Is Your Current Mattress Causing You Pain
If you are currently suffering from neck or back pain, make note of when youre experiencing the pain the most. Is your pain worse at night or in the morning? If your pain is worse when you wake up, your mattress is likely the cause. Getting a new mattress with the proper support and comfort for your body will greatly alleviate this for you. Certain mattress features can provide relief and additional support depending on where your pain is.
If you are suffering from lower back pain, it is recommended that you find a mattress that provides solid support, with just enough cushion. This is usually found in a medium or medium-firm mattress.
If you are suffering from shoulder or hip pain, find a mattress that provides a happy combination of comfort layers and support features. Look for a plush, medium, or medium-soft mattress to help provide pressure relief.
If you are suffering from restless leg syndrome, nighttime heartburn, or GERD, you may want to look into an adjustable mattress base in addition to a new mattress. Sleeping on an incline helps to alleviate these nasty pains.
As always, we recommend you consult a physician if you have any further issues or questions concerning choosing a mattress and your health.
How To Choose The Best Mattress
The only way to truly know whether a mattress is right for you is to sleep on it. That’s why all the options in our best mattress guide come with a long risk-free trial – if you don’t like one, you can send it back and try another. However, there are some key things to know that will help you choose the right mattress.
Here, we’ll answer some common questions people ask when buying a new mattress, and explain some key considerations to make. We’ll also share our pro tips and tricks for choosing the best mattress for your budget, and recap the best-rated mattresses at the moment.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Hybrid Mattress
The Brooklyn Aurora is a hybrid bed-in-a-box mattress. It has a soft feel that side sleepers should like best. It also has cooling tech in nearly every layer, which means it sleeps super cool!
Love the feel of a soft mattress, but want to be sure youre picking something that will support you and maintain your spinal alignment as you sleep on your back? Let me introduce you to the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora. This hybrid mattress is available in three different firmnesses: soft, medium, and firm.
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Trial Warranty And Return Policy
Even if a thousand people love a mattress, it doesnt mean you will too. Everyones body is different, therefore youre going to respond to your mattress differently. Before you buy your mattress, make sure you pay attention to the trial period you have, whats covered under your mattress warranty, and the return policy. Most of our favorite mattresses come with a very generous trial period, warranty policy and hassle-free returns.
You should also try to give your mattress at least 30 days to break it in and see if its right for you before you kick it to the curb. For reference, most online mattress companies offer a trial period of 100 nights or more.
Motion Isolation And Noise
Surprisingly, the Original Purple mattress does a pretty good job of limiting motion transfer. You might not think so, given how responsive and sort of bouncy the polymer top layer is, but the bed actually passed our tests easily. It also doesnt make any noise, virtually none, which is standard with most new online beds nowadays.
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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 fluff words, 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 features in plain old English to 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.
Sleep Positions: Different Needs For Different Positions
Now that weve established the key features of a mattress, lets discuss what factors are critical to consider depending on what position your body gravitates to during the night. Remember the amount of firmness to comfortably accommodate you will be affected by your body weight.
Back Sleepers
For back sleepers, firmness requirements are more subjective and a matter of taste rather than necessity. You want to look for a bed that supports the curve of your lumbar spine so that pressure doesnt build up in your hips or upper back when youre sleeping and your spine remains comfortably aligned.
Side Sleepers
Pressure relief tends to be more crucial for side sleepers because you are resting with the entirety of your weight pressing on a narrower surface of your body than if youre laying on your back or stomach. The line of your body tends to be curvier in this position, as well, so some additional softness may help ensure that no pressure builds up under hips or shoulders.
Stomach Sleepers
If youre like most individuals, you carry the bulk of your weight in your hips and they may sink deeper than the rest of your body in this position, causing you to lose optimal spine alignment. A firmer mattress with enhanced support or zoning through the middle of the mattress can often help counteract this for stomach sleepers.
Maneuverability
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How To Shop For A Mattress
So you are interested in buying a new mattress? Perhaps your current mattress is hurting you, or you wake up tired. Maybe you just want a bigger size. Maybe youre moving and dont want to lug your old mattress from place to place. Whichever is the case, my goal is to help you select the right mattress so you dont make a mistake and so you dont pay a penny more than you have to.
A mattress is perhaps the most important piece of furniture in your home. If you get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, you will spend at least 1/3rd of your life in that mattress . That means if you keep that mattress for 9 years , 3 of those years will be spent on it. However, many of us dont think about our mattresses and how it impacts our lives every day.
In this guide, I will go over the basics of selecting the correct mattress. Elsewhere on the site, I will go into more detail on each of these topics and more, but this will be enough to get you started. If you just want a recommendation, check out some of our top picks below.
When You Should Get A New Mattress
If youre not getting a good nights sleep, if youre waking with aches and pains, or if youre just not comfortable in bed, it may be time to get a new mattress. Think about where youre hurtingif you wake up with shoulder or back pain, or hip, knee, or other joint pain, your mattress may not be properly cushioned or supportive for you. Also, if your current mattress sags visibly or has a permanent indent in the shape of your body, its likely time for a new one. And if you find that you sleep better away from home , thats another red flag.
If you consistently wake up with neck pain, your pillow might be the culprit.
Now, before you plunk down hundreds or thousands of dollars, youll want to rule out a couple of things. If youre plagued by neck pain, your pillow might be the culprit, and you may want to consult our guide to the best bed pillows. And if you have a new supportive mattress that just doesnt feel cushy or soft enough, you may be able to improve it by adding a good mattress topper.
Simple ways to make your bed more comfortable
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After 300 hours sleeping on 17 models, weve chosen four memory-foam, latex, and fiber-filled mattress toppers that we think will work for most sleepers.
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Where To Shop For A Mattress
Laying down in the store isn’t the only way to go anymore. New mattress-in-a-box companies have won over thousands of customers with convenient shipping and free trial periods. Online mattress buying buying has seen a serious boom, but its not right for everyone. Here’s what you need to know.
Shop in the store if…
Go the traditional route if you want a greater variety and to feel them before buying. In a mattress store, you should never pay full price. Always shop the sales, and don’t be afraid to negotiate with the salesperson. Most stores will also offer removal of your existing mattress. The downside is it can feel overwhelming and it’s harder to compare prices to know if youre getting a good deal. A big mistake is rushing the decision by quickly lying down on many different mattresses to find the one that feels best. If youre going to invest in a mattress, take the time to recline for a while and make sure you dont feel any pressure or pain.
Shop online if…
This newer route offers a great alternative if you have trouble making decisions, since there are fewer options. Plus, you can shop from home! These mattresses generally arrive in a box at your doorstep within a few days and include free shipping and a money-back guarantee so there’s minimal risk. Online, the price is usually final, but it doesnt include markups for being sold at a physical store. The downsides are that you typically have to set it up yourself and deal with getting rid of your old mattress.
Remember: Higher Price Does Not Always Equal Higher Quality
It is tempting to assume that the more you pay, the better the mattress. But a high price tag does not always guarantee high qualityand it certainly does not guarantee you will personally find the mattress comfortable. Research the materials, and let personal preference be your guide.
A mattress is an important investment that can affect the health of your spine and the quality of your sleep, so take the time to find the mattress that is right for you.
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Consider Your Weight As A Factor
On first glance, you might be asking yourself, what does weight have to do with choosing a mattress?
The truth is, support, hug, feel, sinkage and even cooling will depend on your body type and weight. Another harsh truth is that there is no best mattress for every one of us.
Lets take a look at the following guidelines how to choose an ideal firmness level based on your weight:
- Light You will want a medium firm bed around 5-6 firmness that doesnt sink too much. If you are lighter than 150 lbs, you can even go with four since most beds are rated for average sleeper of 180lbs. If you want a softer feel or if you are a side sleeper you can opt for 3-4 firmness range. These are soft or plush options.
- Average Like with the previous category you can choose industry standard of 5-7, providing perfect support and comfort. Some sleepers will want to opt for more softer beds, and thats perfectly fine, just go with 3-5 range if you sleep on your side and you are all set.
- Heavier Person Heavier people can cause more pressure points on their back, and ideally you want to choose a firmer option to adjust for sinkage. If you are having problems with cooling, you ought to consider coil mattresses. Ideally, choose a thick or thicker bed. This will provide good support and soft feel.
Need more details? Follow our guide to top rated beds for heavy people.
What Is Purple Mattress Should I Buy Purple Mattress
The Purple Mattress, or simply The Purple, is an all-foam mattress, meaning it does not have springs, and uses Purples own grid layer which makes use of the term hyper-elastic polymer. The layer, referred to by the name of Purple Grid Layer, is comprised of a comfort layer and a support core that is made from polyfoam.
Purple Purple is available at only one firmness levelmedium-firm and is sold in different sizes delivered straight to your door. This follows the increasing tendency of DTC mattress companies with lower overheads to enhance the product the mattress itself.
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Be Aware That Firm Mattresses Arent Always Best
Think twice before buying a hard or firm mattress. Some research has shown that the best mattress for low back pain is a medium firm mattress rather than a firm mattress.1 There is a difference between firm support and firm feel. You want firm support with a comfortable feel. Comfort will be determined by your personal preference.
See Selecting the Best Mattress
How Firm Is The Purple Mattress
In terms of firmness, honestly, its hard to rate the Original Purple bed given the unique characteristics of the polymer top layer. However, if you really pulled our collective arms, wed say its about a medium on the firmness scale. Overall, the Purple mattress finds a really nice balance between pressure relief and support.
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If You Have Back Pain
Roughly 8 percent of adults in the U.S. deal with chronic back pain. Whether you experience frequent or sporadic aches and pains, your mattress may alleviate or contribute to your discomfort. The best mattresses for back pain relief will cushion the shoulders and hips, align the spine if needed, and provide adequate support throughout the body.
Upper to Mid Back Pain: If you experience back pain above the lumbar region, you’ll probably feel most comfortable on a mattress with enhanced shoulder support. Beds that sink too deeply around the shoulders can cause the spine to become misaligned. You may want to consider a mattress with zoned support layers. These layers are engineered to feel softer around the head and neck, slightly firmer under the shoulders, and even firmer beneath the back and hips.
If you experience upper back pain, you may also want to reconsider your pillow choice. If your pillow is too thick or too thin, you will be more susceptible to neck and shoulder aches. Our recommendation: find a pillow that provides enough cushioning between your head/neck and the mattress. If you sleep on a firm mattress, then a thicker pillow may be needed if your mattress is softer and you sink beneath the surface, a thin pillow may be sufficient.
Delivery And Return Policies
Whether purchasing online or in a store, be sure to inquire about the delivery policy to ensure that the mattress can be safely delivered to your house. Many online retailers use known courier services like FedEx or UPS to ship their products, but regional availability may vary and your location may incur an additional surcharge.
If mobility and lifting large boxes is an issue for you, you may inquire if the company offers a White Glove Delivery service. For an extra charge , the company will engage a professional delivery service to bring the mattress into your home and install it in your bedroom.
Most mattresses are returnable if you are not satisfied with your purchase, but make sure you read the fine print on their return policies so that you know exactly how mattresses are removed from your house, how much you are refunded and how soon you can expect to have your money back. Beware that some companies require you to keep the mattress for a full month before initiating a return to ensure you have given the bed a proper test run.
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Advantages Of Buying In A Store
- You can try it in person. If buying a bed sight unseen makes you nervous and you prefer to feel the bed, stores give you the opportunity to do so.
- There are decreased wait times and fewer shipping limitations. Most stores will have an onsite inventory of beds they sell onsite so you can take your new bed home the day you buy it. Because the store is local, you are assured that shipping is available to you.
- Stores may offer an included delivery service. For large furniture items like mattresses, the store may offer delivery as part of their price, which is convenient for those worried about installing their bed.
When Is The Best Time To Buy A Mattress
Buying a new mattress is a big investment, and the best time to buy is obviously when the prices are discounted the most. Luckily, those times come at fairly predictable and frequent times throughout the year for many mattress brands and retail stores.
While not every company will always participate in these major sales, theres a good chance you can find a great mattress deal around these holidays:
- Black Friday
- Labor Day
- New Years
Keep in mind that most mattress sales start up to a week before the holiday and can extend up to a week after the holiday.
You can also expect to save on mattresses around different company events, like grand opening sales, liquidation sales, moving sales and anniversary sales. These arent as predictable so its something to keep an eye out for.
If youre in the market for a new mattress, you might want to sign up for a few company newsletters to get alerts about sales and discounts. You can always unsubscribe later!
Hint: We always consolidate the best mattress sales for our readers on our coupons page.
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