Mattress Buying Guide
We all benefit from a good night’s sleep. As The Sleep Council tells us: “It will make you happier, healthier and more intelligent. It could even add years to your life and will definitely ensure you look at your sparkling best.” Who wouldn’t want that?
A restful night’s sleep has many real benefits, including:
- Health – eases aches and pains, boosts your immune system
- Live longer – slows the ageing process, reduces the risk of serious illness
- Well-being – it’s a great stress buster
- Memory and learning – helps you learn and retain information
Invest in your mattress – invest in yourself
Imagine waking up refreshed and ready to face the day – every day. Swap your saggy old mattress for a brand new one and you’ll notice the difference instantly.
With all the different mattresses on offer it can be hard to know where to start, which is why we’re here to help you through the process.
Our step-by-step guide
Mattress size matters
Whether you sleep alone or with a partner, your mattress should allow you enough space to find a comfortable sleeping position. If you upgrade from a 4ft6 double to a 5ft king size, your mattress will be 6 inches wider and 3 inches longer, but this will give you a whopping 20% more sleeping space.
Supporting role
People come in all shapes and sizes and we all need different support. A mattress with a higher spring count or a higher quality memory foam will give you better support and stop your partner rolling into your precious sleeping space!
You get what you pay for
A new mattress is an investment in your health and well-being, so think about what that’s worth before skimping on cost. If you choose a supplier that offers cheapness rather than value for money, you’ll end up replacing your mattress sooner.
Snooze don’t sneeze
If you suffer from allergies, consider a latex mattress: they are hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial and dust mite resistant.
Memory foam v sprung mattress
Deciding between memory foam and a mattress with open coils or pocket springs is down to individual preference. Take a look at our pages on each type of mattress and if you’re unsure, call our friendly sales staff for advice.
Storage solutions
Whether you choose side drawers, sliding doors or a lifting Ottoman-style bed may depend on whether your bed will be centrally placed or against a wall, while bedframes and headboards can add a touch of style to your bedroom.
Let us help you
At Furniture Choice, we’d rather spend time helping you find the right mattress than have you unhappy with your choice.
Here are some of the questions we often get asked, but if there’s anything else you’d like to know, you can call our friendly team for free on 0800 035 0070, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm.
FAQs
Q. How often should I change my mattress?
The Sleep Council advises changing your mattress every seven years. By then you’ll have spent more than 20,000 hours in bed, losing an average of half a pint of fluid each night and shedding a pound of dead skin cells a year. We wouldn’t want to sleep on that – and we don’t think you should!
Q. What are your cheapest mattresses?
By sourcing our bedroom furniture direct from the manufacturers, we can offer unbeatable value on mattresses for all budgets. Although standard foam is cheaper than memory foam and open-coil springs are cheaper than pocket springs, it can be a false economy to go for the cheapest option. The best option is to choose the mattress that most suits your needs.
Q. Is memory foam warmer than other kinds of mattress?
Memory foam uses your natural warmth to mould itself to your body shape, so it can be a little warmer than pocket-sprung and latex mattresses.
Q. Which is better – a turn or a no-turn mattress?
Most mattresses will need turning as fillings tend to settle over time. Some mattresses, however, have an extra layer of filling at the top and don’t need turning. If you find lifting difficult, you may want to consider the no-turn option.
Q. What’s the difference between latex foam and memory foam?
Both latex mattresses and memory foam mattresses are hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial and both will mould to the body, reducing tossing and turning and providing relief from a number of conditions such as arthritis, back pain and chronic injuries.
Memory foam mattresses are softer and more pliable, so they tend to offer higher levels of comfort and support. Latex is easier to turn over on and doesn’t warm up as much. Natural latex is also dust mite resistant and is a more environmentally-friendly product, which will last longer.
Q. I have a bad back, which mattress should I choose?
Investing in the right mattress can ease aches and pains and relieve back problems. The firmest mattress is not necessarily the best option but an orthopaedic mattress with a high number of pocket springs or a good quality memory foam mattress will offer excellent support for your back. If you’d like to know more about orthopaedic mattresses, please call our sales team.
Q. What’s the difference between sprung and pocket sprung?
A sprung mattress is a popular and affordable option, consisting of open-coils joined together in rows within the mattress filling. With a pocket-sprung mattress, the springs are individually wrapped in cloth “pockets”, which are sewn together to create a sleeping surface, allowing each spring to operate individually. The more pocket springs in your mattress, the more support you will get and the longer your mattress will continue to give you this support.
Q. What guarantees do you offer?
All of our mattresses come with the standard manufacturer’s guarantee, with cover ranging from one year to twelve years. For more information, please visit our Bed and Mattress Guarantees page. We also offer a Protection Plus five-year cover for additional peace of mind.
Q. Can your mattresses be put on any bed base?
Most UK mattresses come in standard sizes, as listed on our site. As long as you choose the correct size for your bed, you can use our mattresses on any bed base, from divans to leather bed frames to slatted beds.
We hope you’ve found your answer among theses FAQs but if there’s anything else you need to know, call our helpful team for free on 0800 035 0070.