Our Best Tips for Mattress Shopping
There are so many mattresses to choose from these days, it's no wonder that many people feel overwhelmed when they begin shopping for a new one. With all of the different brands, materials, and prices to consider, how can you be sure you're making the right choice? You’re certainly not alone! There are many important factors to consider before and during the process of purchasing a new mattress, and we list the best tips and questions to keep in mind, that will ensure you find the perfect mattress for you and your family.
What to Consider When Choosing a Mattress
One of the most important steps forward to begin your search for the best mattress for you is to prepare ahead of time, as much as possible. Before venturing out and starting your research, it’s important to consider what you want, and what you don’t. We suggest thinking about the elements that you really enjoyed from your previous mattress, and perhaps cross-searching some similar styles of mattresses that may offer you a similar experience.
Budget is also a key component towards making the best purchase for you. Without identifying how much you are willing to spend, you may end up selecting and investing into a product that your wallet may later regret.
Identify ahead of time what your personal preferences are, and if there are any non-negotiables. It’s helpful to any retailer if you’re prepared with a lot of the answers that they will most certainly ask—such as, “what style of sleeper are you?” Or, “do you prefer plush or soft?” This will allow them to quickly select the top options for you and will weed out the choices that will perhaps be a waste of your time.
Mattress Styles and Materials
With so many options available these days, how do you know which specific style and the material will best accommodate your needs? Some of the following options are the most commonly recommended and may be some of the best choices to consider.
Innerspring
This style of mattress comes with steel coils inside, and allows for a more firm structure, while still giving some bounce to its foundation. It could be considered one of the most well-known styles of mattresses. Take into consideration the coil gauge, coil count, and even pocket coil. Coil gauge is the thickness of each coil inside the mattress, where coil count refers to the overall number of coils placed within. Pocket coils are individually wrapped as opposed to being webbed together. This allows for more surface-targeted support.
Memory Foam
Similar to our own body’s muscle memory, a memory foam mattress is designed to accomplish just the same. Its dense material is structured to mold and adapt to your body’s natural movement while you sleep, and assists in providing specific support in the areas of most importance—your head, shoulders, spine, and hips. Its dense composition is great for hypoallergenic options, as it helps reduce the symptoms caused by asthma, and other allergies.
It’s designed to absorb vibrations from movements, to reduce waking up frequently throughout the night (from your own tossing and turning, as well as the vibrations caused by your partner’s movements). Some styles of memory foam even come with a gel-infused material, which assists to regulate body temperature while we sleep.
Latex
Latex is quite similar to memory foam mattresses, but is more commonly found in organic mattress styles—this makes it more preferable for hypoallergenic preferences! You can certainly count on this material to deliver a more resilient structure, while still allowing more bounce in its foundation. Needless to say, you may find a higher price point attached to this style of mattress, but it most certainly is worth the investment, should you find that it accommodates all that you’re looking for…you will not be disappointed!
Firmness Levels, Sleep Positions, and Body Types
Everyone has a different body type, which inevitably results in completely different sleep preferences. It's important to keep in mind which positions help you sleep best. We suggest that you take the time to analyze whether you would categorize yourself as a stomach sleep, a side sleeper, or a back sleeper. Different positions have an overall effect on your body’s alignment, which in turn, affects the support that is distributed to your joints, and pressure points.
Our preferred positions ultimately have a great impact on which mattress style is best for us. Since alignment during sleep is important to consider for our overall health, consider where your body needs the greatest support, and then seek perspective from a retail or manufacturer expert, on which style of mattress will best provide the foundation and support for those needs.
Sleep and Health Concerns
As we have already mentioned the factor of allergies being one of the top priorities to accommodate while shopping for your new mattress, there are many other health concerns and ailments that may play a large part in your overall decision, too. Consider for instance, someone who plays competitive sports, and is prone to frequent injuries. Or perhaps someone who has suffered the effects of a work-related accident.
Our bodies need incredible support and proper circulation during the recuperation of any injury, or pain. Depending on which area of your body needs the most comfort and care throughout a healing process, it will certainly determine what kind of mattress will best support your needs. Don’t hesitate to explain your injury and/or pain to a retail expert, or even consult with a medical physician or chiropractor, to best recommend the best sleeping options for you.
Aesthetic and Practicality Preferences
Although it may not be the most important factor to keep in mind, it’s always a good idea to keep in mind what you visually and aesthetically prefer. Some individuals and couples prefer a low-profile bed, while others like a higher foundation overall. It’s important to consider your height in this case. You don’t want a mattress so low that you will have to keep pushing yourself off the ground to get out of bed, but you may not necessarily wish to keep jumping either, just to reach the height of your mattress.
Aside from your aesthetic preferences, consider the practical components as well. How committed will you be to maintaining the lifespan of your mattress? Certain styles are much easier to maintain than others, and it’s important to be realistic about your commitment. For instance, mattresses need to be rotated about every six months, to maintain their effectiveness. Certain styles are much easier to clean, while others may require a more thorough process. And of course, certain mattresses are easier to compact and move, while others may be heavier overall.
Warranty Availability
Most retailers will certainly provide a warranty with your mattress purchase, but it’s always important to ask the details and conditions of any, and all warranties. Along with a lifespan warranty, it’s common to have a 60-90 day comfort warranty, which allows for you to fully determine if you truly like the product, once it’s been installed. Do not hesitate to ask your retail expert about any returns or exchange policies, should you decide to change your mind
Shopping In-Person VS Shopping Online
With today’s available online resources, it’s easy to assume what we think will ultimately be the best decision for us. The one thing the internet will never be able to offer, is personal experience. Often, we can purchase a product without trying it on, or testing it out, only to find ourselves disappointed that it just wasn’t what we thought it would be. When it comes to a mattress, it’s best to go in-store and actually try out the mattresses for yourself. This process will no doubt surprise you from what you thought you’d like, to what you end up purchasing altogether.
Stay Within Your Budget
As mentioned previously, budget is always important to keep in mind while shopping for your next mattress. It’s inevitably a very competitive market, so do some research, or even call different manufacturers and retailers. This process will help you better understand where you can be smart with your money, while getting the best product for your standards and requirements.
Conclusion
Mattress shopping can certainly be a very enjoyable process! A good night’s sleep plays an incredibly large part in your overall health and well-being. If you spend hours allowing your body to rest and recuperate where and when it needs to, why wouldn’t you want to be intentional about the process of choosing the right mattress for you? It will always be an adjustment from what you’re used to with your old mattress, but with today’s innovations, there is bound to be the perfect mattress out there for you. With these key shopping tips, we know you will inevitably find the one designed just for you!
