Firm Mattress Shopping Tips
While searching for the best firm mattress, make sure to consider how you like to sleep. Sleep position, lumbar support, and pressure relief are big determining factors in choosing a new firm mattress. Apart from the mattress, see what each brand has to offer in terms of sleep trials and warranties, ensuring youre getting the most out of your purchase.
Lets first dive into what constitutes a firm mattress.
Health Issues That Benefit From Firm Mattresses
A firm or semi-firm mattress can support good sleep quality in people with certain health concerns, such as back and neck pain. This is because sleepers will easily maintain a neutral spinal alignment throughout the night. Sleepers with back problems have reported doing best on a medium-firm mattress.
Maintaining a neutral spine during sleep has another surprising benefit: Better oxygenation. Improper body alignment can contribute to shallow breathing during sleep. When your body is aligned well, your lungs can take in and hold more oxygen.
Additionally, firm mattresses can be useful for people who often wake up with tingling, numb, or painful limbs or other body parts. Firm mattresses support proper blood circulation, which helps prevent these problems.
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Benefits Of Plush Mattresses
Considering what we know about firmness level, a plush mattress simply means that it will conform more to the shape of the sleeper rather than holding a more solid, rigid state. Though they may not be the right choice for some sleepers, well-constructed soft mattresses are still able to deliver more than enough spinal support for most.
Heres an overview of the benefits some sleepers can enjoy from a plush mattress:
- Peak comfort You cant ignore how plush and luxurious a soft mattress feels. Cushioning and cloud-like, they seem to hug you as you sleep. As long as youre not syncing too deeply into an unsupportive mattress, chances are youll love a plush pillowtop layer.
- Physical relief Soft mattresses have a more forgiving surface for chronically sore bodies, especially joint pain, aching muscles, and aging populations.
- Shape-conforming support Well-designed mattresses are able to encompass both adequate support from the base up and a plush upper layer for top-down softness. When laying on softer memory foam, the parts of your body that arent necessarily flush with the mattresships, shoulders, and so oncan sink into the foam as it conforms around your curves and edges.
Suitable For Side Sleepers
When side sleeping, the hips and shoulders bear the brunt of the body weight. Resting on a firmer mattress can cause pressure to build up near these sensitive areas. This tension could force you to toss and turn to find comfortresulting in lost hours of sleep. We usually recommend soft mattresses for side sleepers because they will keep the body cradled and supported to alleviate tension.
Since some soft mattresses tend to promote sinking, be sure to select one that has enough responsiveness to keep the torso lifted, so the spine remains neutral.
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Proper Alignment Of The Spine
Sleeping on a firm mattress can help provide better spinal alignment whether you prefer to lie on your back or your side. When sleeping on your side, a firm mattress allows your shoulders and hips to sink slightly while still providing the right amount of support. It can do the same thing for your upper back and hips if you sleep on your back.
The level of firmness necessary for proper spine alignment depends on your body weight, natural spine curvature, and sleeping style. However, overly firm mattresses can cause the spine to curve upward from the shoulders and hips, while excessively soft beds create a downward curve. Medium-firm options are typically the best options for an aligned spine.
Mattress Types And Firmness
Different types of mattresses utilize different materials, which can also affect the firmness. The following are the four most common mattress styles and the firmness levels you can expect with each.
- Memory Foam Mattresses: Memory foam is available in several different firmness options. Depending on the manufacturing process, memory foam can be either soft or extra firm. When shopping for a memory foam bed, look at the type of memory foam used and the layers supporting it to determine the firmness it will provide.
- Latex Foam Mattresses: There are two types of latex foamDunlop and Talalay latex. Dunlop tends to have a firmer firm, and these beds are typically considered medium-firm. Talalay latex is generally treated with additives to give it a soft to medium feel. Both materials have a natural elasticity that offers a slight bounce.
- Hybrid Mattresses: Hybrid mattresses have a stable coil base and a foam comfort layer. The type of foam used in the top of the bed will determine the firmness you will experience.
- Innerspring Mattresses: The coil springs in the base of an innerspring bed give it a firm feel. These beds tend to have a thinner comfort layer, so they are classified as either medium-firm or firm.
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When Is A Firm Mattress Not Right For You
Not everyone benefits from sleeping on a firm mattress. If you’re a side sleeper, for example, you’re better off on a softer, or plusher, sleep surface. That’s because you have concentrated pressure points in contact with the mattress: your shoulder, hip, and outside of your knee and foot. A softer mattress will let you sink in a bit and provide better pressure relief. A soft mattress may also be a better pick for lighter-weight individuals.
Find The Best Firm Mattress To Ensure Comfort And Posture
When it comes to full-body support, a firm mattress is usually the right choice. From keeping the lower back propped up to helping you stay cool, this type of mattress works well for many sleepers. Coming in a range of feels and firmness levels, heres a guide to finding the best firm mattress online.
If youve ever slept on a firm mattress, then you know the feeling of sleeping on the bed rather than in it. There are a lot of benefits to thisthe best firm mattress keeps your lower back from sinking out of alignment, allows for better air circulation, and keeps pressure points uplifted. Theres a variety of firm mattresses made for all sorts of sleep needs.
This Old House Reviews team worked with Mattress Advisor to test each firm mattress based on their mattress testing process. Each mattress is evaluated on a 14 step test and then ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 equating to a perfect score. This guide helps break down what makes up a firm mattress, how firm you want your bed to be, and what the top online options are today based on our findings.
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Drawbacks Of A Soft Mattress
Though they can seem more comfortable and luxurious, a soft mattress can actually cause back problems for back and stomach sleepers, and those of a heavier weight.
Soft mattresses can also be problematic for bed sharers. The heavier partner may sink further in, making the sleep surface unbalanced. Finding a firmness that suits both parties can be tricky.
In some cases, soft mattresses may be less long lasting than firm. All types of mattress tend to become softer over time, so starting from an already soft baseline can lead mattresses to become unusable after a shorter amount of time, though there are still many models that have excellent durability, even with a softer feel.
Prevent Pain And Bedsores
Soft mattresses generally dont allow for proper weight distribution. The slump causes you to sink, which often leads to morning aches and pains. A firm mattress can support your entire body. Additionally, if you spend a lot of time in bed due to illness or disability, it can help alleviate bedsores.
If youre a back sleeper, a soft mattress is not the answer, as it often leaves you with a lower backache when you wake up. The same problem can occur for people who sleep on their stomachs.
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Benefits Of A Soft Mattress
– Oct 18, 2021
Hard or soft? When it comes to mattresses, it seems that most people are resolutely on one side or the other. Those in the hard camp may be sold on the advantages of firm mattresses. They aid the bodys natural alignment during sleep and distribute weight more evenly. A firm mattress is also good for back and stomach sleepers, as they support the spine and stop your bottom half sinking lower than the rest of the body.
However, if you usually go for a firm mattress, dont automatically discount softer ones the next time youre mattress shopping, because soft mattresses actually offer some distinct perks.
Comfort
Unsurprisingly, comfort is one of the key factors in sleep quality.
It goes without saying that if youre not comfortable, youre going to have more trouble relaxing and drifting off to sleep. And many of us simply dont find hard mattresses that comfortable. If youre a light sleeper, you might find a softer mattress comfier, which will enable you to have a better nights sleep.
Joint and Muscle Relief
Firm mattresses can exacerbate and even cause joint and muscle pain. A firm mattress with no give can put pressure on areas like your knees, hips, shoulders and side, leading to aches and pains. A softer mattress will provide softer support and cushion joints and muscles, rather than putting pressure on them.
Side Sleeping
A softer mattress contours to the body, filling the spaces between those points and putting them under less pressure.
Back Pain
Who Is This Best For
Mattress experts often suggest the use of a particular type of cushion for different sleeper types. If you dont know what type of sleeper you could be, you can simply look at the position you usually find yourself in during the night. You are generally classified by three categories: Side, Back, or Stomach Sleepers. Whats the Purple mattresss performance for each of these kinds?
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It Can Help Prevent Bed Sores
If you spend a lot of time in your bed because of a disability, lying on a medium-firm mattress may help alleviate the discomfort of bed sores by better distributing your natural body weight. There is less stress being applied on your pressure points since your weight is evenly distributed across the mattress. Memory foam mattresses are recommended due to their support. However, mattresses that are too firm may irritate bony growths during your sleep.
Suitable For Lightweight Sleepers
Whether resting on their side, back, or stomach, lighter individuals , will naturally experience very little sinking. If these individuals sleep on a firm mattress, tension can build-up near the pressure pointscreating pain and stiffness. Lightweight sleepers need a soft bed that will quickly respond to their body weight for adequate contouring.
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Serafina Pearl Cool Comfort
Best firm cooling mattress
This mattress comprises gel memory foam, which reportedly provides a cool sleep and relieves pressure points. The gel memory foam can help dissipate heat, making this mattress suitable for hot sleepers.
This 14-in mattress features three layers and lets users choose the level of firmness they want, including firm, medium, or plush. The company also offers a 20-year warranty on this product.
These mattresses do not contain ozone depleters, heavy metals, or flame retardants, while the foam is CertiPUR-US certified.
The mattress is available in queen size for $829.99 and king or California King for $999.99.
Symptoms Of Having A Mattress Thats Too Firm
If your mattress is too firm, you might experience a few different symptoms. An overly-firm mattress can put excess strain on your pressure points or cause spinal misalignment. You might also find that your body stays tense as you sleep, resulting in muscle, neck, or back pain. When your mattress isnt soft enough, it means your spine and the rest of your body cant fully decompress.
A hard mattress can also mean poor quality sleep because you might toss and turn all night in an effort to find a comfortable position.
So, what can you do if youre waking up grumpy and sore? There are a few quick fixes you can try to get a better night of sleep.
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What Mattress Firmness Is Best
Its important to remember that there is no best firmness, and the most comfortable mattress varies from person to person. However, if youre struggling to determine which firmness matches your needs and sleep style the most, medium to medium-firm mattresses are considered to be the best options since they evenly blend firmness and softness.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Firm Mattress
Firm mattress meaning is simply a mattress that you may experience more pushback on than on a plush mattress. If making a sudden switch from a soft to firm mattress, you may feel slightly uncomfortable, to begin with, as your body adjusts to the new feel, it may take a week or two to feel the benefits.
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Benefit : Firm Mattress Ensures Proper Alignment
While sleeping, your spine needs to be properly aligned otherwise, you will have a hard time functioning normally during the day. One of the benefits of sleeping on a best firm mattress is that it helps to maintain neutral spine alignment which then results in better oxygenation.
When your body is well aligned, your lungs will be able to take in and hold more oxygen contributing to deep breathing during sleep.
Right Body Weight Distribution
Make sure that your body weight is properly distributed when you sleep at night. If you shop for a soft mattress, your weight will be unequally disseminated, leading to misalignment of your joints and muscles in the body. If you continue sleeping on a soft surface, the problem will worsen, resulting in back and joint pain. Therefore, always buy a firm mattress that provides adequate support to your whole body.
If you are looking for distended bedding products, read a review of Puffy mattress. Check whether these products help in proper weight distribution when you sleep. Your body weight should be uniformly distributed and not slump towards one particular position.
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Improve Your Overall Health
A proper night of rest can immensely contribute to your overall health. While you sleep, your body is repairing and rejuvenating through hundreds of different processes. A peaceful slumber promotes healing, gives your body a break, replenishes energy levels, and enhances your mood.
To have the perfect night of sleep, you need to ensure youre snoozing on a high-quality mattress. If you want the ideal blend of comfort and support, you should opt for one of the best firm mattresses in 2020, according to experts.
What Makes A Comfortable Mattress
When you climb into bed at the end of a long day, you want a mattress that feels comfortable and inviting. You also want a bed that will cushion your pressure points and keep your spine in a safe, neutral position. When resting on a supportive and even surface, the tension that builds-up in the body throughout the day can finally dissipateleaving your muscles in a more relaxed state.
As you relax, it is vital that the heaviest parts of the body, such as the hips and shoulders, dont sink too far into the bed. If this happens, the spine will be forced out of alignmentresulting in pain and stiffness upon waking.
However, your body weight isnt the only thing to consider when deciding between a firm and a soft mattress. Throughout this article, we take an in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages of both firm and soft beds.
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Gives Better Edge Support
The strong surface of the firm mattress provides you more edge support rather than a soft mattress. You can sit, bend or lie down comfortably here without facing any kind of tumble. If you use the mattress only for resting, sitting or sleeping then you should use a firm mattress rather than soft because it will be both durable and comfortable in that situation.
Ensure Proper Alignment Of The Body
The firm mattress keeps your body parts in the right position. It ensures the natural curve of the spine. Like spine back parts, shoulder even stomach also aligned appropriately through the firm mattress. Firm mattresses make sure the proper movements among different parts of your body. It remains you safe from the various kinds of back hurt or other pain that happens for a bad sleeping position.
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Sleep Without Feeling As Much Of Your Partners Movements
What other benefits can you get from a medium-firm or firm mattress? Well, if you have a partner, you or your partner will not roll toward one another when they lie down or jiggle you every time they move. A medium-firm mattress should have less motion transfer such as with a memory foam bed due to its firmness and density.
