Furniture, Bedding, Cabinets, Countertops & Storage

Mattress Buying Guide







How to choose a mattress and bed base to suit you.
A good mattress is essential for a good night's sleep and the energy you have throughout the next day. It also affects your posture. It's important to match a mattress to your sleeping style. We look at what mattresses and bed bases are available and how to test them out.

TYPES OF MATTRESSES

Spring mattresses

This standard mattress has a core of metal springs covered by foam and padding.

The springs

The springs are the part of the mattress that supports you and also gives the mattress its lifespan, so it's essential to get a decent quality spring system.

Spring Mattress

There are various technical elements that spring mattresses are classified by:

1.) Number of Springs

It generally varies from 250 to 500 depending on the manufacturer, more number of springs means more support.

2.) Number of turns or coils in the springs

The more of this means better the support

3.) Thickness or gauge of the wire used

The lower the gauge, the more durable the mattress

4.) Way the springs are arranged

Some mattresses have extra rows of springs in the centre of the bed where most of the body weight is concentrated or at the sides, which are usually first to break down.


COMPARE MATTRESS PRICE AND FEATURES

5.) Types of Springs

Bonnell springs

The classic spring type, tied together with wires to form a unitary block of springs

Continuous coil spring

These are made from a single wire shaped into the form of several rows of springs

Open-ended springs

All joined together by a wire network set up in the middle of each spring, thus leaving the top and bottom of each spring to move freely in order to independently adjust to the specific weight placed on it

Pocket springs

Each spring is placed in its own separate fabric pocket and not connected in any way with the other springs, which allows independent compression of the springs, even if the mattress covering does limit some of the springs' freedom of movement (these are the most expensive models and are said to be the most comfortable)

While different mattresses use different types of spring systems the overriding factor behind your choice should always be comfort.
Some double-size spring mattresses have separate 'areas' for each person, and may come with the option of having different firmnesses on each side, customised for both. The other advantage of these mattresses is that you're less likely to wake up someone if you're tossing and turning.

The padding

Whereas the springs give the support, the padding gives the comfort. The springs are essentially enclosed in a box of padding, to cushion your body from all those wires. The padding can make a big difference in price, because at the top end of the market more exotic - and comfortable - materials are used. These premium paddings include silk, wool, cashmere, premium foams, latex and goosedown. Cheaper materials include lower grades of foam, reclaimed cotton fibres and coconut fibre.

Foam mattress

Although it's possible to find some higher quality foam mattresses, most of those available are not recommended for long term since they do not provide support to the spine. You may use this in spare bedrooms or guest rooms which are used sparingly.

Latex mattress

Latex mattresses are an expensive option but do have benefits. They can last 25 years which is almost double the lifespan of a spring mattress. Those prone to allergies may sleep better as latex mattresses don't attract as many fungi and bugs as their foam padded cousins.Latex is natural and has good air circulation and temperature regulation.

Memory foam or visoelastic mattress

This special foam mattress is made of dense,heat-sensitive material that reacts to your heat and weight and supports you evenly - no more pressure points and bedsores. It's called memory foam because it keeps your shape for a while after you get off it.


Memory Foam or Viscoelastic Mattress

Memory Foam or Viscoelastic Mattress

Futons

An inexpensive alternative, a futon is essentially a big heavy cushion. It's firmer than a mattress which makes it unsuitable for larger builds, but many people swear by them. It's quite common to find a futon that doubles as a couch, making it perfect for studio apartments and spare beds.

Waterbed mattress

Like today's viscoelastic mattresses, waterbeds claimed to be the perfect solution because they offered even support. That support depends on how full the mattress is of water, so keep it topped up. Blissfully for couples, there are some waterbeds on the market that split the bed into two sleeping areas, reducing disturbance.

Coir mattress

Coir mattresses are mattresses containing layers made from the coir fiber which are fiber taken from the husk of a coconut. These have been popular in India. There are many benefits of coir mattress which include:

Tempur-pedic mattress

TEMPUR material was originally based on NASA’s research to develop a material that would cushion aircraft seats and improve survivability in the event of an accident

TEMPUR is an open celled visco-elastic, pressure relieving and temperature sensitive material that moulds to the exact contours of your body. Ordinary polyurethane material features irregular cell shapes that simply compress under weight. With TEMPUR, billions of open cells gently moves around the curves of your body giving you total support where you need it, with no counter pressure. When you lift your body off the TEMPUR Material it returns to its original shape.

Tempur is a brand that sells these mattresses in India.



MATTRESS FEATURES

Thickness

Though thin mattress may be cheaper, they tend to become hard and uncomfortable over time. Thicker mattresses are comfortable, they might be cumbersome to move around. Ideally go for a mattress with medium thickness, the ideal thickness of a mattress for a regular individual is about 4 inches to 5 inches.

Firmness

It's important that the mattress provides proper support to your backbone and keeps your spine in natural S-shape.

Medically Approved

There are mattresses like Spinekare from Kurl-on, 100 D from Century, Crown from Duroflex and more from Springwel which are medically approved. These may cost more but will be better for overall health.
Such approvals from organizations like Indian Spinal Injuries Centre ensure mattresses fulfill all medical physiological requirements and giving the right posture support while sleeping.

Other features

There are mattresses that prevent dustmites which can cause respiratory diseases like asthma and bacteria from breeding. If you sweat a lot, opt for a mattress that allows sweat to dissipate easily. These mattresses also prevent fungi from breeding fungi from breeding and keep odours at bay.

Warranty

Make sure your new sleep set comes with a warranty that protects you against manufacturer defects.

MATTRESS SIZES

Width(inches)

Height(inches)

Common Name

72 84 California King
76 79.5 King
59 79.5 Queen
53 79.5 Double XL
53 74.5 Double
48 74.5 3/4
39 79.5 Twin XL
39 74.5 Twin
36 74.5 Single
30 74.5 Cot

You can also get branded mattresses custom made with different sizes according to your needs.

BASE

The bed's base makes a difference to how the mattress supports you, not just how it looks in your bedroom.
Ensemble: The mattress sits on top of a base that looks like a second mattress. The base of an ensemble will offer more support than others.
Slatted base: This base is a frame with wooden slats arranged from side to side. Slatted bases can come with 'posture slats' which aren't as firm as standard, solid wood.
Built-in base: This is a standard-looking spring mattress, but it comes with a wooden frame already built in to the bottom. The frame has holes in it to screw legs into, meaning there's no need to buy another base.

SLEEPING POSITIONS

Different mattresses are suited to the three main sleeping positions - side, back, and stomach.

BUYING A MATTRESS

A mattress is an important purchase. With an average life of 10 years, you'll spend a lot of time on it. So take your time picking a mattress, and don't be put off by other shoppers - you have to have a good lie on them for a few minutes.
A bed can be firm to the touch but you won't know if it provides adequate support until you lie on it. Don't be fooled by a firm outer layer - always test the mattress for yourself.
Here are some tips for testing a mattress:


Also read,

Related Keywords: mattress buying guide, mattress brands in india, compare mattress prices in india, mattress reviews,mattress india, sleepwell,sleepwell mattress, kurlon mattress, kurlon, mattress price, foam mattress, bed mattress, sleepwell india, kurlon india, spring mattress, king koil, king koil mattresses, godrej, Cozy, Restolex, coir mattress, Arvind International, Comfortek, Duroflex, Century, U-foam, kurlon mattress price list, duroflex mattress price list, tempur, tempurpedic mattress