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How to Choose the Right Mattress

We all know that mattress selection is important and that we need to sleep well. Use this guide to get past the mystery and confusion often experienced by mattress shoppers. Mattresses look similar in the stores and in the photos, yet one is $300 and the other $1000. You’re looking for a comfortable new mattress, but you don’t want to spend too much or, even worse, too little. We can’t see inside the mattress, so we have to rely on information from well trusted name brand manufacturers. With the Internet comes the ability to get accurate information that can allow you to comparison shop before buying your new mattress.

Consumers who shop a retail store frequently complain of the following:

Why Buy a Mattress Online?

Buying online has many advantages, one of which is a higher level of satisfaction (online customers are 4 times more likely to be satisfied than typical industry averages!) Higher satisfaction is due in part to greater access to pertinent information, and helpful selection tools.  Also, choosing the correct mattress online is much easier when you do not feel high pressure sales tactics.  Last but not least, buying online can generally save you money, and also save you on the sales tax.

Other factors may influence your decision, but these are the 3 main decisions most of us will make when buying a new mattress.

1. Selecting the Right Size Mattress

Selecting the right size mattress is usually the easiest decision. If the size you have now is working just fine, then replace it with that size. If you feel you do not have enough room or are restricted in any way, then it is important to increase your mattress size. Sometimes changing your mattress size may involve some type of sacrifice, such as giving up your current linens or even a headboard, but it often needs to happen. Rather than selecting a smaller size mattress for cost savings, select a lesser priced model in the size you really need.

What Size Mattresses Are There?

What is the Difference in a King Size and California King Size Mattress?

There are two sizes of King mattresses. California King and Eastern King. Eastern King is the older and more common of the two sizes. California King is very popular in California, declining in popularity as you move east toward the Mississippi river. East of the Mississippi we see customers buying Eastern King sizes. West of the Mississippi, King Size sets are often assumed to be California King. East of the Mississippi, King sets are often assumed to be Eastern King. Eastern King is the most common of the two sizes and the original King size.

2. Comfort

Determining the comfort feel of your new mattress is important to provide you with the comfort you need. We all differ in what we like. Today’s market offers a wide spectrum of mattress feels, from extremely firm to incredibly soft.

When selecting, be sure to go by what you like. Do not make your decision based on recommendations (unless by a health care professional). Trust your own decision. Help from anyone else about comfort is irrelevant.

3. Picking A Model

Picking your model is just a couple of clicks away.  As with all products, it’s always safest to go with the brands you know and trust.

When you buy your new mattress you will get three major components:

• Upholstery layers (the padding)
• An innerspring coil unit
• The box spring or foundation

Let’s take a look at them:

The upholstery layers account for the major portion of today’s mattress cost. Twenty years ago, the average mattress height was nine inches thick. Today the average mattress height is fourteen inches thick. The coil unit itself hasn’t gotten much taller, usually about six inches. However, the upholstery layers, commonly referred to as padding, are the reason for the thicker mattresses. Thru research, the mattress manufacturers have found that adding more quantity and better quality of comfort materials will provide a more comfortable sleeping surface and also a longer comfort life.

These layers can consist of man made materials, natural fibers, and a variety of foams. Every bed will have approximately 3-8 layers of padding, with each layer of padding being a different material. Looking at these three major components, the padding alone will cost more than the innerspring unit and foundation/box spring combined. Trusted name brand manufacturers will give you better padding and more of it as you spend more. Wool, cashmere, silk, memory foam, and latex foam are more commonly known and usually signal a better overall quality of padding. As with most items, these padding layers also come in different grades, so don’t expect the wool in a $1,000 mattress to be as good as with a $3,000 model.

The innerspring coil unit is the base of your mattress. It allows for even distribution of your body mass while you are lying down. The innerspring, often called the coil, will hold its strength for many years. The coils are what offer support to your body where you need it most. Sealy, Serta, and Simmons offer three or four different grades of innerspring coil units in their lines, usually giving you more coils as you go up in price. Stearns & Foster does not alter coil count. They use the same high quality coil count throughout their entire line.

Many people ask if more coils are better. The answer is…it depends. More coils are better when the manufacturer spaces the same size and type of coils closer together providing more coils in the same size mattress. Trying to compare the quality of mattresses between brands based on coil count is not applicable. For example, of all the major brands we sell, Stearns and Foster mattresses have the fewest number of coils, but they also use the thickest wire. Even with less coils, the Stearns and Foster coil unit has more working steel in it than most any other mattress. Realistically, there are just too many variables in coil design, function, and durability for consumers to understand what they are getting without spending days on coil research. You can be assured that all of the premium line mattresses have a good innerspring unit. So you can focus on selecting the right comfort feel and particular model for your needs.

Box Spring or Foundation?

Most of us know it as the box spring, but they can vary in design. Some manufacturers still use a true box spring that will have a coil or modular coil spring system within it. These coils act as little shock absorbers, so when force and weight are applied to the top of the mattress, the box spring will give slightly underneath. In many cases, a good box spring will extend the life of your mattress and help to prolong your investment. A working box spring has long been considered the best way to build a premium mattress set.

Recent technology changes have some mattress lines using a foundation. Framed in either wood or steel, foundations look like box springs but have no give or shock absorbing abilities. For example, the Simmons Beautyrest mattress sets are built on a foundation. The non-flexing base makes for a great “do not disturb” sleep that Beautyrest mattresses are known for. The base has no components to wear out, and provides a more rigid feel. The box spring has been around longer, but the change in today’s mattress design allows for the use of a foundation in many applications.

Compare the Top Mattress Brands

Below is a brief summary of the five top brands of mattresses. When you see the brand that fits your needs, you are done with this section and ready to select the model that’s right for you. Just scroll up and start shopping.

Stearns and Foster was established in 1846 and has been this nation’s luxury brand for many years. Often sold in the finest furniture and department stores, the upholstery materials used in Stearns and Foster products are usually the best available. Durability and comfort have long been the reputation of this brand. Stearns and Foster sets have the highest average price. They do not produce any mid or lower priced mattresses.

Sealy Posturepedic is the largest selling brand in the United States and has been around since 1881. With their mass distribution and volume, Sealy affords today’s mattress shopper the best mid priced mattress sets available. Sealy offers a wide selection that blends comfort and durability with value to provide the best mid priced mattresses.

Simmons Beautyrest has been produced with a pocketed coil since 1925. Trademarked as the “Do Not Disturb” mattress, the pocketed coil reduces more motion between partners than any other mattress in the industry today. If your partner’s movement is keeping you from sleeping at night, this is the best choice for you. Built with luxury materials, Simmons motion technology design is well worth the price.

Simmons BackCare is similar in pricing to the Beautyrest line. These beds feature a creative design that combines zoned foam with conventional coils. It’s a relatively young line, just a few years old, but has grown very quickly throughout the United States.

Serta Perfect Sleeper comes in as the middle priced brand and is well known for their “Counting Sheep” marketing campaign. Serta’s unique FireBlocker system sets them apart as the only manufacturer to exceed existing and proposed, state and federal residential open-flame resistance standards on a nationwide basis.

Bassett DreamMaker comes in as the value leader. Bassett is the smallest of the 5 major brands, but carries a strong, well respected name. Bassett uses a coil that is very similar to the coil Simmons has, so their mattress sets have good motion separation. Low cost with a real working box-spring and a good motion separation designed coil, Bassett is the fastest growing brand.

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