Types of Mattresses

Whether you're moving into a new home or just looking to renovate your own, the bedroom can often be one of the difficult changes you make, especially when choosing a mattress! While mattresses can be expensive to buy, they're truly an investment, but to do this, you need to know your stuff.

While there are many different types of mattresses in shops, it can be extremely daunting to pick one. There are different types of sizes, designs, budgets, fabrics, and much more involved in mattress shopping. If you're not aware of the terminology and types, it can be a pretty confusing process! Don't worry, though; today, we're going to provide you with a thorough review on how to pick the best one. Before we delve into it, check out the top picks here.

How to choose the best mattress for your needs?

Make a list

When you're searching for a new mattress, you should never buy one without trying first. For that reason, we recommend you write a list of things you want and don't want when buying a mattress, for example:

• You might want to take out any mattress that costs over $1000
• You may want to have a mattress that helps with your back pain
• You want a firm mattress but not one that is too hard

These are just a few examples, but you should ultimately write a list of things you want/don't, and then this will help strengthen your search. Every mattress has its advantages and disadvantages, and this will allow you to pick out the qualities the mattress has based on your two lists.

Use a pillow

We would be surprised if you went to a mattress shop and the company did not let you try it out! One great way of doing this is asking them for a pillow, and they will provide a sanitary sheet that will step in as a pillowcase and protect the bed. Do this and lie down on the bed; it will help give you an insight into the mattress. Make sure you lie down in your sleeping position so you know how it can properly feel. Similarly, you might want to bring a friend or partner along so they can see if your spine aligns well with the mattress.

Ask the salesperson to give you some time on your own

Mattress testing is a serious business! The last thing you want to do is spend lots of money on a mattress and realize once you've purchased it, it's not for you. Therefore, when you're going around a store testing them, we highly recommend you take your time. If you're looking for you and your partner, bring them along and test them together. Some beds may sink down if two people lie on them, and it may be different than having one person.

Don't get confused by the lingo

When you buy a bed, don't get hooked in by all the enticing vocabulary. It can just be a marketing ploy! You may find many fancy words splashed around, such as hybrids, cooling gels, memory foam for ultimate, and luxuriating and much more. To avoid this, read up in advance about all the different types of materials and features of a mattress after you've tested the bed. But don't get drawn into the manufacturer's clever wording.

Check out the warranty

When buying a mattress, the warranty is one of the most critical factors. Most warranty periods for beds range between 10-25 years; however, there might be some clauses in them. Make sure you review the fine print of the mattress's warranty before buying to see if it will fit in with your lifestyle, and is helpful.

Different types

While there are many types of mattresses out there on the market, today, we're going to give you an insight into the most popular ones. Typically, the most common mattresses arememory foam, hybrid, firm, air mattress, and box mattress.

Memory foam mattress

Memory foam came into existence in the 1960s when NASA used it to make airplane seats. Since then, its comfortable use was decided to make mattresses! This material contains a polymer known as polyurethane. That polymer helps the foam in the mattress adapt to your body's temperature and pressure. Therefore, when you lie on a memory foam mattress, your body's weight will be balanced all over. The more you lie on a mattress, the more it remembers your sleeping position and slowly releases it once you leave it. There's more to memory foam than you think; there are actually three different types:

1. Traditional: This type of mattress will mold to the shape of your body and will contribute to great sleep.
2. Open-cell: The same as a traditional memory foam mattress, but the structure is slightly different. This allows for better airflow inside of the mattress and better regulation of the body heat.
3. Gel: This is a memory foam mattress where the gel has been pumped so much inside it to lower the density of the mattress and regulate temperature.

Air mattress

If you're looking for something portable and can be quickly inflated or deflated for guests staying in your home, you may want to opt for an air mattress. An air mattress is an inflatable bed that relies on your mouth or an electric pump to inflate air into the bed. It's usually made out of plastic, vinyl, or rubber. Due to its portable size, many people choose to take it on vacations like camping. There is also a permanent version with adjustable dials allowing you to adjust the air ratio in the chambers for extra comfort and support.

Mattress in a box

Just like the name suggests, this is a mattress that's compressed into a box. Once you open the box and take the mattress out, it springs into its normal shape. Many people tend to choose this mattress choice as it's portable and easy to move into a home. These mattresses most often tend to be memory foam and come in a standard size.

Hybrid mattress

A hybrid mattress contains two different layers that provide support and comfort. Most of the time, it's a mixture of a memory foam mattress and an innerspring one. These types of mattresses are often the perfect combination of a soft and firm mattress.

Firm mattress

If you're looking for something that can support your body and keep it upright, then a firm mattress is for you. These mattresses are good for people who tend to sleep on their stomachs and those who have a higher temperature.

Gel Mattress

This type of bed mattress has gel foam inside and a foam base. It contains gel beads inside, which help provide support and stop heat from building up inside the mattress. It's often seen as a close rival of memory foam mattresses.

Latex Mattress

This is a type of rubber mattress that often only contains rubber or rubber with foam inside. Moreover, it's supportable and durable. These mattresses often tend to be hypoallergenic and highly breathable.

What to consider when buying a mattress?

Before you go and buy a mattress, you should consider a few things, such as the type of material, firmness, sleeping position, thickness, and density.

1. Material: When you're sleeping, you want to be comfortable, right? That's why choosing the right material is essential for any mattress. You can get many types of material that make up a mattress, such as wool fiber, nonwoven fiber pads, polyester fiber, cotton fiber, viscoelastic foam, and more.
2. Firmness: When you first lie down on a mattress, you will feel a certain way, whether you're lying upright or sinking into it, is firm or soft, etc. These feelings and questions are all indicators of how supportive a mattress can be. Bear in mind firmness of a mattress can be completely subjective, and not everyone will think the same.
3. Sleeping Position: Mattresses are not for everyone; in fact, there are so many out there; there are even specific ones created for different types of sleepers! Before you go out and buy a mattress, think about whether you're a front sleeper, a side sleeper, a back sleeper, or any other sleeping position. Depending on how you sleep, you'll have different pressure on your joints and want a mattress to support them.
4. Thickness: Many mattress buyers have preferences over thick and thin mattresses. Typically a thick mattress often has a longer lifespan and provides more support. Thickness is measured in the mattress layers, which usually range from 2 to 5. Mattresses can have the following layers.
5. Top layer: The top layer of a mattress is also referred to as a support and comfort layer. The comfort layer often has memory foam, pillow top and is on top of the mattress to help relieve pressure and contour the body. Plus, the support layer adds resistance to support the back and gives a luxurious feel. The combined thickness of the top layer is important, as if it's too thin, it won't provide enough support.
6. Density: You may want to look for a mattress that has a high density. The higher the density, the less likely they are to break down and less likely to cause discomfort or pain.

How to choose?

While we quickly highlighted the topic of firmness , you can often detect the type of firmness a mattress has by firmness scale, usually ranked on a scale of 10. The lower the score, the softer the mattress is, where the higher the score, the firmer it is. Let's break down the scale:

• 1/10: This is known as extremely soft, and it's highly unlikely you will come across a mattress with this level of firmness. You would sink too much into the bed!
• 2/10: Still highly unlikely to get this is an ultra-soft mattress which causes you to sink down too much.
• 3/10: A firmer mattress with sinkage of around 1.5-3 inches. Mattresses that have this level of firmness tend to be made out of memory foam.
• 4/10: A soft mattress that's slightly more balanced and has a thinner layer. This type of firmness benefits a lot of side sleepers.
• 5/10: The common firmness level for the mattress in a box style mattress.
• 6/10: A medium-soft type of firmness level.
• 7/10: This is the common firmness level you will find of many mattresses that exist on the market today.
• 8/10: A very firm mattress best for stomach or back sleepers.
• 9/10: This type of mattress does not offer many hugs and stops you from sinking down in it.
• 10/10:This is an ultra-firm mattress that relieves pressure.

Mattresses are essential to making our sleep better by providing support and comfort. There are so many types of mattresses designed for different sleeping positions and health problems. Similarly, they also help regulate our body's temperature while sleeping and provide us with better rest. Before you go mattress shopping, you should have a good idea of what you like and dislike before purchasing.

FAQ

What type of mattress is best?

The best type of mattress contains memory foam as it's soft and spongy, allowing it to have a bouncy feeling. It also a mattress that can provide optimum support for people that have neck and back pain. It also contours your body, allowing blood to circulate better.

What type of mattress do I need?

The mattress you need must provide comfort and support according to your body type. You will want to consider the firmness, density, thickness, and sleeping position of your mattress before buying.

How do mattress warranties work?

There are two different types of mattress warranty; the first one is a non-prorated warranty that covers a defective mattress for the warranty period. The second is prorated warranty which means during the warranty period, the company will repair the mattress at no additional cost. Ultimately, you should always look at the fine print and enquire with the manufacturer about the warranty before buying.

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