With so many brands and options out there, it’s easy to get confused when shopping for a new mattress.
But finding the right mattress is not hard. You need to focus on the features that matter most and ignore the gimmicks companies use in marketing.
Because everyone has different comfort needs, the most important thing is to buy a mattress that works for you.
Here are the top qualities to look for in any mattress.
1. The Right Comfort/Firmness
This is the most important quality – how the mattress feels. It can be soft, medium/medium firm or firm.
The right level of firmness depends on sleeping position, personal preferences, and body weight.
Back sleepers: A medium-firm mattress provided the right balance between back support and pressure relief.
Side sleepers: A soft mattress protects the shoulder and hip from pressing painfully into the mattress.
Stomach sleepers: A firm mattress is great for support and spinal alignment.
Multi-position sleepers: A medium-firm mattress is the best for different sleeping positions.
Large-bodied and overweight sleepers: A firmer mattress provides more support and lasts longer as well.
Back/joint pain sufferers: A medium-firm mattress provides the best protection for an aching back and joints.
If you love extra-plush mattresses, look for one with a pillow top. Read our SleepDelivered Amore mattress reviews to see how a pillow top makes a mattress more comfortable.
2. In-home Trial Period
Because it’s impossible to know how a mattress feels before you buy it, it is important that the manufacturer provide a long in-home trial period.
This gives your time to get used to the mattress and decide whether you want to keep it. Most online mattresses come with a trial period of at least 90 days with free returns.
Even if you buy the mattress at a brick and mortar store, it is still important that the store provides a long return period – at least 30 days.
A 15-minute test at the store is not enough to tell you how the mattress will feel after a few months.
Note that physical stores sometime charge a return/restocking fee.
3. Good Support
One of the things you should test during the in-home trial period is support.
The right mattress should keep your back properly aligned to prevent back pain issues.
The mattress should hold up your back, preventing it from sinking too far and causing spinal problems.
It should also have enough give such that your back retains its natural curvature where the upper and lower back are slightly lower than the middle.
If you sleep on your side you don’t want your shoulders or hips to sink too low. If you are a stomach sleeper, it is essential that your stomach also doesn’t push too low forcing the spine to curve.
Something else to check is support around the edges of the mattress.
This is important if you tend to sleep near the edge or you share the bed with your partner. A weak edge will make you uncomfortable and could cause strain or pain on your back.
4. Cooling
A cool sleeping environment is important for sleep. If the room is too hot, you won’t sleep well. The same applies if the mattress is too hot.
Memory foam has the least cooling capability. That’s because the foam retains a lot of heat.
However, new materials and techniques such as gel, copper and, PCMs are making the mattresses cooler.
Latex foam, innerspring and hybrid mattresses are great at cooling. They are the best for sleepers who are heat-sensitive or experience frequent hot flushes at night.
5. Warranty
The warranty tells you a lot about the quality of the mattress and its expected lifespan.
For foam mattresses, the warranty should be at least 10 years. A good quality foam mattress should last 8-10 years.
For expensive innerspring and hybrid mattresses, the warranty should be longer (15-25 years).
Don’t forget to check whether the warranty is prorated, meaning you have to pay a percentage of the purchase cost when getting a new mattress, or non-prorated.
Do not forget to read our SleepDelivered Amore mattress reviews to see how a pillow top makes a mattress more comfortable.
0 Comments