Choosing an orthopaedic mattress

Why an orthopaedic mattress?

Your body is the most important asset that you have and you spend almost one third of your life resting it on a mattress. That alone should be a good enough reason to buy a high quality orthopedic mattress, and one that will probably last anything from 10 to 20 years.

If however you need more convincing about why to buy and what to buy, take a look at these "points to consider" below.

Points to consider

• Decide how good your existing mattress is (or is not) and note any faults or negative features that you have spotted about it. e.g. Is it too hard, does it "give" too much, is it big enough. Have you slept better on another mattress? If so, where and what was that mattress like. Take account of all these points in selecting your next mattress.
• Look at the features of the different mattress types available (e.g. memory foam, spring systems, latex, composite etc) and see if you can eliminate any options straight away.
• Consider how you (and your partner) sleep. E.g. As a general guide, a firm mattress is recommended for stomach and some back sleepers, softer mattresses are recommended for side sleepers, and medium mattresses are recommended for the majority of back sleepers. But these are general guides only.
• Think about the maximum size of bed that your room can hold. Current thinking suggests that a standard double bed "does not" provide an adequate amount of "moving space" for two fully grown adults. If you can fit a queen or king sized bed in to your room, do so.
• Firstly decide "what is within you budget", but also remember that a good mattress will see 10 to 15 years of active use. If you consider £100 per year to be a reasonable price for a good nights sleep, that will give you a budget of between £1000 and £1500 to spend. Your car will get less use, have a shorter life and cost much more (initially and to run), so a quality mattress is always good value.
• Do you have any allergies, or require a hypoallergenic mattress system. If so, memory foam and latex mattresses will offer better solutions than traditional mattresses (although some people can have a latex allergy).
• Are you a hot or cold sleeper? E.g. Some people tend to get hot in the night whilst others tend towards feeling cool. Hot sleepers may find cheap memory foam mattresses too warm at night (although the more expensive versions have clever air ventilation designs).
• If you select a memory foam mattress, look for at least two layers of memory foam and a minimum mattress thickness of 8 inches.
• If possible, visit a showroom and test drive some mattresses by lying on them. Do this for several minutes, testing each bed and mattress for comfort and support in different positions. Make sure that you spend several minutes lying statically in your most comfortable sleeping position. In total, you should probably allocate a full morning or afternoon for this mattress auditioning exercise.
• If you buy online, check the mattress manufacturers "return" details. A number of suppliers will let you "try out" the mattress for up to 3 months with a full money back guarantee if you choose to return it. This is always a good option, but only available on top brands. Warranties are also available with many mattresses, but they vary greatly between different manufacturers and suppliers. The duration of a warranty will normally reflect the price of the bed or mattress.
• If money is no object, consider the biggest bed with the thickest multi-material-composite mattress from one of the major manufacturers. These mattresses incorporate amazing technology with different horizontal sections of the mattress designed to fulfil different sleep assisting functions.
• Other things to consider are mattresses with a gimmick feature like the use of magnets (for magnetic therapy), or the inclusion of an impregnated aroma that helps relaxation and improves sleep based upon the principles of aromatherapy.
• If you want a summary of the different types of mattress materials that are available you can take a look at this Mattress materials page. It will give you a feel for what to expect from mattresses made from springs, visco elastic memory foam, latex etc. If you want to find out about the components of a mattress, or the materials that go into it, this page will assist you - Mattress type, construction, component etc information

• If you have a medical problem or ailment that necessitates an orthopaedic mattress, speak to your doctor or consultant first and follow any advice that they offer.

The Sleep Council states that

"A good quality mattress is as important as diet and exercise, when it comes to feeling good."

When it comes to after-care and cleaning your mattress, read the manufacturers guidelines, or follow the advice on Mattress care and cleaning.

Mattress disposal

Remember that when you get your new mattress you will also need to dispose of your old one. Go to this mattress disposal page to find out why doing this correctly is so important (and to find out the best way of throwing away your used mattress (or bed) responsibly).