Mattress
What type of mattress should I buy?
Decisions, decisions, decisions. You’ll make a lot of them when shopping for a mattress. Decades ago, you might have only needed to choose between a single or a queen spring mattress, but nowadays you’ll find almost endless options available to you. From mattress sizes and brands, to comfort feels and materials, there’s a lot to think about. But before you start researching the dimensions of a super king mattress, or testing out the difference between firm and plush, we’d suggest you narrow down your options by working out what type of mattress you’re looking for.
Why start there? Because everyone has their own unique preferences and needs when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. The kind of mattress you choose will have a huge influence on the level of comfort you experience. You may love the way a memory foam mattress contours around your body, while someone else may find it uncomfortable. Or perhaps you’d prefer the gentle support and springy feel of a pocket spring mattress. A well-sized mattress offering the right level of support won’t feel comfortable if it’s the wrong type for you!
Of course, we know how overwhelming it can be to research all your options - that’s why we’ve made it easy to find the information you need with this quick guide. Read on below to find your perfect match.
Type of mattresses
Innerspring
Spring mattresses, also known as innerspring mattresses, have been a popular choice for many years due to their durability. They are made of steel coils that provide support and bounce, making them a great option for people who prefer a firmer sleeping surface and like the traditional feel of a spring mattress.
There are several types of spring mattresses to choose from, each with their own unique features and benefits.
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Bonnell coils: These are the most traditional type of spring mattress. They are made of hourglass-shaped coils that are connected to one another using a helical wire. They provide a good balance of support and comfort, and are a great option for people who prefer a medium-firm sleeping surface.
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Offset coils: These coils are similar to Bonnell coils, but they have a flat top and bottom. They are known for providing more support and contouring to the body, making them a great option for people who suffer from back or neck pain.
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Continuous coils: These coils are made of one long piece of wire that is shaped into a series of S-shaped coils. They provide a more consistent level of support, as the entire mattress is supported by the coils. They are also known for reducing motion transfer, making them a great option for couples.
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Pocketed coils: These coils are individually wrapped in fabric pockets, allowing them to move independently from one another. This helps to reduce motion transfer and provide a more contoured sleeping surface. They are also great for people who suffer from back or neck pain, as the individual coils can provide targeted support.
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Micro coils: These are small coils that are placed on top of the traditional coils to provide added comfort and pressure relief. They are a great option for people who like the feel of a more plush sleeping surface.
Memory foam
Memory foam mattresses have gained popularity in recent years due to their unique ability to contour to the shape of the body, providing a customised and comfortable sleeping surface. They are made of a viscoelastic material, which is a type of foam that responds to heat and pressure, allowing it to mould to the shape of the body.
One of the key benefits of a memory foam mattress is that it can help to reduce pressure points, making it a great option for people who suffer from back or neck pain. The foam also helps to distribute weight evenly, which can help to reduce tossing and turning during the night. Most memory foam mattresses are adjustable base-friendly.
You can find out more about how memory foam mattresses compare to spring mattresses here.
Hybrid
Made with a combination of memory foam and coils, hybrid mattresses provide the best of both worlds with the contouring of foam mattresses and the support and bounce of coils. These mattresses are also low in heat retention and are suited for most sleeping positions.
Mattress-in-a-box vs traditional mattress
If you’ve been online to shop for a mattress recently, you may have come across some of the many boxed mattress products available on the market today.
These mattresses are made of memory foam and are compressed, rolled, and vacuum sealed to fit in a portable box. They have gained popularity due to their easy set-up, but they’re not right for everyone.
Before you decide to purchase a mattress in a box, it's important to weigh your options. While these mattresses may offer a comfortable night's sleep, traditional mattresses also offer the same benefits at a competitive price point. It's essential to consider your budget and convenience needs before making a final decision.
Before making a purchase, be sure to research and compare different brands of mattress in a box, as well as traditional mattresses to determine which one is the best fit for you. With so many options on the market, it's important to make an informed decision that will provide you with the best possible sleep. You can read more about how boxed mattresses compare to traditional mattresses here.
How to find the best mattress for me?
Goldilocks and the three bears will tell you that mattresses are not a one-size-fit-all. What works for one person might not work for another. Studies have shown that when individuals were given seven beds to try on for a month, there was still no consensus as to which was the ideal mattress.
This is because there are many things that can affect how comfortable you feel on different types of mattresses. Here are just a few to keep in mind:
Sleeping position
When it comes to choosing a mattress, it’s important to consider how you sleep, because some types of mattresses are better than others for certain sleeping positions.
Side-sleepers tend to prefer memory foam mattresses as these mattresses contour to the curve the neck and body, alleviating the pressure off shoulders and hips. Back sleepers might prefer a spring mattress with a medium-firm to firm feel, as this will offer support and align the spine during the night. Stomach sleepers should opt for a medium to plush mattress to help promote a neutral spinal alignment, although experts advise that they should avoid sleeping in this position altogether.
Body type
Generally the larger and heavier your build, the firmer you’ll need your mattress to be. Those who have a slight to medium build usually prefer plush or medium mattresses, as they provide support without creating too much pressure on the joints. If you’re of a heavier build, you’re likely to find a firm mattress most comfortable as they provide enough support to prevent sinkage and maintain spinal alignment. Hybrid mattresses are a good option for most body types as the inner coil springs used in these mattresses offer lasting durability and provide ventilation, while the foam gives a softer feel.
Sensitivity to temperature
Have you ever woken up dripping in sweat or found your teeth chattering throughout the night? Being too hot or too cold at night can impact your sleep quality or even prevent you from falling asleep in the first place, and sometimes your mattress is the cause! Some mattresses are better than others at helping you to regulate your body temperature throughout the night.
Spring mattresses are often said to be the coolest as they allow for ventilation which reduces the amount of heat trapped in the mattress itself. Foam mattresses, by comparison, tend to trap heat; making them ideal for cooler climates. Of course, it is worth keeping in mind that many modern foam and hybrid mattresses use cooling agents to draw heat away from the body, so they can be just as effective as spring mattresses at keeping you cool.
Find your match
We hope this article has given you a good insight into which type of mattress best suits you, but if you’re still not sure, we’re here to help!
Our mattress experts can help you find a mattress that will fit your lifestyle, your budget and your bedroom. Pop into your nearest Bedshed store to lay down and test out the differences between different types of mattresses for yourself or try our handy mattress selector tool online!
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Bedshed is one of Australia's largest mattress, bedding and bedroom furniture retailers. We carry ranges of beds, bedroom suites, children's bedroom furniture, headboards & bases and mattresses from brands like Sealy, Sleepmaker, Tempur, Kingsdown, Dreamsense and Insignia, as well as a wide range of manchester and pillows.
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