Shopping for mattresses today can be an easy or difficult experience, depending on your perspective. Mattresses can be bought in-store, online, or at a discount retailer. You can also find mattresses to fit a wide variety of price points and budget. That’s the easy part. The difficult part though, comes with choosing the right type of mattress. There are so many types of mattresses nowadays, ranging from innerspring, memory foam, hybrid, top mattress or latex mattress. Which is the most comfortable? Which is the best mattress for back pain? How do I know what type I need? We can help you make the choice a little less overwhelming. There are seven common types of mattress on the market today: innerspring mattresses, memory foam mattresses, , latex mattresses, hybrid mattresses, pillow-top mattresses, gel mattresses, and ergonomic mattresses.
Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring or coil mattresses are the first true modern mattress. While the use of mattresses can be dated back 77,000 years ago, the technology and use of these mattresses dates back to the late 1800s. They are ubiquitous for a reason: they are affordable and widely available. They offer excellent support, a flat sleeping surface, and have a great bounce. Any degree of firmness can be attained. These mattresses though, have significant drawbacks – they have low owner satisfaction in terms of comfort, use, and lifespan.
Memory Foam
Did you know that memory foam was first created by NASA to protect astronauts? They were later used in football helmets to protect the players. A memory foam mattress is denser than a normal foam bed. The mattress will mould to your body and help with back pain, relieve pressure points, and even prevent bed sores. While they often cost more than innerspring mattresses models, they can often be found at price points lower than latex, air, hybrid, and gel. Don’t forget, foam absorbs liquids. So, if you have small children, pets, or are prone to spills you may want to purchase a mattress protector or mattress pad to protect that scientific marvel you sleep on.
Latex Mattresses
These mattresses are constructed with a layer of latex which makes it very dense. They also contain pocketed coils in the support core. They are long lasting and also mould to the body. Latex mattresses are almost silent when bearing weight. If you have a bedmate who tosses and turns, latex mattresses might just do the trick. Latex has two major drawbacks: They are expensive, and they tend to have a slight odor. However, latex mattresses do have a long lifespan.
Hybrid Mattresses
Hybrid mattresses are a combination of foam, latex, and innerspring mattresses. A hybrid mattress must have two inches or more of memory foam or latex in its comfort layers. They can provide the pressure relieving body and molding benefits of memory foam or latex. Like innerspring, they have coils in their support core and offer a flat sleep surface of varying degrees of firmness. They have better comfort ratings, longer lifespans, and are quieter than traditional coil mattresses. However, they are very expensive and heavy.
Pillow top Mattresses
Pillow top mattresses, also known as euro top mattresses, are coil mattresses or airbeds with a mattress cover built in. There must be several inches of mattress topper sewn into the mattress for additional comfort. The comfort layer is made from foam, latex, cotton, down, or even wool.
Gel Mattress
Gel foam mattresses are the next generation of memory foam. They contain all the benefits of memory foam plus the gel technology contributes to a body cooling effect that helps to regulate body temperature during sleep. No more night sweats, but be prepared to pay for gel mattresses.
Ergonomic Mattresses
Ergonomic mattresses have been around for hundreds of years. They contain a bladder that is filled with water or, more often, air. While the waterbeds of the 70s may have gone out of style along with pet rocks, air ergonomic mattresses are still holding strong in the market, and for good reason. Air mattresses allow the owner to change the levels of firmness by adjusting the mattress air levels. They offer a comfortable sleep surface that can be adjusted to fit the owner’s needs. Like latex, hybrid, and memory foam they offer pressure point relief while you sleep. SwissAire mattresses such as Ergo Swiss, Ergo Backcare, Ergo Relax and Ergo Contour offers AireGel technology for ergonomic design and your sleep health.