Choosing a mattress was once a simple task. The salesperson asked, “Do you want one that is hard or soft?” Now, the salesperson asks, “Do you want an open coil interspring mattress with lower gauge wires (firm) or a pocket spring mattress with higher gauge wires (soft)?” Every mattress has its advantages and disadvantages so it’s important to understand your sleep needs before you make an investment. The average price of a mattress is $600, but many people spend over $1000.
The ideal mattress will vary from person to person. People have a curvature to their spine when they’re standing with proper posture. That same natural curve should be maintained when a person is lying down. A mattress that is too soft will fail to support the pelvis, while a mattress that is too hard will force the spine into an unnatural position.
Innerspring Mattress:
The Innerspring is the most familiar type of mattress. Springs can achieve varying levels of softness and firmness that depend on the type of coils used to provide the inner spring. Innerspring mattresses can be accessorized with pillow tops and fancy embroidery, but it’s the coil gauge and coil count that determine firmness and durability. An increase in the number of coils and the interconnectedness of coils will help a mattress retain its shape. The gauge of coils is also important. Thinner coils give more easily under pressure and create a softer mattress, while thicker coils are more firm.
Foam Mattress:
Memory foam does not use springs to provide support because foam can mold itself to your frame in response to your weight. Since the foam settles around the body, it’s harder to change positions during sleep. Heavy people need to move during the night in order to prevent an uneven distribution of weight on one part of the body. On the other hand, people the limited movement of memory foam could be a good choice for people with arthritis or joint sensitivity. Foam mattresses also retain body heat so the temperature will increase throughout the night. If you tend to get cold while you sleep, this extra heat could be beneficial. Also, some foam mattresses have anti-bacterial and anti-mold properties.
Air Mattress:
Air mattresses can be adjusted through the increase or release of air. They are flexible and can be made to be more hard or soft depending on your present needs. Also, certain brands like the Sleep Number bed have two separate air chambers so that the firmness of each side can be adjusted independently. Air mattresses are a good solution for partners who have different sleep needs but want to sleep together.
Water Mattress:
The waterbed is often the brunt of jokes due to its unstable quality. Watching someone get in and out of a waterbed can be quite comical. But, waterbeds aren’t total novelties. The water provides support in a way that is similar to the foam, but without the reduced range of motion. Also, waterbeds are a good alternative for people with asthma and allergies. The vinyl casing can be wiped down reducing the amount of dust mites found in regular mattresses.
MORE INFO: Different Types of Mattresses | eHow Home
Image: eHow Home
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That is a REALLY bad photo. It reminds me of women who are drugged and sex trafficked.
I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Not dirty minds per say, just an overly provocative photo.
ha, ha, that's exactly what i thought. the poor lighting, stripped mattresses on the floor, dull carpeting, & cheap looking blinds all add to the image of someone held hostage.
I thought it was a new American Apparel ad.
I got really excited when I saw this post, because I'm about to have to buy a new mattress and have been doing tons of research. I was hoping for some tips or advice on brands or models or something to help me figure out "what mattress is right for me". This was really general and didn't really give me any new information, but I suppose it would be helpful if you're truly just starting out, although I think a more accurate title might be "what (type of) mattress is right for you". Also, what about latex mattresses?
Shouldn't she get away from her captors before she worries about mattresses?
What a horrible photo. She looks like she's being imprisoned by a sex trafficking ring. Or, as modernguy points out, it could be a photo art directed by Dov Charney. Pretty much the same thing.
I'm not a spammer, but I do have a link! This article in Slate was really helpful, though I admit I still spent too much.
http://www.slate.com/id/93956
I also checked yelp ads for to find a highly rated store that doesn't use high pressure sales techniques.
I went in for a firm $400 mattress - with no pillow top, ended up with a firm pillow top and spent $800. When I called to return - as I wasn't happy with the p-top ---non returnable!
That photo!! It is horrid....cannot imagine this would ever help mattress sales..
Mattress prices seem out of control to me. I went shopping for one last week at Leeds and Ortho and was stunned to see price tags nearing $3000. The least expensive was something for about $500 that wasn't even on display and apparently, too cheap for them to deliver. I didn't want it to do anything magical during the night, I just wanted to be able to lay down and get up without any aches or pains.
In the end, I got a memory foam mattress from Ikea for $250. It's been about 5 days and so far so good. I don't have to crack by back in the morning like I did with the other one. And thanks to Ikea's packaging, we fit a rolled up, queen size mattress in the back seat of a Volkswagen Golf.
The whole memory foam thing did take some getting used to just because it's a different texture but it's nice if you share a bed because you don't feel every movement that the other person makes.
@igurl... that was a SUPER helpful article. Thanks!
Weird photo.
@igurl - that article was my primary resource in cutting through the bogus marketing B.S. Found a basic, very firm innerspring from one of the Big "S"'s - no pillow top, no fancy ticking, no extra thickness, even skipped on the box spring. Spent around $400 or so. Haven't ever had a problem.
Yeah -- a major point about memory foam -- it's initially ridiculously comfortable, but it does retain heat and it's hard to maneuver around on. If you overheat easily and are a restless sleeper, that's def not the one for you. Also, I've found that your feet wind up a bit elevated b/c they don't sink in as much as the rest of your body ...that can be uncomfortable.
Also, I've heard of people whose memory foam mattress is on the floor, having issues w/ mold/funk underneath b/c lack of circulation.
Yeah - the photo wows me too. The tilt of her head says "come to bed?" but the expression on her face says "they're making me do this" CREEPY!
Just don't buy a Sterns and Foster. I had a $200 mattress I bought in college year for over a decade. I really need to replace it because I was hugely pregnant and uncomfortable but that mattress served me well for over almost a decade. I thought now that I'm a grown up, I should get a grown-up bed and I shelled out $1400 for a Sterns and Foster. Worst money spent. Here it is, less than 6 years later and I want to replace it. It was great for the first couple of years but it's been sucky ever since.
Thanks for the Slate article! I may be shopping for a new one soon.
AT has run lots of articles re mattress selection -- plus the great series Maxwell has run on testing many different kinds in his own home. Why not link back to some of these? Do you guys talk to your colleagues in other cities?
Terrible photo - Is she a Meth Addict or something?
fantastic comments
That is an awful photo. It looks like she thinks she is being sexy, but instead comes across as a sex slave in a crack den.
Worst photo ever!
GROSS PHOTO.
Ohai u want sum mattrees wiv ur drugz??
Nice to see we're not all easily distracted by a placeholder photo.
Everyone has different needs in a mattress and there is no right answer. For me, I would NEVER go back to a mattress with metal springs of any sort.
For decades we have had it drummed into our heads the FIRM, EXTRA FIRM and SUPER FIRM must be our choices for the health of our backs. Bah Humbug! I have never had a backache if any consequence in my entire life. Either I am just lucky or it is because I have been a side sleeper for as long as I can remember.
I am now overweight and middle aged. My hips were hurting...my shoulders were hurting. But my research told me that memory foam would not suit me. (RESEARCH!!) I ended up buying polyfoam direct from a foam manufacturer. 6 inches of high quality "medium" and 4 inches of "soft" for the top and a tempurpedic-look-alike zip on cover off Ebay. ($700 total and no box spring--Made antique bed into a platform.)
BLISS!! Zero shoulder pain and 90% reduction of hip pain and I can even sleep on my back if I choose to which my body never wanted to before.
This creation is 2 years old and I expect to get 3 more years out of the soft top layer. Soft foam does not have the (15) years of warranty that medium does. There will be the additional expense to replace the top 4 inches at that time. But good sleep is worth it.
An additional cure for my shoulder pain was a fatter pillow. High quality spun polyfil. My down/feather ones would flatten out and squish under my shoulder--ouch!
I have a semi-hard inner-spring with one of those foam topper-dos. A bit hard for me, but perfect for my husband. The mountain of pillows I have slide down to my waist at night, but I make it work, and I never wake up from pain.