Question: What's a mattress made of? Answer: Despite their simple exterior appearance, mattress sets are highly engineered sleep systems constructed of different components such as springs, foam and air. Regardless of how the mattress is constructed, every mattress requires a foundation or box spring to properly support the mattress, and ensure the life and comfort of the mattress. Together a mattress and its foundation comprise a sleep set. Question: How often should I replace my mattress? Answer: Every 5-7 years. Even if your mattress doesn't show much wear and tear, your body, lifestyle and sleep needs have probably changed. If your mattress is 5-7 years older, so are you! Has your weight changed, have you gotten married, developed back problems, or do you have a less active lifestyle? That old mattress may no longer be the best fit for the person you are today. In fact in a Consumer Reports study showed that 72% of polled online subscribers found a new bed improved their sleep.
Question: What's the proper way to turn or rotate a mattress and how often should it be done? Answer: Some new mattresses should be rotated every week for the first few months and every few months thereafter. Most new mattresses have been designed as "no-flip" mattresses, eliminating the need for end-over-end rotation. We suggest you consult your manufacturer’s warranty for the proper rotation guidelines specific to your new mattress. Tip: Unless your mattress is a twin size, we don't recommend you turn it alone. Doing so can result in damage to the product or injury to you. Get a friend or a family member to assist you. Do not use the cord handles to turn the mattress, as they will not support the weight of the mattress and will likely pull out. Mattress handles should be used for final positioning only. Question: Should I buy a hard mattress if I have a bad back? Answer: Your doctor may have specific recommendations. In general, we'd recommend a mattress that offers good support, and such support does not mean the hardest or firmest mattress available.
Innerspring mattresses offer various types of surface materials over the coil unit that aid in improving the comfort of a mattress without compromising the support. Foam, latex or air mattresses are also good options for contouring the body while offering proper support and lasting comfort. Question: What is the best mattress, or mattress brand? Answer: Each of the major brands we carry offers unique features and benefits that may appeal more to you, while consistently providing a great quality product. Your comfort is a personal choice. A trained salesperson will help to guide you based on your preferences, enabling you to make an informed buying decision. Question: What are the measurements of each mattress size? Answer: Throughout the industry, there are standard mattress sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, California King, and Eastern King. Mattress dimensions can vary +/- by a half inch depending on the manufacturer. Question: How soon can I have my new mattress set delivered?
Answer: Sleep Train provides same day delivery for FREE (within any of our local delivery zones). Purchase any in-stock product by 2 PM, and we can deliver it that day. We will also set up your new mattress set and remove your old mattress set at no cost. Question: What is the best way to protect my new mattress? Answer: Mattress protection, including the use of waterproof mattress pads, is the easiest way to protect the manufacturer’s warranty on your mattress. Should a problem arise with your mattress, it must be free of stains in order to qualify for a warranty exchange or repair. Aside from keeping your mattress free of stains, many mattress protectors have the ability to keep dust mites out of your new mattress and away from your skin. Question: What are the new regulations on mattresses being fire resistant? Answer: Beginning July 1st, 2007 all mattresses manufactured must meet the new Federal Government Law on F.R., "Flammability Regulations." This law requires that every mattress must have a label that states the mattress set meets the federal standard.
This regulation requires that mattresses be significantly more resistant to an open flame than previously outlined in individual state rulings. All Sleep Train mattresses now meet these new flammability regulations, by the means of fire resistant fiber barriers, not with the use of hazardous chemicals. The new F.R. Law is designed in the case of a fire and will give homeowners an extra 20-30 minutes to escape their bedroom. It also provides firefighters more time to get into a home, thus preventing further damage. It is estimated this new law now in effect will save 270 lives each year, and prevent as many as 1,330 injuries. Question: Is my child ready for an adult-sized bed? Answer: The transition from a crib to a bed is a big step for children. Due to the danger of injury from a crib, it is encouraged to switch to an adult size bed as soon as a child begins to climb out of the crib, or once a child reaches 35 inches in height. Most children move from crib to bed between the ages of two and three years old.
Tip: Children spend a great deal of their growing years in bed. Providing them with a mattress set that offers adequate comfort and support for active, developing bodies is important, and usually cannot be found in hand-me-down or used sleep products. While many parents still purchase twin size sleep sets, recent industry statistics show a rise in the number of parents opting for full size or "double" beds for children. Space permitting, the larger size bed allows greater freedom of movement while sleeping and can provide more comfort for both parent and child during quiet talks and bedtime stories.Innerspring Mattress FAQ'sInnerspring mattresses have wire coils as the support structure. An innerspring mattress has a strong border wire attached to the perimeter of the coils. The border wire supports the coils, helping to retain shape and reduce sagging. The edge is reinforced with specially shaped springs or foam to support the sleep surface right to the edge, to help prevent ‘rollout’ and edge breakdown.
The upholstery is separated from the innerspring system by an insulator, a tough padding, wire or netting layer that prevents the upholstery from sinking into the coils. Number of CoilsNot so long ago, experts were saying that the more coils a mattress had, the more support it would give. Today, we have realized that this is not necessarily true. The way that the coils are constructed is the main factor in determining the amount of support the user gets.This all depends on the mattress size, but mattresses generally come with 300 to 800 coils. Based on a queen-size mattress, 500 to 800 coils is considered firm. However, some of the best and most comfortable mattresses only have around 400 coils, and even fewer in a full mattress will provide decent support. This can be impacted by the use of a heavier gauge wire, therefore adding more steel to the mattress.There are a number of misconceptions with regards to coil count and firmness. Doctors once said that firmer mattresses give better support.
This was actually only true with a small percentage of people who sleep on their backs and/or stomachs. Research shows that most people sleep on their sides. The side of the human body is not flat (like a back,) and a mattress that conforms better to the body and gives better support putting the spine into proper alignment or it’s natural resting position has proven to be better. Individually wrapped coils have proven to be the best factor in support for side sleepers.It may seem obvious to most that heavier gauge (thicker wire) coils would offer a greater deal of support than lighter gauge coils. It has been proven that this is not true and some mattress manufacturers compensate for thinner gauge steel wire by increasing the coil count and specifying the type of coil.Low coil counts and heavy gauge wires can seem firm in the store, but it is likely that such a mattress will not hold up long because it simply does not have enough coils.Many premium mattresses feature 14-gauge (1.63 mm) coils.
Coils are measured in quarter increments. The lower the number, the larger the diameter of the spring. With coils in the 14 to 15.5 (1.63 to 1.37 mm) gauge range, it is important that the total coil count be high the coils would otherwise give easily under pressure.A 12.5 gauge (1.94 mm) innerspring coil, the thickest typically available, may feel rock hard in a double mattress even with a coil count of 400 or less. How are the Coils Connected?We have found that the number and quality of these interconnecting wires, or helicals, is not published by the manufacturers. If there are too few of these interconnecting wires a mattress can lose its shape more quickly than one that has an adequate amount. Mattresses that sag quickly usually have few helicals. Some manufacturers make individually pocketed coils (see types below,), which disperse movement from different sides of the bed because they are not connected. However, in this case, the pocket or independent coils provide the support required by the individual coil instead of the interconnection between coils.
Types of CoilsMost manufacturers stake claim to having the best coil-to-gauge ratio. However, there are only a few innerspring manufacturers and four general types. One thing to remember is that while there are many different types of coils and many manufacturers, most manufacturers have their coils made by one company.There are a number of different types of coils:Open Coil or Bonnell Coil: These are the oldest and most commonly used. They were adapted from a design used in buggy seats in the 19th Century. This hourglass-shaped wire coil is joined to adjacent coils by small wire spirals called helicals. The open coil design provides good initial support but these coils fatigue more quickly than more technically advanced coil constructions. You’ll know this mattress has reached the end of its life when you and your bed partner are experiencing the ‘roll together’ or you suddenly realize that your mattress feels more like a hammock.Offset Coil: This coil construction is similar to the open coil but it has a squared head, which in theory enables the mattress to contour better.
It is a descendant of the Bonnell or open coil. An offset coil is slightly more cylindrical in shape than an open coil, which may make it more durable. It is also laced to its neighbors by helicals. These are usually the most expensive coils.Pocket Coil/Independent Coil or Marshal Coils: A pocket or independent coil is a cylindrical spring wrapped in its own fabric pocket. This construction is designed to give the most contour of any support system. Each coil works independently which means that you will feel your partner move much less. Each pocket coil absorbs the weight placed on it without distributing the load to other coils. Because of this, it is possible that the coils will provide less support over time, particularly for heavier people. This type of coil is a good choice for people who toss and turn and for their bed partners because the motion separation may prevent waking from a deep sleep which is very important for well being.Continuous Coil: The continuous coil is exactly what it says – each row of coils is made of a single wire attached to the next row by helicals.