How to Choose the Right Mattress
You spend about a third of your life sleeping, so it makes sense that your bed should be a place of rest and comfort. Waking up with shoulder, neck or back pain could mean you’re sleeping on the wrong mattress.
A mattress is a big investment that should last for years. Generally, you can expect your mattress to last up to 10 years. However, if you take good care of and maintain it, it’s possible to extend the life of your mattress.
Begin by figuring out your budget and choosing what size mattress you want. From there, you can decide what material, type and firmness fit your needs.
What’s the Most Popular Mattress Size?
While you might already have a size in mind for your mattress, consider these questions to help narrow down your selection. Who’ll be using the bed? Can your room accommodate the mattress size? Will there be pets on the bed? Do you toss and turn a lot in your sleep? What size is your bed frame? Queen mattresses tend to be the standard and are the most popular choice among both couples and single sleepers, but king mattresses are a close second and advantageous because of their extra space.
Most mattresses come in a range of standard dimensions, so make sure you get the best size for your needs:
How Much Should a Mattress Cost?
Keep in mind that cost varies depending on mattress size and material, and a high-quality mattress will always cost more. A standard twin mattress will cost you somewhere between $400 to $600, while a full or queen mattress usually costs between $600 to $1,000. A king mattress costs around $1,500 but can be as much as $3,000 or more depending on different factors.
When shopping for a mattress, do your research, take your time and look for mattresses on sale.
What’s the Best Mattress Material?
In addition to coming in a range of sizes, mattresses are also available in a variety of types to fit every need. Typically, innerspring mattresses are the bounciest and most affordable, while memory foam is best if you want a soft mattress that isolates movement. Latex is a good in-between option. Since we all have different definitions of comfort, it’s important to figure out what mattress material works best for you.
What’s the Best Mattress for Comfort?
Mattress comfort is subjective, but there are a handful of factors to keep in mind when choosing your mattress. You should think about how conforming or bouncy you want the material to be, taking into consideration if you prefer to sleep on your back, side or stomach. Some mattress types are better for joint pain, and others are better for people who tend to overheat at night.
Traditional Innerspring Mattresses
Looking for a bouncy bed? If so, then a traditional innerspring mattress is the option for you. Innerspring mattresses contain interconnected steel coils, which range in thickness and compress in response to body weight. The number of coils in the mattress — also known as coil density — indicates how much support the mattress has, and the optimum coil count depends on the mattress size. The more coils there are in a mattress, the more supportive it’ll be. In general, you should look for a king mattress with a minimum of 450 coils, a queen mattress with at least 400 coils or a full mattress with at least 300 coils. Innerspring mattresses are good for people who sleep on their sides or back. However, they’re also prone to sagging, and their bounciness causes motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory foam conforms to the body, minimizes pressure points, isolates movement and helps to increase circulation. However, the movement isolation also means it takes more effort to change positions because you sink into the mattress. Memory foam maintains its shape conformity, which makes it a favorite for side sleepers. It’s also good if you have back problems since it molds to and supports your body. Some memory foam mattresses are infused with a cooling-gel memory layer that reduces the surface temperature to help keep you cool.
Memory foam mattresses can have a strong odor at first. Air out a memory foam mattress for 24 to 48 hours before sleeping or putting sheets on it.
Hybrid Mattresses
A hybrid mattress has an innerspring layer with one or more foam layers on top of the springs to give you buoyancy and movement isolation. It offers the support of a spring mattress with the comfort of a contouring foam mattress. However, the movement isolation from one side of the bed to the other isn’t as great as that of a memory foam mattress.
Polyurethane Foam Mattresses
Polyurethane foam is soft, lightweight and cost effective. It retains less heat than memory foam due to its open-cell structure, which creates better airflow and allows the material to breathe. This also reduces the chance of mold and mildew buildup.
Latex Foam Mattresses
Latex foam mattresses come in three types: natural, synthetic and blended. A natural-latex foam mattress is made from processed, raw rubber tree sap. As with polyurethane, latex mattresses also have an open-cell structure, making them cooler and firmer than memory foam mattresses. Latex foam mattresses naturally repel dust mites. They’re also hypoallergenic and generally don’t pose a problem for people with latex allergies because of the way they’re constructed.
Pocketed-Coil-Spring Mattresses
Pocketed-coil-spring mattresses are similar to traditional innerspring mattresses in that they have springs but the coils are separated. Each spring in this type of mattress is individually wrapped in a fabric pocket, providing more support than an innerspring mattress.
Adjustable Air Mattresses
Adjustable air mattresses offer flexibility and control of the mattress. They’re filled with pockets of air surrounded by foam. Adjustable air mattresses are great for side and back sleepers as well as for people with neck and back pain. They typically have two different comfort zones, allowing you to customize half of the bed’s firmness to your desired level.
Many mattresses contain chemicals, adhesives and allergenic dyes that may be irritants. Always read the mattress label to ensure there’s nothing present that could affect your allergies.
How Do You Choose Mattress Firmness?
Choosing the right firmness is a top priority when deciding on a mattress. However, don’t make a decision based solely on what the mattress label says. A label may say a mattress is extra firm, soft or somewhere in between, but the best indicator of firmness is how your body feels on the mattress. What feels medium soft to one person can feel firm to another.
If you have any numbness or tingling from your mattress, it might mean your mattress is too soft. Having pain at your heaviest points indicates that the mattress may be too firm. For the best support, ensure that it meets the curve of your lower back. Select a mattress that’s the firmest you can handle, since it may become less firm over time. When browsing mattresses, do your research and take your time.
What’s a Box Spring?
A box spring is a sturdy foundation piece that raises the bed, making it easier to get into. It also provides a flat surface for the mattress to rest upon and acts as a shock absorber. Traditional box springs consist of springs inside a wood box frame. Newer box spring models are springless and generally referred to as foundations. If your bed has a collapsible metal frame, you’ll need a box spring to provide support for the mattress. Platform beds, which have a solid surface, don’t need a box spring.
Whether or not you’ll need a box spring with your mattress depends on the type of bed frame or foundation that you use. Keep in mind, however, that many mattress warranties require you to use a box spring or platform.
Bedding and Mattress Accessories
- A mattress topper adds a level of padding and an extra layer of comfort to your bed. It also helps extend the life of the mattress by reducing wear and tear.
- A mattress protector is a thin, waterproof covering that keeps the mattress clean of things like skin oil, perspiration and dead skin cells. It also keeps dust and allergens out and protects against spills and other hazards. An encasement completely envelopes the mattress. This type of protector also keeps bed bugs out.
- A new mattress deserves gorgeous bedding to go with it. Bedding sets complement your bedroom décor, and high-quality bed sheets add to your comfort level and lend a luxurious feel to the bed. The higher the thread count, the softer the sheet.
- A pillow protector is like a mattress protector that’s designed specifically to protect a pillow.