The average person spends about eight hours of sleep every night. This is about a third of a day spent on your bed. Having a good night’s sleep is vital to staying healthy and happy.

Therefore, it is important to have a mattress that offers you the support and comfort you deserve. However, with many different types of mattresses available on the market, selecting the right one for your needs can be challenging.

Here is a buying guide to offer you the information you require on how to choose a mattress to save you the hassle.

Mattress Sizes

If you are confused about the size of the mattress to get, it is best to go for a big size if it is within your space and budget constraints.

Although a king or queen is not crucial when you are sleeping alone, most people find the upgrade worth it if you like sprawling out.

If you sleep with another person, a larger bed could significantly enhance your quality of sleep. With a larger mattress, you will less likely notice the other individual as they move around. You will sleep in your preferred position, meaning you will wake up with no joint and muscle pain.

However, you should keep in mind that purchasing a different-size mattress from what you already have will give you extra costs other than the price of the mattress.

You will require new sheets, a mattress encasement, and a different bed frame. You might also want an enormous duvet, bed pillows, and blankets.

You don’t have to purchase all these items at once, but it’s vital to price the essentials to buy the mattress with a clear understanding of the total costs.

How to choose a mattress

How to choose a mattress

Mattress Tension

The firmness or tension relates to how firm or soft the mattress is. Mattress tension determines the support you get and comfort levels.

However, the type of firmness you will require depends on your weight, height, and sleeping position. Soft tension is best for sleepers who adjust positions during the night as they mold to the natural position of your body.

Medium-firm mattresses are best for back sleepers as they provide extra lower-back support. Firm tension suits larger-weighted people or those who have back pain because they tend to maintain a stable position without sinking.

What kind of mattress is best for your sleeping position?

Your favorite sleeping position is essential when you are selecting a mattress. It can help you choose how firm or soft your new bed should be.

Bodyweight is distributed differently depending on whether you sleep on your stomach, back or side. More so, the pressure exerted on the joints differs depending on body position

Back and stomach

Stomach and back sleepers prefer less conforming, firmer mattresses. Medium to firm mattresses provide accommodating support to support your spine and back the entire night correctly.

This is instead of soft mattresses that make your backdrop into the bed and alleviate backpack pain.

Side

Soft to medium-firm are the best mattress types for side sleepers. These mattresses conform to your side and hips curvature without exerting pressure on your joints.

The lesser you weigh, the softer you want your bed to be if you are a side sleeper.

(click here to read- Best Memory Foam Mattress Topper for Side Sleepers)

Combination

If you think about your favorite sleep position and realize that you sleep in every position, you still have various perfect options for you.

You should select the mattress depending on the sleep position you spend most of your time in or choose a medium-firm bed.

Medium firmness levels provide sufficient support for stomach and back sleepers while also providing significant pressure relief for side sleepers.

Most mattress brands offer a medium-firm mattress suitable to an extensive range of sleepers.

Mattress Types

  • Form mattress

These mattresses are made of form layers, including memory foam, latex foam, polyfoam, or a combination. Each of these layers has varying densities, cushioning, support and durability.

Form mattresses are a good option for people susceptible to back pain as they perfectly mold to your body shape, keeping your spine correctly aligned.

The mattresses also provide perfect motion isolation meaning light sleepers are not likely to be woken by sleeping partners who constantly shift more than they would on an innerspring mattress.

  • Innerspring mattresses

An innerspring mattress consists of a system of interlinked metal springs or coils to support your body weight.

The top layer comprises comfort and soft padding that offers good contouring and cushioning without sinking like memory foam mattresses.

Generally, an innerspring mattress provides more breathability, good edge support and is available in a range of firmness levels to accommodate a range of different sleepers.

However, its bouncing sensation can disrupt the sleep of light sleepers as the partner shifts position.

  • Hybrid mattresses

Hybrid mattresses are made of a proportion of both foam and coils. The pocketed metal coils in a hybrid mattress provide a perfect balance between pressure-relieving support and bounce.

The form layers offer cushioning and comfort without sinking. Hybrid mattress reduces the shortcomings of foam and innerspring mattresses hence providing a perfect option if you are tone between the two options.

Which Type of Mattress Is Best For Body

It is essential to consider your body type, whether you are a heavy or petite sleeper, when buying a new mattress. Heavy sleepers are considered as people weighing more than 230 pounds.

This means that you will exert more pressure on the mattress, meaning the mattress can sink more quickly. Heavier sleepers should hence go for firmer mattresses, while lighter sleepers should opt for softer mattresses.

If you weigh about 100 kilograms, form mattresses provide a better option for you. However, larger-bodied people should opt for firmer hybrid mattresses because they have a steel base layer that makes them more supportive than foam mattresses.

(click here to read- The Best Mattress for Heavy Person)

Which Mattress Is Good, spring or Coir or Foam

A foam mattress is the best option in terms of ultra-plush feel and versatility. Compared to a coir mattress, a foam mattress changes its shape to conform to the curvature and weight of the sleeper.

It’s also relatively more durable. However, if you want a mattress with high firmness, you should go for a coir mattress.

It is made from coconut husks making it relatively firmer. On the other hand, if you are looking for something with ultimate motion isolation, the spring mattress will serve you best.

Whether to Purchase Online or In-Store

You most probably know the process of purchasing a mattress in-store. You lay on different beds until you get your perfect match.

But how do you purchase a mattress online? Similar to how you purchase other products online, the mattress you select is shipped to you in a package. Both these methods have their pros and cons.

Shopping in-store gives you the advantage of testing the mattress yourself one-on-one before you purchase.

This way, you will be a hundred percent sure that you are buying the best mattress for your sleeping needs. Even more, you can bargain down with the salesperson on the price of the new mattress.

Alternatively, online dealers are aware that you are taking a risk by closing a mattress deal over the internet.

They provide additional perks, including free returns, free shipping, a concrete warranty, and an extended free trial policy to sugarcoat the deal.

They will ship the mattress directly to your door, eliminating the hassle of additional costs such as transportation.

Whether you choose to purchase your mattress in-store or online, it is vital to look at the mattress reviews from the experts and clients that have used the mattress before.

This will offer your insight on any claim that might just be the mattress marketing strategy but not accurate.

How to choose a mattress

How to choose a mattress

How to Choose a Mattress Topper

If you want to make the new mattress more comfortable or your budget is not enough to buy a new mattress, you can opt for a mattress topper to serve as an alternative.

A topper is placed on the top of your current bed before fitting the mattress with sheets and helps to adjust the firmness level of the mattress.

When buying a new topper, factors to consider include; your body shape, budget, sleeping position, preferred material, and firmness, similar to purchasing a new mattress.

However, you should think about your existing mattress as it will affect the overall sleeping experience.

Conclusion

These are the various factors to consider when you go out to buy a mattress. We hope the guide will help you equire on how to choose a mattress and get a better and comfortable night’s sleep without spending more cash than you have to.