Mattress Guide

This web site is intended to be a guide to all kinds of mattresses. If it's mattress related, it's probably on here!

Buying a new mattress

Do you find it hard to get a good night's sleep? Do you spend your nights tossing and turning only to wake up with stiffness, aches and pains? If yes then it is time to consider purchasing a new mattress.

We spend, on average, one third of our lives asleep, so it really pays off to choose a well-made, high-grade mattress. The quality of the sleep we get has a great impact on our mood, energy, productivity and general wellbeing; a bad nights rest can affect our relationships with others, our performance at work and almost every other aspect of our day-to-day lives.

Buying a new mattress can be a daunting task; there are many different types and sizes of mattress available, all claiming to offer the best value for money or the best nights sleep. Here at King-Size-Mattress.co.uk we have created this guide to help you find the mattress that is right for you.

The most important recommendation we can make is that when purchasing a new mattress you should always try to buy the best you can afford. This doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune to get the rest you deserve but a good mattress will last longer and repay you many times over in the quality of sleep it delivers. To put price into perspective, try to view it like this; every £100 you spend on a mattress equates to just 2.7p per night over 10 years, this is much more cost effect than the money you spend when awake!

To achieve a good night's sleep, it is important that the body is relaxed and the muscles are not tense due to bad posturing; a good quality mattress will help you sleep by giving you the comfort and support you need. Many people will tell you that you should get as firm a mattress as possible to achieve this but choosing a mattress just isn't that simple. It all depends on personal preference; some people prefer a firm mattress, whereas some prefer a softer mattress. How you sleep also has an affect on this; firm mattresses are recommended for people who sleep on their stomach, medium mattresses are recommended for the majority of people who sleep on their back and softer mattresses are recommended for those who sleep on their side. Anything too soft should be avoided though; it may prove comfortable in the short term but over time will not give your back the support it needs.

If you are shopping for yourself and your partner you should give consideration to a mattress that can provide different levels of comfort and support; latex and air mattresses are good examples.

A quick overview of different mattress types

Modern mattress design offers many innovative designs to help you achieve the best night's sleep possible; each type of mattress is explained more in depth elsewhere on the site.

Spring mattresses

These are the most common type of mattress available today. Tempered steel coils arranged in a variety of configurations provide support. Most now come with a choice of fabric or foam topping (pillow top) to provide extra comfort and warmth. Innerspring mattresses combine a core a metal coils with a padding such as cotton or foam. Pocket spring mattresses are a more luxurious form of sprung mattress that features individual springs housed in separate fabric pockets. This design allows the springs to work independently and respond better to body weight.

Foam mattresses

Synthetic foam mattresses are becoming a popular choice amongst new mattress buyers. Foam can offer many different feels and with many different densities on offer it is easy to construct a mattress tailored to an individuals needs. Memory foam (visco-elastic foam) is perhaps the most popular and desirable type of foam available. It reacts to body heat to soften and mould to the body's contours; great for evenly distributing weight and maintaining correct posture. Memory foam also has anti-allergenic and anti-microbial properties.

Latex mattresses

Latex is a very durable material; mattresses made from it are amongst the most luxurious available on the market. Latex comes in both natural and synthetic forms. It conforms to the body's contours like memory foam and is breathable so you won't overheat. It is also anti-allergenic and anti-microbial. Natural latex mattresses are ideal for those looking for an environmentally sound product, as natural latex is biodegradable and a renewable resource.

Air mattresses

Modern airbeds are ideal for those lone sleepers or couples looking for individual, adjustable levels of comfort. This is due to the presence of independent air chambers that can be adjusted separately, allowing both sides of the bed to be set up to different preferences. Many air mattresses come with a layer of foam topping for extra comfort.

Now you are more aware of the types of mattress available and the benefits each has to offer. Each is explained further on its own page.

Caring for your mattress

When you have finally found the mattress that is right for you it is important to take measures to ensure that you will get the most out of it for many years to come. Remember, a good mattress should last you at least 10 years.