How to Choose the Right Mattress for You

Sleep is vital to good health, both mental and physical. Without good sleep, you can’t function, get your work done, be courteous to others, or enjoy life in general. For these reasons, choosing a mattress for your bedroom is a big decision.

A mattress is a good investment. It’s easy to overlook just how much of an impact a mattress has on your sleep. If it’s time for a new one, take your time while choosing the right mattress for you. This process means understanding materials, firmness, all the available features, and your unique needs when it comes to comfort and rest.

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How to Choose the Correct Mattress

Everyone is different when it comes to sleep and mattress choice. The same mattress will not work for everyone. Consider your sleep style, whether you run cold or hot at night, if you have back, neck, or joint pain exacerbated overnight, and comfort preferences. All of these factors are important when choosing the best new mattress for you.

Resist the urge to buy the first mattress that seems right. The secret to choosing the best mattress is comparison shopping. You can go to a store and try the products on-site, but you can also use online tools to do it remotely. For instance, compare Nolah mattresses on their site to get a rundown of the different options and what each has to offer.

Many mattress companies will also let you try mattresses at home and return them if you don’t like them. Do some online shopping and comparison, get the mattress delivered, and then take a month or two to determine if it’s the right one for you. If not, send it back and try another. You can also try City Mattress below and check out their specials on new Mattresses.

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Firmness

One of the main factors that differentiate mattresses is firmness. Some people love a pillowy-soft mattress, while others like a stiff, more rigid surface. You can find mattresses from one extreme or the other and everything in between.

Firmness is the most critical mattress quality to test in person if possible. Whether you’re trying it in the store or at home, lie down in your preferred sleeping position—side, back, front—and see how it feels.

There are pros and cons to firm and soft mattresses, but ultimately it’s a matter of preference. A mattress that is too firm can put pressure on specific points of the body, causing pain. Very soft mattresses cause your body to sink in ways that push the spine out of alignment, again causing pain. For most people, something in between is best.

Material

While firmness comes down to preference, mattress material can be more of a practical choice. For example, if you have specific allergies, you may need to avoid latex or down feathers in bedding. Mattresses today come in many different material types, so do your research to make a choice based on personal needs, comfort, and price.

Traditional mattresses, which are harder to find these days, include steel coils inside fabric pockets. They may contain cotton, wool, polyester, latex, and foam. Newer spring mattresses, known as hybrids, have coils but also a foam or latex pillow top.

More common these days are foam mattresses. Some are made of latex foam, an essential consideration if you have a latex allergy. Polyurethane is another common material in foam mattresses. They may also contain gel, cotton, wool, or polyester.

If you’re interested in buying eco-friendly, look for specific and notable certifications. These include Global Organic Latex or Textile Standard, USDA Organic, Greenguard Gold Certification, and Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Features

If you’re looking beyond a primary spring, hybrid, or foam mattress, you’ll find that more expensive products have additional features:

Cooling features
Temperature adjustments
Remote-controlled firmness
Layered foam
Pillow tops and removable covers
Motion isolation
Edge support
Organic materials

Before you buy a mattress because of its features, do some research. Some attributes are more important or valuable than others. Make sure you’re not paying extra for something that may not provide much benefit or that will break or wear down quickly.

A Good Mattress is Worth Your Time

Because sleep is so essential to every other aspect of your life, it’s well worth your time to shop around for the perfect mattress for you. A budget may limit your choices, but within a target price range, you should be able to find plenty of good options. Take time to research and compare and then actually try the mattresses to find the intangible properties that will give you a good night’s sleep every night.