Foam or Innerspring: Which Mattress Breathes Better?

What Breathability Means in a Murphy Bed

Breathability describes how easily air moves through a mattress while you sleep. A mattress that lets air circulate can carry away body heat and moisture from the surface, which is why breathability is often discussed together with sleeping temperature. In a Murphy bed, breathability also matters in a second way: when the bed is closed, the mattress is stored upright against a wall or folded into a cabinet, where air reaches it from fewer sides.

Neither foam nor innerspring is automatically the right choice for every Murphy bed. The two constructions handle airflow differently, and the listing is where you can see what a given mattress is actually made of. If you want the full comparison between the two types, read the inner spring versus foam breakdown before deciding.

How Foam Mattresses Are Built

A foam mattress is made from layers of polyurethane foam, memory foam, and sometimes gel-infused foam. The core is a solid block of foam rather than an open structure. Because the material is dense, air does not pass through a foam block the way it passes through a coil core. Memory foam adds to that effect because it conforms closely to the body, which reduces the amount of air between the sleeper and the mattress surface.

Makers address heat retention in foam with additions such as gel memory foam, cooling gel layers, and cool-touch covers. These are named in the listing when they are present. For example, the mattress page of Wilding Wallbeds lists foam models with layers like gel memory foam, a foam core, and a cool-touch top. The gel and the cover are materials intended to reduce heat, not a change to the foam structure itself. For more on how the mattress sits inside the cabinet, see the mattress thickness guide.

How Innerspring Mattresses Are Built

An innerspring mattress has a core of steel coils. The empty spaces between the coils form channels that air can travel through, which is why the coil core is often described as more breathable than a solid foam block. The coils sit under comfort layers of foam and quilted fabric, so the surface of an innerspring mattress still includes foam. The top layer matters for how the mattress feels and how much heat collects at the surface, even when the core allows air movement.

Listings sometimes give the coil details. Wilding's mattress page, for instance, lists innerspring models that name a continuous coil support system with 532 coils and a foam encasement around the edge. Night and Day Furniture, in its Murphy cabinet collection, lists a tri-fold gel pocket coil mattress alongside a gel memory foam option. Pocket coils are individually wrapped, which is a construction detail rather than a breathability measurement, but it tells you the core is made of separate coils rather than one block of foam. For more on ventilation in a Murphy bed, read the ventilation guide.

Storage and Breathability: The Murphy Bed Difference

Murphy beds store the mattress when the bed is closed. In a wall bed, the mattress stands vertically on the bed frame against the wall. In a cabinet bed, the mattress folds into a cabinet, usually as a tri-fold mattress that slides into the cabinet body. Wilding's cabinet bed page states that its cabinet beds include a 6-inch tri-fold mattress. That folded storage means the mattress is enclosed on most sides while closed, which is different from a standard bed that sits in open air.

Makers that supply a mattress with a folding bed describe the mattress as built to handle that storage. Wilding's mattress page says its mattresses are engineered to stand on-end without slumping or sagging. That sentence is about the mattress holding its shape in a vertical or folded position, not about airflow. Before you choose a mattress, check mattress compatibility with the bed you have in mind.

Cooling Terms to Read in a Listing

Listings use specific words for heat management. Terms like gel memory foam, cooling gel, cool touch, and cool twist describe materials that are intended to keep the surface from holding heat. A listing that names a cooling cover or a gel layer is telling you the maker added something to address temperature, even if the core remains foam.

The absence of these terms does not mean a mattress retains more heat; it only means the listing does not state a cooling feature. Some makers do not name every layer. Compare two listings on the stated details: which layers are named, whether a coil count appears, and whether the cover is described as cool touch or plush. Those words give you a basis for comparing stated details. For beds that include a mattress in the package, see the cabinet bed guide.

Where the Mattress Information Sits in a Murphy Bed Listing

For a cabinet bed, the mattress information usually appears in the listing or on the maker's mattress page. Wilding's cabinet bed comparison table lists the tri-fold mattress with the bed, and its separate mattress page lists foam and innerspring options. Night and Day's cabinet collection page names both a gel memory foam tri-fold and a gel pocket coil tri-fold mattress. Reading those two places tells you whether a mattress is included and what core it has.

For a wall bed, the mattress is usually bought separately. The wall bed listing states which mattress sizes fit the frame, and the maker's mattress page describes the mattresses it can ship with the bed. If the listing does not name the mattress construction, that detail is simply not stated by the seller; you can ask the maker before ordering. For wall bed frames, browse the best wall beds.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Does an innerspring mattress breathe better than a foam mattress?

In general terms, air moves through the spaces between coils more freely than through a solid foam block. The top comfort layers in most innerspring models are still foam, so the surface layer also matters. No listing gives a measured airflow number, so read the construction details rather than expecting a breathability rating. For the full comparison, see the inner spring versus foam guide.

Are all cabinet bed mattresses made of foam?

No. Wilding cabinet beds include a 6-inch tri-fold foam mattress, while Night and Day offers both a tri-fold gel memory foam mattress and a tri-fold gel pocket coil mattress. Check the listing for which construction a particular bed includes.

What is a pocket coil mattress?

A pocket coil mattress wraps each coil in its own fabric pocket, so the coils can move independently. It is a type of innerspring or hybrid mattress. Night and Day lists a gel pocket coil tri-fold option in its cabinet collection. For queen-size cabinet beds, see the queen Murphy bed guide.

Does a cooling cover make a foam mattress more breathable?

A cooling cover is a surface layer intended to feel cooler to the touch. It does not change the core structure, so air movement through the foam core stays the same. Look for both a cooling cover and a gel or open-cell foam layer if you want the listing to state heat management in more than one place.

What should I do if the listing does not say what the mattress core is made of?

Ask the maker before ordering. The listing may simply not state the mattress construction. The maker's own mattress page often names the layers, so check that page or contact the seller. For buying advice across many beds, start with the best Murphy bed guide.