How to Choose a Mattress
Every 10 years or so, something happens to your quality of sleep. Why? You may need a new mattress, or some tips to get a good night's sleep. At Pottery Barn, we want to help you make an informed purchase that'll carry you through sleep after refreshing sleep for the next decade. We’ve assembled a guide on how to choose a mattress that's just right for you. It’ll give you all the information you need to face the rows of mattresses you’ll have available to choose from. If you already know the size you need, then choosing a mattress comes down to understanding innerspring, foam, latex and hybrid materials.
What Is an Innerspring Mattress?
The classic innerspring mattress is slightly springy thanks to its coils. Most innerspring mattresses today are topped by plush pillow tops. This adds a thick layer of cushioning and eliminates the need to flip a mattress. Many pillow tops are now infused with cooling gel for extra comfort. The invention of plush pillow tops created the need for deep-pocket fitted sheets. However, you’ll have a different experience depending on what type of innerspring coil system you purchase.
There are two types of innerspring coil mattresses. A traditional innerspring coil mattress is filled with wire coils tied to one another with wire. When you lie on the bed, your weight is just about evenly transferred across the mattress.
The modernized innerspring mattress has a pocketed coil configuration where each coil is individually wrapped in a durable fabric sleeve. This means that each coil is free to react to specific pressure points or heavier parts of your body, like your hips and shoulders. Those heavier body parts sink down deeper into the mattress as the coils individually react.
The benefit of sleeping on this type of innerspring bed is that you’ll have proper spinal alignment and better motion isolation on a pocketed coil mattress. Though you’ll still feel that slight inherent bounce that helps you easily turn your body around on an innerspring mattress, a pocketed coil mattress separates you from the motion your partner might make when moving on the bed, regardless of its size. You may have experienced this sort of bed if you’ve stayed at a luxury hotel. To replicate the feeling, invest in some hotel-inspired bedding as well.
What Is a Foam Mattress?
If you or your partner are sleepers who barely move around while slumbering, a memory foam mattress may be the perfect option. All-foam mattresses have no innerspring system. This eliminates that slight bounce. They also have other benefits that an innerspring mattress may not have. The layers of memory foam that make up the mattress respond to your body’s weight and heat. This allows the mattress to conform to your pressure points. The top layers are typically memory foam injected with undetectable cooling gel beads. This eliminates any excess heat generated while sleeping. Motion transfer is virtually nil, especially because most people tend to place memory foam mattresses onto platform beds.
What Is a Latex Mattress?
When looking for a latex mattress, stick to natural latex. Natural latex, made from a rubber tree’s naturally milky substance, is liquefied, molded and finally baked into a solid-core mattress form. A natural latex mattress is one of the most durable beds of all time, lasting for decades. Natural latex isn’t heat-retentive like memory foam. It returns to its original shape within seconds. By nature, latex resists dust mites. Thus, it’s ideal for those with allergies (except if you have an allergy to latex). Treat your latex bed to a set of organic sheets for a truly healthy sleep.
Keep an eye out for some mattresses that are a combination of foam and latex, or springs and latex. These may reduce their compression and eliminate the therapeutic benefits of the material.
What Is a Hybrid Mattress?
A hybrid mattress can offer the best of both innerspring and memory foam worlds. A hybrid is re-engineered to blend a pocket spring core mattress topped by memory foam layers, designed to adjust to your pressure points for a luxurious sleep. There are also hybrid mattress models that combine a top layer of an adjustable air bed on top of an innerspring core. An adjustable air bed is not a blow-up mattress. It’s a complex, premium mattress design that includes durable air chambers. You can individually adjust them for firmness via a remote control.
Once you’ve found your ideal mattress, why not refresh your bedroom design? Start fresh by unboxing a bedding set to celebrate the arrival of your newest mattress.