How To Choose The Perfect Mattress

Choose A Mattress Size

You may be asking yourself, What kind of mattress do I need? If you live in a particularly small space it may be best to opt for a smaller size, such as a twin or full mattress. Although, if you have room to stretch, a queen or king-size mattress may be more suitable for your needs.

Lets run through a quick breakdown of the six mattress sizes available from most manufacturers:

Is This Really A Deal

This is a particularly relevant question that pertains especially to mattresses sold through third-party retailers. Thats because manufacturers provide a suggested retail price for the mattress, but the final sale price is up to the retailer. Retailers sometimes mark up the price above the SRP only so they can slash it back down and claim theyre offering a deep discount. Check out the manufacturers or brands site for the mattress SRP before you buy, and use that to gauge whether a retailer is really offering a good deal.

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Is It Better To Sleep On A Hard Mattress Or A Soft One

One of the biggest mattress buying mistakes is assuming that everyone in your family will enjoy the same mattress type, and choosing one without considering which is the best pillow for each individual sleeper. But whether it is better to sleep on a hard mattress or a soft one depends on your usual sleep position.

For stomach sleepers, mattresses on the firmer side will typically be more comfortable and supportive, explains Marten Carlson, a certified sleep science coach and lead reviewer at Mattress Clarity .

Side sleepers have more pressure on their shoulders, hips, and knees, so they’ll want a mattress that provides more pressure relief and contouring, such as a memory foam mattress.

Back sleepers are generally comfortable with a mattress that is of average firmness, at around a 6.5 to 7 on a 10-point scale, but this may depend on comfort level and the amount of support needed to keep the spine in neutral alignment.

Theres no right or wrong answer when it comes to your mattresss firmness level. Instead, youll want to make sure that your mattress keeps your neck, back, and hips in neutral alignment and it does not put too much pressure on your joints.

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Whats The Average Lifespan Of A Mattress

Most mattresses last between 7-10 years, but this varies by type. Innersprings have the shortest lifespan between 7-8 years, foam mattresses are in the middle lasting up to 10 years, and latex mattresses last the longest at up to 15 years.

How Old Is Your Mattress

This is the very first question you need to answer. Why? Well, the age of your mattress can play a big role in determining whether or not you need a new one. As a general rule of thumb, youll want to start thinking about getting a new bed if youve had your old one for over 8 years. This isnt a set standard by any means, but is usually a good benchmark for checking in with your mattress and figuring out whether its still doing its job re: Lulling you to sleep!

For a quick primer on the typical expiration dates for different mattress materials, check out the graphic below:

While these numbers are helpful in contextualizing the lifespan of your mattress, the best way to determine whether or not its time to switch things up is to listen to your body. Are you waking up with new pains in the morning? Do you have trouble finding a comfortable position at night? Have you noticed any new dips in your mattress that cant be fixed by rotating it regularly? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to bid adieu to your bed.

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How To Choose The Right Mattress For Your Body And Sleep Style

If youre wondering how to choose a mattress that suits you, there are several key things to keep in mind. We cover the basics in our best mattress guide, so here well go into more detail for different sleeping styles and health needs.

Whether you need extra support for your back, something to cushion your pressure points, or something to help you sleep comfortably when hot, here we give you the insight you need.

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If You Like Some Bounce In Your Mattress Is It The Right Amount And The Right Kind

Many of us grew up sleeping on an innerspring mattress, so were conditioned to like a bed with a little bit of bounce . Youll find more bounce, obviously, in innerspring mattresses and innerspring-forward hybrids. But memory foam with latex layers or an all-latex mattress can counteract that sunk-in feeling, too, with an elasticky springiness that some people prefer to the traditional innerspring bounce. Both coils and latex may feel more comfortable if you shift positions a lot as youre falling asleep or otherwise moving around in bed, alone or with a partner.

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What Type Of Mattress Is Best For Tossing And Turning

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There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on personal preferences. Some people find that a firmer mattress is better for tossing and turning, while others prefer a softer mattress. Ultimately, it is important to choose a mattress that is comfortable and supportive in order to reduce the amount of tossing and turning.

How does it help you sleep if your mattress is too hot or too cold and you have different sleep habits? It is not necessary to conduct a sleep study to find out how well or poorly you sleep at night. When you wake up several times in the middle of the night, this is a sure sign that you are not getting enough sleep. When you wake up, your bed is too small, which can be dangerous because you will unintentionally crowd your sleeping partner. The pressure you feel on your lower back can be alleviated if your knees are raised a little. People who have cramping in the middle of the night can benefit from elevating their legs with a bed base that is adjusted. Are you giving your mind and body consistent signals that its time for sleep? You can find the ideal mattress due to the advancements that have taken place in mattresses over the years. A cooling hybrid mattress, a motion-isolating foam mattress, or a massive 10-foot-wide bed are all options.

How Do You Choose A Mattress For Back Pain

If youre looking for a mattress to help with back pain, youll must prioritize support as this will help your spine remain neutral and prevent your back pain from worsening. The coils in hybrid and innerspring mattresses are great for enhanced support, and hybrids have the added benefit of additional foam layers to simultaneously deliver pressure relief. If you carry more weight, finding a mattress thats supportive enough to keep your spine lifted is especially important. The good news is that there are high-quality mattresses for heavy sleepers that have durable builds to ensure healthy alignment.

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How To Choose The Right Mattress Size

If youre on the fence about which mattress size to get, it makes sense to go big, if it fits within your budget and space constraints. Though a queen or king isnt crucial when you have the whole bed to yourself, most people find its worth the upgrade if you feel more comfortable sprawling out. And if you sleep with someone else, a bigger bed could greatly improve your quality of sleep. With more room, youll be less likely to notice the other person moving around. Youll also be less scrunched up, which means that if youre prone to muscle and joint pain, your back, neck, and shoulders will probably feel better in the morning. This is particularly true if your kids or pets join you in bed.

As you can see in the chart below, for couples, a king-size mattress provides each person the same amount of space as a twin. In contrast, if they opt for a full, each will end up with as much elbow room as they would have in a crib, as The Better Sleep Council reminds us.

What To Look For In A Mattress

If youve done any research on mattresses already, youve probably noticed that the mattress industry has its very own lingo with words like responsiveness and motion transfer. While they might seem like meaningless marketing lingo, theyre actually important factors to consider when choosing a mattress thats going to best meet your needs. Well give you a breakdown of these key mattress featuresin plain Englishto help you understand why these are so critical when finding the best mattress.

Comfort and support are two of the main factors to consider when looking at a new mattress, so its important to note that sometimes you wont be able to realize how well a mattress performs on these factors until you try it out for a few nights. So if youre not sure what mattress is best for you, make sure to invest in a mattress with a risk-free trial period. Other important factors include spine alignment, pressure relief, shipping and return policies, and the firmness level.

You can learn more about each of these features and how we score them while we are testing a mattresss performance in Our Review Process article.

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Find The Right Pillow

Now that you’ve found a mattress that keeps your spine aligned, don’t forget the supporting player: a pillow that will continue that alignment by keeping cricks out of your neck. Unfortunately, pillows generally don’t come with comfort guarantees, and it may take a few tries to get the combination of softness and support that’s right for you. Now all you need is the perfect set of sheets.

This originally appeared in Read This Before You Buy a New Mattress, the comprehensive buying guide.

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Best Mattress For Sleep Apnea

Research has shown that mattresses with a mild degree of head-of-bed elevation , otherwise known as adjustable mattresses, may be particularly beneficial for people with sleep apnea. This type of mattress allows the person to elevate their head enough to improve airflow and prevent obstruction without interfering with sleep.

For people with hip or shoulder pain from osteoarthritis, a mattress that provides proper support and cushioning for your joints may be best. Research suggests that people with generalized back pain may want to choose a medium-firm or self-adjustable mattress that helps with spinal alignment.

If you have questions about which mattress would be best for your condition, talk to your healthcare provider or physiotherapist.

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Tips On How To Choose A Perfect Mattress

The modern-day lifestyle demands people to be on their tip-toes for the majority of the day. With people managing more frequent side-hustles in their day jobs and businesses engaging employees for late, paid working hours, it is essential to understand that people become exhausted.

The level of exhaustion in an average working person is greater than that of a working individual ten years ago.

This is why the importance of a good mattress has become pivotal for most people. Since sleep is the only way to relax your system fully and restart the next day, people want no interruptions in their sleep. However, old and low-quality mattresses are the culprits for ruining the majority of peoples sleep cycles.

For this reason, we have made a basic how-to guide to find the perfect mattress for your sleeping needs.

If You Cant Shop In Person

Because factors such as comfort, support, and firmness are so subjective, weve always recommended trying a mattress in person before you buy. Even though thats still the best way to tell whether a specific bed is right for you, we know thats not possible for everyone right now. But if you decide to roll the dice and shop entirely online, we suggest you opt for either a two-sided mattress with multiple firmness options or a mattress with a solid, lengthy return policy.

For instance, the flippable, all-latex Zenhaven, our favorite latex mattress, should appeal to sleepers of all positions. The mattress Luxury Plush side offers good pressure relief for side-sleepers, and its Gentle Firm side provides extra support for back- and stomach-sleepers. The company offers a 365-night trial period, during which you can return the mattress for a full refund, minus the $100 transportation cost. The Charles P. Rogers Estate SE, which consists of coils and latex, is also flippable . You can try it for 100 days and return it for free .

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How To Choose A Mattress Complete Buying Guide

If youre looking to buy a new mattress, perhaps the most challenging thing to figure out is where to start. Do you go in-store or shop online? Do you prioritize budget-friendly options or splurge on a fancy model? And what about the size, shape, material make-up, and design? Yeah, its a lot of things to consider, especially if youre bed shopping for the first time. But never fear, Sleepopolis is here!

In this handy guide, I am going to walk you through exactly how to choose the perfect mattress for you. Were going to chat about different types of mattresses, how to determine what feel will work best for your sleep style, and much, much more! By the end, I guarantee that youll know exactly how to find the mattress of your dreams.

Sound like a plan? Then lets get things started!

Should You Flip Your Mattress

Along with running the vacuum over it, it seems flipping your mattress is also an age-old debate. Mattress brand Simba advises you don’t flip it, but you do “rotate your mattress regularly”. They go on to recommend you “take it for a 180-degree spin once a month for the first three months, then every three-six months”.

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How To Choose The Right Mattress For Your Sleep Position

If your body isnt properly supported while you sleep, you can start experiencing weird aches and pains. As we mentioned above, neck and shoulder pain could indicate that your pillows arent doing their job. But back pain or other types of discomfort might mean that you need a more supportive mattress. Regardless of your preferred sleep position, the goal is to get to a place where spinal support and pressure-point relief intersect.

As is the case when youre standing, proper spinal alignment is important when youre lying down. Your spine should more or less be straight, except for that subtle curve inward toward the belly, in your lower back.

Pressure points are the bony or heavier parts of your bodysuch as the shoulders, hips, or kneesthat press against the surface of the bed. They vary depending on your sleep position. Pressure-point relief is helpful from a musculoskeletal standpoint if you have muscle or joint issues. For instance, if youre a side-sleeper with hip pain or rotator-cuff tendinitis , youll want a mattress that isnt too firm, so it doesnt put excessive pressure on these painful areas.

In general, here are the features you should look for based on your sleep position, as well as tips on how to check for good alignment:

Picking The Right Mattress Size

People often usually have a good grasp on what mattress size they want, but its still worth considering before you buy a new bed. After all, a too-small mattress can only lead to discomfort, while a too-large mattress can leave you with little room for bedroom furniture.

The simplest way to determine what mattress size is best for you is to ask who is going to sleep on it. Taller people often need a mattress at least 80 inches long, ruling out a traditional twin or full mattress. Some taller sleepers need the added length of a California king size mattress to sleep well.

Single sleepers are usually comfortable on any size, but couples shouldnt sleep on anything smaller than a queen. Children graduating from a crib mattress often move to a twin size or twin XL bed, but some parents treat their children with a full size mattress.

Budget is another factor to consider when it comes to mattress sizes. Naturally, a larger mattress costs more money. If, for example, you and your partner would be perfectly comfortable on a queen size mattress, you might choose that instead of a more expensive king size mattress.

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