Posted by Andes on May 31, 2009 – 1:55 pm
Before you rush into buying a new mattress for your bedstead, you should get to know the types of mattresses available in the market.
Spring. The comfort, support and durability of a mattress depend on the number of springs or coils, their shape, the gauge of wire used, the number of turns in each spring and the distribution of the springs.
Waterbeds. Make sure it’s full enough to give good body support. If you are not sleeping alone, look for a design that minimizes disturbance from movement. It’s cozy in cool weather and cool in warm weather.
Foam. High grade foam scores well for comfort and durability.
Latex. Natural rubber mattresses can be very expensive and also need an expensive flexible slat base. One made of good quality pure latex can be expected to last 20 to 25 years. This may be a good option for allergy sufferers because it’s less likely to harbor mould and dust mites.
Futon. This is basically a big cushion filled with fluffed-up cotton, wool or artificial fibers. It must be turned regularly to avoid mildew. It’s harder than most other mattresses and may better suit people with a light build as it won’t adapt to your curves and bumps so readily.
Memory Foam. Developed by NASA 30 years ago, it’s made from polyurethane. It “remembers” your shape for a while after you’ve moved – hence “memory foam”.
Posted by Andes on May 25, 2009 – 1:04 pm
Mattresses offer in comfort and support and manufacturers and retailers emphasize that the only way to choose the right discount mattress is to lie on as many as possible for as long as possible.
It’s worth investing time and effort to test them out as you’re going to spend at least eight hours a day on it, for the next 10 years.
But which one to choose, what material, how hard, how soft? There’s a great variety out there – spring, latex, foam, futons, waterbeds, viscoelastic and memory foam.
Here’s your guide to testing a mattress before you buy one:
Go to a bedding shop that offers a wide range of brands and models of different grades of firmness from different manufacturers.
Wear loose, comfortable clothes with shoes you can slip off.
Lie on a mattress for at least 10 minutes if it feels comfortably initially. Try out as many sleeping positions as you can think of.
Lie on your back and try to slide your hand under the small of your back. If it slides in easily or your shoulders and hips feel uncomfortable, the bed’s too firm.
Try to roll over and if it takes a lot of effort, it’s too soft.
Make sure the base is similar to that of your bed as this will affect how the mattress feels. If you have a hard base (fixed slats or board) don’t test a mattress on a sprung base – it will feel different. Ask the staff to let you test it on the floor.
Two should go shopping if the bed is meant for both of you. See if you have enough space to move freely without disturbing the other person.
Solid, well-made and thick is what a mattress should be. It should be at least 15cm thick. Corners should have weight and edges should be solid.
Roll around – the mattress should not creak, crunch up or wobble.
If you don’t want to be disappointed with the mattress you are going to buy for your bedstead, then take a bit more time to test as many discount mattresses as possible for as long as possible.8
