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.
However, in my experience with mattress-buying - you often have to pay more to get a well manufactured mattress that has fewer chemicals in its makeup, which I firmly believe is very important with respect to your general health. So, that’s the basic mattress buying guide - do your research - both on the types and features of mattresses available and on your lying posture type before you open your wallet! The materials contained on this website are provided for general information and educational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice on any particular individual situation. Please see your Chartered Physiotherapist or other medical practitioner for full and individual consultation. Please read the full disclaimer here. By using this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. For more information on how we use cookies, please read our cookie policy here.A mattress can cost up to £3,000, but you don't need to pay this much to buy the best.
We explain how to find the best mattress for you. Your browser does not support the video tagWant to buy the best mattress for you? Deciding which type of mattress you want is only part of the story. If you want a mattress that you'll be happy with for years to come, you also need to make a few other good decisions.Keep reading, as we'll help you to make those key decisions to ensure you get the best mattress for a good night's sleep. From the best way to try out a mattress in a shop to make sure it's going to be right for you, to what you need to look for in a mattress guarantee to make sure you don't get caught out. We've put mattresses of all types through our tough tests - go to our mattress reviews to find the one that's best for you.Buy a mattress from a trusted brand46% of Which? members bought their mattress because it's made by a brand they trust. If you're not sure what the best mattress brands are, we can help. Check out our guide to the best and worst mattress brands. This reveals what people think of the brand of mattress they own, including how comfortable it is, and includes major brands such as Silentnight, Sleepeezee and Sealy.How much do you need to spend on a new mattress?
A new mattress can cost anywhere between a couple of hundred pounds and several thousand. Factors like brand, size and the type of materials used can all have a significant impact on cost.We've found you don't need to spend a fortune to get a mattress that supports your spine and lasts for years.But our mattress tests have found that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a mattress that will support your spine and last for years to come. Sort our mattress reviews by price to find our cheapest Best Buys.Which type of mattress should you get?The type of mattress you choose all comes down to your personal preference and budget. members choose pocket-sprung mattresses. But unlike memory foam mattresses, they don't mould to your shape. You'll also see continuous coil and open coil mattresses, which are usually cheaper than the other types of mattress, and latex mattresses.For more information about mattress types, see our guide to choosing the best type of mattress.Try the mattress before you buyBuying a mattress online may be cheaper and more convenient but, if you can, it’s best to try a mattress before you buy.
Even if you feel awkward doing this in a shop, don't let this put you off - you're going to be sleeping on the mattress for years, so it's important you make the right choice. When we asked Which? members about their experience of buying a mattress, over a third of them told us they feel intimidated trying out a mattress in the shop. A good mattress shop - see our guide revealing the best mattress shops - shouldn't mind you doing this.When you go shopping for a new mattress, wear comfortable clothing and remove your outdoor gear. Lie on a mattress for at least 10 minutes, in positions that you normally sleep in.Sit on the edge of the mattress – it should be firm, not saggy. Don’t shop for beds when you’re tired, as all the mattresses will feel great.If you’re buying a memory foam mattress, relax in one position, then move into another. Was it easy or did you struggle to move? If the latter, you might find the memory mattress will restrict your movement too much, especially in cold weather when the memory foam will be harder.
Don't let sales assistants influence you – they can’t decide whether the mattress is comfortable. If the bed is for two, shop together.Make sure your mattress fits your bed baseManufacturers encourage you to buy a mattress and bed base together, and this is a good idea if you’ve had your old base for many years.If you buy the mattress and base separately, or are going to keep your old base, measure carefully to make sure they’re a good fit. Dimensions can vary so don’t rely on a new double mattress being exactly the same size as your old one.Is your mattress going on a slatted base? Then make sure that the slats are no more than 6cm wide or more than 4cm apart. This ensures sufficient ventilation, whilst preventing the mattress sagging through between the slats.Check the guarantee/warranty on your mattressMake sure you know what your rights are if there's a problem with your mattress. Each of our mattress brand reviews has information on the different guarantees that come with each mattress, so you won't get caught out.
Most guarantees for mattresses will not cover gradual wear and tear, which leads to loss of support. So make sure you use our mattress reviews to pick out a durable mattress that will stand the test of time.Most mattress guarantees will not cover gradual wear and tear.Before you buy your mattress, check whether there’s anything in particular, such as removing labels or using a base other than a recommended one, that would invalidate the guarantee.Don't worry if your mattress is smelly at firstIt's important that you unwrap your mattress as soon as you get it home - leaving the plastic wrappings on could lead to rot. Most bed mattresses have a distinctive chemical odour when you first unpack them, but some can be particularly smelly. Leave your mattress to air for a week before use and the fumes will disperse.Now you know how to go about buying the best mattress for you, check out our best mattress recommendations to reveal the mattresses that will support your spine and last for years.