7 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Before Buying A Mattress
Buying a mattress is a big decision. Not only are there many types to choose from, but there are so many other variables that need to be considered, such as size, firmness, and materials. So you need to do the research and make sure you are buying one that will fit your needs.
Here are 7 essential questions to ask yourself before purchasing a mattress to help you make the right decision.
1.What Size do you want?
The first thing to consider will have to be the mattress’s size. How big is the room that will have the mattress? Is it for yourself, guests, or a child? Knowing this will help you decide what size is suitable. You need to make certain that you are picking a size large enough to accommodate you and a partner comfortably. Below is the mattress standard sizing guide:
- Twin: 39×74 inches
- Twin extra-long: 39×80 inches
- Double/full: 54×74 inches
- Queen: 60×80 inches
- King: 76×80 inches
- California king: 72×84 inches
If you are looking for an oversized mattress to suit your needs or you just prefer having a king size bed, you can consider Alaskan king and Texas king beds that are trending online lately. Don’t forget to check the dimensions of a Texas king bed before buying one.
2. What level of Firmness are you looking for?
The next important deciding factor is how firm you want your mattress to be. Take into consideration any back pain, the comfort level you are seeking, and what you like or don’t like about your current mattress. The variations between mattress brands will generally be categorized as firm or medium. However, this varies between sellers and isn’t necessarily uniform across all mattress brands.
3. Types of Mattresses
Another factor that determines the firmness level of the mattress is the materials that go into making it and the supporting technology it uses. There are many types of mattresses available on the market, which can be very confusing. Below are the five main types of mattresses that you may want to consider.
Innerspring Mattress
This is a traditional mattress that is on the affordable side. It comes with steel coils inside that are distributed to provide weight support. The more coils that the mattress houses, the more support it will give, thus the firmer it will be. However, over time, the coils will start to lag and contribute to the mattress becoming lumpy or uneven.
Foam Mattress
You may have heard of memory foam and latex mattresses. They both fall into this category. They vary in terms of the firmness they provide, heat retention, and back support. Memory foam mattresses are the more popular type; its foam molds to the body and has the least motion transfer resulting in a night of very comfortable sleep. There are also gel-infused memory foam mattresses that are supposed to be more breathable, which helps with heat retention. However, these mattresses can be high on the price point scale.
Air Mattress
These are mattresses that are filled with air. The majority are usually made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is highly durable, and more recently, urethane plastic or rubber versions exist. You can find reviews on the top 12 air mattresses in 2019 at https://allthestuff.com/air-mattresses/ where you can check the pros and cons and choose accordingly. Air mattresses are recently becoming more popular due to their portability and flexible storage option. You can adjust the firmness of the mattress by inflating or deflating it to your liking, and you can adjust the overall comfort level as well, as they do not exert pressure on body joints while sleeping.
Hybrid
More recently, a hybrid mattress made up of a mix of innerspring coils and memory foam has become available on the market. They can provide great support and contour to your body and can be more affordable than a pure memory foam mattress. However, the ratio of coils to foam can be quite large, so you need to make certain that the one you are looking into has at least a ratio of 50% coil and 50% foam for you to get the best of both worlds.
4. Do you have a medical condition?
Adjustable mattresses can adjust to several things for your comfort, such as head height, feet, back, and legs. You can even adjust it to your preference, and your partner can have their own set of preferences separately on the same mattress. They are not the most aesthetically pleasing mattresses; however, they can help with problems such as poor circulation, asthma, snoring, and more. Memory foam mattresses are great for people suffering from sleep apnea, and despite the common belief that a firm mattress helps with chronic lower back pain, medium firmness is actually best.
5. What’s Best for Your Sleeping Position?
How you sleep each night will determine the type of mattress you should get. You need to be aware of your body requirements and sleep patterns and positions. You need to invest in the best mattress for your sleeping position and your body type to prevent or fix body pains, aches, and back problems. The right mattress will help you have good quality sleep and ensure that you aren’t restless throughout the night.
6. What’s Your Budget?
Generally, purchasing a mattress is an investment. If you can spend a few thousand bucks on the bed of your dreams that promises to deliver, then don’t limit yourself and pick the best mattress for you. However, if that is not something you can afford, and you need to limit your budget, then take all the points above into consideration, and make a list of your priorities, such as size, firmness, and body ailments, and pick the mattress that can address your main priorities and be within your budget.
7. Where can you Buy One?
When it comes to shopping, there are physical and online stores. Both have their pros and cons. In a physical store, you can try out the mattresses yourself and see which one is the most suitable for you, while in online stores, you can only assume how the mattress will feel like. But today, online mattress stores have excellent returns and exchange policies, allowing you to try the mattress out once you receive it. If you don’t like it, you can return it or exchange it within a certain amount of time with no hassle.
A mattress is not an everyday purchase. So a lot of thought and research needs to be considered before settling on one that you like. Picking the perfect mattress will allow you to rest assured that it will provide you with the level of support and comfort that you are looking for. And, of course, it’s important to make sure it lasts for a few good years before you need a new one.
