Choosing the Best Mattress For You
The right mattress can rid you of aches and pains, keep you cool and help you sleep soundly all night long. But with so many mattress types, models and choices, choosing the best bed for you can feel like a daunting task.
Fortunately, many mattress manufacturers offer generous risk-free trials that let you test out your bed for up to a year. And with 4th of July sales and ongoing mattress deals, it’s never been a better time to buy.
There are also many considerations when shopping for a new mattress, including the type of sleep you have in mind, your budget and the look of the room where the bed will be placed. Some mattresses are designed with specific sleep needs in mind, such as back pain relief or cooling technology. Others are crafted to fit into a particular aesthetic, from modern minimalist to mid-century modern.
Most people prefer a medium amount of firmness, which hits the comfort-and-support sweet spot for most sleepers. If you suffer from back pain, body-contouring foams are typically ideal, as they can relieve pressure points and minimize motion transfer. If you struggle with temperature regulation, a memory-foam mattress can be a good option because it usually sleeps cooler than innerspring styles.
For decades, most mattresses were filled with interlocking hourglass-shaped springs topped with batting for comfort. But these types of beds lacked proper support for lumbar spines and did not offer much motion isolation. In the 1990s, Tempur-Pedic introduced a revolutionary new bed that used NASA-designed viscoelastic polyurethane foam that was both durable and supportive. This innovation helped to revolutionize the mattress industry.
Today, there are numerous types of foam and coil mattresses available in all shapes and sizes, from entry-level singles to super-luxury hybrids. Some have a more traditional feel with innersprings or other metal coils, while others are constructed of all-foam or a combination of foam and recycled or organic materials.
Choosing the best mattress for you may require some experimentation and anecdotal evidence, but there are many things to consider, from the thickness of the mattress to the level of edge support. The best mattress brands are constantly developing and testing their products to ensure that they deliver a great sleep experience every night. This is reflected in their customer satisfaction ratings, and in the anecdotal proof from those who use wearable devices that track their sleep to those who simply know they get a better night’s rest with their chosen mattress.