For most of us, a mattress is a major purchase, and the comfort you feel, or lack thereof, will have a significant effect on the quality of your sleep. As a parent, the little amount of sleep I get during the week is super important. Right now I have a Temperpedic, I have talked about it before in the past. I bought it in 2009 and loved it to pieces…or the IDEA of it. Three years later, I hate that thing. I started out loving it, but now….if my back could crack any more in the morning, I am not sure I would have a spine.
The problem is finding a mattress that works for your body when you can’t exactly just go pick one up and then take it home and return it in the morning. And I know most companies have return policies, but if you saw my four cats, dog, 2 children, and a husband, I promise you wouldn’t take new products in your home without thinking it was staying.
So if you are stuck in this same dilemma, here are some things to keep in mind when you go shopping for one:
● Think about your physical condition. If you have a back problem (like me), you may need to look for firm support to ensure that your spine will be properly aligned. If your blood circulation needs attention, you may want flexible support that will adjust to the shape of your body. Think about your spouses condition..maybe you have to meet in the middle to find that perfect fit.
● If you have allergies, note that an ordinary mattress can cause an allergic reaction if you are sensitive to dust, dust mites, cotton or lint. Instead, choose a water, latex or foam mattress, along with a hypoallergenic mattress cover.
● Think about getting a foam or latex mattress, rather than one with coils, which will conform to the shape of your body and minimize the pressure points from the hips, head and shoulders.
● If you and your partner have different firmness requirements for a mattress, you may want to opt for an air mattress. It will come equipped with certain mechanical and electronic devices that control the softness or firmness of certain areas of the mattress.
● Be sure that you make the right choice by lying on the beds in the store to find the model that fits your comfort level. And lay. And lay some more!
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● Remember that buying a mattress is a major investment! Prices absolutely vary, based on the mattress’ quality, construction, durability, size and manufacturer’s warranty. For example, Serta mattresses are a well-known, respectable brand, and which you can research and even purchase online at retailers like ShopNBC, H.H. Gregg, or Big Lots. It’s very important to make an educated decision about a major purchase like a mattress and not just buy the first one that you lay your head on!
Which mattress do you have at home and do you love it or hate it?
I need help deciding the NEXT one….and hopefully not one that will require I get a massage once a month.
~trisha
I have never ever purchased a mattress, ever. My current sleep number came from my mom and prior to that I had received mattress from someone else in fam. I so would love to buy a brand new bed but never had the extra so thankful for the hand me downs from fam and thankful when I do get a hand me down it hasn’t been used to extreme levels. It may not be the greatest to get hand me down beds from family but it’s been the only option and I am okay with that! But someday? I so will need these tips for I want me a brand new bed!
I need a new mattress. Thanks for the tips on choosing one. You really made me think about what I need to consider when I get ready to purchase one.
Which mattress do I have at home? One that came out of an abandoned building, LOL! My future-father-in-law works construction, and an apartment he was renovating needed to be cleared out as stuff had been left behind by the previous tenants. My mattress at the time had developed a hole, so we hauled our current one out of the old apartment!
Someday I’d love to own a nice, ergonomic mattress.
Oh, I forgot to answer the second part of the question! I wouldn’t say I love my mattress but I don’t hate it either. It works fine. When my fiance first brought it back in the truck from the old building I was very dubious, but it worked out OK.
Ours is horrible. Just a basic spring mattress. We have talked about a Sleep Number bed for years now, so when we finally decide and have the money that is probably what we will buy. My husbands poor back needs something now! We do have a wonderful mattress topper though.
I don’t know what brand of mattress we have but we will be in the market to replace very soon. We have had it for 16 years and have flipped it every 6 months but our backs are starting to hurt.
I am glad you shared your experience with Temperpedic because it was on our short list to try. But we will definitely be choosing something hypoallergenic. We have terrible allergies. Hmmm…maybe I should dust more. LOL
Fantastic suggestions – Our mattress is a serta but it’s OLD – like over 10 years old (so pathetic and disgusting). We need to shop for a new one but it seems other things come up that take priority over a new one, you know? But good tips.
We have a tempurpedic mattress love it! LOVE IT! It is amazing and comfy!!
I don’t remember the brand I have now, but it’s about five years old. I remember I was so happy to get it, simply because it was bigger than the last. I need an upgrade for my back’s sake and because I have two large dogs that take up a lot of room. Thanks for the tips, especially on hypoallergenic, my husband has strong allergies.
We have a Serta from the Perfect Sleeper Line. It’s getting old and while we loved it at first, it is starting to really make our backs ache. I liked it because both sides are the same so we can flip and rotate ever few weeks to reduce wear. We need a new one badly, I have no idea what we will decide to go with this time, I would like to get hypoallergenic mattresses for everyone though!
Good points. Our mattress is horrible. We are sticking it out until we can get a Sleep Number (air mattress). My parents have one and love it. Brian has a bad back and new mattress would really help him … one day.
(Oh and loved the point about allergies. I have horrible allergies and that would be another reason to go the air mattress way!)
I love your suggestions!
I don’t remember what brand my mattress is, but I LOVE IT!
I have a king coil latex foam mattress and I like it. It’s better than any mattress that I have ever had.
We bought a Paula Deen Home mattress by Serta and spend a pretty penny on it … and we hate it. It was as soft and cushy as I originally liked but the support is seriously lacking. When my husband and I lay side – by – side the mattress dips and I end up rolling towards him all night until he’s stuck on the edge. I wish we had just invested in the iComfort but it was outside of our price range at the time.
Great suggestions! My husband and I like different firmnesses in mattresses so we compromised – he got to choose a more firm mattress and I got a pillow top mattress pad.
To be honest, I haven’t given our mattress much thought. I think it is a Serta, my mom bought it for us as a wedding present. We love it!
I have no clue what mattress we have now but I hate it, it kills my back and takes forever to get comfortable enough to sleep! When we go shopping next I want an adjustable mattress that is hypoallergenic
The last mattress we bought, two years ago, was comfortable in the store, but not so much now. We are going to be buying a new one in November when we get home to Georgia. I will certainly remember these tips. Thanks, Trisha!
It’s so obvious, but I never thought about mattresses being hypoallergenic. WIll definitely go for that the next time we get one.