Post by Kyle St. Romain.

It’s often said that a quality mattress is one of the best investments you can make. After all, the average American spends upwards of one-third of their life in bed. With so many choices out there and dealers selling the same mattress under different names, it’s hard to know what to look for. As such, I’m going to give you my two-cents on mattress selection today.

First you need to understand the main differences between the three mattress types: natural, spring, and foam. Natural mattresses are made entirely out of materials such as cotton, wool, flax and even horsehair. They offer many benefits over spring and foam mattresses; however, they often come at a very high cost. If you can afford it, you can’t go wrong with a luxurious, hand-made natural mattress. Hastens, who makes beds for Swedish royalty, is the premier manufacturer of all natural mattresses. A high-end Hastens can cost upwards of $20,000. Gulp!!

Foam mattresses, like the popular Tempur-Pedic brand, are touted as having the ability to mold to your unique sleep profile. While many consider these mattresses an excellent option, some people report health problems from using them. Foam mattresses are typically made from synthetic materials, which can cause respiratory problems due to the off gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are the same thing you smell when you paint a room or install new carpet. They may also cause headaches, which does not promote good sleep. Additionally, foam mattresses have to “warm up” before they properly mold to your body contour. Thus, if you keep your bedroom cold, like I do, your foam mattress will feel hard when you first get into bed. Avoid the temptation of being talked into a foam mattress if you can.

The third option is the traditional spring mattress. Spring mattresses offer the biggest bang-for-your-buck, they can be very comfortable, and it’s what I sleep on. While I won’t get into brand specifics, the biggest differences I’ve found with spring mattresses, especially once you’ve taken the plunge into the higher end models, are the coil gauge, i.e., how thick the metal springs are, and the coil count, i.e., how many actual springs there are in the mattress (the more, the merrier). A lower coil gauge number means thicker wire kind of like how earing sizes work. Thicker springs will provide extra support and generally last longer. I only buy mattresses with thicker coils (13 1/2 vs. 14 ¾ guage)

The last consideration is whether to get a soft or firm mattress. This is mostly a personal choice, but I find an overly soft mattress only promotes sleeping in and back pain. My advice: err on the firmer side. You can always get a plush or pillow topper to soften your mattress up, but there isn’t much you can do to make it firmer. Ultimately, the mattress you choose is entirely based on your personal preference, but the differences outlined above give you a good base from which to compare your short list.

What kind of mattress do you prefer? Do you have any buying tips to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, mattress