1,000 vs 2,000 pocket springs: does the number actually matter?
Pocket spring counts have become an arms race. 1,000 was premium fifteen years ago. Now you can buy a 5,000-spring mattress from a supermarket, and it is not five times better. Here is what the number means, what it does not, and the three things on a spring spec that matter more.
First: the count is for a king
By trade convention, a spring count is stated for a 5ft king size mattress (150 × 200 cm). The same mattress in a double has about 20 per cent fewer springs, and a single about half. So a "1,000 pocket" single has roughly 500 springs in it. Nobody is lying; it is just a convention that nobody explains. Every honest spec should say "count stated for a king", and ours do.
What a pocket spring is
A steel coil in its own fabric sleeve, glued or stitched to its neighbours at the sleeve, not the wire. Because each spring moves independently, the mattress can follow your shape and does not transfer much movement across the bed. That is the whole reason pocket springs replaced open-coil (Bonnell) units, where every spring is wired to the next and the bed moves as one piece.
Why more springs means smaller springs
A king mattress is a fixed size. To fit 2,000 springs into the same area as 1,000, each spring has to be roughly half the diameter. To fit 3,000, smaller still. Very high counts are achieved by stacking a second layer of tiny springs (micro-springs) on top of the main unit, and counting both layers.
Smaller springs do two things: they follow your shape more closely, which feels more contouring, and they each carry less load, which means the wire has to be thinner or the spring shorter. Neither is bad. But it means "2,000 springs" is a description of feel, not a promise of quality or lifespan.
The three things that matter more
Wire gauge. The thickness of the steel, in millimetres. Thicker wire is firmer and more durable. Around 1.8 mm is a typical medium; 2.0 mm and above is firm; below 1.6 mm is soft and, in a main spring unit, a sign of cost cutting. Most spec sheets do not show it. Ask.
Spring height. A taller spring has more travel and a more progressive feel: soft at first, firmer as you sink. A main unit of 13 to 15 cm is good. Short springs in a deep mattress mean the depth is coming from foam.
How the springs are held at the edge. A steel-rod edge, or a dense foam rail (encapsulation), stops the sides collapsing when you sit on them. This is where cheap pocket-sprung mattresses fail first. A 30 kg/m³ rail is adequate, 50 kg is good, a steel rod is best.
So which count?
| Count (king) | What it usually means | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 600 to 800 | Larger, taller springs, sometimes open coil in disguise | Budget, guest beds |
| 1,000 | The workhorse: a full-size pocket unit, 1.8 mm wire, 13 to 15 cm | Most people, most builds |
| 1,500 to 2,000 | Smaller springs, closer contouring; often zoned | Side sleepers, backs, couples |
| 2,000 plus | Usually a main unit plus a micro-spring layer, counted together | Plush, premium feel |
| 3,000 to 5,000 | Two or three layers of very small springs | Marketing more than mattress |
A well-made 1,000-spring unit in 1.8 mm wire with a proper edge will outlast a badly made 3,000-spring one. What you want on the spec is the count and the gauge and the edge.
Zoning
Some spring units are zoned: the springs under your hips are firmer than the ones under your shoulders, either by using a heavier wire in that band or a shorter spring. It holds your hips level on your side and is the most useful thing a spring unit can do for a sore back. It does not need a high count to work; a zoned 1,000 is better than an unzoned 2,000 for support.
Micro-springs
Small springs, 3 to 5 cm tall, in a layer above the main unit. They add a responsive, lively feel that foam does not have, and they breathe. They are the honest way to a high count, and the reason a 2,000-plus mattress can feel very different from a 1,000. Expect to find them in pillow-top and hotel-style builds.
How we specify ours
Every Chapter spec sheet lists the count (stated for a king), the wire gauge, the spring height, the zoning and the edge method, because those are the things that decide how it feels and how long it lasts. The Single Life is a 1,000-spring, 3-zone, 1.8 mm unit; The Bad Back Years is 2,000 springs in five zones with a steel edge; The Hotel Bed has 2,000 zoned springs plus a 1,000 micro-spring layer, and we count them separately.
The short version
- Counts are for a king; halve it for a single.
- More springs means smaller springs, which is a feel, not a grade.
- Wire gauge, spring height and the edge matter more than the number.
- Zoning helps backs; micro-springs add feel. Both are worth paying for. A number alone is not.
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