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By Wesley Vaughn What are innerspring coils made of? “Steel,” we say. Other options are: Stainless steel, titanium steel, titanium alloy, or some other metal alloy. That is it! Or it was—until now. Among the new mattress companies at the Winter Las Vegas Market in January 2014 is VitalWOOD USA, the U.S. distributor for VitalWOOD, a division of Hungarian manufacturer Bio-Textima. This family-owned firm developed the wooden coil as an alternative to metal springs, releasing it...
All posts by Wesley Vaughn
Microcoils
[caption id="attachment_199" align="aligncenter" width="242"] Leggett & Platt "Softouch" Microcoil[/caption] Definition Microcoils (or minicoils) are coils which are smaller than standard innerspring coils. Innersprings are usually 6” to 8” high. Some microcoils are 4” high, but most are much shorter, usually 1” to 2½” high. They are also narrower and made with lighter gauge wire. Some microcoils are only ¾” tall. At least one supplier calls the shorter ones...
Mattress Foams – Part 2
(Continued from Part 1) The three major kinds of foam used in mattresses are polyurethane foam, visco-elastic memory foam, and latex foam. Each kind of foam has variations. First, there are different ingredients in these foams. Then there are different densities and firmness levels. Now gel is infused into different foams to add desired characteristics. Polyurethane Foam Polyurethane (PU) foam is made by linking large molecules, usually isocyanates, to each other with modified oil...
Mattress Foams – Part 1
History of Mattress Foams Most of us appreciate some cushioning when sitting or lying on a hard surface for very long. This has been true for thousands of years, with cushions for sitting and sleeping. Mattresses began with fiber sleeping mats laid out on a floor. At some point, long cushions or pillows were made, filled with wool, straw, feathers, sawdust, horsehair—anything to soften a hard surface. In the middle of the 19th Century, coiled springs were invented for buggy and wagon...
Spring to Sleep
What kinds of springs are in your mattress? Metal Springs The best selling mattresses over time have been innerspring mattresses. The first mattress springs were adapted from buggy seat springs. These springs are called Bonnell coils. For a long time, they were the only kind of springs used in mattresses. Now there are several types of innerspring coils. The major kinds are Bonnell, Offset, Continuous and Pocket. Within each of these kinds are variations. Each type of innerspring has its own...
