Lesson #3: Buying a Mattress
Different brands, models and prices often make buying a mattress an overwhelming experience. Don't let yourself get exhausted or confused! Finding the best mattress and box spring doesn't have to be so hard! Simply determine your priorities in advance and then shop accordingly. This is important because while the process for picking the best mattress may not be the same for everyone, priorities vary with individuals. In order to determine these priorities, there are four key points that you should consider when buying a mattress:
COMFORT - You will sleep best when your bed helps you feel comfortable, cozy and secure. Comfort is an individual preference, so it is important to choose what you like best. Remember that the size of your new mattress can affect your comfort level. Learn more about finding a comfortable mattress.
SUPPORT - A bed's ability to hold your body in the proper sleeping position. A good mattress will gently support your body at all points and keep your spine in the same shape as a person with good standing posture. When trying out a new mattress, pay special attention to the heaviest parts of your body; your shoulders, hips and lower back. Learn more about finding a mattress with good support.
DURABILITY - The length of time that your mattress and box spring will continue to be supportive and comfortable. Durability is determined by the quality of product, degree of use, weight of sleeper(s) and proper care. Learn more about finding a durable mattress.
PRICE - Buy only quality products made with all new materials. To shop effectively, first find a new mattress that feels good to you, then find out exactly what's inside so that you can compare similar features. Learn more about mattress pricing.
Comfort
Gone are the days when a mattress had to be as hard as a board to be good for you. After all, a mattress that is too hard may only succeed in putting your shoulders and hips to sleep. You will sleep best when your bed helps you feel comfortable, cozy and secure. In order to find the best mattress for you, you need to choose the right level of firmness. We recommend that you lie down on the mattress you like best for at least 15 minutes to ensure that it's right for you.
Firmness refers to the "feel" or comfort of the mattress set. It is derived from a combination of the upholstery materials and the support system of the mattress. Ultimately, it is a personal preference. All things equal, a firm mattress is NOT more supportive than a plush mattress! They can both be supportive; it just depends on which you like better.
Finding the "feel" that you prefer is best determined by lying down and trying each mattress yourself. When doing so, keep in mind that today's mattresses and box springs are built with luxurious cushioning materials to create a plusher, softer feel. Support, durability, and price increase as you move up to premium products. What's most important, however, is that you find the feel that's best for you.
In order to test each mattress, try lying down in your typical sleeping positions. Keep in mind that side sleepers usually prefer thicker and softer padding than back sleepers as it contours better to your shoulders and hips. Stomach sleepers; however, tend to sleep best on a mattress with less padding.
Softer mattresses mean thicker, higher mattresses. As such, you need to make sure that you can get in and out of the bed with ease. You should also check if a thicker mattress will cover up too much of your headboard. If you think the bed is too high for any reason, you may want to consider a low profile box spring, which will lower the overall height of your mattress set.
Many of the sheets available will fit today's thicker mattresses, but you may need deep pocket or high contour sheets for some of the extra deep models.
Don't Forget About Size When Buying a Mattress! Comfort isn't just about firmness. Cramped quarters can also have an impact and turn sleeping into a nightly wrestling match. Since a healthy sleeper moves anywhere from 40 to 60 times per night, it is important to choose a mattress size that will allow sufficient freedom of motion while you sleep and will help you relax while getting to sleep. Standard mattress sizes are as depicted below:
Custom mattresses are also available in the following sizes: Three Quarter 48" x 75", Three Quarter Short 48" x 72", California Queen 60" x 84", California King 72" x 84", Super Single 48" x 84"
We can also manufacture RV mattresses, boat mattresses and other custom mattresses and box springs for sleeper sofas, campers, antique beds or other special needs you may have.
Please Note: We are able to manufacture custom size innerspring mattresses, foam mattresses and box springs within a tolerance of +/- 1 ½".
TIP: If you sleep with a partner, we strongly recommend a queen mattress or king mattress size. Both are wider and longer than the standard double or full mattress size bed.
TIP: Box springs are slightly smaller than the mattress. This is normal. Both units are equal in size, but the additional layers of upholstery in a mattress tend to cause this slight size differential.
Upholstery Materials
The padding or upholstery layers of a mattress are typically composed of cotton, fiber or foam. These layers insulate the body from the innerspring unit and create different comfort choices by adding varying amounts and types of padding materials. Upholstery materials, combined with the innerspring and box spring support system, are largely responsible for the "feel" or "comfort" of a mattress.
Cotton is one of the finest upholstery materials available for use in a mattress. It is an excellent insulator against coil feel and helps maintain a more consistent mattress comfort as it firms up slightly over time, offsetting the softening characteristics of foam.
Upholstery "Cheat" Sheet
| Type | Material | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Upholstery | Typar Fabric | Prevents Upholstery from Pocketing into Coils |
| Upholstery | Synthetic Fiber Pad | Adds Firmness to Innerspring |
| Upholstery | Hair Pad | Adds Highest Degree of Firmness to Innerspring |
| Upholstery | Stitched Cotton | Insulates Against Coil Feel and Helps Maintain Consistent Feel Over Time |
| Upholstery | Convoluted Foam | Cushioning Material |
| Upholstery | SuperSoft Foam | Cushioning Material |
| Surface Quilt | Polyurethane Foam | Provides Conforming Surface Cushioning |
| Surface Quilt | SuperSoft Foam | Provides Conforming Surface Cushioning |
| Surface Quilt | Fabric Cover | Provides enhanced Surface Softness |
Support
Correct support is an essential ingredient for a healthy body. It is mainly delivered through the "core" of the mattress, which can be innerspring, foam, air or water. It is also delivered through the box spring or foundation under the mattress.
A good mattress and box spring will gently support your body at all points and keep your spine in the same shape as a person with good standing posture. When trying mattresses, pay special attention to your shoulders, hips, and lower back, the heaviest parts of your body. If there is inadequate support, you can develop back pain. However, if a mattress is too rigid, you can experience uncomfortable pressure.
Mattress Innersprings
Innersprings are the most common type of support system used to make mattresses. These units are comprised of metal coils that are either pocketed or open and laced. Innersprings conform to and support your body by allowing your shoulders and hips to penetrate the surface while allowing the back to be supported in its proper position.
When shopping for an innerspring mattress, there are a few things to consider:
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Design of the Coil – There are five basic types of innerspring coil designs: Marshall, Bonnell, LFK, Offset and Continuous.
Marshall Coil – A straight barrel, unknotted coil that is encased in fabric. It is sometimes made with non-tempered steel, which reduces the long term resiliency of the springs.
Tempering – An innerspring can either be tempered or un-tempered. Tempered innersprings are generally preferred because they are stronger, more resilient and therefore more durable. The tempering process, which involves heating the wire or innerspring unit to a high temperature, can be done electronically or in a tempering oven. The term "double tempered" or "twice tempered" is often used in the industry, but once a coil has been heated to the optimum temperature to achieve tempering, it cannot be tempered twice. All spring units used by The Original Mattress Factory are tempered for maximum durability.
Bonnell Coil – An hourglass shaped coil with a round, knotted head. It is made with tempered steel and is commonly used in most national brand entry level products as well as some promotional products. The Bonnell coil unit is used in The Original Mattress Factory's Classic and Legacy product lines.
LFK Coil – A straight barrel coil with an offset, squared and unknotted head. It is made with tempered steel and is a premium quality innerspring unit utilized in the flagship product lines of several brands. The best LFK coil unit is used in The Original Mattress Factory's Regency Mattress.
Offset Coil – An hourglass shaped coil with a squared head that can be knotted or unknotted, as shown below. It is made of tempered steel and is a premium quality innerspring unit found in high end luxury brands. The best Offset knotted coil unit is used in The Original Mattress Factory's Orthopedic Mattresses.
Knotted Coils – The end of a coil is either knotted or unknotted. Knotting uses more steel and gives the coil more stability.
Continuous Coil – A strip of coils that runs either vertically or horizontally with each head representing the end and beginning of consecutive coils. It is made of one piece of tempered wire and normally has a high coil count, but uses less steel and a much thinner gauge of wire.
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Coil Count – The number of coils in the unit. Counts are usually quoted for queen or full size mattresses. The number of coils alone has little bearing on the quality of the unit. The design, wire gauge and number of turns must also be considered!
TIP: Pay attention to the number of coils in your new mattress! Coil count is not everything, but there should be more than 300 coils with a minimum of 13 gauge wire in the full size model. Likewise, there should be a minimum of 375 coils, 13 gauge wire in a queen size, and 450 coils, 13 gauge wire in a king size.
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Wire Gauge – The thickness of the wire, which is defined as the total number of wires laid side-by-side it takes to fill up an inch. The lower the number, the thicker and more durable the wire. For example, a 12 ¾ gauge wire is thicker than a 15 gauge wire.
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Number of Turns or Rotations – A coil turn is defined as a complete rotation in the coil. More turns equates to more coil resiliency and longer coil life. In addition, more turns allow the sleeper's weight to be distributed across more wire, resulting in less wire fatigue in the coil.
Mattress Innerspring "Cheat" Sheet
| Type | Design | Coil Count (Full) | Coil Turns | Tempered | Wire Gauge | Where Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | Straight Shape Unknotted End Encased in Fabric |
513-1260 | 4-11 | Tempered OR Untempered | 13.75 to 17.00 | Simmons BeautyRest Simmons BackCare SpringAir |
| Bonnell | Cylindrical Head Knotted End |
231-364 | 5 | Tempered | 12.50 to 14.00 | OMF Classic & Legacy Lines All National Brands Various Products |
| LFK | Offset Head Straight Shape Unknotted End |
522-693 | 5 | Tempered | 14.00 to 14.50 | OMF Regency Line Sealy Posturepedic Spring Air Therapedic |
| Offset | Offset Head Knotted End or Unknotted End |
330-416 | 5-6 | Tempered | 12.50 to 13.00 | OMF Orthopedic Line Stearns & Foster Chatham & Wells |
| Continuous Coil | Continuous Wire | 432-752 | 3 | Tempered | 12.75 to 14.75 | Serta Perfect Sleeper |
Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses are becoming increasingly popular in today's market. Like innerspring mattresses, foam conforms to and supports your body by allowing your shoulders and hips to penetrate the surface while allowing the back to be supported in its proper position.
If you are interested in a mattress with a foam core, there are a few different kinds of foam available:
- Polyurethane Foam Mattress
- Latex Foam Mattress
- Viscoelastic / Memory Foam
Be aware! Many mattresses advertised as having memory or viscoelastic foam do not actually have foam cores. Instead, they contain a thin layer of foam located deep beneath the upholstery layers, which you can't even feel. Before you buy, make sure you understand exactly how much foam is used and where it is located. At least 2" of memory (viscoelastic) or latex foam near the top surface is recommended.
Air and Water
Some mattress cores are composed of air or water. These cores provide support through displacement, allowing the heavier part of the body to force the air or water into areas with less weight (like a balloon that is squeezed in the middle.)
The Original Mattress Factory does not manufacture air or water beds.
Unlike an innerspring or foam support system that continues to provide proper support with the addition of plush materials on the surface, air and water support systems actually lose support when a customer attempts to soften the feel of the bed by removing some of the air or water.
The only way to determine if the support is right for you is to lie down and try out the mattress.
Durability
When looking to buy a new mattress people often ask how long a mattress will last. For many years the mattress industry stated that the average life of a good mattress set was in the 8-10 year range. Now the industry and the Better Sleep Council recommend replacing your mattress every 5-7 years. It is difficult to say what is the more accurate guideline because the life of a mattress is influenced by several things: the quality of the materials used in the product, whether a mattress is padded on one side or two, the weight of the person(s) sleeping on the mattress, whether a box spring is used and the type of box spring (e.g. working modules or straight wire foundation).
At The Original Mattress Factory, we make two-sided mattresses so you have the option to flip to help extend the comfortable life of your mattress by sharing the wear over two sides versus concentrating the wear on only one side. We also use working modules in our box springs to provide better shock absorption. These construction elements are designed to offer greater durability than what is commonly found in the marketplace today.
Price
A wide range of prices exist in the bedding industry, making it hard to compare mattresses and box springs. At The Original Mattress Factory, we make it easier by providing the best value: a quality product at an excellent price. We are able to offer these prices because our factory is right here at our store, enabling us to eliminate middleman costs. As such, we offer our lowest prices everyday – clearly marked for customers. We never have sales, so you're never pressured to buy on any given day. You buy when you're ready and you always receive the best price. Learn more about our mattress sets.
Remember: Price alone means nothing. The question you have to ask yourself is "What am I getting for my money?"
To shop effectively, first find a mattress that feels good to you, and then find out exactly what is inside so that you can compare similar features. As an educated consumer, you will realize that our beds are equal to, if not better than the national brands because we've eliminated the middle man and passed the savings on to you!
Be careful of trying to save money by buying just a new mattress. A mattress and box spring are designed to work together, and if one is worn out, the other probably is too. A new mattress on an old box spring is only a quick fix. In a short period of time the new mattress will conform to the weak areas in your box spring and reduce the amount of support and comfort you will get in the long run.