How To Pick The Perfect Mattress: Shopping For The Best Fit

by Bill Blanchette

Experts, across the board, agree that getting a good sleep is paramount to maintaining and improving your health. A mattress is a huge factor in our ability to sleep well, yet many people overlook its importance and continue to use a mattress that fails to provide enough support and comfort. You shouldn’t forsake your nightly slumber, regardless of how much you think you can ignore the subpar sleeping conditions.

Deep down, you know better, no, you deserve better, and you are also aware that a luxury mattress store in Revere MA like Mattress Superstore, always has your back. For today’s blog, let’s enlighten you a little on how to pick the perfect mattress: Shopping for the best fit.

Understanding Mattress Types

If you have just begun the process of searching for a new mattress, then you may have noticed that the number of choices can be dizzying, to say the least. A helpful way to get your bearing is by understanding all of the mattress types. Almost all mattresses are identified as one of five types. Knowing the basics about each type can serve as a foundation upon which you can continue your search for the best mattress. The mattress types are as follows:

  • Foam: These mattresses are made entirely with foam and no coils. They tend to provide above-average contouring to the body, pressure relief, and motion isolation, making them a good fit for couples and side sleepers. Among foams that are used in these mattresses, memory foam is the most common and well-known.
  • Innerspring: An innerspring mattress contains a coil-based support system and a few other layers. While the coils offer some support, innersprings typically lack pressure relief. The sleeping surface is bouncier and has limited motion isolation. With a lower price tag, these are more coveted options among budget shoppers.
  • Hybrid: Hybrids have two central elements- an innerspring support core and a foam comfort system. The comfort layers can include foam or latex, and sometimes will have a shorter layer of coils (known as micro-coils). These mattresses provide a blend of bounce and contouring, emitting low heat retention and are a good option for sleepers in any position, depending on exactly how they are built. 
  • Latex: When all of the layers of a mattress are made with latex rubber, some refer to it as an all-latex or true-latex mattress. For the sake of simplicity, most people will refer to it as just a latex mattress. These will offer top-notch bounce and durability with moderate contouring. For mattresses that are made with organic and natural latex, they are typically a top pick among eco-conscious shoppers. 
  • Airbed: Airbeds are built with an air chamber as the support core. The pump-controlled by a remote or smartphone, is built into the mattress to add or remove air with the push of a button. Sleepers are given the utmost in firmness and flexibility, as a result. Couples love airbeds because each side can be set to a different firmness level. 

The Firmness

As a luxury mattress store in Revere MA, we understand that comfort is totally subjective. Meaning, it’s imperative to find a mattress that feels right for you. Firmness describes how hard or soft a bed feels. To compare options, there is a 1-10 firmness scale for reference. It’s not perfectly scientific by any stretch of the imagination, but it does help to convey how a mattress feels and who it will be a good fit for. The firmness scale works like this:

  • Firmness scale 2, firmness level-extra soft. Best for side sleepers under 130 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 3, firmness level-soft. Ideal for side sleepers under 130 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 4, firmness level-medium soft. Good for sleepers under 130 pounds or side sleepers under 230 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 5, firmness level-medium. Good fit for back and side sleepers between 130-230 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 6, firmness level-medium firm. Nice fit for sleepers between 130-230 pounds and side sleepers over 230 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 7, firmness level-firm. Great for side sleepers over 230 pounds or back and stomach sleepers over 130 pounds.
  • Firmness scale 8-9, firmness level-extra firm. Good for back and stomach sleepers over 230 pounds.

While the chart lists who would benefit from a certain firmness level, we must reiterate that comfort is subjective. Some people just prefer a softer or a firmer mattress, and may have personal ailments that contribute to their choice, like back or hip pain. This heavily influences what mattresses feel right.

Sleeping Positions

What position are you in when you retire for the night? And in what position do you find yourself in when you wake up? The answers to these questions can provide key insights for choosing your next mattress from our luxury mattress store in Revere MA. The parts of your body that need more support in order to maintain spinal alignment will vary, based on your sleeping posture. For this reason, choosing a mattress to suit your sleeping position can enhance comfort, and help you to avoid unwanted aches and pains in the process. 

  • Back Sleepers: Back sleepers put the greatest amount of pressure on their lower back. If a mattress is too soft, the torso can sink in more deeply than the upper back and lower body. This U-shape can create strain. Conversely, if a mattress is too firm, there will not be any accommodation of the slight curve in the lower back. Typically speaking, back sleepers will do best with a medium firm to firm mattress with light to moderate contouring. 
  • Side Sleepers: Side sleepers have sharp pressure points where the body is the widest, often located at the shoulders and hips. On a mattress that’s too soft, these points will dip out of line with the rest of your spine. For a mattress that’s too firm, you will feel the impact at those points and be prone to misalignment. We recommend that side sleepers consider getting a medium soft to medium firm mattress. 
  • Stomach Sleepers: Stomach sleepers are very similar to back sleepers. In that, they too put most of their pressure on the lumbar spine. Because of this, a firm mattress is usually recommended for keeping them out of that U-shape, and leaving them feeling more comfortable during their sleep. 
  • Combination Sleepers: Combination sleepers may find themselves in more than one position throughout the course of the night. It’s best if they choose a mattress based on the position they spend the most time in. If there is no primary position, a medium firm could be your best bet.

Upgrading Your Mattress With A Luxury Mattress Store In Revere MA

We can go on and on about all of the elements that will factor into your purchasing decision! If you have any specific inquiries on mattresses, all of this and much more will be answered when you pay a visit to our team at the Mattress Superstore. Contact us today in preparation for your visit! 





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