springs, mattresses can include a variety of other materials (like natural fibers or biodegradable components). Here are some of the most common examples:20. Natural Fibers: Materials such as cotton, wool, or bamboo are used in some mattresses, which are distinct from synthetic fibers and offer different comfort and environmental benefits.21. Organic Material: Materials certified free from certain chemicals and pesticides, often used in eco-friendly mattresses.22. Biodegradable Materials: Materials that decompose naturally and safely when disposed.

Mattress Layers, Comfort, and Support Features

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A mattress is more than just its outer fabric. It includes multiple layers and features, each designed to provide comfort, support, and durability. Keep reading to learn about how these features can contribute to a restful sleep.23. Comfort Layer: These are the top layers of a mattress, usually made of soft materials for extra cushioning.24. Contouring: A mattress's ability to conform to your body's shape, improving both support and comfort.25. Edge Support: Reinforcement around the mattress edges that increase surface area and prevent sagging.26. Euro Top: An extra layer of padding added to the mattress cover for additional comfort.27. Wool Layer: Normally used as a natural fire barrier and for its temperature regulating properties.28. Pillow Top: An extra layer of padding sewn on top of the mattress for added comfort.29. Motion Isolation: A mattress’s ability to isolate movement so that it doesn’t transfer across the bed.30. Pressure Relief: A mattress’s ability to alleviate pressure on the body.31. Spinal Alignment: A mattress’s ability to maintain proper alignment of the spine during sleep.32. Adjustable Firmness: Some mattresses offer adjustable firmness levels, typically with air chambers or interchangeable layers.33. Recovery Time: How quickly a foam mattress returns to its original shape after pressure is removed.

Mattress Design & Construction

Mattress construction affects everything from its longevity to its comfort level. Find out how common design elements like quilting and tufting can enhance your mattress's functionality and comfort.34. Baffle Box Construction: Keeps fill evenly distributed in mattress toppers.35. Quilting: Diagonal stitches in the top layer of the mattress, which increase airflow and affect both firmness and comfort.36. Tufting: Threads that pass through the mattress to prevent layers from shifting.37. Reinforced Corners: Specific design features that enhance the durability and stability of a mattress at its edges.

Mattress Coils

Coils are the backbone of many mattress types, providing the bounce and support needed for a good night's sleep. Learn about the different types of coils found in mattresses.38. Bonnell Coils: A type of spring used in innerspring mattresses, known for being supportive yet affordable.39. Continuous Coils: An innerspring configuration where each row of coils is made from a single wire.40. Hybrid Coil: Coils used in hybrid mattresses, combining aspects of innersprings and foam for support and comfort.41. Interlocking Coils: A type of coil configuration in innerspring mattresses that provides enhanced support and durability when compared to individually wrapped coils.42. Memory Coil System: Coils designed to adapt to your body shape – much like memory foam – providing personalized support.43. Modular Coil System: A mattress system with individually encased coils that can be replaced or rearranged for customized support.44. Offset Coils: An hourglass-shaped coil with a hinged top and bottom for better contouring and reduced motion transfer.45. Coil Count: This is the number of coils in the mattress; a higher count commonly indicates better support and comfort.

Sleep Experience

How you feel when you wake up is greatly influenced by your mattress. This can be affected by air flow, ventilation, and motion isolation.46. Sleep Ergonomics: The study of how a mattress supports the body's natural posture and alignment during sleep.47. Thermal Comfort: Refers to how well a mattress regulates temperature.48. Breathability: The ability of a mattress material to allow air to flow through it.49. Ventilation: Features of a mattress that enhance airflow and help regulate temperature.50. Sleep Partner Disturbance: Focuses on the impact of one person’s movements on another’s sleep experience.

Mattress Firmness Levels

Firmness is one of the most critical factors in choosing a mattress. From soft to extra firm, this section will help you understand which level of firmness might be best for your sleeping style and physical needs.51. Soft: Allows for significant sinking, like sleeping on a fluffy cloud; ideal for side sleepers.52. Plush: Another way of referring to soft mattresses.53. Medium: Balances softness and support, offering enough cushioning to relieve pressure while maintaining proper alignment; suitable for most sleepers.54. Firm: Provides solid support with minimal sinking; ideal for back and stomach sleepers who need surface-level support without deep contouring.55. Extra Firm: Delivers maximum support with very little give, best for heavier individuals or those who prefer a very stable and flat sleeping surface.

Types of Certifications

Learn what to look for and what it means when you see GOTS, CertiPUR-US®, and OEKO-TEX® on your mattress label.56. Certified Organic: Refers to materials certified as organic, ensuring no harmful chemicals or processes.57. CertiPUR-US®: Specifically for foam, this certification ensures that the foam used in a mattress meets standards for content, emissions, and durability, and has been made without certain harmful chemicals.58. Eco-INSTITUT: A certification indicating low emissions and pollutants in products like mattresses. Known for rigorous testing for harmful emissions and possible pollutants.59. GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard): A standard specifically for organic latex and finished latex foam, ensuring that the latex is produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way.60. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): The leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.61. GreenGuard Gold: Certification that ensures products are safe for sensitive individuals such as children and the elderly, by testing for low chemical emissions.62. Made Safe: A non-toxic certification that screens out materials known to harm human health and the environment.63. OEKO-TEX®: A certification for textiles tested for harmful substances. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 ensures that every component of the article, i.e., every thread, button, and other accessories, have been tested for harmful substances and that the article therefore is harmless in human ecological terms.64. USDA Organic: Pertains primarily to agricultural products but in the context of mattresses, it can apply to cotton or other agricultural products used within the mattress. It assures that the product is made from 95-100% certified organic materials.

Health and Safety

Learn about hypoallergenic designs, chemical emissions, and other factors that can impact your well-being, so your choice enhances your sleep quality and your health.65. Hypoallergenic: Designed to minimize the likelihood of allergic reactions.66. Off-gassing: The release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a new mattress. (Resolves once aired out)67. Allergen Resistance: A property of mattress materials that helps reduce the accumulation of allergens.68. Chemical Free: Indicates that no chemicals were used in the manufacturing process.69. Flame Retardants: Chemicals added to mattresses to increase fire resistance.

Trial & Warranties

Understanding the warranties and trial information can give you peace of mind about your mattress purchase.70. Sleep Trial: A period offered by many mattress companies to test the mattress at home before committing. (Nectar, for example, offers an industry-leading 365-Night Sleep Trial)71. Warranty: A guarantee provided by the manufacturer regarding the quality and durability of the mattress.

Your Mattress Knowledge - and Shopping - Journey

Armed with this comprehensive glossary of 71 essential mattress terms, you're now better equipped to navigate the mattress shopping experience with confidence. Understanding everything from material types to warranties will empower you to ask the right questions – and ultimately identify the features that matter most for your unique sleep needs.Remember that the perfect mattress balances comfort, support, durability, and any health considerations. It doesn’t look the same to everyone!If you're ready to experience better sleep right now, explore Nectar's award-winning collection of memory foam and hybrid mattresses (complete with our industry-leading 365-night trial period). Have questions about our products? Contact our sleep experts via phone, chat, or email – they can guide you through finding your perfect mattress match.