Choosing the right mattress type Mattresses are designed to provide the support and comfort you need to relax and rest. If you have had your mattress for a while, you may be wondering if it is time to buy a new one. Research shows that people sleep better, suffer less back pain and experience fewer symptoms of stress when sleeping on newer beds. In general, your sleep quality improves if your sleep surface relieves pressure on joints and other areas of the body. Matching your specific comfort needs with the right product is a very subjective process. Mattresses are made with a variety of materials and technologies to deliver support systems that meet the broad array of consumers’ needs, tastes, and budgets. Mattresses should be evaluated every seven years for quality and support. If you haven’t shopped for a new mattress recently, there are many options to choose from. The following provides basic information on the different types of mattresses available today so that you are better equipped to choose a mattress that meets your needs.
Since 2008, Sleep Like The Dead has spent more than 6,000 hours gathering over 25,000 mattress reviews from nearly 1,000 diverse, credible sources. This page provides a brief summary of our unbiased research findings. – 12 Key Mattress Research Findings 3. Buying a mattress online 5. Longevity / lifespan 9. Mattresses and sex 10. Mattresses for large, small people 12. Returning a mattress – How Best To Use This Site – About Our Mattress Research – Why Trust Our Mattress Reviews / Ratings Do not assume that you will be satisfied with a top-rated mattress type or brand. Learn about a bed's characteristics, pros & cons before buying to ensure that it is right for you personally. Select a mattress type for detailed analysis and ratings. MORE INFO: See the mattress types compared in 20 additional ways. The chart below includes many of the more popular and / or widely available brands (in alphabetical order). Select a brand for detailed ratings.
COMPARE THE ABOVE MATTRESSES AND MANY MORE in our side-by-side mattress comparison. DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? Search our mattress ratings using box below. Mattresses of various price points have some important differences. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at our mattress price comparison. Buying a mattress online has important similarities and differences to buying in a store. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at buying a mattress online: what to know as well as the mattress manufacturer / brand comparison. The following shows the firmness level that tends to be suitable for average-sized people depending on their body type; your own personal preference may differ. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS as well as firmness suggestions for people of above- and below-average size at our mattress firmness guide. Mattress longevity or lifespan can vary especially by mattress type. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress longevity comparison.
About 8% of people report that their mattress retains heat and sleeps hot to an extent that undermines sleep quantity / quality. Some mattress types have more of a problem on this issue than others. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress heat retention. A mattress with good motion isolation localizes or absorbs a person's movement, such as their getting in / out of bed and their changing of positions. A mattress with poor motion isolation sends a person's movement across the bed to possible disturb another person. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress motion isolation comparison. Off gassing is an odor that a mattress may release when unpackaged due to its chemical composition. Some mattress types are more likely than others to have a problem. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress off gassing odor. The different mattress types have various pros and cons in regard to suitability on this issue. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattresses and sex.
Among several other factors, mattress thickness is a key attribute that small and especially large people should consider. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress guide for large & small people. The life of a mattress tends to be a fraction of its warranty length. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress warranties: what to know. The top reason people seek to return their mattress is that it has a firmness level unsuitable for one's personal preference, body type, or sleep position. Less common reasons include sleeping hot, persistent off gassing odor, and unsuitability for sex. Chart: Main reasons for seeking a mattress return GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at returning a mattress: what to know. Adjustable bed bases / foundations often provide a variety of health and comfort benefits. Available are value-priced models ($600-$1100), middle-priced models ($1101-$1500) and luxury-level models ($1501-$3500+). GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at adjustable bed reviews.
Do you really need a new mattress? Oftentimes, a mattress topper can effectively soften an overly firm mattress or revitalize an aging mattress. GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at mattress topper reviews. The best place to start your research is the page you are on right now or the mattress comparisons page – specifically the mattress type comparison. Once you have chosen a type, then choose a brand and model of that type. Then, if necessary, choose a seller of the mattress from the retailer comparison. Our mattress reviews and ratings are based on 25,600+ consumer experiences collected from over 890 credible sources. See research sources & methodology for details. Our mission is to help people make smart sleep-product buying decisions – and to sleep like the dead as a result. This can only be achieved by providing unbiased, truthful information. Science-Backed Tips to Pick the Perfect Mattress Sleep matters—so much so that six in 10 Americans report craving sleep over sex.
The key to rest good enough to forgo sex? It just might be in the mattress.Nine in 10 respondents in a sleep survey cited their mattress as an important factor in getting that coveted good night’s rest. Americans love their beds so much, in fact, that they're willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a single mattress. But the word is still out on whether this expense is really justified, since mattresses can affect our sleep in both positive and negative ways. Make sense of the bedding madness with this primer on choosing the right mattress for you. Mattress Matters—The Need-to-KnowThe first “mattresses” (read: piles of leaves, grass, or straw covered in animal skins) were invented by cave men and women. Thousands of years later, the Egyptian pharaohs discovered the luxury of raising the bedding off the ground (though "common folk" continued to sleep on piles of palm bows). Today, many Americans enjoy mattress-induced rest. Six in 10 Americans crave sleep over sexBut mattresses don't always help people obtain a good night's sleep.
Low-quality, uncomfortable mattresses have been linked to sleep discomfort and pain, and chronic pain can prevent quality sleep . Those who struggle with sleep deprivation may suffer from a sour mood, slower metabolism, and impaired immune function .Fortunately it’s not all bad news. Better “bedding systems” (a fancy way of saying “things you sleep on”) have been linked to decreased pain and discomfort, especially in women . Quality sleep on a good mattress may also help decrease stress .The long and short of it? A bad mattress can contribute to poor sleep quality, while a good mattress can improve it. Given that the average person spends about one third of her or his life sleeping, it's worth investing the time (and money) to find the right mattress for you.Better Bedding—Your Action PlanSome research suggests foam mattresses create backaches; Some studies advocate for regular cotton mattresses while others say coils create backaches and that airbeds are the way to go . There’s even disagreement over whether a firm mattress really is better for lower back pain .
The reason for all this controversy is that sleep quality and comfort are so darn subjective . In fact, when buying a mattress, the most important consideration is probably personal comfort. (That also means that if something besides a mattress proves more comfortable to sleep on, we should go for it ).If you find yourself in the market for a new mattress, follow these guidelines for a better shot at getting that elusive good night’s sleep.Replace a mattress approximately every eight years. Keep it longer than that and the materials may start to degrade, which might make the mattress less comfortable to sleep on. If you’re waking up in pain every day, sleeping poorly, or feeling disgruntled all the time, consider upgrading sooner . Replace the box spring along with the mattress. Over time, the compression of the springs (which results from having a mattress and human bodies on top of it) will start to change the structure of the spring box. To retain proper structure, replace it every eight years or so—or just ditch the box spring altogether.
Make comfort your goal. Purchasing a mattress is all about finding the best one for you. Some people like a firm mattress; some like a soft one; others, like Goldilocks, prefer somewhere in between. If you're comfortable, you have a better chance of sleeping well. Try before you buy. Test “sleep” on a mattress for at least 20 minutes in a normal sleep position before making a decision. Look for a mattress that fits your body. Chiropractors advocate finding a mattress that’s designed to conform to the spine’s natural curve and distribute pressure evenly across the body. This can be tricky, because the surface curve on the mattress doesn’t necessarily represent the way your spine will curve while sleeping on it . Everyone’s pressure points are different, so the best way to figure out if a mattress correctly supports the body is to bring a friend along to the store. Lie on the mattress in your normal sleeping position and ask your friend to observe whether your spine remains fairly neutral.
If your spine is obviously sagging or curved exaggeratedly in any given direction, then keep searching for a mattress that helps maintain neutral spine alignment. While researchers are challenging the idea that a firm mattress is essential for anyone with back pain, most experts still agree a saggy mattress isn’t the way to go . To determine if a mattress has too much sag, perform the same spine alignment observation outlined above. Not only is the mattress likely to have lost its proper structure, but this ruIe’s especially important if you’re worried about your bed catching on fire. Only mattresses made after July 2007 must meet regulations for fire resistance. Virtually all mattress coils are made by the same manufacturer. Likewise, don’t be duped by dollar signs: A higher price doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Thickness is often just a visual ploy designed to get people to think they’re buying a comfier mattress. Listen to your body and find the bed that feels the most comfortable (not the one that just looks that way).
If you have allergies (particularly to dust mites, mold, and certain bacteria), read the mattress’ label to make sure that the materials don’t contain any sneaky allergens—or, better yet, look for a hypoallergenic mattress (natural latex and wool are both decent options) or a mattress cover. Worried about allergies but don’t want to pay for an expensive mattress cover? Daily vacuuming might help . Do not disturb… your partner. If you share a bed, look for a mattress that allows two people to adjust the firmness on their respective sides. That way, neither one of you will have to sacrifice comfort or spine alignment. Give peace a chance. Even if you loved your new mattress in the store, you might not sleep better on it the first night you bring it home. It can take a couple of days to adjust to a new sleeping surface . If the first night on a new mattress doesn’t transform your sleep quality, give it a few more nights before giving in to buyer’s remorse. Look for a return policy.
This way, you won’t be stuck with an expensive mattress that doesn’t provide the sleep of your dreams.Thanks to Joyce Walsleben, David M. Rapoport, and Nicole Lehman for their help with this article.This article is part of our Connected Wellness series with Withings, a consumer electronics company dedicated to creating smart products to help you make healthy and balanced choices. We take our partnerships seriously, which is why we’ll never collaborate with a brand unless we profoundly believe in their mission. We think Withings fits that bill—we trust them to make a difference and they trust us to write great articles that (like everything on our site) are science-backed, informative, and original.READ THIS NEXT: 32 Solutions for When You Can't Sleep DISCLAIMER: We take our partnerships seriously, which is why we'll never collaborate with a brand unless we profoundly believe in their mission. We trust this partner to make a difference, and they trust us to write great articles that (like everything on our site) are science-backed, informative, and original.