Old Bed Guy- The Truth about Buying Beds and Mattresses. Your complete guide to buying the perfect mattress. Must Read Posts For All Mattress Shoppers Need help buying a mattress? Read the Consumer Reports Innerspring Mattress Ratings: Click here A MUST READ BOTH FOR ALL SURVEY TAKERS AND USEFUL FOR SHOPPERS ON THEIR OWN. Welcome to my Old Bed Guy website. I named this essay, “Mattress 103” because my intent is to provide you with an information-packed introduction to intelligent mattress shopping. I could’ve called it “Mattress shopping made easy”. But shopping for such a “blind item” is never that easy, even for a so-called expert like myself. Your chances for finding what you need will be significantly improved when you are armed with facts you will learn in this essay. You are reading this because you need a new mattress and find the shopping process uncomfortable, unpleasant, or hard to understand. Or often all three and more. Mattress makers and retailers deliberately make the buying process more difficult.
The less that you know, the more money that they can make. If they let you discover how little difference there often is between many mattresses, profits will go down the drain. There are quality differences, but not as great as the price differences. My mission is to make it easier for you to be able to judge.... Tests and results from a reliable source... If nature abhors a vacuum, opportunists are always ready to make money by exploiting the fears to be found in the minds of almost all mattress shoppers. And that is the message I am trying to impart in this post. The mattress industry as a whole, has intentionally made it as hard as possible to comparison shop for a mattress.... Image: Yes, we'd all love to purchase a new mattress to float away on at the drop of a hat, but they're so dang expensive it's not always possible. The good news is, if you have a semi-decent mattress and box spring, you can make some small investments and tweaks to boost your bed's level of fluffy comfort.
A photo posted by Fruition Skin Therapy (@fruitionskintherapy) on Jan 7, 2017 at 8:48pm PST Even if you have a pillow-top, don't just throw a single foam pad on over the mattress and expect your bed to dish up the best sleeping experience ever. For a luxurious and super-comfortable bed, you need to layer on the extras and add a few other goodies to create the perfect combination for you. More: Things to consider when buying a new bed Check out a memory foam mattress pad, for instance. They come in various sizes, but we suggest going for one that's 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. You get the benefit of amazing cushioning, but the pad isn't so big that you don't have room for other types of padding. A photo posted by Beta Cat (@betabetacat) on Dec 31, 2016 at 8:01am PST Memory foam is a great start, but next you need to double down with an eggcrate mattress pad. Yeah, they look a little crazy, but they're also amazingly comfortable. Get one big enough to cover the entire top surface of your bed and position it near the top layers of extras (on top of your memory foam, for instance), just beneath a thinner topper that's directly under your fitted sheet.
If you aren't allergic to feather products, down bedding can be a gorgeously fluffy addition to your bed. Look for down pillows, mattress toppers and comforters. But quality matters here, folks — if you buy a cheap down comforter or pillow, you're going to be constantly needled to death with the prickly ends of the feathers poking through the cloth barrier. A photo posted by Cristina Dumitrache (@qrstin) on Jan 8, 2017 at 3:28am PST Whether you are allergic, don't like to buy animal products or just don't feel like dishing out the dough for down, there are synthetic substitutes/down alternatives for feather bedding. More: DIY wooden headboard makes your bedroom instantly farmer-chic If you're looking for a good bang for your buck, the Chezmoi Collection goose down alternative comforter is a steal at $55 at Sears, and you can't beat the Natural Comfort super-warm and cozy down alternative comforter at $42 on Amazon. A photo posted by @sleep.whale.pillows on Jan 8, 2017 at 7:58am PST
Speaking of comforters, it's important to pay attention to seasons and the climate you live in while shopping for one. The Natural Comfort down alternative mentioned above is great for winter, but for summer you'll want to seek out something a little lighter. There's also a whole category of all-season comforters to keep on hand to get your body temperature just right. Comforters also come in a variety of weights — so if you are claustrophobic or are soothed by a substantial heavy covering while sleeping, weight is definitely something you'll want to take into consideration. Originally published August 2009. Next up: Get great sheets(Image credit: Design Within Reach) Storage beds once seemed like the orthopedic shoe of the design world—sensible, but not stylish. These days, some are so attractive that you may want one even if your bedroom is spacious. Ideal for small starter apartments, modern storage beds come in a range of designs from very basic with clean lines to more luxe, upholstered options.
(Image credit: Design Within Reach) Matera Bed with Storage designed by Sean Yoo. Part of the Matera collection at Design Within Reach in oak or walnut. (Image credit: Pottery Barn) Chesterfield Upholstered Headboard & Storage Platform Bed at Pottery Barn, $849 (headboard) + $1,899 (bed)/queen. Malm Storage Bed in black/brown or white, best for small rooms without side or foot-of-the-bed clearance from IKEA, $499/queen. (Update: IKEA has recently released another version of the Malm bed with storage drawers that pull out, $314. (Image credit: Urban Green) Urban Basics Bed in three wood choices or painted eco MDF at Urban Green, starting at $1,519 (Image credit: Room & Board) Marlo Storage Bed in Tatum fabric (8 colors) or custom order from 300 fabric choices at Room and Board, $2,199. (Image credit: Blu Dot) Modu-licious Storage Bed at Blu Dot, choose from three wood stains and six colors for the six powder-coated steel drawers, $2,299.