Innerspring mattresses are undergoing an evolution with manufacturers starting to hybridize them in combination with other foam materials. Saatva and Winkbeds are two relatively fresh mattress makers, following the online-only model that are offering high-end innerspring hybrids at a fraction of the cost that a so-called ‘big’ brands ask.
Being able to get such luxury innerspring mattresses is great, provided you’re able to decide which one is right for you. This Saatva vs Winkbeds comparison aims to teach you to differentiate between two top-of-the-line spring mattresses that appear quite similar on the surface.
Read full Saatva Mattress Review by The Sleep Judge
Construction
Cover
A cover made from 100% organic cotton adorns the Saatva’s surface and results in a soft, breezy initial touch.
Euro Top
The mattress has a 1.25-inch thick viscoelastic foam Euro top layer present beneath the cotton cover, which cushions the initial impact of your body and gives it a lavish look.
First Layer
The mattress’ first layer is comprised of 3/8-inch deep memory foam – this lets the surface ‘adapt’ to the shape of your body. Since it is so thin, the contouring does not come with usual ‘sticky enveloping sensation’ attributed to memory foam products.
Second Layer
This layer consists of 4” deep, 14-gauge individually wrapped comfort springs – this is still the ‘comfort’ layer of the mattress, mind you, so these pocketed coils have the job of improving the pain relief and conformity of the mattress while also lending it some bounce and motion isolation. Each pocketed spring is encased in foam to enhance the edge support of the Saatva.
Third Layer
This is another innerspring layer, but this time, the coils are interconnected with helical wire and are thicker (13-gauge) and longer (5.5”). Consequently, they play a supportive rather than comforting role and ensure that your entire mass is kept well supported throughout the night thanks to their deeply compressive nature.
While they do lend a significant amount of spring to the mattress overall, some of it is countered by the 3/8-inch viscoelastic layer discussed above as well as the independent action of the preceding pocketed coil layer.
Edge Support Border
A foam border runs along the edges of the two spring layers of the Saatva and adds dedicated edge support that keeps you from sinking in while you sit on the side of the bed.
Firmness and Feel
There are three different versions of the Saatva available based on the level of firmness:
Comfort and Support
Plush
This is the medium-soft variant: a soft overall ILD of 18 allows the mattress to shape itself around your body without enveloping it entirely. The highly cushioning nature of the Plush Saatva also makes it the best (among the three variants) in terms of motion isolation.
Saatva calls it a 3 on their 1 to 10 firmness scale (1 is soft as quicksand, 10 hard as a tabletop).
Luxury Firm
This the default or ‘flagship’ variant that the manufacturer recommends for the average sleeper without particular sleep needs. It is designed to yield a balance between springy resilience and soft contouring, and although the manufacturer does not disclose its exact ILD rating because they don’t want anyone copying their idea, they do describe it as a 5-7 on their 1 to 10 scale for firmness.
Firm
The firm variant aims at providing a stiff, springy, and responsive sleep surface with reduced (but not completely removed) cushioning. This explains its relatively high ILD value of 30. The resilience of the firm Saatva enables it to push back at the sleeper’s body, which can contribute to relief against chronic back pain.
Edge Support
Saatva mattresses are able to hold your body aloft quite nicely because of the dedicated edge support perimeter. That said, the Winkbeds mattress is a notch better at support as a result of a slightly different approach that foregoes a boundary in favor of an entire edge support layer.
Cooling
The Saatva has two spring layers so air ventilation is up to par – the problem is that above the innerspring coils is a memory foam layer and a Euro top that contains memory foam too, and these do retain some heat. As a consequence, the Saatva takes a bit longer than average to dissipate heat away from your body.
Motion Transfer
The Saatva causes minimal motion transfer despite the two spring coil mechanisms it incorporates. This is likely a result of the thin 3/8” layer of viscoelastic foam that is present right above the first innerspring layer. The viscoelastic dulls any motion between partners yet is too thin to significantly affect the characteristic bounce of the mattress.
Unique Features
Smaller Price Tag
At present, the Saatva costs significantly less than the Winkbeds while still offering a comparable degree of comfort and support with essentially the same firmness options. The Winkbeds may be slightly more refined in some aspects, but you’re not missing out on much if you get the Saatva in order to stay within your budget.
Cotton Cover
If you’re a traditionalist who prefers simple cotton over modern new-age fabrics, the Saatva’s pure organic cotton cover will definitely appeal to you. It provides the soft, airy feel that has been associated with high-end bedding for decades.
Better Motion Transfer
The Saatva’s 3/8-inch memory foam padding right before the start of the innerspring layers ensures that any sudden impacts are adequately dulled before they can reach the underlying springs and carry over to the other parts of the bed – this kind of padding is not present in the Winkbeds, and therefore, it is a bit lacking in motion isolation in comparison.
More Generous Trial and Warranty
The Saatva mattress comes with a 15-year warranty and a 120-day trial as compared to the Winkbeds mattress’ 10-year warranty and 101-nights trial. If you judge a mattress’s reliability by the duration of its warranty, the Saatva is obviously the better choice. More concretely, you’re able to try the Saatva out for 19 more days than the Winkbeds, while remaining eligible for a refund.
Winkbeds Breakdown
Construction
Cover
The Winkbeds mattress has a cover made out of Tencel, a fabric derived from Eucalyptus that is soft, breathable, moisture absorbent, and inherently anti-microbial besides being certified by OEKO-Tex and Forest Stewardship Council for its environmental friendliness.
Learn more about Tencel® here:
Euro top layer
A 2” Euro pillow made from 1” hypersoft foam and 1” of stabilizing gel foam (both with 1.5 lbs./cu.ft density) is seamlessly combined with the underlying core layer. The former provides pressure relieving comfort without enveloping you like traditional memory foam, and the latter is responsible for absorbing motion and enhancing the adaptability of the surface.
Second layer
Next up is a layer of 2.5-inch foam-encased pocketed micro-air springs (1,358 coil count for queen size) that give the mattress a bouncy transitional feel while also boosting airflow for better heat dissipation.
Third layer
A 1-inch intermediate padding layer succeeds the first innerspring layer with the intention of enhancing the lumbar support offered by the Winkbeds mattress.
Fourth layer
The second layer of pocketed coils (with a significantly greater coil count of 2,211), provides personalized compressive support to sustain the entire weight of your body throughout the night with proper spinal alignment.
Fifth layer
The final layer comprises 1.5” of high density, high ILD support foam which slightly cancels the springiness of the mattress thereby enabling you to sleep on it without feeling like you’re floating completely.
It is worth noting that for the ‘Luxury Firm Plus’ variant (discussed below) the support coils are divided into three zones that each caters to a different region of your body: head and shoulders, lower back, and legs. The part that addresses your lower back is extra firm to sustain the high amount of pressure exerted by this region on the mattress. This zoning approach yields improved spinal alignment.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and Support
The Winkbeds mattress is available in three different levels of firmness, which is designed to cater to the needs of people with various sleep preferences. The manufacturer has described these levels on a 1 to 10 scale with 1 being extremely soft (similar to quicksand) and 10 being extremely hard (like a wooden floor):
Soft: The soft variant of the mattress has a rating of 4.5 on the 1-10 scale. It is primarily intended for lightweight individuals and side sleepers who want a bit more contouring than normal to properly support their spinal structure.
Luxury Firm: Those who are normally weighted will enjoy the flagship variant of the Winkbeds mattress with its balance between conforming pressure relief and stiff deep support (akin to luxury hotel beds) that makes it suitable for practically every sleeping position. It’s a 6.5 on the 1 to 10 scale.
I should mention here that Winkbeds also sells a ‘Plus’ version at this exact firmness level, but it is specially designed for heavier sleepers.
Firm: The firm variant is for individuals who are overweight and require a mattress that fully supports their body. However, it ranks at 7.5 on the manufacturer’s scale, so it isn’t completely unyielding and provides personalized pain relief without excessive deformation.
Edge Support
Thanks to the dual innerspring layers and the high-density edge support foam it incorporates, the Winkbeds mattress is exceptionally good at supporting you while you sit at any of its edges.
Cooling
The mattress is able to cool down at a rate that is on par with the market average, so it looks like the innersprings (in particular the upper micro-air coils) are doing their job in promoting air flow.
Note that Winkbeds comes with a proprietary active cooling solution known as coolControl. This is a base that circulates cool air to maintain a tolerable temperature for your bed throughout the night (if the temperature goes down, it pumps in the hot air too!).
The really cool thing is that it lets you specify your desired heating/cooling independent from your sleep partner. Naturally, these bases come with a price tag that is almost twice the price of the mattress itself.
Motion Transfer
This being a hybrid innerspring mattress, after all, you should be prepared for a small degree of motion transfer between you and your partner. Unless you’re an incredibly light sleeper, this is but a small price to pay for all the responsivity and resilience you get out of this mattress in return.
Unique Features
Tencel® cover
Tencel® is a proprietary fabric derived from bamboo fiber with a cool, silky texture as well as intrinsic breathability and anti-bacterial properties.
Better Edge Support
The Winkbeds is able to provide marginally better edge support thanks to the foam-encased micro air springs and the edge support foam base present at the very bottom as compared to Saatva’s bordered-edge support system.
Better Cooling
Thanks to its air-filled micro-coils, this mattress is able to cool down a few minutes faster than Saatva. For even better cooling (and if you’ve got the budget for it), you can always go with the coolControl base with its forced air temperature regulation system which blows (no pun intended) any passive cooling system out of the water.
Dedicated ‘Plus’ luxury-firm option for heavier people
Heavier sleepers often have to compromise and choose the firmest possible mattress out there, instead of one with the firmness level they truly desire since the latter cannot sustain their weight for long. However, Winkbeds has a dedicated ‘Plus’ sub-variant of their Luxury Firm model which is specifically intended for such customers.
Saatva
Consider getting the Saatva if:
You’re on a tighter budget: As already discussed above, the Saatva has an appreciably smaller price tag than the Winkbeds. If you’re willing to forego marginally better edge support and cooling, the Saatva can still be regarded as a luxury purchase that doesn’t tax your wallet as much.
You want a longer trial: The Saatva comes with a 180-day sleep trial, which is a whole 19 days longer than the 101-nights offered by Winkbeds, letting you try it out for a considerably longer period without any risks.
You want better motion isolation: The Saatva’s upper viscoelastic padding (which is missing in Winkbeds) ensures superb motion isolation for an innerspring mattress. If you’re a sensitive sleeper who gets woken up by the slightest disturbances, the Saatva is a better choice.
You prioritize a longer warranty: The Saatva also has a longer warranty coverage period too (15 compared to the 10 of Winkbeds), which could imply greater confidence in their product on part of the manufacturer.
That said, personally, I don’t keep tabs on the length of the warranty beyond 10 years since most mattresses are too worn out by this time to be eligible even if they do have some years left on the policy.
Winkbeds
Consider getting the Winkbed if:
You want a thicker pillow top: The Winkbeds Euro top is 2” thick (as compared to the 1.25” thickness of the Saatva). This translates into better cushioning and a more luxurious feel, which may be worth considering if you’re looking to build the ultimate hotel suite experience.
You want better lumbar support: The Plus Luxury Firm model’s support coil layer has been divided into three different zones to cater to different sections of your body. The one that holds your heavier lumbar region is firmer than the other two, thereby ensuring better lumbar support and more uniform spinal alignment.
You’re particular about environment friendliness: Even though the Saatva also has an organic cotton cover, the Tencel® cover present on the Winkbeds has multiple certifications to cement its adherence to environmental safety protocols. Moreover, the bamboo-derived fabric has the added benefits of better breathability and anti-microbial properties.
You want a cool sleeping experience: Not only is the vanilla mattress better at passive cooling, it also comes with an optional active thermal regulation system that can maintain a comfortable bed temperature regardless of whether the ambient conditions are hot or cold.
You’re a heavy sleeper looking for hotel–like luxury: The mattress’ Luxury-Firm model comes with a Plus variant that has extra-resilient foam designed expressly for bulky individuals – this guarantees the same balance of springiness and contouring as the normal Luxury-Firm model but with a better strength to provide a good experience to overweight individuals.
You want better edge support: Although designed similarly, the Winkbeds mattress’ edge support feels somewhat sturdier thanks to the inclusion of the High ILD foam layer at the bottom, which should suit you better if you have difficulty getting in and out of bed due to limited mobility.
This ends my Saatva vs Winkbeds comparison – I’ve tried to be as exhaustive as possible given how similar these two mattresses appear on initial inspection. If you found it helpful, do share it with any friends who are also looking to buy a new innerspring mattress. Please leave your feedback and queries in the comments section below.
Saatva vs Winkbeds Comparison
| Saatva | Winkbeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used |
|
|
| Height | 11.5 inches / 14.5 inches | n/a |
| Firmness | Soft, Medium-Firm, Firm | Soft, Luxury Firm (+ Plus), Firm |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Small |
| Breathability | Slightly below average | Average |
| Trial Period | 180-day | 101-nights |
| Warranty | 15-year non-prorated | 10-years |
| Pricing (Queen) | $1,199 | $1,299 |
| Shipping | Free across the US | Free |