How To Choose A Mattress: The All-In-One Buying Guide

Okay, let’s break down some of the most common mattress types and materials, and start this mattress search of yours off on the right foot!

Memory Foam

A few decades ago, memory foam entered the world of mattresses with a bang, and ever since, they’ve only been growing in popularity. And for a good reason, too – memory foam mattresses are designed with pressure relief, contouring, and support in mind.

That’s why I always recommend them to sleepers that enjoy the feeling of being “hugged” by their mattress.

Latex  

If you enjoy the general comfort that memory foam provides, but want something a bit more durable, latex is the way to go! The best thing about them is that they can be eco-friendly, too, in case that’s something that is particularly important to you.

Innerspring  

Here’s something for the old-school folks – up until a few decades ago, pretty much every household had an innerspring mattress.

If you do opt for an innerspring model, pay attention to the type of coils used, as well as the coil count:

• Continuous Coil – As the name suggests, they’re made out of a continuous wire, which makes them durable, but at the same time, they struggle with excessive motion transfer and don’t offer much spinal support.
• Bonnell Coils – These hourglass-shaped coils are one of the most common types, and you can usually find them in the more affordable mattresses.
• Offset Coils – They’re designed with a hinging effect in mind, which makes them supportive, too. They tend to be more expensive, though.
• Pocketed Coils – Since individual coils are wrapped in fabric, they tend to make less noise overall, and help reduce motion transfer.

Hybrid

By combining two or more traditional materials into a single mattress, the manufacturers have created a hybrid – a mattress that brings together benefits of memory foam or latex tops and pocketed coil support cores. At the same time, the downsides are often eliminated – or at least minimized to the point where they’re no longer a deal-breaker for the average sleeper.

If you’re looking to get the best of both worlds, the hybrid is the way to go!

Adjustable

As the name already suggests, the vital feature these beds offer is full adjustability. In some cases, they give you more than just the option of changing your sleeping position – they can also vibrate, massage you, and even heat up if the need arises. Sounds amazing, right?

As such, adjustable mattresses are the perfect choice for sleepers suffering from a variety of medical conditions, but the real question here is – are they right for you? If you need some help making that call, check out this sum up of the most notable benefits and drawbacks of adjustable mattresses.

Before we go any further, I’d like to get this vital factor out of the way – mattress firmness. How firm or soft it feels will play a huge role in your overall sleeping experience, so of course, this is a vital question to answer.

However, there’s just one minor issue – it’s mostly a matter of highly subjective feelings and personal preferences. I think we can all agree that most of us have very different definitions of what’s soft and what’s firm, which makes talking about mattress firmness levels a tad bit more complicated. Factor in your weight and sleeping position and you have quite an overwhelming situation on your hands.

Luckily for you, manufacturers have thought about it, and came up with this thing called a “mattress firmness scale”. So, to end the confusion once and for all, I’ve put together this firmness guide that should help you find your perfect match:

Anyone who’s ever been woken up in the middle of the night because their partner kept tossing and turning or getting up for frequent nighttime bathroom visits knows the difference movement isolation can make.

By definition, motion isolation determines the mattress’ ability to localize and absorb the sleeper’s movements, so the other person doesn’t get woken up by what feels like a mini earthquake. Of course, some materials are better at confining these movements to only one side of the bed, and if that’s something you’ll like to see in your new mattress, narrow your search down to memory foam, latex, and innerspring mattresses with pocketed coils.

However, there’s one thing you should warn your sleeping partner about – these types of mattresses could end up being slightly less comfortable to them since they offer minimal bounce. But hey, at least you get to sleep soundly, huh?

Unfortunately, this is something that often gets overlooked by mattress shoppers, but today we’re going to change that. Here’s the thing:

I know you spend some time sitting on the edge of the bed in the morning, and it’s normal for it to sink in a little when you do. However, a mattress that lacks edge support will sink in excessively, which could result in you struggling to even stay on it – and I don’t have to tell you how potentially dangerous that could be if you tend to sleep close to the edge of the bed.

And, as you can imagine, all-foam, as well as all-latex mattresses offer the least amount of edge support.

Even though our body temperature naturally starts to drop as bedtime approaches, some people tend to sleep a bit hotter than the rest of us – and if you’re one of them, pay close attention to what I’m about to say.

You need your body temperature to be slightly lower than usual to enter the deep, restorative stages of sleep, and as you can imagine, waking up in pools of sweat doesn’t do much in that regard.

Now, your choice of mattress doesn’t affect your body’s temperature as such – if you sleep hot, there’s not much you can do about that. What you can do, though, is find a mattress that provides sufficient airflow and minimizes body heat absorption. So, focus on hybrids, innerspring mattresses, and maybe even latex; memory foam is a less-than-ideal choice for hot sleepers.

Are you a side, back, or a stomach sleeper – or maybe a little bit of each? Because, whether you know this or not, preferred sleeping positions should play a huge role in your choice of mattress. Sadly, not many people follow this rule and often opt for models that are nowhere near capable of supporting their sleeping style.

But that’s what I aim to change with this section of the article – read on, and you’ll learn how to choose a mattress that will work with, and not against, your body.

Side Sleepers

The thing about side sleepers is that two of their significant joints – their shoulders and hips – are the first to come in contact with the mattress, creating two exit points for the pressure created by their body weight.

As you can imagine, sleeping on the wrong mattress can result in a significant lack of support, which ultimately leads to the formation of pressure points, and pain in your back, shoulders, hips, and even your neck.

What constitutes as “wrong” in this scenario, though? And, most importantly, what’s right?

You shouldn’t go above the medium level of firmness – mattresses for side sleepers have to contour to their body, and not cause pressure points.

Back Sleepers

If asked, any sleep expert would tell you that, ideally, everyone should sleep on their back. So, if you’re a back sleeper already, congratulations – you’re already doing something great for your overall well-being. Now, all that’s left is to find you the right mattress, and you’re all set!

As a back sleeper, you spread out your body weight more evenly, which automatically lowers your risk of developing pressure points. Furthermore, as a reward for your excellent choice of sleeping position, you also get to choose from a wide range of mattress types, without the risk of pain and discomfort.

That said, for the best possible sleeping experience, you should still pay attention to firmness and support – without it, your spine won’t be properly aligned, which could lead to back problems.

Narrow your search down to mattresses that fall somewhere in the medium-firm, even firm range, as they’re usually the ones that can provide some much-needed support, without compromising comfort.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers have an entirely different set of issues to address since their sleeping position tends to put a lot of pressure on their hips and pelvic region. Without proper support, it can even lead to their midsection sinking into the mattress, and you what that means – an inward curving of the spine and a high risk of back-related problems.

For this reason, stomach sleepers have to focus on finding a mattress that will ensure their body weight is equally distributed, as to avoid potential sinking – they need to stay as flat as possible. And, of course, firm mattresses seem to be the best candidates for the job.

Oh, and one more thing – even though the right mattress can improve your sleeping experience significantly, I strongly encourage you to try and change your sleeping position. In the long run, sleeping on your stomach still does more harm than good.

When it comes to mattresses, the one-size-fits-all rule doesn’t apply – you might find a model that has all the features you’re looking for, but if it doesn’t work for your particular body type, you’re in for a big disappointment. The overall feel of the mattress, the support it provides, how much it sinks in when you lay down – it all greatly depends on your body type and, more importantly, your weight.

The table below should provide enough information on ideal firmness levels and choice of mattress materials according to your weight and body type. Keep in mind these things are highly subjective, though, so consider them to be general guidelines, rather than a “perfect mattress choosing formula”.

Back Pain

Okay, it’s time for you to hear the ugly truth – approximately 80 percent of all adults will experience back pain at one point of their lives, and sadly, for some, it becomes a lifelong condition. What saddens me the most, though, is that most of these people don’t realize that even something as simple as a change of mattress could help alleviate their symptoms drastically.

And if you are one of those people, I think it’s about time you learn how to choose a mattress for your bad back!

With back pain, the trick is to ensure the mattress provides body-contouring and support – you want it to be firm and supportive enough to keep your spine aligned, but at the same time, you shouldn’t skimp on the softness, either, since it can soothe any existing pressure points.

So, opt for medium-firm mattresses that strike the perfect balance between support and contouring, and, as far as the materials go, stick to memory foam or latex ones.

Read more: Get Rid of Middle Back Pain
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Shoulder Or Hip Pain

As it turns out, shoulder and hip pain seem to have a common denominator – a specific sleeping position. Can you guess which one?

That’s right – sleeping on the side.

Now, I could tell you to change your sleeping position and start sleeping on your back, but we all know that’s not going to happen, so instead, let’s focus on finding you the right mattress.

Pain in hips or shoulders, such as the one you’re experiencing now, usually comes from putting too much pressure on these joints and creating some very painful pressure points. The best thing you can do to get rid of the pain is to find a mattress that will not only help relieve these pressure points and conform to your body but keep your spine aligned and give your muscles a chance to relax, as well.

For this reason, I suggest you narrow your search down to memory foam and latex mattresses.
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Acid Reflux

When the muscle found at the entrance of your stomach, known as the lower esophageal sphincter, doesn’t do its job correctly, and the stomach acid finds its way to the esophagus, the result is a painful, severely uncomfortable condition – acid reflux. And it’s hard to get a good night’s rest when a sharp pain in your chest keeps waking you up all the time.

One thing I’ve noticed is that back sleepers (often with minimal head support) are those that complain about heartburn the most. The solution is rather simple – all you need to do is elevate your head!

So, if you’re looking for a new mattress, and you’re hoping to address nighttime heartburn attacks, as well, I suggest you consider adjustable beds because they’ll allow you to raise your upper body into a more comfortable position by nothing more than a touch of a button.
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Arthritis

If you have arthritis, your search for the right mattress could turn out to be a bit overwhelming, not to mention frustrating – and the main reason why is the fact that the “right” mattress for people with arthritis doesn’t exist. Even with around 350 million people around the world suffering from this condition, they’re all affected differently, which makes it hard to establish a common ground.

So, instead of suggesting a model or two, I figured it would be better if I taught you how to choose a mattress that will address your personal needs and preferences.

The most important thing you need to look for is support. It has to be able to support your entire body – your neck, spine, waist, and legs, as well as all the sore joints, such as shoulders, hips, and knees.

Next, you need to address the firmness of the mattress. For someone with arthritis, the formation of pressure points can easily lead to a significant increase in pain. Since that’s something we’re looking to avoid, I’d like you to check out mattresses with a medium level of firmness – they’re firm enough to ensure proper spinal alignment, but have just the right amount of softness to them, too.

Lastly, make sure you can still comfortably move around on the mattress – you want to avoid the stiffness that stems from staying in one position for too long.
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Chronic Lumbar Discomfort

Lastly, let’s talk about your options if you’re suffering from chronic lumbar discomfort. Since the lumbar spine is just a fancy name for the C-shaped curve located in your lower back, you can expect to see some similarities with the already mentioned mattresses for back pain.

For instance, the best way to address chronic lumbar pain is to find a mattress that walks the fine line between comfort and proper back support. The reasoning behind it is pretty much the same, too – medium-firm mattresses will keep your spine aligned while providing pressure point relief, at the same time.

And of course, memory foam mattresses seem to be your best bet if you’re looking to get rid of lower back pain for good.