How to choose a mattress? What is the best mattress? We know choosing a mattress can be daunting – especially since it’s probably been a while since your last trip to the mattress store. We’re here to help make sense of it all and provide you with everything you need to know so you can find the best mattress to buy for your lifestyle and budget. It’s time to buy a new mattress if: You wake up with aches and pains that dissipate throughout the day. Your arms or shoulders fall asleep throughout the night, or you wake up tossing and turning. Your mattress shows visible signs of wear and tear, such as sagging or the sides breaking down. You feel the coils when lying on your bed. You hear noises/creaks on your mattress when moving around. You roll toward the middle of the bed at night, or you easily roll off the edge of the bed. No matter what the temperature in your bedroom, you always seem to feel too hot in bed. Your mattress is more than eight years old – check the tag to determine the age of your mattress.
You’ve outgrown your current mattress size or are in need of a larger one. (Tip: If you’re an expecting parent, check out these tips to sleep for pregnant mothers!). Complete this checklist before your visit to the mattress store and bring it with you to help narrow your search. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – that’s what the sales representatives, known as sleep consultants at Mattress Firm, are there for! SIZE: To identify the correct mattress size for your space, consider the following: The mattress should be longer than the tallest person sleeping on it. The bed width should allow enough space to fold your arms behind your head without going beyond the mattress edge or touching your partner’s elbows (for two adults, we recommend either a queen or a king). Full size bed / Double mattress Not sure which size is right for you? Click here for a little more info on choosing the right mattress size. Do you need a box spring or foundation for your mattress?
☐ Yes ☐ No BUDGET: Determine a budget you’re comfortable with and let your salesperson know so he or she can direct you to the best mattress options in your price range. Not sure how much you should spend for a good quality mattress? As a general rule with mattresses, you get what you pay for – the higher the quality, the better the comfort, support and durability. However, it’s important to choose a model that suits your needs and your pocketbook. We recommend the “eight days of pay for eight years” model: Take one day’s pay and multiply it by eight. That’s how much you should spend on a mattress that will last eight years. If you don’t plan on keeping your mattress that long, or it’s going to be a guest mattress that will be used less often, you may consider spending less, but consider using this equation to find your ballpark price range. The least I will spend is $___________ The most I can spend is $__________ I [am / am not] willing to consider floor models and and other clearance options.
TEST-DRIVE: Once your salesperson has shown you some different mattress brands within your size/budget range, test out your mattress options by laying on each side (back, stomach, left side, right side) for about five minutes per side (20 minutes total). We know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to lay on a bed in front of my fellow shoppers?” Don’t worry – we see it all the time, and it’s an important step in the shopping process. Some questions to ask yourself as you test drive each mattress include: Do I prefer a firm or soft mattress? Refer to this five levels of comfort guide if you’re not sure. Which mattress brand do I trust the most? Check out this list of our most trusted mattress brands if you need more information. What features can I live without? What features can I NOT live without? (For example: hybrid mattress only, must be memory foam, etc.) Take any relevant notes about what you liked/didn’t like about each one here: Is shipping and/or delivery included?
☐ Yes ☐ No, it costs $________ Will they dispose of my old mattress for me when they bring the new one? Is there a charge for that? ☐ No ☐ Yes, it costs $________ Is recycling my old mattress an option and can they recycle it for me? How long will it take to get my new mattress delivered to me? RETURN POLICY / WARRANTY: o What is the return policy? Is there a return fee, restocking fee or any penalty fees? ☐ No ☐ Yes, it will cost $________ What does the warranty cover? Will it be voided due to stains or tears caused by use? (Tip: To protect against regular wear and tear and extend the life of your mattress you may consider purchasing a quality mattress cover.) Make sure you understand what your warranty covers and take any relevant notes here: Once you have found the perfect mattress you are more than half way there! Here are some essential bedding accessories to help complete your sleep sanctuary. If you find you’re too hot at night, or your partner wakes you up with his or her tossing and turning, check out today’s high tech sleep products that have set out to solve these common issues:
By Sally Ann Quirke | I often give my new clients a single page mattress buying guide when they look for advice in buying a new mattress - but want to ensure that their investment alleviates back discomfort and pain. Before we proceed with our mattress buying guide, please remember that you spend almost one third of your life in bed - sleeping! Selecting the correct mattress for your back is crucial for your health. Your body needs to be able to relax in a good postural position so that it can recover from its day’s work and respond well to the demands of the next one. Many people who have a bad back miss the opportunity to help improve their back pain by not doing their research and buying the wrong type of mattress for them. If you have a bad back, or suffer from back pain, particularly while sleeping, then choosing a mattress to prevent and treat back pain is something that can really help you. It is well discussed topic in the physiotherapy and health world. However, remember that choosing a mattress is both a subjective and objective matter.
Subjectively - you must feel comfortable lying on your mattress. Try plenty of mattress in the shop and compare how you feel lying on them (remember to wear clean socks on the day!) Objectively - I advise people on the type of mattress to look for, and give guidance on the mattress types I think may help in the treatment, prevention and ultimate resolution of their back pain and stiffness. Mattress for Lumbar Lordosis: If you have a stiff lower back - and have a deep curve at the base of your spine that does not flatten to the ground naturally when you lie down,(known as an increased lumbar lordosis) - then I usually advise a mattress that is supportive but not too hard. In my experience if you have an increased lumbar lordosis and sleep on a hard mattress your spine can remain arched in your sleep while you are lying on your back. Clients with this back posture often find that they wake up with increased back pain in the morning if they have been sleeping on their backs.
They tend to sleep on their sides to avoid this pain. However, if their mattress is a little softer, they find sleeping on their backs is not a problem. Mattress for Flexed Posture: Another example is if you a flexed lower back (known as a flat back) and you tend to slouch when you sit. In such cases your back will tend to benefit more from a firmer style mattress. If your flexed lower back is not supported enough, back pain problems may worsen over time, as a softer bed encouraging and supporting your flexed posture, allowing it into further flexion while you sleep. These are just two examples, but ultimately you need to understand what your posture type is, or what the underlying cause of your back pain is. Once you have discovered this, then it will help you choose the best mattress for your back pain. If unsure, ask your physiotherapist/Physical Therapist to help you on this one! I recently had a client who spent 3000 euro on a bed and having assessed her symptoms, it was clear that the new bed was cause of her hip pain!
As you can imagine, my diagnosis was not very popular! I have seen many more who missed an opportunity to help improve or relieve their back pain by buying a mattress without doing their research first. Also, I think it is also worth pointing out that there are many environmental factors you should consider in choosing a correct mattress. Most modern mattresses are chemically treated, and if manufactured poorly, will result in high solvent levels that we absorb and inhale into our bodies night after night. Where possible it is preferable to buy a non-toxic mattress, preferably made from natural fibres. These are typically not treated with chemical flame retardants like PBDE and are made from organic cotton, wool and coir(coconut fibre). This is worth bearing in mind if you are considering a mattress, or pillow, made from a memory foam such as polyurethane. The cost of your mattress is not always indicative of its quality and effectiveness in the treatment of back pain. Sometimes a cheap mattress can tick all the boxes that your back requires.