What are the Layers of a Mattress?

You might think a mattress is just a rectangle of fabric stuffed with padding, but it’s so much more than that. You see, for a mattress to fully support your body and provide different levels of firmness and comfort, it’s made up of different layers of materials. While the materials themselves vary, overall the layers remain the same. Here’s a rundown of the different layers of a mattress to help you with your next trip to our showroom.

Cover

The cover is the part of your mattress that you actually see. It’s the upholstery fabric that wraps around all of the internal layers and keeps them bound together. It also acts as a barrier between your body and the internal layers to protect them from wear and tear. Typically it’s made of cotton, knit fabric, or woven blends to offer different textures and appearances. The cover is a simple layer, but as vital to the integrity of the mattress as your skin is to your body.

Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is the top internal layer of the mattress. When you lay on your mattress, this is the layer you typically notice first. It generally determines how soft or firm your mattress will be, along with the thickness of the overall product. Most models use softer materials for cushioning and contouring. At Gardner Mattress, this layer comes in a variety of materials like memory foam, latex, wool, and fiber.

If a mattress has more than one comfort layer, you may hear it referred to as a “comfort system,” and they can be made of different materials to provide extra comfort or amenities, like temperature regulation for hot sleepers. 

Insulator Pad

An insulator pad, also known as the transition layer, is a compressed pad that acts as a barrier between the comfort layer and base layer. This layer provides high-quality support that keeps the cushioning of the comfort layers from compressing into the coils of the base layer. 

In our mattresses, this layer can be made from densified, recycled materials or organic flax. This allows us to create eco-friendly and high-quality products. Depending on the material, your insulator pad can also help reduce static electricity in your mattress and reduce motion transfer that would otherwise disrupt your sleep.

Base Layer

Also known as the support layer or support core, the base layer is the thick lower layer of a mattress. It’s the foundation to the upper layers of your mattress, supporting them and you. The base layer is usually made of continuous wire springs or pocketed coil units. This way your mattress won’t sink excessively, which would make the mattress uncomfortable and even painful to sleep on. However, some mattresses use several thick layers of latex as the base layer to create a soft mattress that’s still supportive.

Box Spring

A box spring in an optional foundation layer you can add to your bed. It will keep your mattress level and provide extra support while you sleep, which is useful if you’re someone who moves around a lot or there are multiple people sleeping in one bed. It also raises your mattress higher in your bed frame. It’s not technically part of your mattress, but it’s useful for certain types of mattresses and living situations.

Knowing the different layers that make up your mattress is important when you purchase a new mattress. This way you can determine the best mattress for you, understanding what they do and which materials you want for each layer.