What is Bounce in a Mattress?
What is Bounce in a Mattress?
Bounce is measured by resiliency.
Resiliency is simply how quickly a material recovers or springs back into shape. Another word we might use is elasticity. In the world of comfort, we summarize this in terms of bounce, or lack thereof.
Different foams have different amounts of resilience. On one end of the spectrum you have memory foam. It cradles on impact, gently regaining it's shape at a gradual pace. On the other end, there's latex and high resiliency materials. These are the hyperactive cousins of the foam family, bouncing back like an 8-year old with an energy drink. And in between is a wide array of structures and feels, designed to match almost any preference.
So what's pressure relief?
Pressure relief simply refers to a mattresses ability to evenly distribute a sleeper's body weight, minimizing pressure buildup on specific points like hips, shoulders, and heels.
Did you know?
For patients that are forced to be in a bed for long periods of time, managing pressure relief is crucial to ensure proper comfort and the avoidance of pressure sores on the body. This same practice can be applied for residential mattresses, and pressure mapping technology is very useful in product development.
See those images above? Pressure map operators can modify these images to look better or worse, depending on their need. So, along with the images, you always have to make sure the data is published to see the whole story. Pressure is measured in mmHG (milimeters Mercury) and the goal should always be to keep the readings under 32mmHG, which is the level in which pressure sores could develop.
Any time we introduce a new material as an option for our Customized, Rebuildable Mattresses® we spend some time pressure mapping new constructions. This information helps us identify the new foam's benefits, allowing us to properly fit our customers.
learn the difference in foam types
Memory Foam
On one end of the spectrum, we have the belle of the foam ball: memory foam, otherwise known as viscoelastic foam.
Hybrid Foam
With slightly more bounce and resiliency than memory foam and more pressure relief than high-resiliency foam, hybrid foams are designed to bring you the best of both worlds.
High Resiliency Foam
At the far end of the resiliency spectrum lies the bounciest foam of them of all: latex-like, high-resiliency (HR) foam.