The reason why hybrid mattresses are now capturing a lot of ground on this online mattress consumer market is that they gather the benefits of several materials that are used in their construction. Basically, each material that’s ever used to make a mattress has both advantages and downsides. Sometimes, it’s hard for the sleeper to make a choice because he wants to have the advantages of more than a single material. Hybrid mattresses are amazing that way: they make it easier for people to make up their minds by combining several different materials for the comfort of the end user.
Looking Closer
The Saatva and Sapira mattresses are perfect examples of how innerspring can blend in amongst several layers of foam to make the sleeper feel more comfortable. Because they both use innerspring layers, with coils that are individually wrapped in order to allow better airflow and minimize motion transfer, the customer gets to benefit from bounciness, responsiveness, body contouring and support. The innerspring layers are carefully combined with different types of foam that create advantages every sleeper seeks to have in his life. They are ideal for people who share their bed with a partner because the benefits of the mattresses act locally on each of the body zones that need pressure relief and support.
In the following paragraphs, we are going to dissect both the Saatva and the Sapira mattresses and analyze their construction and features, to help you determine if either of these two can be your sleeping companion for many nights to come.
Breakdown of the Saatva Mattress
See our full Saatva Mattress Review.
Construction
Top Layer – Pressure Relieving Foam
Since this is an innerspring mattress, having a comfort memory foam layer is very important for the benefit of the sleeper. Underneath the top cover of the Saatva mattress lies a layer of foam that’s meant to support and provide pressure relief for the sleeper. Thanks to the design of the layer, airflow can easily circulate throughout its surface, drawing heat away from your body. It also acts as a transition layer between your body and the innerspring layer below.
Second Layer – Individually Wrapped Coils
This layer is a perfect example of how much mattresses have evolved since the days when an old coil mattress would poke you in the ribs because it was overused. There are many benefits to having an innerspring layer of individually wrapped coils in the middle of a mattress. The first major benefit is the bounciness. When a mattress is highly responsive to our movements, it’s easier for us to switch positions while we sleep. A mattress that’s not responsive will give you that feeling of sinking into the surface as you’re moving from one side to another. Another important benefit brought to you by individually wrapped coils is the motion isolation factor.
Third Layer – Recycled Steel Coils
The reason why the Saatva mattress stands out of the crowd is the combination of dual coil layers, each with its own design and construction. The support layer of the mattress is made with recycled steel coils, supporting the layers above it. This construction also permits a lot of air circulation within the coils, helping you sleep cool. Thanks to the coil-on-coil structure, the mattress is even bouncier than you’d expect, so you might want to keep the kids from jumping up and down in bed too much.
Base – High-Density Poly Foam
The base of the Saatva mattress is very intelligently constructed and provides some of the best edge support we’ve seen in an innerspring mattress. The high-density poly foam provides a pretty solid foundation for the rest of the mattress. Because it’s wrapped around the coil layer, it creates s sturdy edge support system, as the foam maintains its shape when pressure is applied on the mattress. Edge support is important in a lot of situations, particularly if you share your bed with a partner and need all-around support from all corners of the mattress. By lying on the edge of the Saatva, you won’t feel any difference compared to resting in the center of the bed. There is virtually zero compression, which is further proof that the edge support of the mattress is built with the comfort of the sleeper in mind.
Firmness
There are three different firmness options available when you purchase the Saatva mattress. Of course, each of the three options is suitable for different types of sleepers. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the firmest options available, the plush soft version is a three, the luxury firm one gets about five or six and the firm version has a rating of eight. The plush soft version is best suited for people who like to sleep on their sides and need a mattress that will allow the shoulders and hips to sink in, but it’s also suitable for people who are lightweight and will barely feel any comfort when lying on top of a firm mattress.
The luxury firm version of the Saatva is the best-selling model, as it’s best suited for combination sleepers or for sleeping partner that each has their own different preference in terms of how firm a mattress should be. If you are a stomach sleeper, the Saatva firm is your ideal choice, because you need to prevent your belly area from sinking in the mattress too much and bending your spine inwards.
Feel
Needless to say, people with different body configuration will feel the mattress in a different way. First off, the Euro-style pillow top will be a delight to all sleepers. By applying hand pressure on any part of the mattress, you will feel the softness of the cover, and the immediate response of the two layers of coils. This has to be one of the bounciest mattresses we’ve tested so far. The feel of a Saatva mattress will also depend on the firmness level chosen. The luxury firm version, for instance, provides a good combination between quick coil response and the support your body needs. If you like sleeping on the side, you will feel a bit of pressure in the shoulders and hip area, so the plush soft mattress is a better choice for you.
Unique Features
Motion Transfer
The Saatva mattress does a really great job at isolating motions, and that’s because of the individually wrapped coils layer. Movement on side of the bed will not cause any disturbance on the other side but this is, however, a factor that’s highly dependent on the weight of the partners that’s moving. The bounciness of the mattress aids in minimizing motion transfer, while facilitating nocturnal movement, as the areas of the mattress you slept on will quickly recover after pressure.
Breakdown of the Sapira Mattress
Construction
Top Cover – Polyester & Lycra Blend
The top cover features a blend of lycra and polyester and feels pretty thin. The material is highly stretchable, which prevents it from bunching up if you fuss too much when you sleep. The use of lycra is a very smart move because it has moisture wicking properties. In fact, lycra is quite commonly used in the manufacturing of clothing apparel specifically because of this property. Overall, the cover does a pretty good job of keeping your skin cool and fresh.
Top Layer – Avena Foam
To add even more cooling properties to this mattress, Sapira has a layer of foam that feature hole perforations, for better air circulation. Entitled “Avena”, this layer has a quick response under pressure, making sure that your mattress can return to its original shape for better support when you switch between sleeping positions. Measuring 1.5 inches in height, this layer is both supportive and adds a little bounciness to the mattress.
Second Layer – Pressure Relieving Memory Foam
This 1.5-inch layer of memory foam has excellent contouring properties, which are essential for the embrace people long to feel in their mattress. Thanks to this layer, the sleeper won’t feel that much pressure when sleeping in different positions. Normally, this layer would retain heat, but because it’s topped with the Avena foam layer, the mattress won’t run hot during the night.
Third Layer – High-Density Polyfoam
Acting as a transitions layer between the pressure relieving memory foam and the support layer underneath, the third layer of this mattress measures 1 inch in thickness and is made with high-density polyfoam. As you will discover once we get to the fourth layer, this transition section is pretty important for the sturdiness and durability of the mattress itself.
Fourth Layer – Pocketed Coils
The pocketed coil layer lies at the very core of the Sapira mattress. It measures 6 inches in height and features individually wrapped coils that act to provide the sleeper with bounciness and support. Because of its bounciness, getting in and out of bed is now a breeze. Since they are individually wrapped, you won’t have to worry about pressure on a specific spot on the mattress influencing the movement of coils, like a chain reaction. Mattresses that feature this kind of coil technology are known for having low motion transfer, to the delight of both sleeping partners.
Fifth Layer – High-Density Polyfoam
The thin foundation that stands at the base of the mattress measures a mere one inch in thickness. However, due to the overall construction and design of the mattress, you don’t really need more than that. As you may have noticed, the fourth coil layer is sandwiched between two one-inch layers of high-density polyfoam. Rest assured that the entire 4 inches of foam combinations that lie between your body and the innerspring layer are more than enough to provide comfort and support.
Firmness
This is quite a subjective factor, as people of different weight and preferred sleeping positions will experience the firmness of a mattress in different ways. On a scale from one to ten, the Sapita mattress has a firmness rating of about seven, which makes it a medium-firm product. What’s really important here is the pressure map. Pressure points are created when your body presses heavily on different areas of a mattress. If the mattress resists and doesn’t allow a bit of sinkage in those points, muscle and joint pains will often be the end result. For back and stomach sleepers, the Sapira creates almost zero pressure points, which is pretty expected considering its firmness rating. However, there will be some pressure points for side sleepers. However, it’s nothing that creates major discomfort, so side sleepers are also welcome to try the Sapira and see if it fits their needs.
Feel
To see how a mattress feels, you can start by applying light, moderate and then heavy pressure on top of the mattress, using your hand. The top layers feel very soft and you will immediately feel your hand sinking into the surface of the mattress. But you will also feel how quick the upper layers of memory respond to pressure. The more pressure you apply, the more you can feel the air pushing through the mattress.
Unique Features
Edge Support
Edge support is important when you share your bed with a partner or when you have limited mobility and need a firm edge to get in and out of bed. By rolling over to the edge of the mattress, you will feel secure, without ever having to worry about the mattress sinking in and causing you to slip out of bed. If you ever need to sit on the edge of the bed for whatever reason, you will feel just a tiny bit of sinkage because of all the layers of foam used in the upper side of the mattress, but sitting will be comfortable nonetheless.
Which One to Get?
Saatva Mattress
The Saatva mattress is available in different levels of firmness, so if you’re a side sleeper, it also has the plush soft version which is ideal for you. If there’s one chapter where the Saatva mattress excels is the superior edge support it provides. The bottom layer that hosts the steel support coils has all-around protection provided by the foam encasing it. This helps the mattress retain its shape even when subjected to heavy pressure. Due to its construction, the Saatva mattress can support a total of 600 pounds in weight and still be durable enough to last you for years to come. If you want to feel like you’re always on top of the mattress, the Saatva will make sure that the memory foam isn’t allowed to sink in up to that point where movement feels unnatural.
Sapira Mattress
The Sapira mattress is a fierce competitor of the Saatva model. Since it does a great job at isolating motion, it’s a great option for a couple who are often bothered by nocturnal movements. It’s a hybrid mattress that combines a generous innerspring layer with supporting memory foam that comforts almost every type of sleeper. Back and stomach sleepers are the main target of this mattress, because of its medium-firm feel. It manages to keep the spine aligned as to avoid back pains in the long term.
Saatva vs Sapira Comparison
| Saatva Mattress | Sapira Mattress | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used | Three layers
|
Five layers
|
| Height | Two options: 11.5 or 14.5 inches | 11 inches |
| Firmness | Has a plush soft, luxury firm and firm option. |
Medium-firm |
| Motion Transfer | Very Good | Good |
| Breathability | Good | Good |
| Trial Period | 120 nights free trial | 100 nights free trial |
| Warranty | 15 years | 10-year warranty |
| Pricing (Queen) | $1,199 | $1,360 |
| Shipping | Free white glove delivery | Free via UPS ground to all 50 states |
Conclusion
The quality of the materials used and the superior body support provided makes it very hard to choose between these two mattresses. Even if there are differences in how these mattresses were designed and constructed, they are similar in the level of comfort they provide. Since they are both based on innerspring systems with coils that are individually wrapped, both models are very bouncy and responsive and provide great motion transfer because of that. They are great for people who share their bed with a sleeping partner and one of them tends to get a little too fussy during the night. Whatever choice you make, you can fully benefit from the free nights trial and test the mattress to see if it’s a good fit.