What kind of bed should you spend your money on?

I frequently look at the pricing structure of some of the more expensive and advanced orthopedic mattresses and, when doing this, it is interesting to contrast them with some of the other bed types in the same price bracket.

When you start looking at expensive beds with either, high density memory foam or latex, high spring counts, or composite constructions, you see prices of £2,000 ($3,500) or considerably more. This is a lot of money and, whilst you may be getting the latest technology, you are also paying a premium for it.

So the question becomes - what type of bed and mattress should you be looking at if you have a few thousand pounds (UK Stirling) or US dollars to spend?

Well there are plenty of options and conventional orthopedic mattresses and beds are just one of them.

My thoughts

The first thing that strikes me is that, for the kind of money that we were talking about above, you can buy a waterbed. In fact, you can probably buy a very good waterbed that is well baffled, has a contemporary and stylish appearance and that has little or no wave movement.

The reality is that a waterbed offers the best possible neutral support and it will benefit just about anyone. It is ideal if you are healthy, if you have back issues, if you have arthritis or if you are prone to frequently waking up during the night. In short it is the perfect bed for just about everyone.

The waterbed sleep system offers a support level that is second to none and it will not suffer the rigors of time like springs or foams. If it is well maintained it will easily outlast the best memory foam mattress and it will never have lumps, deflections or soft patches. Incidentally, you will not get motion sickness and it will not puncture easily.

In short, if you can afford a waterbed and if you have a strong enough floor to accommodate a waterbed, then this should be your sleeping surface of choice.

That said, there is one other very different and very tempting choice and that is the electrically adjustable remote control bed.

Remotely controlled adjustable beds come in both single and double sizes. In the case of the double bed format there are two separate mattresses and the adjustable controls work independently for each side of the bed (i.e. each sleeper). Both the top (upper body supporting) and the bottom (leg supporting) sections of the mattress move independently and this means that there will be a near limitless number of positions that the bed can place the person resting upon it in.

The technology and engineering that goes into these electric beds is incredible, yet they are often priced very competitively and this means that they should be given very serious consideration. You can also get memory foam mattresses with these beds.

So which is the better buy between a top of the range orthopedic bed (e.g. a multi layer memory foam mattress) and an electrically adjustable remote control bed?

Right now I would choose the adjustable electric bed - although this is not the choice that I made three years ago when I last bought a new bed. Then I opted for a composite pocket spring, memory foam and gel bed because it sounded good, had the latest technology and impressed me with its build quality. It was and remains a high quality bed, but is it as good for the money as a waterbed or an adjustable bed? Ultimately I think not. If I could go back in time I would make a different choice.

Why people may be put off certain types of bed

Despite my view the problem remains that, a waterbed has a 1970’s image (and possibly a seedy one at that) and an electrically adjustable bed is perceived as being a bed for the mobility challenged or older people.

By contrast, a memory foam bed or a latex bed is seen as a contemporary piece of furniture. It is apparently cutting edge and it is something that requires no explanation or excuse. In other words having a memory foam bed does not suggest that you are a swinger! What would your friend say if you told them that you had just paid out for a waterbed!

Joking aside, this website is all about information and one aspect of this information is an appreciation of how important sleep and a good mattress are to your health. If these are, as they should be, your priorities, then objectively consider every type of bed and mattress and make an informed decision before you buy.