Choosing a mattress - Exploring the differnt types, brands, and comfort levels

So, you've finally decided your good ol' mattress is just TOO old. (over 7 years is too old according to the better sleep council...) Now, you face the challenge everyone buying a new mattress faces. What type of mattress is best, what brand, what style, and what firmness? Now, with all the commercials for TempurPedic, and Sleep Number on TV, you're probably questioning of the old fashioned inner spring mattresses you've been on forever are the best thing for you, or if some more "modern technology" may be better. Read on, and be armed with information on your next trip to the mattress store. Choosing the best mattress could be the most important descision you've made in a while. It will help you sleep better, which will make you feel better, and in turn, function better.
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Types of mattresses:

INNER SPRING MATTRESS : An inner spring mattress is probably what you've been sleeping on for most of your life. Inner spring mattresses are exactly what the name implies. Inside the mattress are metal springs. These springs are what provide the main support and cushion to the mattress. Many inner spring mattresses now come in what is called a "pillow top" design. This is when there is a top layer on the mattress that contains extra quilting, fiber fill ,or foams to help provide more cushion to the bed and give it a plusher feel. These beds are extremely popular due to the added comfort in showrooms...but are they best? Read the detailed descriptions below to find out more!

AIR MATTRESSES - ie SLEEP NUMBER BED or SAT BED: An air mattress is a mattress that replaces the old fashioned metal spring inside the bed with air chambers. Choosing on of these mattresses gets tricky as poorly designed air chambers can provide a miserable nights sleep. With the correct construction however, the benefit of this style bed is that you can make it as firm or as soft as you want...to a degree. The fact of the matter is - YES, you can change the pressure level somewhat, but even going from 10-50 offer little PRESSURE POINT difference. They are better than inner spring mattresses at reducing pressure, but not as good as other types of mattress. For detailed information, see below. Also, if you are considering an SAT BED, please read below.

LATEX MATTRESSES: Check back soon...

MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES ie TempurPedic or ThermoPlush : Probably the best of the NEW INNOVATIONS in the sleep/bedding industry. Memory foam - Also know as Visco-elastic foam, Tempur Material, NASA foam, space foam, angel foam, etc. is a pressure temperature-sensitive, pressure-relieving polyurethane foam. Many people consider memory foam mattresses to be a God send for their back problems, but of course it is not a fix-all. Memory foam was originally designed for the NASA SPACE PROGRAM as a pressure relieving material to help astronauts from feeling the effects of excess g-forces caused to their bodies during take-off and landing. It is now being used in the bedding industry with great success. If you have hip, shoulder, or back pain, there is a good chance a memory foam mattress can help-but we are not saying to just go for this! Read on about water beds too...

WATER BEDS / FLUID SUPPORT SYSTEMS : Just about everyone has heard of a water bed, and many people have tried one at one point or another, but most people know them as a "LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM" sort of thing. Take a moment and think about what YOU know about water beds. How do they feel? What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about sleeping on a water bed. For most people, the first thing they think of is the tsunami that tries to catapult you off the bed when some else gets into the bed on the other side, along with the 60 second aftermath that makes you sea sick while the waves calm down and stop rocking the entire bed. If these are the things you think about, you are with the majority of Americans who think the same thing. What most people don't realize is that water beds have come a LONG way in the past few decades. Innovations such as newer "SERENE SEAS" water beds capture the pressure relief that water beds were originally intended for, and take it a step further by providing a superior level of support and comfort than any other type of mattress. So before you rule out water beds, be sure to read the full review below.

ADJUSTABLE BEDS : Though they may be similar, don't think of these as "hospital beds." The term adjustable bed really refers to the adjustable FRAME under the mattress, NOT the mattress itself. The nice thing about adjustable frames is that you can choose the type of mattress you want on the bed. For years, CRAFTMATIC was THE name in adjustable beds, selling probably more adjustable beds than any other company in existence. Inner spring mattresses have been the most well known mattresses for going on adjustable beds, but now, with all the other types of beds becoming more popular, memory foam is becoming more and more poluar for adjustable beds. When choosing an innerspring mattress for your adjustable bed, you must be careful to buy a mattress that is made for an adjustable bed. Placing a standard inner spring mattress on an adjustable frame is a fast way to ruin the mattress for life. An inner spring mattress not made for an adjustable bed will be destroyed the FIRST time you use it...so please use caution, and buy a mattress tat is intended for adjustable bed use. For more information on adjustable beds, please read the detailed listing below.

TELL ME MORE!!!
Well, OK...but only since you asked nice. Let's get into the juicy details of the different mattress types.


INNER SPRING MATTRESS : OK- so we rag on inner spring mattresses a lot. In general, we believe they are dinosaurs. Would you go out and buy and 8-track, or a CD/DVD player if you needed something to listen to music on? It's the same sort of thing here. But if you are the type that says "I like VHS- I can record on it easy, and it's been good for this many years...why should I get rid of it?" then let us tell you a bit more about the different inner spring mattresses available now. As we stated earlier, pillow top inner spring mattresses are becoming the more desired of the inner spring family. The pillow top models come in simple varieties that basically have an overstuffed quilted top, or you can get them with some of the more advanced materials. Some of the more "luxury" pillow top inner spring beds have memory foam, or latex foam quilted into them. Though these things help, you are still buying an inner spring mattress. So what do we mean by that? It's going to break down faster and not be as comfortable as other beds. If you REALLY want an inner spring unit, please go try them out in person, and buy one from your local mattress store. There are SOOO many models, and they are all SOOOO different, that this is the only way to tell if you will like it. BUt if you mattress ends up with body impressions ,soft spots, and dust mites in a year...don't way we didn't warn you!

AIR MATTRESSES - ie SLEEP NUMBER BED or SAT BED: Yeah,. they're better than inner spring mattresses as far as pressure relief go, but we are underwhelmed by them in general. Air beds brag that they offer "superior pressure relief and an adjustable firmness level so you and you partner can pick the comfort setting that is best for you." Yes, they offer different "numbers", but the true pressure relief is debatable. The way we see it, once you're LYING on the bed, the internal pressure of the chamber may be different, but the PUSH-BACK PRESSURE is the same! What does that mean? Even if you set your side to 20, over the course of the night, it's still going to put the same amount of pressure on your body as if it were higher. We're not saying NOT to get one fo these beds...they're certainly better than most inner spring mattresses, but we'd say spend LESS money on a memory foam mattress and you'll be happier. (Unless you sleep like a furnace at night and can't stand the extra heat of the memory foam.