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Mattresses & Box Springs Buyer's Guide
If you're in the market for a new mattress and box spring then you will undoubtedly have some questions about which firmness and coil count will offer the right support for your sleeping style. With the wide array of mattress and box spring selections on the market claiming to offer health benefits, ease of aches and pains, and in turn a more productive and active waking life, it is no wonder that the process of getting some much needed rest can be perplexing. Some of the basics that you should take into account when purchasing a new mattress and box spring are the different types of mattresses offered, the level of firmness that is most comfortable to you, how to achieve that in a mattress, and the proper foundation upon which your mattress will rest.
Mattress Types
The most common type of mattress, accounting for 90% of recent sales, is the innerspring. Innerspring mattresses use tempered metal coils inside of layers of comfortable fabric to push back against the body, offering support and comfort. The level of support is provided in the number of coils and the gauge of the metal that the coils are made from. As a rule, the more coils you have in your mattress, and the lower the gauge of those coils, the firmer your mattress will be. Keep in mind however, that the number of coils and gauge varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and one manufacturer's firm may be another's medium.
Memory foam (or viscoelastic foam) mattresses were originally designed by NASA to relieve the pressure of extreme gravity forces during take-off and landing. The foam is super dense and disperses accumulated pressure away from your pressure points during the night, relieving everything from muscle pains to severe arthritis. This type of mattress is often used in hospitals because of its orthopedic properties. In addition to all of the support, comfort, and pain relief, viscoelastic foam mattresses retain motion, meaning that when you wake up or roll over in the night your partner will not be disturbed.
Understand Your Needs
Mattresses are generally offered in a variety of firmness levels. Soft (sometimes called plush), medium, firm, and extra firm tend to be the most popular. In choosing the perfect mattress, you should take the following into consideration: Are you able to roll over and sit up in bed without much strain or effort? If this is difficult for you, then your mattress may be too soft and you should consider a more firm option. You'll want to test the mattress in all of the positions that you normally sleep in.
Extra firm mattresses offer extra support for back and stomach sleepers, but may be too hard for side sleepers which have more pressure connecting to the mattress from a smaller portion of the body. If you are a combination sleeper and find that it is uncomfortable to sleep on your side, then you may consider adding a pillow top or foam mattress pad to relieve the pressure on your hips and shoulders, instead of lowering the firmness of your mattress.
Size Matters
It is important that you measure the space you will be moving your new mattress and foundation into, as well as the route it will be taking before you bring the mattress into your home. Hard-bending of a mattress will render the springs that were bent virtually useless, making a future night's sleep on your new mattress most uncomfortable. To make moving easier, many manufacturers have introduced asplit box spring for queen sizes and above.
The Foundation for Sleep
It is vital for the longevity of your new innerspring mattress that you replace its foundation or box spring when you replace the mattress. A good box spring is a shock absorber that prolongs the life of your mattress and its many coils. Placing a mattress on the ground or a raised solid surface without a box spring will quickly wear out your mattress in the places where your body needs the most support. Also, many mattress warranties are voided when the mattress is misused in this manner.
