Glosssary

ALLERGEN RESISTANT - Resistant to bacteria, fungi and other living organisms.

ALLERGY CARE - Fiber material that reduces household allergens.

ALPACA - Luxurious natural fiber that keeps you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

ALTERNATING COIL - Provides contouring support & minimizes motion transfer.

ANGORA - Luxurious natural cushioning fiber that offers comfort and support.

AXIOM I – Memory Foam Sleep Sofa replacement mattress that combines 1.5” Cradlesoft memory foam with 3” high density foam to provide a greatly improved comfort level for sleep sofas. Should fit most sleep sofa models because of the compressibility of the foam. Offers a 20 year limited warranty.

BEAUTY LOFT - Plush synthetic fiber that adds resilience for enhanced sleep comfort. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

BEDBOARD FOUNDATION - A wood frame support system that is equal to putting a board under your mattress to firm it up.

BLENDED LATEX - Polyurethane foam enhanced with latex. Allows superior airflow throughout padding materials.

BLOC FOAM - High density foam at the base of the mattress that absorbs shock and reduces motion.

BODY LOFT - A combination of antimicrobial and antibacterial fibers that help reduce allergies and dust mites. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

BODY IMPRESSIONS – Normal indentations in a mattress that happen when the padding layers in the mattress compress over time. Every conventional mattress experiences some body impressions, similar to the way gloves or shoes conform to the shape of your hand or foot. Proper rotating of the mattress minimizes body impressions.

BONNELL COIL - Hour glass shaped coil, round on top and bottom.

BORDER ROD - Heavy wire that forms the outer edge of an innerspring unit. The border rod usually is clipped to the outermost coils and the ends of the helicals

BOUNTY LOFT - A blended woven fiber. A breathable fiber providing comfort and resilience. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

BOXSPRING - Designed to support an innerspring mattress. May also be called a foundation. Together, a mattress and boxspring comprise a sleep set.

BRASS VENTS - Functional, decorative pieces added to the mattress to aid in ventilation.

BUNKIE BOARD – A very thin foundation that is used with bunk beds and when a standard or low profile foundation is too high. They are generally 2” thick.

CABLE COIL - Three light gauge coils twisted together to create a more durable coil. This design provides more support and a higher degree of motion separation.

CALIFORNIA KING - A bed that measures 72 inches wide and 84 inches long.

CALIFORNIA QUEEN – A bed that measures 60” x 84”. Usually used as a replacement for a hard sided water bed. It may be better to use a standard 60” x 80” queen to allow room for the linens and make it easier to handle.

CASHMERE - A luxurious fiber that provides warmth in the winter and keeps you cool in the summer.

CELESTRA - Polypropylene insulator pad. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

CHANNEL VENTILATION SYSTEM - This unique system cuts channels from one side of the mattress to the other, promoting “true” ventilation, which will help keep the mattress cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It also allows a more forgiving support for shoulders, hips, and knees, while maintaining a solid base for the pillow area and feet.

CHENILLE - Wool blend fiber stretch material. Offers the look of fine high end furniture.

CLOTH HANDLES - Handles made of cloth that match the ticking of the mattress and are sewn to it. Handles should be used to position the mattress, never to lift it.

CLUSTER FIBER - Fiber that is bonded to prevent shifting.

COIL COUNT - The number of coils in the mattress. Usually quoted in queen size, which is the most popular size.

COMFORT BOND - A fiber pad bonded or molded into shape through a heat process that cuts down on body impressions.

COMFORT CLUSTER FIBER - Feels like goose down.

COMFORT - A general term to describe the overall feel of a mattress.

COMFORT LOFT POLY - Softer, higher form of polyurethane. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

COMFORT/SUPPORT TRAY - Firmer sitting edge and minimizes edge breakdown.

COMFORTFIL - A soft, low pressure sleep surface that allows for better circulation during sleep. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

CONTINUOUS COIL - The coils are formed from one piece of continuous wire, generally running from head to toe. Provides support along the entire length of the body.

CONTOURING - The ability to follow or fit the natural curves of the body.

CONVOLUTED FOAM - Polyurethane foam formed with pockets that resemble an egg crate, provides additional pressure relief and contouring support.

CONVOLUTED INFINILUX - Synthetic Latex with eggshell foam concept. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

COOLMAX™ - Coolmax™ fabric is an exclusive of Jeffco Fibres, with Dupont technology that wicks away body moisture and promotes maximum breathability of the mattress.

CORNER GUARDS - Plastic or metal fittings secured to foundation corners to prevent material damage from the bed frame.

CORTEX - Firming material which serves as a base, also known as a coconut fiber.

COTTON - A natural fiber used as an insulator pad or comfort pad and as ticking on high-end products.

COTTON BATTING - A type of padding layer generally used to achieve a firm feel.

CRADLESOFT™ MEMORY FOAM – High quality memory foam manufactured by Jeffco Fibres. Offers best compression and durability. Manufactured in North America to Federal 1633 FR standards.

CUMULOFT - Dacron Polyester fiber used on plush Sealy Posturepedic products. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

DACRON - Is a spun hollow core fiber that will provide resilience and a loftier soft touch to the quilt.

DAMASK - Originally referred to a Belgium cotton import, it is now used for any high quality cotton woven design.

DENSE FIBER PAD - An extra layer between you and the innerspring that provides firm comfort and support.

DENSITY - The weight per cubic foot of foam. Density sometimes denotes firmness and is considered an important indicator of foam quality.

DUAL TORSION - A bow tie shaped spring added to the seat edge for border support.

DUNLOP - A method used in producing latex mattresses. The serum is collected from rubber trees, then poured into a mold and baked.

DUST MITES - Microscopic arachnids that feed on dead skin that sloughs from our bodies. They live in mattresses, pillows, and bedroom carpets.

EDGE GUARD - Type of border support

EDGE SUPPORT - An additional support element added to the edge to firm up the sides of a mattress. Increases sleeping space by allowing you to sleep closer to the edge of the bed.

ENCASED COIL - Provides ultra body-contouring support & minimizes partner motion transfer.

EVEREDGE - A rigid foam edge around the entire mattress. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

EVERLAST - A man made latex blend foam padding. Instant shape recovery, won't bunch or break down, the mattress has that new feel year after year. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

EYELET BORDERS - Contemporary version of brass vent plates. They aid in ventilation.

FATIGUE - A softening or loss of load bearing capacity of a mattress. A mattress showing signs of fatigue is generally considered "worn out" and ready for replacement.

FIBERLUX - High quality fiber that that provides an extra plush feel. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

FIREBLOCKER - Fireblocker system is a precise blend of natural and synthetic fibers designed to isolate the impact of a fire and prevent its spread into the mattress. The fire code for mattresses is called 16 CFR Part 1633.

FIRM - A comfort designation usually given to an unyielding surface.

FIRMNESS - A general term to describe how much resistance the mattress applies to body weight and the resulting "give".

FLAWLESS SCULPTURE FOAM - Point up specially designed convoluted foam offering lower pressure per square inch. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

FOAM ENCASED - Wrapping the entire mattress in heavy rigid foam, eliminating the border wire. Maximizes the sleeping surface. Found on upper end mattresses.

FOUNDATION - The foundation absorbs much of the stress of the mattress set and provides added comfort and support. Putting a new mattress on an old worn foundation may damage the new mattress and void the warranty. Foundations may be made with torsion bars to act as shock absorbers. Some more basic foundations are hollow with no torsion bars. Foundations are more common today than the box springs that were made with coil springs.

FRAME – A steel bed frame is use to support the mattress and foundation. Standard frames come in twin, full, queen and king size. Some heavy duty frames are available in a universal size that can be used with all sizes. Queen and king size frames must have a center bar to support the bed adequately and prevent sagging. Failure to use a center bar support may void the warranty

FULL SIZE - Any mattress, bed frame or foundation that measures 54" wide by 75" long. Full Extra Long is 54” x 80”.

FULL SIZE SPLIT BOX SPRINGS – A full size box spring or foundation that is made in two finished pieces, each one measuring 27” x 75”. Allows for delivery in very tight stairways and hallways.

GAUGE - The measured thickness of the steel used in coil units. The lower the number the thicker the steel. Usually ranges between 12 and 15 gauge for innerspring mattress and 6 to 8 for border rods.

HAMMOCKING - An undesirable trait that signals it’s time for a new mattress. Corners tend to rise and bow in response to deep compression much like a hammock.

HD FOAM - High Density Foam

HELICALS - Wire spirals that usually hold together adjacent rows of coil springs.

HEX RAIL POLY -Designed with stronger edge with higher density for support and durability.

HIGH DENSITY – Refers to the weight and the amount of give in a foam product.

HIGH PERFORMANCE FLAWLESS FOAM - Provides proper support, high-density durability, and long-term resiliency. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

HOG RINGS – the metal rings used to attach the border rod to the coils at the end of each row in the innerspring.

INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED COIL - Hand assembled and hand laced or wrapped.

INFINILUX - Offers the feel of premium latex. Conformity with instant shape recovery. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

INNERSPRING - A mattress that includes tempered coiled springs. This type of mattress was the most common, however memory foam and latex mattress are quickly gaining in popularity due to their comfort, ability to conform to the shape of the body, prevent pressure points and their durability.

INNERSPRING UNIT - The spring and wire unit consisting primarily of coils, helicals and border rods, which form the heart of an innerspring mattress.

INSULATOR - A tough fiber padding, wire or netting that separates innerspring mattress coils from the cushioning.

INTEGRA LOCK - A rigid foam edge around the entire set. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

KING SIZE - Any mattress, bed frame or foundation that measures 76" wide by 80" long.

LATEX FOAM - Latex is natural, hypoallergenic natural conforming foam with long lasting resiliency. Offers instant shape recovery.

LUXURY CHANNELS - Exotic fibers and buoyant convoluted foam are channel quilted together to create this uniquely comfortable and "down-like" sleep surface! This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

MARSHALL UNIT - Barrel shaped, power packed, individually pocketed coils.

MARVELUX - Firmest foam pad on market. Gives height and support. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

MAXI EDGE - Edge Support System. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

MEMORY FOAM – Developed by NASA, temperature sensitive visco elastic foam. Provides deep contouring and slow recovery to conform to your body, and provide excellent support. There are many quality levels in memory foam.

MID-SUPPORT ZONE - An exclusive feature that puts additional fiber pads in the center third of the mattress for additional support in the lumbar region.

MSI – Motion Separation Index - Indicates the degree of Motion Transfer from side to side the mattress prevents. Simmons Beautyrest uses this term.

NATURAL LATEX - 100% pure, natural latex is a serum that is collected from the rubber tree and processed into sheets of latex.

NORDIC GRID WOOD FOUNDATION - Provides support and extends the life of the mattress. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

NO TURN/ NO FLIP – One sided mattresses that have become the standard. These models have been designed to eliminate the need to turn heavy mattresses. They provide the same comfort and durability as two sided mattresses, without the need to turn them.

NYLON OR METAL NETTING - Used by various manufacturers to help eliminate pocketing and sagging.

OFFSET COIL - An innerspring mattress coil that has an hourglass shape and a squared off section at the top and bottom of the coil.

ORTHOPEDIC STANDARD - The minimum count of 312 coils, 13 gauge steel and 6 gauge border wire.

PERIMETER EDGE FOAM - An additional border framing the coil unit.

PILLOW TOP - The type of design where an extra layer of comfort padding is added to the surface of a mattress.

PILLOWFILL - Serta's company name for the synthetic fiber that adds soft comfort to padding layers. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

PIN CONVOLUTED - Patented foam designed with thousands of massaging foam fingers in the cushioning layer.

PLUSH - A designation of comfort usually reserved for medium soft mattresses.

POCKETED COILS - Cylindrical innerspring mattress coils enclosed in separate flexible fabric pockets. The pockets are attached to adjacent pockets.

POCKET FOAM - Found just below the pillow top. It lifts up the pillow top. Cuts off 3" before the edge of the mattress perimeter.

POCKETING - The name given to the occurrence of padding sinking into the coil system.

POLY FOAM - Short for polyurethane foam, used in almost all innerspring mattresses as either an insulator pad or comfort pad that provides extended durability and comfort.

PRESSURE POINTS - The points at which capillaries will close due to pressure against the body. A mattress that supports evenly can reduce this undesirable condition. Memory foam and latex mattresses are designed to minimize this problem.

PRO-RATED – A warranty that usually provides 100% coverage for the first year and then is pro-rated by the time remaining in the warranty period. A mattress with a 10 year warranty that has been used for 5 years will yield a 50% replacement value. See specific manufacturers’ warranties for details. All warranties require that the customer pay transportation costs.

PURE FOAM - Higher quality than most poly foams. Pure foam is more resilient.

QUALATEX - Man made Latex that doesn't have the imperfections natural latex has. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

QUEEN SIZE - Any mattress, bed frame or foundation that measures 60" wide by 80" long.

QUEEN SIZE SPLIT BOX SPRINGS – A queen size box spring or foundation that is made in two finished pieces, each measuring 30” x 80”. Used when restricted hallway or staircase prohibits use of standard queen box spring.

QUILTING - Patterns that are sewn into the mattress ticking. For surface softness, many manufacturers quilt the ticking to soft urethane foam of varying thickness.

QUILT-FLEX - High grade poly foam that is poured under a vacuum to produce the most consistent durable foam. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

QUILTLUX FIBER - Similar to Bountyloft. Breaths and helps establish softer comfort levels. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

RACETRACKING - The term for using firm foam around the perimeter of a bed.

RECOVERY TIME - The time it takes for a piece of foam to return to its original shape. Latex foam has a fast recovery time, and memory foam has a long recovery time.

RESILIENCY – Refers to the recovery time of foam that has been compressed. Surface liveliness and spring-back ability.

RESILIUM - Helps retain shape and prevent body impressions while providing comfort. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

RESIN BOND - Component added at high temperatures that forms a welding together of material to create a firming pad that will not shift or pocket.

RESIN PAD - Provides a firmer feel, and durability.

SACRO-FOAM - Body supporting poly-foam. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SCULPT FOAM - Deeply contoured foam with thousands of gentle fingers that conform to the body providing a rich luxurious feel. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SEALY FOAM - High quality durable foam that cushions and conforms to the body for a plusher feel. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SENSIFIBER - Advanced fiber that's found in ski jackets & sleeping bags. When the body gets hot, the fiber absorbs heat, when the body cools down, it releases the heat. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SENSUS - Visco Foam. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SHOCK ABZZORBER PLUS – A Sealy term for their foundation. Provides proper support and stress relief for the mattress.

SIGMA FLEX FOUNDATION - Torsion bar modules absorb the body's weight and help maintain correct spinal alignment. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SILENCER STRIPS - Pieces of scrap fabric placed in boxspring to reduce contact noise.

SILK - Keeps you cooler in the warm weather.

SIM-FOAM - A synthetic poly-foam developed by Simmons for extra support and greater conformability.

SOFTENING PAD - Generally referred to padding that achieves a plush comfort level.

STABILITY FLEX - Provides support & extends the life of the mattress. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

STEEL SPAN - Sealy Posturepedics steel beam anchored torsion bar foundation.

SUPER SOFT CONVOLUTED FOAM - Provides Plush Comfort. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SUPER SOFT FLAWLESS FOAM - Provides comfort and support. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

SUPERIOR FOAM ENCASEMENT - Firmer sitting edge with more sleep surface. Increased flexibility.

SUPPORT - A general term to describe how the mattress distributes and stabilizes body weight and maintains proper body alignment.

SYFI PAD - Compressed polyester fiber bonded together by baking, found in Simmons products.

TACK & JUMP QUILTING - Minimizes Body Impressions & adds comfort.

TALALAY LATEX - Talalay latex provides up to 33% more pressure relief than conventional foam and fiber cushioning materials. More durable and breathable than Dunlop latex. Talalay is naturally hypoallergenic, dust mite resistant and antimicrobial, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

TAMPICA - A coconut hair-fiber based insulator pad.

TEMPERED STEEL - A process of heating steel at high temperatures to increase the strength of both mattress & boxspring coils.

TICKING - The name given to a fabric that covers a mattress. These fabrics are often attractive tone on tone or woven damasks.

TORSION GRID FOUNDATION - A support system made up of torsion bars. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

TRIPLE BEAM - The use of 3 layers of wood in creating a foundation. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

TRIPLE CASED - Stearns & Fosters patented laminated foam encasing process.

TRIPLE CASED COMFORT CROWN - Scientifically designed sculpted foam, provides additional edge support. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

TRITON FOUNDATION - A total base of non-flexing steel struts that creates a non-yielding foundation - no motion transfer found in all no-flip Beautyrest models.

TOPPER PAD - Insulation and padding material that lies on top of the spring assembly in an innerspring mattress.

TUFTING - The cover is sewn from the top all the way to the bottom of the mattress. Tufting keeps layers of foam from shifting inside.

TWIN SIZE - Any mattress, bed frame or foundation that measures 39" wide by 75" long.

TWIN EXTRA LONG – A bed that measures 39” x 80”. Two twin extra long foundations are used as a king size foundation.

ULTRA EDGE - The rigid foam border support found in the lower end Stearns &Foster products. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

ULTRASTEEL - The type of torsion bar foundation found on Stearns & Foster products.

UNI-CASED - Thermo-plastic foam (poly foam) that is fused together while being interlocked. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

VENTILATED VISCO - Designed to breathe and keep you cooler.

VERSARE - Piece of material used between the mattress and the pillow top. The material holds layers together to offer less chance of pocketing. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

VISCO MEMORY FOAM - Slow responding body heat sensitive foam that conforms to the body. Developed by NASA for use by Astronauts. Also called Visco Elastic foam.

WATERFALL FOUNDATION - Also known as the Continental Foundation, the upholstery wraps over the top edge of the unit as opposed to a foundation ending with a tape edge.

WHISPER FOAM - Created in a vacuum to ensure consistency. Ultra soft foam eliminates body impressions. This is a manufacturer’s unique term.

WOOL – A natural fiber that keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter.

Z-BAR - Tempered steel bar shaped like a "Z" that's reinforced to the border rod for edge support.

ZONE GRID BOX - A torsion element foundation concentrating more support in zones of potentially heavier weight.

ZONED LUMBAR SUPPORT - Found in Simmons Beautyrest providing additional support to the lumbar and leg regions.