Glossary

• Breathability

  Mattresses need to breathe. With the amount of fillings and areas of space within a mattress, they can quickly hold heat and moisture. Over time this can influence the way a mattress behaves and also effect the life span of a mattress. 
  
  Manufacturers have developed different ways of tackling the problem of Breathability in mattresses. Some brands have used vents to allow air to pass through the mattress. Some brands use state-of-the-art materials to cover the mattress, such as Coolmax or Outlast. Memory Foam has a reputation of storing heat and moisture, as foam requires heat to soften up.Memory Foam brands have overcome this problem by applying Coolmax and Outlast, they also use Open Cell technology. This technique is to simply allow the foam to settle with larger spaces between the foam cells. This allows heat and moisture to move freely without getting trapped.
  
  Some mattresses are created in such a way that they do not require any additional Breathability methods. These mattresses are generally the entry level mattresses with Open Coil spring units and not a great deal of fillings.
  
  

• Breather Vent

  See Vents.

• Latex

  Latex is the ultimate in luxurious natural materials (but can be synthetic in other markets). Latex is actually found in more than 10% of flowering plants around the world. About 20,000 species from more than 40 families. The Latex used in the bedding industry is taken from sustainable sources. Latex is perfect for mattresses because it is soft, hypoallergenic, natural and moulds to the shape of the body. 
  
  Latex used in bedding also tends to be treated in such a way that it can be used by people who have Latex allergies! The technique used is to super heat the Latex unit, freeze it, super heat it and freeze it again. Once this process is complete, the harmful chemicals released can be chemically washed off, leaving it suitable for everyone. Latex is the material Memory Foam has tried to copy. Memory foam  requires heat to mould to the shape of your body and can therefore become too warm for some. Latex does not require heat and is soft at any temperature. As a natural material which requires time and various processes to be extracted, Latex can be more expensive that its rival materials, but the comfort levels achieved are well worth it.

• Orthopaedic

  Orthopaedic mattresses are usually the firmest mattresses on the market. A common mistake made by those with back pain, is to assume that a firm Orthopaedic mattress will be the solution. Personal comfort and a correct diagnosis of the cause of the pain should always be saught before purchasing an Orthopaedic mattress. 
  
  Many brands have 'Ortho' mattresses. Terms used include 'Backcare' or 'Orthocare' and the theme is generally to produce a firmer feeling mattress. The idea is to create a mattress that the body can rest on without sinking in and bending the spine, causing pressure to build up. However, if a lighter person lays on a firmer mattress, they will find the spine will not align correctly as the loaded parts of the body (shoulders, hips etc) are not sitting correctly. For more information on the causes of back pain, click here or read about another solution in the Zoning description.

• Orthos (Hypnos)

  Orthos is Hypnos' term for Orthopaedic. Hypnos use this term for several, Medium/Firm mattresses.

• Pocket Sprung

  Pocket Sprung units are an adaption of the traditional open coil/continuous spring unit. By placing each spring in its own individual 'pocket' (a fabric sock-like pouch), the spring is not joined to any other part of the mattress. The pocket that supports the spring is then joined to its neighbouring pockets and this effect creates a unique feel.
  
  By creating a spring unit in this way, it allows the springs to move independently, rather than sharing the pressure with surrounding springs. This effect allows for much more accurate contour following and a more comfortable feel overall.
  
  If you were to push your hand into a traditionally sprung mattress, the area around your hand would dip/sink too. With Pocket Springs, this sunken area is much more remote and therefore more accurately follows the contours of the pressure source. There are differences in the techniques used to create Pocket Springs, but more or less they remain the same.

• ReActive (Hypnos)

  This is the Hypnos spring unit that has 8 Turns and features Active Turns.

• Turn / No Turn

  Some mattresses require turning over, to aid even settlement. Others do not require turning, but will still require rotating.

• Vents

  The small metal mesh on the side of the mattress to aid moisture and heat management.