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Spring or Memory Foam Mattress: Which to Choose?

Quick answer: choose springs if you sleep hot, have a medium-to-heavy body weight, or share a bed and want firmness and ventilation. Choose memory foam if you sleep on your back, have lower back or hip pain, and prefer a mattress that conforms to your body. If you sleep in various positions, a hybrid combines both.

The question is almost always the same: springs or memory foam? There's no single answer – it depends on how you sleep, your weight, and whether you get hot during the night. Springs provide firm support and allow air to circulate; memory foam conforms to your body and relieves pressure points. In this guide, I'll show you which to choose for each profile, and where a hybrid offers the best of both worlds.

If you're still early in your decision-making process, first read the Guide to Choosing the Ideal Mattress 2026. This article focuses solely on the comparison between these two technologies.

Pocket springs: for whom?

Pocket springs work independently. Each spring is enclosed in a fabric pocket and responds only to the weight above it. This provides two things: firm support and good ventilation, because air circulates between the springs.

I recommend springs if:

  • You sleep hot. A spring mattress dissipates heat better than foam.
  • You have a medium-to-heavy body weight and need supportive comfort that doesn't sink.
  • You share a bed. Pocket springs isolate motion — when your partner turns over, you don't feel it.

In our range, the Mizu is the most straightforward spring mattress: high-resilience pocket springs, high firmness, 23 cm high. Without memory foam, for those who prefer a traditional firm feel. You can find more details about this construction in why choose a pocket spring mattress.

Memory foam: for whom?

Memory foam conforms to the body with heat and weight. Instead of pushing you up, it cradles areas of greater pressure — shoulders, hips, lower back.

I recommend memory foam if:

  • You sleep on your back and want your lumbar curve supported.
  • You have shoulder or hip pain, especially if you sleep on your side on a mattress that feels hard.
  • You prefer a bed that cradles rather than responds with firmness.

What you need to know: memory foam retains more heat than springs. If you get very hot at night, either choose a cooling version or opt for a hybrid.

In our range, the Hisui is the high-resilience memory foam mattress, firm, 26 cm – designed especially for lower back pain and back sleepers. More context in why choose a foam mattress.

Direct comparison

Criteria Pocket springs Memory foam
Support Point-by-point, more elastic Enveloping, conforms to the body
Ventilation High (air circulates between springs) Lower, retains more heat
Motion isolation Good Very good
Feel Firmer and more responsive Softer, hugs
Pressure relief Moderate High (shoulders, hips)
Durability High High

What about a hybrid? Springs + memory foam

You don't have to choose one side. A hybrid combines a pocket spring base (support and ventilation) with a layer of memory foam on top (pressure relief).

The Takumi (匠) — meaning "master craftsman" — is our hybrid and most popular mattress. Pocket springs, memory foam and high resilience, medium firmness, 26 cm. It's the right choice when a couple has different profiles: one prefers firm, the other prefers soft, and the hybrid finds the middle ground.

To compare hybrids with each other, see Takumi vs Mizu vs Sora.

Decision matrix by profile

  • Side sleeper, feel shoulder or hip pain → memory foam or hybrid (Hisui / Takumi)
  • Back sleeper, lower back pain → firm memory foam (Hisui)
  • Stomach sleeper → firmer springs (Mizu)
  • Get very hot at night → springs (Mizu) or ventilated hybrid (Takumi)
  • Couple with different profiles → hybrid (Takumi)
  • Medium-to-heavy body weight, want support → springs (Mizu) or firm hybrid

Three common mistakes

  1. Choosing based on firmness that feels good in the first few minutes. The body only decides after several nights.
  2. Ignoring your bed partner. The mattress is shared, so is the choice.
  3. Confusing firm with good for your back. A mattress that's too firm leaves no room for your shoulder and hip and creates pain where there was none.

"The most common mistake is choosing the firmest mattress thinking it's the best for your back. It's not always. If you sleep on your side, a mattress that's too firm leaves no room for your shoulder and hip, and you wake up with pain. Start with your sleeping position — the rest is decided from there."

— Ana Cristina, Sleep Advisor

How to test risk-free

The right structure is noticeable after sleeping on it, not in the store. That's why you have 100 nights to test the mattress at home. If you don't adapt, returns are free. Delivery is free in mainland Portugal, in 5 business days, and you can pay in 3 installments without interest with Klarna. Mattresses come with a 10-year warranty.

If you're in doubt between two models, call me. I'm Ana Cristina, Sleep Advisor, and in 10 minutes on the phone, I'll help you decide: +351 21 150 95 04.

See also:

Note: if you have chronic back pain or a diagnosed condition, use this guide as general advice and speak to your doctor before deciding.

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