Mattress Buying Guide

There are several different types of mattresses to suit every individual comfort requirement and pocket. It is usually better to buy a new mattress at the same time as a new bed base as they are usually designed to complement each other. If you do need to buy a mattress separately measure your base carefully to ensure you buy the right size as even 'standard' bed sizes differ slightly between individual manufacturers.

The following paragraphs explain the differences between the mattresses currently available.

Open Coil

In an open coil mattress, the mattress is made of connected springs with a thicker wire frame around the edges to contain the springs. Layers of padding are then fastened to the frame to cover the complete unit so that the springs cannot be felt.

The various combinations of the thickness of the wire used to make the springs, different materials used for the padding and the thickness of the padding together determine the firmness of the mattress.

Pocket Sprung

In a pocket sprung mattress, individual springs are contained within individual cloth bags or 'pockets' which move up and down independently. This enables the mattress to support the contours of your body more readily and helps to prevent 'roll together' when sharing a bed. Layers of different fillings are then used to cover the springs in a similar way to a coiled spring mattress.

In addition, lengths of tape are inserted at intervals from the top of the mattress to the bottom to tie the top and bottom together. This keeps the padding and individual pocket springs in place so that they don't move and also compresses the padding and springs to firm the mattress.

Quilting of the surfaces of the mattress may also be added to improve the lok and feel of the mattress and to bind the layers of padding together.

Latex

Latex is a natural product made from rubber and derived from the rubber tree. It is a crop and harvested by hand, making it expensive but very eco-friendly. It is far more malleable and has greater compression qualities than foam making it an excellent alternative to foam.

Foam

Foam is a product of the oil industry so is less eco-friendly than rubber but is a much more economic alternative. Many different shapes, styles, thicknesses and firmness of mattress may be obtained.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is a spin off from the space industry and is a relatively new introduction in the mattress market. When compressed it moulds itself around your body shape and returns to its original shape when released. It is extremely comfortable and because it moulds itself closely to your contours, helps to trap the warm air between the body and the mattress. Whilst the mattress itself does not retain extra heat, this trapping of the warm air may mean that a quilt with a lower tog rating may be used, thereby saving costs on bedlinen.

Memory foam mattress toppers may also be bought. These are thin mattresses designed to be used on top of an existing mattress. This is useful if you would like to gain the benefits of a memory foam mattress without the expense of a thicker mattress but do not wish to replace your existing mattress just yet. If your existing mattress is old or badly worn however, it would be advisable to replace the mattress instead.

Combination Mattresses.

Any of the above mattress types may be combined together in endless permutations to give the various benefits of each within a wide range of prices to suit your comfort requirements and pocket.

No Turn Matttresses

Traditional mattresses need to be turned over and from top to bottom on a regular basis to equalise wear and allow fillings to recover their shape.

A new generation of mattresses do not require flipping over and have one sleep surface only. This enables costs of the mattress to be kept to a minimum as the topping only needs to be added to one surface and has the added advantage of lower maintenance. These mattresses are just as good as reversible mattresses and make them an affordable option.

Always check the manufacturers instructions and follow their advice for the maintenance of the mattress.