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The Bed & Mattress Glossary
The Complete Glossary Of Terms and Phrases Linked To Beds and Mattresses
The world of beds and mattresses can confuse and baffle the best of us with all its jargon and technical terms used ever so often. Instead of sounding blissfully ignorant, it is not difficult to educate yourself about what each term means. It is important to know these terms to be able to identify whether the features of a bed or mattress as propounded by sales personnel are actually quality enhancing or simply an advertising gimmick.
The following is a list compiled with all the possible words you could come across, with a brief explanation of each. Though not all terms are frequently used in Singapore, hope this would be a useful reference when you do your mattress and beds shopping!
T
Tack and jump quilting - a quilting method opposite of single-needle quilting, since this uses multiple needles to create a softer, more cushioned sleeping surface.
Talalay - A process of making the latex softer by whipping in air till it takes the form of wet foam.
Tap edge - The stiff seam at the edge of the mattress, running on all sides for firm support.
Temperature control unit - A special device that helps to regulate the temperature of water in a water mattress. It controls temperature between 70 and 100 degrees F.
Tempering - A process used for mattress coils, heating them and then cooling them to ensure that they return to their original form after being compressed.
Therapeutic - Any mattress variety that has healing or curing qualities is said to be therapeutic.
Throw pillow - A pillow used more for decoration than actual use. Used on daybeds, sofa beds or futons.
Ticking - The fabric that covers a mattress or a foundation. Ticking has to be tough, tear resistant and even water resistant.
Topper pad - Used in an innerspring mattress, it refers to the padding material and insulation placed on top of a spring assembly.
Torsion bars - The heavy bars placed at ninety degrees in the foundation of an innerspring mattress to provide firm support.
Torsion Module Foundation - A bed foundation that uses torsion bars instead of box springs to reduce the pressure on the mattress.
Traditional - A term used to describe any mattress or furniture used in the olden days that is old fashioned and passed on from generation to generation.
Tri-Zone - A type of latex with holes of different sizes in different zones of the bed to provide varying support levels. Smaller holes provide firm support while larger holes make the mattress softer and more comfortable, ideal for the head and foot of the bed, which require less support.
Trundle beds - A collapsible bed stored under another bed. Could be a lower pullout bed as well.
Tufting - A style of stitching meant to secure all the layers of padding in a mattress. Tufting is of two types, hand and spiral tufting.
Twin Bed - A single bed that can accommodate a mattress measuring 38” by 75”.
Twin Extra Long - A longer variation of the twin bed, which can hold a mattress measuring 39” by 80”. Also called a Single Extra Long bed.
U
Ultra Waveless - A type of mattress similar to the semi-waveless mattress, which uses fiber to stifle the turbulence of waves in a waterbed. The ultra waveless has an even higher amount of fiber to further reduce the waves of the waterbed by further reducing the free flow of water.
Upholstery layers - The multiple layers placed between the ticking and the coils of the mattress. These could be of fabric, fiber, foam, latex, feathers, cotton, wool or any other padding material.
V
Vacuum packed - Some foam mattresses are vacuum packed or packed without any air left within the packing to avoid contamination, and ready to use after opening.
Veneered wood beds - Beds made out of very thin wood as a top layer.
Ventilator - The small eyelets made out of metal or plastic along the sides of a mattress to allow the free flow of air through the depth of a mattress.
Visco-elastic foam - Also called Memory foam, polyurethane foam of high density that has been designed to contour the body shape. A slow recovering foam, it can be firm or soft according to preference depending on its density level.
Vulcanized Rubber - Rubber, which has undergone vulcanization, a chemical process in which sulfur is added at high temperatures to make the rubber stronger. Can be used to make mattresses and pillows.
W
Wall-hugger - An electric bed that maintain a close distance between the headboard and the bedside tables, irrespective of its reclining or flat position.
Warranty - A written assurance given for the quality of a mattress on purchase, with a promise to replace or repair, depending on conditions stated therein.
Water beds - A bed that has a base filled with water in a special compartment called the bladder, instead of a coil base. Believed to have therapeutic qualities.
Water conditioner - A chemical solution that is added to the water in a water mattress to keep it clean and prevent the growth of algae.
Whisper quiet - A term used for a motor pump used in a water pump that is encased so as to reduce the sound it makes when working.
Wood beds - Beds made entirely out of wood like teak, mahogany, oak, maple etc.
Working Turn - The degree to which a mattress coil has been wound. A complete 360-degree revolution round a coil would count as two working turns.
Z
Z-bar - A steel bar made out of tempered steel and shaped like the alphabet “Z” reinforced to the border rod to provide edge support.
Zip and Link - A system used for divans and mattresses of larger sizes to be delivered in two pieces that can then be zipped and linked to make one large mattress or divan. Makes the mattress more portable and also provides the option of linking together two mattress of different firmness.
Zone grid box - A foundation of torsion element that provides enhanced support for heavier weight zones.
