Mattress shopping probably isn’t on your list of favorite things to do, but it’s necessary if:
- You wake up stiff, achy, tired, or in pain.
- Your mattress is past its prime. It sags, creaks, or is frayed at the edges.
- A good night’s sleep means sleeping anywhere but your own bed.
- Your mattress is more than 5 years old, which makes it a senior in mattress years. Innerspring mattresses are kind of like dogs; they age quickly.
It’s important to keep your bed up to date with the needs of your body. Sleeping on an outdated mattress that no longer supports you affects your health and energy levels for the worse. Older mattresses have collected an obscene amount of bacteria and dust mites, which affect allergies and hygiene.
Shopping for a new mattress doesn’t have to be tough or overwhelming with our easy-buying memory foam mattress guide.
Lesson 1: Find Your Type.
There are a variety of mattress types out there. Here’s a glance at the pros and cons of each one.
Memory foam mattresses: Made from NASA technology, these allergy-resistant beds conform to your body’s shape.
Pros: Memory foam mattresses are hypoallergenic and conform to support every contour of your body. They alleviate pressure points – such as the shoulders – and have an extra-long lifetime: upwards of 20 years.
Cons: Memory foam mattresses are known to be warmer than other types. They may have a factory odor, depending on where they were made.
Innerspring mattresses: Traditional and true blue, innerspring mattresses contain wire coils that hold up your body.
Pros: Dependable and the most popular style, the innerspring mattress is time-tested for those who value tradition.
Cons: Innerspring mattresses cannot evenly distribute weight. Their hollow nature makes them an ideal breeding ground for dust mites, bacteria, and bedbugs.
Air Mattresses: Inexpensive and portable, air mattresses can be filled with a pump and deflated as desired.
Pros: Lightweight and storable, air mattresses are great for campers and singletons. They often include electronically controlled air pockets for adjustable firmness.
Cons: Air mattresses do not provide even support for healthy sleep. Keep your tools and dog far away, as these mattresses easily puncture.
Water Mattresses: Full of water, this blast from the past is super soft.
Pros: Soft for those who like it that way, newer models are more stable than their 1970s counterparts.
Cons: Water mattresses are cold, heavy, and should be avoided by anyone with motion sickness or back pain. If your partner moves, you’ll catch a wave.
More to come….