When you’re trying to improve the quality of your sleep, a significant factor that has a major role to play is your mattress. This is where you put your body on a state of rest for the entire night, so it’s only fitting that you choose nothing less than that which works for your specific preferences. The good news is that today, there’s a wide array of mattresses that you can choose from in department stores and each of these has its respective pros and cons.
Mattresses have evolved a long way over the years and are now constructed using very different materials and sizes. Whereas you might think it’s straightforward to buy a mattress, it can, in fact, be very confusing when taking into account mattress sizes, materials, thicknesses, and so-on. The typical mattress type that’s sold around the world is the innerspring mattress, although more and more people are buying into the benefits of other types such as the latex or memory foam mattresses on sale.
Then there are other options for those that prefer them, including waterbed mattresses, air mattresses, and futons. Let’s take a quick look at some of the more popular types of mattresses below. You can, of course, find out much more about each mattress type in our buying guides.
With this guide, you can make a better and more informed choice on your next purchase. Also, if you’re asking is it better to sleep on a hard or soft mattress, then you should keep on reading about the differences in mattresses below.
Memory Foam Mattress
The memory mattress is becoming widely popular among bed and mattress buyers, for the following reasons:
- Firstly because manufacturers are heavily promoting the benefits of this type of mattress.
- Secondly, because there is a lot of good feedback among memory foam mattress
Many brands now sell this mattress type, but along with the high-quality memory foam mattresses also come inferior cheap models from manufacturers jumping on the memory foam bandwagon. This happens with almost any product being sold so the obvious advice is to do your research and read reviews in order to identify the best memory foam mattresses within your budget. Whenever you’re unsure, it’s best to stick with a brand that you know you can trust. If you’re also lost along this line, then do also ask for advice from the sales representatives in the store.
Memory mattresses are designed to respond to the body’s temperature and pressure points. What this means is that the mattress adapts to the shape of the body to provide support where it’s needed most. This adds to the level of comfort that you’ll need, in order to have a very good sleep. The effectiveness of these mattresses depends on a number of important factors, which we delve into in our memory foam mattress buying guides.
Latex Mattress
Depending on who you speak to, latex mattresses are sometimes recommended above memory foam mattresses, although there are many influencing factors that you will need to consider before choosing between the two types of mattresses.
Many manufacturers promote their latex mattress products as 100% natural latex, although this isn’t always the case. Synthetic materials are often used in ordinary mattresses which some claim to release dangerous gases and toxins. The benefit of a natural latex mattress include the following:
- It shouldn’t contain these harmful chemicals
- It has antibacterial properties that prevent dust mites from setting in.
As much as possible, at all times, always choose a mattress that’s natural and free from any dangerous chemicals. While this may cost you quite a little bit more, it’s an expense that will always be worth it, when you’re making that extra added expense for the benefit of your health.
There are many advantages to buying a latex mattress, like there is with a memory foam mattress, air mattress, or any other mattress type, depending on your circumstance. With latex mattresses this includes choosing between the two production methods; Dunlop and Talalay, which offer different outcomes in feel and comfort, and also knowing that you could be buying a mattress that is “green” or environmentally friendly.
Air Mattress
Air mattresses and air beds used to be primarily for camping and temporary use, but these days they are so advanced that some people use them as their primary bed. As the name suggests, an air mattress uses air chambers to inflate the mattress to a pressure that the sleeper finds most comfortable.
Air mattresses of several years ago were often unreliable and poorly constructed, which is precisely why they were mostly reserved for temporary purposes, such as camping. Modern air mattresses, on the other hand, are constructed much better and include useful features such as dual-chamber allowing sleeping partners to adjust each side of the mattress to their desired support and comfort level.
Spring Mattress
Spring mattresses comprise one of the best firm mattresses that you can choose to buy in the market today. These types of mattresses are often referred to as innerspring and are constructed of steel coil springs. The firmness and support of innerspring mattresses are largely determined by the gauge of the coils, with a lower gauge typically providing a firmer feel than higher gauges. There are several different types of mattress coils used in innerspring mattresses that provide different feels and movements.
Mattress Brands
As well as deciding on the type of mattress that you might want to buy, you will also need to choose a mattress brand that is renowned for producing high-quality beds and mattresses. This might not be just the biggest, most heavily-promoted brands out there like the Tempurpedic mattress company, Serta, Sealy or Simmons, that you will have undoubtedly heard of. There are also several lesser-known manufacturers that sell some excellent mattresses and mattress products. This is where mattress ratings, reviews, and consumer reports will really help you out with your buying decision.
Choosing the Best Bed for your Money
In addition to purchasing the mattress, buyers also have plenty of options with the type of bed and bedding they want. Due to their health benefits and versatility, adjustable beds are very popular but can cost a great deal of money. They are typically used in hospitals but are also available for home use as well. This is especially useful for people who spend a lot of time in bed due to injury or illness and want a bed that can be adjusted into many comfortable positions. However, there are bed foundations made from all sorts of materials, sizes, and styles to meet the criteria of all buyers.
The three main types of foundation are the box-spring, wood, or grid foundation. Each foundation offers different types of support, firmness, and stability. Which you choose
to buy will depend on your preference, and also the type of mattress that you go for.
Bedding to Improve your Sleeping Environment
If you don’t have enough money at the moment to buy a mattress, there are also other alternatives that you can choose to go with, and these have to do with other bed or mattress items and add-ons. For less money than buying a full mattress, there are mattress toppers and pads that can greatly improve an existing mattress. In addition, bedding accessories such as comforters, electric blankets, mattress protectors, and pillows can also go a long way to creating the warm, cozy, and comfortable environment you want to sleep in. All these can help promote a better sleep condition for you.
Like with full mattresses, mattress toppers can be bought in different sizes and made from different materials such as memory foam, latex, feather, wool, and gel. The benefits of these products will depend on the type and quality of the topper, but they can be an excellent choice for those people that can’t afford a new mattress or who already have a mattress but would like to adjust the firmness or comfort of their sleeping conditions. Mattress pads and toppers can also help those people that wake up with aches and pains as old mattresses tend to sag and dip after extended use. This bedding is a cheap option to get back the “like new” sleeping conditions you want.
Like mattress toppers, pads are also available in different materials and for different situations such as an adult or crib mattress. Depending on your needs you can choose from a wide selection of different types of mattresses pads-including cooling, electric, heated, waterproof, and magnetic mattress pads.
Another item of bedding that is practical and can be of great benefit is an electric blanket. Most people know what these are, but they’ve developed from the electric blankets of 10 years ago. Nowadays, electric pads and blankets have many features such as dual control, allowing sleeping partners to adjust the temperature of the blanket to each of their preferences. Many users of electric blankets swear by the therapeutic and health benefits gained from using them. As they are electrically operated it’s essential that safety precautions are taken, which is also what might make you choose to buy one of the best electric blankets for sale rather than save money in this area.
The benefits that many people claim they get from electric blankets derive from the ability to provide direct warmth to the body. This can help increase blood flow, relieving aching muscles, and soreness. Sufferers of backaches, arthritis, and fibromyalgia often sing the praises of heated blankets.
Looking After Your Mattress and Bedding
After spending potentially several hundred if not thousands on a new mattress and bed and bedding items, you will obviously want to make sure that they provide the warmth, support, and comfort that you need for as long as possible. So, you’ll also need to do your part in ensuring that your mattress stays with you for the entirety of its lifetime. Here are some of these tips to help you along this line:
- Relatively cheap bedding items like mattress protectors can help along with taking note of mattress cleaning tips to get rid of stains, spills, and dust mites.
- You will also want to make sure that the manufacturer that you buy from offers a thorough mattress warranty. The mattress should last for many years, and the warranty should reflect this.
Final Word / Conclusion
With all that you’ve read above, you should be more knowledgeable at making a better choice when shopping for a new mattress. Beyond just that, now you also know how to select one based on your needs, budget, and preferences. There’s also that added bonus of learning how to care for your chosen mattress. Make smart decisions as you shop and you can finally have that restful sleep that you’ve always been dreaming about.
