The main task of any mattress is not to interfere with the body to take the correct position for sleeping and resting. A good mattress will not collapse, pinch, crush, or cause the owner to roll from side to side. These tips will help you figure out step by step how modern mattresses differ from each other, which one is more suitable for you and what you should pay attention to.
1. Let’s deal with the basis: types of mattresses
First of all, when choosing a mattress, you need to determine what lies at its basis. Based on this, mattresses are divided into spring and springless.
Spring mattresses have retained their popularity for quite some time, and this is not in vain: the springs make them elastic and allow a person to take a natural position, which is necessary for good rest.
However, not all box spring mattresses are created equal. In mattresses with a dependent block of springs, the technology of continuous weaving is used – all the springs in it are inextricably linked with each other. Therefore, the load on the mattress will force to work not only those springs that are directly pressured, but also those that are adjacent to them. Such mattresses are interesting primarily from the point of view of price, but over time they can sag and creak, and their orthopedic effect is noticeably lower than that of mattresses with an independent spring block.
The springs in these mattresses work differently: each of them is isolated – securely fixed in a separate bag, so when loaded, it does not “pull” the springs located nearby. The orthopedic effect is based on this principle: such a mattress is able to properly support the body, easily adjusting to the position that a person takes in a dream.
In addition, for double beds, such mattresses are a real find: if one person turns in a dream, the second will not be disturbed in any way, unlike the “wave” on a mattress with a dependent block of springs.
2. What’s inside: what is the “filling”
However, the springs are not the whole mattress: for a comfortable rest, they and the upholstery are separated by several more layers of filler- most often it is polyurethane foam, latex and / or coconut fiber.
In springless mattresses, the filler layers make up the mattress itself, in spring mattresses they complement the base. But in both forms, the sequence of the arrangement and the thickness of the layers determine how hard or soft the mattress will be.
If the layer of coconut fiber is thicker and closer to the upholstery, the hardness of the mattress is higher, if it is polyurethane foam or latex layer, the mattress will be softer.
General rule when choosing stiffness: the more the owner’s weight, the harder the mattress is needed. The exception is mattresses for children and babies: for very young babies, rather hard mattresses are recommended, usually completely consisting of coconut fiber. This is primarily due to an important period in the formation of the musculoskeletal system, when a surface that is too soft for sleeping can harm the spine.
Buying a mattress is a business that is usually encouraged not to save money, and this is absolutely justified. But even here you can find a way not to spend too much, for example, when choosing a filler: it can be more expensive, natural or artificial – cheaper. And if coconut fiber – a naturally occurring material – is the same in all mattresses, latex may be different.
If artificial latex is used in a mattress that suits you in terms of cost and convenience, this is not a reason to refuse it. Modern technologies make it possible to create a material that is not inferior in terms of elasticity and durability to natural latex. What’s more, artificial latex is safe and does not spread allergens, unlike natural materials that can generate them.
3. Correct covering The
upholstery for the mattress should be dense, durable, if desired and possible with a special impregnation that protects the mattress from dust and moisture. But the main requirement for it is air permeability. If all the layers of the mattress “breathe” and do not interfere with the natural movement of air, this preserves the rigidity and elasticity of the materials from which it is made.
4. In the store
Before going to the store, you need to know the exact size of the mattress, the rest can be decided on the spot.
How to do it:
- Look inside the mattress.
To do this, you don’t have to open it at all: the store has demonstration options for this purpose – small parts of mattresses with transparent windows to see the spring block, the composition and arrangement of the layers.
- Test it.
Sitting modestly on the edge will not help you make the right choice. Try to lie on your future mattress, and it is better to do this in the position in which you are used to sleeping.
- Evaluate at least three different options.
Before you buy a mattresstry mattresses of different thicknesses, stiffness, with and without springs, to compare and understand which one will suit you better than the rest also find the best mattress topper for back pain.
If you order a mattress online, you usually have the opportunity to test the mattress at home and return it at a certain time if it does not suit you.
