Whether you only want to replace your old, saggy mattress with a new one or you have health issues such as hip and back pains or just wedded; you deserve a compliment for taking that bold step. And of course, you are in the right place.
In this article, we have compiled a complete guide starting on the available broad categories of mattresses, factors to put into consideration when buying a top-rated mattress, maintaining your mattress and health issues associated with sleeping on a new mattress, to give you a clear insight on the world of mattresses.
So, let’s dig deep into the world of the mattress and find the best and most comfortable mattress for your needs.
Best Types of Mattresses
In my thinking, Benjamin Franklin, who quoted ’Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’ must have had the best of the best mattresses on the market at that time. How else would you explain, anticipating to sleep early if all your mattress can offer is back pain and restless nights?
Well, it may sound like a cliché but if it takes more than a thousand reminders to anyone on a saggy bed that, the best type of mattress is the one that provides comfort, support and makes you feel heavenly in your bedroom.
Don’t limit yourself to enjoying what you have been missing out in years, a blissful sleep. With the right choice of mattress that perfectly matches your comfort needs, the rest doesn’t require rocket science.
If you haven’t strolled down the aisle of the beautiful bedding stores, there are many top-rated and best mattress brands with a wide array of models to choose from. Even though, the different types fall into the category of Latex, Memory Foam, Air, Water or Inner Spring Mattresses.
If you are searching for the best inexpensive mattress, you might consider the inner-spring type. This type offers firm support and comfort thus making it the best mattress for side sleepers with hip pain and back pain. It is also ideal for anyone even for people with overweight issues.
What makes the air mattress great is the fact that you can adjust the pressure for soft or firm support, depending on what you like. The waterbed is durable, hypoallergenic, dust-mite-free and an excellent choice for anyone on a tight budget.
On the other hand, the memory foam is widely available with an above-average score for their conforming ability. Anyone with difficulties getting comfortable on their bed or suffering of chronic fatigue or muscle pains can find this type and the latex mattress ideal. Now, let us have a detailed overview of each type.
Memory Foam Mattress
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This is a fascinating model of mattresses that you will come across. Made from high-quality visco-elastic foam, the Memory Foam will shape itself to the body’s contours every time you take a nap/ sleep.
According to our research, most users with back pains are highly satisfied with this particular type. It also shows that about 15-20% of the owners often experience some joint pain relief.
The Memory Foam has a unique capability of absorbing the body’s heat as well as molding itself to one’s body as it evenly distributes your weight throughout your bed. It is this specialized technology that makes this mattress ideal for restless sleepers and minimizing pressure points for a comfy sleep.
It is also the best mattress for couples with different weights and where one partner keeps tossing and turning at night. The Memory Foam ensures that you sleep peacefully without any disturbance. Since this mattress is resistant to bed bugs, mold, bacteria, dust mites and other types of allergens, you are guaranteed of fewer asthma attacks and dust associated infections.
The weight of these mattresses depends on the size and the model. It can range from 30 to 200+ lb. with the average weight, being is about 98 pounds. High-density memory foam mattresses weigh more than medium density. Nevertheless, they are easy to lift, handle and move around.
The memory foam is widely available both at online and in physical stores. Several top-rated brands have emerged with each touting their mattress as the best in the market.
The most highly rated mattress in this category that has received a good number of rating and is the best budget memory foam mattresses is none other than the Amerisleep Revere. This brand has at least 90% user-based reviews, and it offers 6 different models in various thickness ranging from firm to lavish.
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The second in the list is the Loom & Leaf brand that has been by manufactured by a famous Industry, Saatva. This brand offers the same, if not higher, standards of reliability and quality as most other highly known brands in the world and which have been approved in the market.
Other brands that are doing great in producing high-quality Memory Foam Mattresses at a low price tag and give you the best value for your money are the Bear Mattress and the Perfect Cloud. And if you don’t mind digging a little deeper into your pockets, the Simmons Comforpedic or the Tempur-Pedic mattresses would be a great option and in fact, they score 83% when it comes to user’s satisfaction.
Innerspring Mattress
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This type has been the most popular for many years and comes in limitless possibilities of styles, options, and features. The innerspring mattress makes use of a steel coil support system. Various types of spring systems are offered by each manufacturer some of which include separately enclosed pocketed coils and springs joined with a single unit.
The innerspring is shielded by padding and upholstery materials such as fiber and foam. The number of spring coils is not based on any particular standards, but conventionally, the more the number of spring coils the better the weight distribution and points of support.
Models in this category come at an different price point in the market ranging from as least as a couple of a few 100 dollars to as most as 1000 dollars. Well, this is well associated with the unique particulars for each model such as design; stitching and fabric, the type and amount of padding, coil gauge and, the size and number of the coils.
If you experience night-sweat, the inner-spring are designed to retain less body heat to ensure that you get a calm and restful sleep. Although they transfer motion between partners sharing a bed, this is well compensated by the fact that they come in a broad range of firmness level.
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The Sealy Posturepedic is one of the best lines of mattresses with high reviews from both the experts and the owners in this category. These models stand out in professional testing, scoring high for durability, stability, and side sleeping. Its closest contender is the Simmons Beautyrest, featuring individually pocketed coils to help reduce motion transfer.
There is also the Serta iSeries whose mattresses come at a higher price tag than the above 2 mentioned brands. It features pocketed coils with a memory foam layer added for comfort and motion isolation.
Latex Foam Mattress
These mattresses are made from either synthetic or natural rubber. They are springier than Memory Foam mattresses and tend not to retain much body heat. Just like the Memory Foam, they conform to your body and are dust mites and mold resistant hence you are always sure to be free of allergen infections.
If you are environmentally conscious, you will most definitely love this type of mattresses. They are made of natural latex, which is a renewable resource, which in turn makes this mattress very eco-friendly.
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Mostly the [easyazon_link keywords=”Latex Foam mattresses” locale=”US” tag=”mattrevs16-20″]Latex Foam mattresses[/easyazon_link] cost over 1000 dollars, but you will also find a few priced as low as 550 dollars. These low-end brands often incorporate synthetic latex and other inexpensive processing methods to match the price tag.
They are easy to move around, and some sources describe this type as more breathable and are less likely to produce an awful smell when new. In fact, some owners found the Latex Foam better for lovemaking when compared to other types.
Unfortunately, this type is not widely available in most mattress showrooms. There are just a few brands selling them with the Ikea Latex Mattress, widely known for their quality and comfort. Another top-rated brand, the Select Luxury E.CO, which makes hybrid mattresses from polyurethane foam base and natural latex. Users gave it credits for being exceedingly comfortable, supportive, soft and best of all, good value for its price tag.
Waterbeds Mattress
Wouldn’t you be curious enough to know more about a mattress that uses a water chamber as the support system for how this works? The waterbed mattress mainly comes in 2 types; soft-sides and hard-sided. So, what is the difference? With the hard-sided waterbed the water chamber is located in a rectangular wood frame while with the other, it is included in a rectangular frame of firm foam, zippered in a fabric casing.
Usually, the water chamber is sheltered by padding and upholstery materials and with both of these types, you can place them on a sturdy platform for increased support. The water chamber can be wave-less meaning that the fiber limits the water’s motion or free-flow where nothing hinders the flow of water throughout the mattress. Even more, the waterbeds come in a gorgeous design that simulates a conventional bed.
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When it comes to user’s satisfaction, waterbeds score at 79% which is a close figure to that of Latex, Air, and Memory Foam mattresses. Its durability highly depends on how well you take care of it. Avoiding sharp objects on your best can increase its longevity and even though it gets a leak or puncture, repairing it is not much of a hassle.
However, if you are afraid of extra bills at the end of the month, then the Waterbeds might not be what you want. They consume a significant amount of energy to heat the water so as to provide an ideal sleeping surface. On the other hand, to minimize pressure points, this mattress contours to your body ensuring that all your body weight is evenly distributed throughout the bed.
And if you are sharing a bed with a restless partner, you won’t have to worry about being distracted while sleeping. This wave-less type is good at absorbing any movement giving you the most enjoyable moment while sleeping.
Airbed Mattress
Airbeds use an air chamber support system and unlike camping mattresses, this one is enclosed with upholstery materials and padding. With the airbeds, you can adjust the firmness of your bed by allowing either side of your bed to be controlled independently. This ensures that your changing sleeping needs are met thus making it more suitable for pregnant women and couples each with different needs.
Although airbeds have mechanical parts that can easily and quickly break, you would be surprised to learn how durable they can be. Furthermore, these parts are repairable and just like the waterbeds; this one is no exception when it comes to needing proper maintenance.
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It is important not to confuse between permanent and temporary air mattresses. The later is used for emergency situation beds or camping. One of the best-rated brand selling these types of mattresses is the Sleep Number.
It ranks high in professional testing for overall owner’s satisfaction in adjustability and comfort. One of the positive notes received from a good percentage of the owners is that the Airbeds are a good type to relieve pain which in turn improve sleeping quality.
You Might Also Want to Read >> Best Air Mattress – Complete Guide to Make a Worthy Purchase
Discover Which Mattress is Right for You
It may sound easy just to name the different mattress brands and classify them as the best in 2018, but it is not as easy as you think. First and foremost, from the initial stage of manufacturing to when the mattress is released for use, there are so many factors that are put into consideration.
Classifying some brands as the best and others the worst wouldn’t be a proper approach. This is because, different people have unique desires including but not limited to sleeping positions, body types, weights, etc. A certain mattress would not be ideal for you, but someone else would find it the best match. In a nutshell, the best mattress provides comfort and gives you peace while sleeping.
Nonetheless, there are certain prerequisites to consider when making any of your purchase. The coolest mattress is deemed to have an outstanding performance, excellent customer service, long warranty and gives you the best value of every penny you spend investing in it. Listed below are 10 primary factors that you should have in your fingertips while making your purchase.
Pressure Points and Alignment of the Spine
If you mostly sleep on your side, you will undoubtedly need a mattress that is capable of conforming to your body shape and one that supports your entire body weight. The best mattress for side sleepers with hip pains is the Inner-Spring or Latex, which is in fact, considered the best at pressure relief. A Memory Foam could also be used, but you will need to choose one with a fluffy topper. Otherwise, a firm mattress will offer close to nor relief.
Motion Transfer Between Partners
Have you at any point shared a bed with a restless partner, who kept on turning and tossing for the better part of the night? If you have, you know better how disruptive that can be. Fortunately, most manufacturers have taken an effort to come with mattresses that address this common problem.
The Memory Foam mattresses and individually enfolded pocketed coils do a great job of confining energy to prevent it from moving to other sides of the bed, other than where you are sleeping on. By no chance, should you go for a mattress with a continuous coil system or free-flow waterbeds since they transmit vibrations throughout the bed?
Mattress Sagging
When a mattress is incredibly soft, it can be confused for a sagging mattress. So, how do you tell that your mattress is saggy but not soft? Sagging usually occurs when a part of a mattress is subjected to unbearable pressure causing it to cause a permanent depression. This issue majorly causes pain for side and stomach sleepers.
The airbed is an ideal mattress for side and stomach sleepers and tends to be efficient in preventing and minimizing hip and back pain. With the airbeds, you will rarely experience the issue of bending, and lack of support since the air chambers allow for adjustability in firmness to provide adequate conformability when compared to other bed types.
Learn How Long Does a Mattress Last and How Often You Should Replace?
The Need to Rotate/ Flip Mattresses
If you wish to extend your mattresses’ lifespan, then you have to maintain it frequently. Mattress rotating is turning your mattress 180 degrees while flipping is turning it over. With airbeds, you don’t need to turn /flip the air chambers but if you have a model with upholstery fabric, performing this is important to prevent the materials from wear and tear.
The Latex, Memory Foam, and Inner-spring mattresses benefit greatly from flipping and rotating. However, due to their heavyweight, they require the help of more than one person.
Sleeping Hot
Sleeping on a mattress that is unventilated can mean serious troubles with the heat at night. Add an extra warm body, sheets, duvet, pets, etc. and you will see how uncomfortable with the time you will get.
Memory Foam and Latex mattresses can retain a lot of body heat, especially the inexpensive models. Therefore, you may prefer the innerspring or hybrid mattresses since they do not absorb as much heat as other models.
Suitability to Use on Adjustable Beds
An adjustable bed elevates both the foot and head section at an average range of 40 to 70 degrees. This means that the prime factor for consideration when making your purchase is durability and flexibility. A mattress that can bend and flex while maintaining the overall structural integrity and support is the most ideal.
The most preferred mattress for use with an adjustable bed is the advanced foam. This type is pretty much flexible; its support is not affected by bending, and it can tolerate motion to maintain comfort. Memory Foam and Latex also perform equally great, with each offering different features.
Off-Gassing Odor
Off-gassing is the smell of a new mattress, caused by its chemical composition. The airbed models with synthetic and memory foam have been reported to have significant off-gassing, while Latex mattresses, made of natural latex, seldom have this odor.
On the other hand, hybrid and innerspring mattresses integrated with a thick foam layer have the strongest off-gassing odor. When it comes to memory foam models, off-gassing is mainly depended on the density and thickness of each mattress.
Weight
If you have weight issues, the Memory Foam is worth consideration. In fact, they are the best mattresses for back pain and pressure points relief. With this type, you are guaranteed consistent support that shapes to your body regardless of your sleeping position.
However, low-end Memory Foam has breathability issues hence you may want to go for the high-end models which include open cell structures, cooling layers and a topping made of cooling textiles.
Lifespan
This refers to the length of a mattress’s operational life while maintaining some of its initial support and comfort. With the airbeds, longevity is a factor evaluated differently for each model based on the overall design and construction. And when a mechanical part is subjected to any damage, repairing it is not a hassle.
Just like airbeds, if waterbeds experienced a puncture of an issue with the water heater, the problem can be fixed without having to purchase an entirely new bed system. If well maintained, waterbeds are capable of lasting for more than 10 years.
When compared to other types of mattresses, the latex tends to have the least good durability. With time, as they age and wear, they become softer leading to sagging and loss of memory. Latex has a good to fair durability while the innerspring the lowest strength due to their tendency of developing body impression and sagging.
Read More Here >> How Long Does a Mattress Last? – Expert Opinion
Cost
Low-priced mattresses have few features, less durable construction, and short warranties. They are readily available in both online and physical stores. Mid-priced mattresses are covered by at least 10 years of warranty while the high priced mattresses come with sturdy construction and offer more features than the mid and low priced types. Their warranties are not less than 10 years, and when it comes to owner satisfaction, they score fairly well.
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Learn How to Take Care of Your Mattress
A sign of relief! You finally have the mattress you have been saving to get. Well, congratulations that you have made it past the acquisition stage. However, you are not yet done, consider that as one step up the ladder!
There is the most crucial stage, maintenance that will determine how long you will use the mattress while maintaining most of its original comfort. Think of a mattress as an investment plan, if well maintained, it could serve you for more than 10 years, which is a total of 3650 nights. Isn’t that worth it? Outlined below, is a clear guide on how to take care of your new mattress.
Let it breathe
Mattresses collect dust and humidity from the surrounding environment. Airing out your mattress whenever possible is a great way to increase its lifespan. Just remove all the bedding from your bed and leave it in open-air for a few hours to let it ventilate.
Avoid Dry-Cleaning
Dry cleaning agents or stain removers contain chemicals that may damage your mattresses’ fabric and other underlying materials. The only recommended cleaning method is by vacuuming. But in cases where your mattress has a stubborn stain, you can use mild soap with a wet piece of cloth and rub gently on the affected part.
Use a Mattress Protective Pad
If you want to sleep on your mattress for many years, then it is inevitable to use a mattress protector. A high-quality pad is breathable, waterproof and washable to keep your bed set fresh and free from dust, bed bugs, and dust mites.
Most mattresses have a polyurethane layer on their surface which is prone to wear and tear when exposed to moisture and excessive weight. A waterproof protector comes in handy to prevent moisture which could be caused by night sweats, unexpected water accidents and humid air from accelerating the breakdown of your mattress’s top layer.
Rotate Your Mattress
Once you start sleeping on your new mattress, it will break quickly to its natural feel thus the need for rotating it so that it can wear out evenly. It is always a good habit to turn your mattress every once for the first 3 months, after which you can adapt to rotating it 3 to 4 times a year. However, when your mattress gets timeworn, rotating it then would be of less significance.
Support Your Mattress Properly
A strong bed frame is like the foot of a tower. When your bed frame is sturdy and has a center support bar, your mattress, no matter how heavy it is, it will always be free from sagging in the middle. In fact, the center support is an essential requirement by most mattress companies for warranty. Try not to use box spring as this will void your mattress warranty and of course, it is not the best if you want your bed to last for long.
Don’t Sit on the Edges of Your Mattress
No matter how hard this may seem, the truth is that if you make it a habit, you will never stop. Sitting on the edge of your mattress weakens it and accelerates the process of wear and tear. Even worse, this spreads all the way to the center of your mattress and in turn reducing its longevity.
Problems People Face with use of Mattresses
In the past, mattresses were made from untreated natural materials while today, petroleum materials such as plastics, flame retardants, and foams have taken an upper hand. Sadly, since these chemicals are not stable, they evaporate into the surrounding air and are in turn inhaled by the sleeper for as long as they are lying on them.
According to Chem-Tox.com, which is an information-sharing website for health-related issues resulting from pesticide and chemicals expose, reports that there is a high possibility of the sleeper becoming ill due to continued exposure.
These findings are strongly pegged upon the by the fact that slumbering on a bed, places the sleeper at a closer range to the chemical sources. This means that the more the concentration of chemicals, the higher the chances of experiencing headaches, dizziness, allergies and night sweats among different individuals.
Some common effects that owners complained about were, sore throats, nose bleeding, sinus infection, vomiting, fever, flu, breathing difficulties, asthma attack, headaches and in rare cases, heart attack.
If you have bought a new mattress recently and noticed some unusual or sudden health issues, it is advisable that you remove the mattress to open air for few hours for it to ventilate. Otherwise, if after doing all that the problems persist, then you may consider buying an organic or natural mattress to solve this issue permanently.
