Pocket Spring or Foam: Which Mattress Do Hotels Use?

Pocket spring or foam? Almost everyone looking for a new mattress faces this question. Both constructions have their place, and they feel quite different. Cottonbabe founder Jens Liebhauser is a 5-star hotelier and interior designer; his family has been making mattresses and home textiles since 1870. For him, the mattress is the foundation of the hotel bed.

In this guide we compare the two materials objectively: feel, comfort zones, airflow, edges, weight and durability. You will then find out how hotels choose their mattresses and how to recognise a mattress like in a hotel.

Two constructions, briefly explained

Pocket spring

The core of a pocket spring mattress contains many individual steel springs. Each spring sits in its own fabric pocket and compresses independently of its neighbours. Above and below the core are comfort layers, for example made of foam, latex or natural fibres. It is these layers that determine how soft or firm the surface feels.

HR foam (cold foam)

HR foam is a polyurethane foam with an open, irregular cell structure. HR stands for “high resilience”; in German it is called Kaltschaum, cold foam. A foam mattress usually consists of one continuous foam core, often with cuts or zones of different firmness.

The comparison point by point

Comfort zones are areas along the mattress that give differently, for example under the shoulders and hips compared with the middle. Both constructions can have such zones; they are simply created in different ways.

Airflow is a property of the material. A spring core consists largely of air between the springs. Foam, by contrast, is a continuous block through which air has to travel via the cells. How well that works depends on the quality of the foam and its profiling.

Durability cannot be answered across the board. As a general rule of experience: with foam, the density is a guide, meaning how much material there is in a cubic metre. With a spring core, the number and workmanship of the springs and the quality of the comfort layers count. In both cases it is often the upholstery at the surface that gives first, not the core.

In practice: almost every mattress is a combination

The question “springs or foam?” is rarely an either-or in reality. Almost every mattress combines a core with several comfort layers. Our Grand Suite mattress shows this well: its core is a Flexizone pocket spring unit with several comfort zones in a stable foam frame. Above and below it are latex, visco foams and HR foam in different densities, and on the outside layers of 250 g silk on one side and 150 g wool on the other.

So when you buy, don’t just ask about the core, but go layer by layer: what is it made of, what is the upholstery, and what is the cover made of? Which questions to ask about the materials is explained in Mattresses without harmful substances.

How hotels choose their mattresses

There is no single rule. In upscale hotels, however, pocket springs are widespread, usually combined with comfort layers and a mattress topper. You will also come across HR foam there, often as a layer inside a spring mattress. For a hotel, different questions matter than when buying for home:

• The same feel in every room: every night a different guest sleeps in the bed. The aim is a balanced feel that many people like.
• Stable edges: guests sit on the edge of the bed to put on their shoes or pack their suitcase. An edge that does not sag feels high-quality.
• Handling for housekeeping: handles on the sides make turning and flipping easier. Two sleeping sides offer extra flexibility.
• Flexible rooms: two single mattresses that can be joined into a double bed turn a twin room into a double room.
• Mattress topper for fine-tuning: a topper changes the feel and is easier to replace than a mattress. More on this in Cotton mattress toppers.

“For me, a hotel bed starts with the mattress. Toppers and bed linen can do a lot, but they build on what lies underneath.”

Jens Liebhauser

A mattress like in a hotel: our two models

The Grand Suite is 28 cm high and has two sleeping sides: a softer one with silk and a firmer one with wool. The cover fabric contains cotton, and the border carries the embroidered Cottonbabe logo with the name “Grand Suite” and all-round piping. Sturdy handles sit on the sides. In 100 × 200 cm it has a zip that lets you join two mattresses into one sleeping surface. Because a mattress of this construction cannot be rolled, it comes to you by freight carrier in its full shape. It is available from 90 × 200 to 200 × 200 cm, from €1,890. It can be ordered now; shipping starts in early December 2026, with delivery by 15.12.2026 at the latest.

The First Class mattress with cashmere and silk is also built with pocket springs. Every size, even the smallest, contains more than 800 partly handmade pocket springs, each in its own fabric pocket. In total it is made of 25 components, including silk and cashmere. It is available from 90 × 200 to 200 × 200 cm and in 100 × 210 cm, from €1,390.

You will find both mattresses and the matching First Class mattress topper in the Mattresses & Toppers collection. How our family came to make mattresses is told in the story From horse collar to mattress. Everything about delivery can be found under Mattress shipping.

Do you run a hotel and are planning new beds? On our For hotels page we put together individual offers. For hotel partnerships, Jens Liebhauser is your contact: +49 7258 210.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between pocket springs and HR foam?

A pocket spring core consists of many individual steel springs, each sitting in its own fabric pocket and compressing independently. HR foam, known in German as cold foam, is an elastic polyurethane foam with an open cell structure. Pocket springs feel bouncier and are heavier; HR foam feels calmer and is lighter.

Which mattresses do hotels use?

There is no single rule. In upscale hotels, pocket springs are widespread, usually combined with comfort layers and a mattress topper. Hotels look above all for the same feel in every room, stable edges and easy handling for housekeeping.

How do I get a mattress like in a hotel?

Look at the construction layer by layer, check for stable edges and make sure the mattress is delivered in its full shape. A mattress topper and a tightly tucked cotton flat sheet complete the hotel bed. Our Grand Suite and our First Class mattress are both built with pocket springs.

Jens Liebhauser – founder of Cottonbabe, 5-star hotelier and interior designer, family tradition since 1870, among other things a master upholsterer/interior decorator with a certified examination in textile science