How to Choose the Right Mattress: Guide to Mattress Buying

There are many different mattress options at a variety of price points. Some common types of mattresses include:

1. 1. Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses feature a steel coil support system and are affordable, easy to move, and available in various levels of firmness. Innerspring mattresses can also help keep your body temperature cooler during the night while you sleep. However, an innerspring mattress is prone to squeaking, needs to be flipped often, and can gradually become more uncomfortable over time.
2. 2. Memory foam: Memory foam mattresses are great for contouring the body while you sleep and the layers of foam eventually spring back into their original shape. Memory foam can help with pressure points and spinal alignment and has good motion isolation. However, memory foam is also denser than other mattress types, and has limited air circulation and breathability, trapping in more body heat.
3. 3. Latex: Latex mattresses are often made with natural fibers using rubber tree sap. They are slightly springier than memory foam, which means the motion transfer rate is higher in comparison. Latex mattresses can also be expensive, heavy, and prone to compression, which means your bed may develop a dent the longer you sleep in the same spot over time.
4. 4. Water: Waterbeds are good for circulating warmth, allowing for deeper sleep and muscle relaxation. Waterbed mattresses can help with body weight distribution, which can benefit those with chronic back pain. Unfortunately, waterbeds are very heavy, difficult to move, and may involve draining and refilling for transporting elsewhere. Due to their limited demand, they can also be expensive, making the investment a poor choice for those looking for a more convenient mattress.
5. 5. Air: Airbeds allow you to change the level of firmness often, making it a good choice for those who want to alleviate their aches and pains. A quality air mattress can have high durability and last for many years before it requires replacement. However, airbeds can be noisy, both during setup and while moving around during sleep time.
6. 6. Pillow-top: Pillow-top mattresses have an extra padded layer on top of the mattress. Pillow-top beds are affordable, don’t retain heat, and can help evenly distribute your weight. Unfortunately, pillow-top mattresses can also be expensive or too soft for some sleepers and aren’t as durable as other mattress options.
7. 7. Bamboo: Bamboo mattresses are an organic option made from renewable materials. These increasingly popular mattresses are soft and breathable, hypoallergenic, and have moisture-wicking properties. A bamboo mattress can help you stay cool, is environmentally friendly, and naturally resistant to odors, allergens, and dust mites.
8. 8. Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses blend different types of mattress material in their comfort layers, offering the best of both worlds, and a longer lifespan than most other mattress types. Some combinations include latex foam mattresses, which are coil mattresses with top layers of foam, and copper-infused memory foam, which contains bits of copper to help disperse heat.

Mattress firmness can greatly impact your sleep quality, which makes finding the perfect mattress especially important. Here’s how mattresses can affect how you sleep:

• They can cause or exacerbate back pain. An old mattress, or sleeping on the wrong mattress for your body type, can contribute to poor lumbar support or spine alignment. Since mattresses become softer over time, they may begin to sag in the middle, creating an uneven sleeping surface. Sleeping without the right support can increase or worsen the amount of aches and pains you feel over time, impacting the quality of your sleep.
• They can trap heat. Certain mattress materials, especially synthetic, can be dense and have poor air circulation, which can cause you to overheat, potentially interrupting your sleep cycle. Learn more about the various effects of sleep fragmentation.
• They can contribute to your allergies. Dead skin cells build up in mattresses over time, especially those without mattress toppers or covers. These cells attract dust mites, which can exacerbate allergies, worsen asthma, or even contribute to eczema problems.
• They can be noisy. The steel coils of an innerspring mattress can be squeaky and become louder the more you sleep on them. This noisiness can disturb light sleepers or those who require a quiet sleeping environment.

Lying on a few options at the mattress store may not be enough to help you choose the right new mattress. If you’re looking to replace your old mattress, there are a few factors you should consider, such as:

1. 1. Your sleeping position. Your sleeping position will play a significant role in helping you select the best mattress for your needs. If you’re a side sleeper, a softer mattress can be more comfortable, offering better neck, hip, and shoulder support. However, if you’re a stomach sleeper or back sleeper, a firmer mattress might be necessary to help provide a more stable sleeping surface.
2. 2. Your partner. Sharing a bed with someone can affect your sleep. A mattress with low motion transfer can make sure that your partner’s movements on their side of the bed don’t disturb you during the night.
3. 3. Your body weight. If your body weight is below average, a firm mattress may be an uncomfortable sleep surface for you. Conversely, if your body weight is above average, a firmer mattress will feel much softer to you.
4. 4. Your body shape. The shape of your body will also determine how effective your mattress is at pressure relief. If you have a curvier body, you’ll need a soft mattress to fill in the gaps between your curves and the surface. Straighter-shaped bodies don’t need as much weight distribution, so you should look for a mattress on the firmer end of the spectrum. For body shapes that fall in the middle of curvy and straight, a medium-firm mattress is ideal.

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