Shopping for a mattress is a tremendous financial, psychological and physical investment to make in your life. The concerns you contend with while searching for an ideal mattress call for smart pre-shopping readiness. Such attention can spare you possible long-run replacement costs, time, effort and unnecessary medical visits. The good news is it can be a simple choice without getting overwhelmed. You need to spare time for research without pushing the decision.
But what else is in for you? A stress-free and top performing mattress without sleep discomfort jitters. A good mattress assures you quality sleep that enhances your memory and body alertness. Besides, you can fight body inflammation, ease body pain, reduce stress, control weight and boost your mood as you live longer. Won’t you love that? In this ultimate review, we offer tips on how to shop for a mattress for quality sleep and a healthy lifestyle. It helps to arm you with the information before settling that bill and enjoy over 10,000,000 hours we spend on sleep without problems.
Essential Shopping Tips
Since we spend a third of our lives sleeping, the last thing you want to go through is insomnia or wake up every morning to body aches and other health risks. Reason being; you sleep on a poor quality mattress. So, keeping in mind these tips could make the difference for a rewarding decision.
1. Before or During Shopping
It can be exciting coming across your dream mattress. Is talking to a sleep expert worth an option you might want to consider? Then make that call right away. It never hurts accessing more information from a variety of sources. It might be the chance to understand brand benefits and types fitting your lifestyle.
2. Test Your Mattress
Don’t you test-drive your car before leaving the showroom? It is equally a smart move to lie on your mattress and have a feel of the sleeping. Tossing yourself on the mattress and turning provides an opportunity to experience its support and comfort before closing the purchase. Don’t shy away from rolling on it from side to side and sit upon its edges to check on its firmness.
Unfortunately, the industry doesn’t have standardized measurements on mattress firmness for consumers to check against while shopping. So, what one manufacturer might call ‘extra firm’ might be another’s just ‘firm.’ Don’t buy too much into the ‘salesy’ names tags. Testing your mattress for a real experience is the best alternative. Whether your new mattress is firm or soft, will depend on your specific taste and application.
Remember, no matter how impressed you were after lying on it at the store, an entire night or more days of sleep will best reveal it all. Again, just curling up on your would-be new mattress in your best sleeping positions for about 6 minutes is not going to tell 100% all its quality standards or shortcomings. All in all, make sure you decide carefully on the type you want.
3. Are you Shopping for a New Mattress? How About Disposing of the Old?
The best way to create extra space at home and usher in your new sleeping lifestyle after shopping might have to do with disposing of the old mattress. If this is the route you wish to take, think of eco-friendly alternatives available locally to give away your unneeded mattress for recycling. Otherwise, sell it. What if you feel philanthropic? Opt to donate it to children homes and charitable organizations to assist those who might need it.
How to Choose the Right Mattress
The $16 billion US mattress market segment is changing with modern technology helping create diverse models made of different materials. However, how do you overcome the confusion while online or at your local mattress store? It is imperative to know what to expect before shopping for your mattress. Here are quick tips to help you with the effort.
1. Your Weight and Size Matters
Your mattress should be able to accommodate your body weight and any other sleeper effortlessly. The support should be firm and uniformly spread on your body with enough comfort. A great mattress should promote a good night’s sleep leaving you mentally and physically fit for a productive day while boosting your immune system.
What if you want to shop for a large-sized mattress this time? If stepping out of the norm to accommodate your growing family including the pet, evaluating your lifestyle and opting for a bigger mattress is a smart idea. However, remember, if your bed is smaller, upgrading to a large-sized mattress will also call for resizing the bed or buying the appropriate size. Right after shopping, such a bedroom makeover will pave way for a smooth slumber.
2. Your Budget is Core
Play your cards right with a flexible budget suitable for a quality purchase that will last long. Might you be incurring unnecessary expenses somewhere? Think of scaling them down for savings if this is worth waking up refreshed and energized. It is sensible to spend an extra dollar on a comfy mattress than a cheaper model that leaves you with pointless chronic back pains. While you don’t have to live beyond your means, a generous budget will be worth your precious health and happy mood. Don’t you think? Moreover, those long hours of sleep will count in the long term.
3. Know the Types of Mattresses to Shop
No doubt, the market is awash with a variety of mattresses. However, when ready for your shopping, this shouldn’t intimidate you. What if you are new into the mattress shopping exercise? The popular conventional models to expect include the memory foam, innerspring or a hybrid type which usually combines the design elements of the two. Admissibly, there are still many other types available. Every type comes with pros and cons hence their brief understanding will leave you on a higher shopping ground.
Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are made of steel coils all tied together or individually wrapped and pocketed for an adequate support system. However, the shape of the springs, number of loops and the coil gauge can vary from type to type. Foams and fibers are included at the top part of innerspring mattresses to create a balanced and even layer ideal for comfy body rest. However, if you go for those with a high number of coils, they provide better support, firmness, relaxation and are romance-friendly. They are typically less expensive but not as durable.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory form with the latex, form part of the specialty family types of mattresses. Also called a viscoelastic cushion, it relies on high-density polyurethane foam for a support system, thanks to its upholstery layer, or both. It is an excellent design to shop since it seamlessly contours closely to the body shape of the sleeper. If you want excellent cushioning of your sore joints or aching muscles, you will have to dig deep into your pocket to own these. They are very common for their slow foam response implying they take time to return to normal position.
Hybrid Mattress
Hybrid mattresses have a spring design with foam overlay but combine the best of both the innerspring mattress and memory foam. However, be careful of today’s inferior models which can be disappointing.
Others types worth your shopping
Air mattresses allow you to customize firmness depending on your specific needs. With their water chambers, they can provide enough support system on the sleeper’s body. If you appreciate the convenience of tailoring your bed into a specific preference, you will have to pay a little more once you plunk down your credit card for these.
The latex is more supportive than memory foam and is more durable. It responds to weight quicker than the memory type while maintaining balanced body temperature. However, be wary of some mainstream designs with poly foam which tend to be harder with discomfort.
4. Timely Shopping is Essential
According to The Better Sleep Council and manufacturers, innerspring mattress needs to be replaced after every 6 to 7 years while latex and memory types after every 7 to 8 years of use. As your mattress ages, it loses its comfy contour that helps maintain relieve on your joints and other body parts. If you continuously feel discomfort sleeping and your mattress is showing sagging signs, a replacement might be long overdue. However, other body pains and health-related conditions might not necessarily always be caused by a lousy mattress unless you confirm this with your doctor first.
Wrap Up
Always inspect your mattress regularly for possible overlooked wear and tear. It will allow you to plan your shopping early as opposed to reacting to a mattress situation. According to the America sleep Association, approximately 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, mostly undiagnosed. Also, 9-21% women and 24-31% men experience obstructive sleep apnea. You will hate being part of these indicators while getting deprived of good sleep because of a bad mattress. Quality sleep remains a hearty choice for millions of Americans with 6 in 10 craving for a good rest over sex.
While you think of hitting the high street or browsing online for a mattress, remember, there is no perfect model. Just choose what works best for you to make the most out of healthy sleep. We hope this guide leaves you acquainted on how to shop for a mattress. Opportunity doesn’t waste time for those who are ready. Are you prepared to buy a new sleeping lifestyle? This endeavor should be now more straightforward. Good luck.
