Zoned pocket springs explained: 3-zone, 5-zone, 7-zone and what they actually do
"Zoned" is one of the few spring words that means something useful. It is also sold in ever-bigger numbers, 3-zone, 5-zone, 7-zone, as if the count were the point. Here is what zoning does, how it is made, and how many zones you actually need.
The problem zoning solves
Your body is not the same weight all the way down. Your hips and lower back are the heaviest part; your shoulders are wide but lighter; your legs are lighter still. Lie on your side on a mattress where every spring is the same, and your hips sink further than your shoulders. Your spine, which should be level, bends towards the mattress. That is the position people wake up stiff from.
A zoned spring unit uses firmer springs in the band under your hips and lower back, and softer springs under your shoulders. Your hips are held up, your shoulders are allowed to settle, and your spine stays straight from neck to tailbone. On your back, the firmer centre supports the lower back without the hips dropping into a hammock.
How zones are made
Two ways, both fine:
- Different wire gauge. The centre band uses thicker wire, say 1.9 mm against 1.7 mm elsewhere. Firmer springs, same height.
- Different spring height or pre-compression. The centre band uses shorter or more tightly wound springs, which resist earlier.
Ask which the maker uses. Either works. What does not work is a "zoned" mattress where the zoning is a printed pattern on the cover.
How many zones
| Zones | What it is | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Shoulders / hips and lower back / legs | Does the job. The centre third firmer is what matters |
| 5 | Head, shoulders, hips, thighs, feet | A slightly finer version of the same thing; good |
| 7 | Adds separate bands for knees and calves | Marketing past this point; legs do not need zones |
| 9 and up | Symmetric bands so the mattress can be rotated either way | The symmetry is the useful part, not the count |
Three does the job; five is a nice refinement; beyond that the number sells and does nothing. One thing to check: if the zones are not symmetric head-to-foot, the mattress can only be rotated one way, or not at all. Symmetric 5 or 7 lets you rotate head to toe, which you should be doing.
When zoning does not matter
- Very soft comfort layers. If there is 8 cm of soft foam on top, the zoning underneath is muffled. Zoning works best under 3 to 6 cm of comfort layer.
- Foam mattresses. No springs, no zones, though some foam mattresses cut zones into the core. Same principle, less pronounced.
- Light sleepers under about nine stone. They do not sink far enough for it to matter much.
- Wrong size for the zones. Zones are laid out for the mattress length; on a mattress that is far too long for you, your hips may not be over the centre band. A standard adult on a standard mattress is fine.
Zoning and tension
Zoning and tension are different things. Zoning varies the firmness along the mattress; tension sets the firmness of the whole unit (Medium or Firm). A zoned Medium and a zoned Firm both have a firmer centre; the Firm is firmer everywhere. Couples who differ get split tension, one tension on each side, with zoning in both.
How we specify it
The Bad Back Years uses 2,000 springs in five zones with a firmer centre third, under 5 cm of 60 kg/m³ memory foam, so the zoning is not muffled. The Single Life and The Rebound use a 3-zone unit for the same reason at a lower price. The Hotel Bed is five-zone under its pillow-top.
The short version
- Zoning holds your hips level with your shoulders on your side; that is the whole point.
- Made by wire gauge or spring height; both fine.
- Three zones do the job; five is a refinement; more is marketing.
- Check the zones are symmetric so you can rotate it.
- Zoning works under a moderate comfort layer, not a thick soft one.
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