Considering A New Mattress

Considering A New Mattress

The first thing when searching for a new mattress is to ask yourself if you really need a new mattress. When you arise in the morning does your body ache? Body aches after resting the night on an innerspring mattress is a strong indication that it may be time to start looking for a new mattress. But the signs of a mattress loosing its shape and comfort can be detected sooner.

These simple tests can help you discover if your mattress is still giving you the comfort you need:

Lie on your back and try to slide your hand under the small of your back. If it is very easy and your shoulders and hips are uncomfortable, you may want to consider a new mattress.
Try to roll over. If it is a lot of effort your mattress may be too soft and a new mattress may be a solution for a more comfortable night's sleep, and well rested awakening in the morning.

Another sign of a mattress losing its comfort is when it takes longer to feel rested as you start to sleep later and later. Staying a couple of hours longer in bed can extend the result a poorly performing mattress that wouldn't otherwise be noticed with a shorter or normal sleep period.

Once you have decided that your mattress is no longer giving you the comfort that it should give, the search for a new mattress commences. The quality of a mattress is recognizable by the following:

Mattress Quality Indicators

Durability
Quality materials which are well put together are a sign of durability, but more importantly is the warrantees given which are a sign of how long the factory believes the life expectancy of the mattress is. Depending on the price level of the mattress, warrantees should be for 5 years for promotional priced queen beds ($199 to $599), 10 years for middle of the road quality ($699 to $999), 15 years for premium quality ($1,199 to $2,999) and 20 years for true luxury beds ($3,199 to $12,999).

Softness and Firmness
The required softness or firmness of a mattress is a personal preference and most people know exactly what they want. They either like a softer or harder mattress. Often weight is a consideration when choosing the firmness of a mattress. Large or very heavy adults generally prefer firmer mattresses that provide them with more support. When buying a mattress for a child, remember back problems start as the spinal cord develops, saving money now may cost you in the long run. Children generally like a softer mattress and promotionally priced twin sets have less support and more pressure points than premium priced products.

Warrantee
As mentioned before, the warrantee should be of considerable time, at least 5 years and up-to 20 years for true luxury beds. The duration of the warrantee is just one factor. Most warranties are limited warranties and have body impressions restrictions before the manufacturer will service the product. Very few manufacturers have 100% no questions asked warranties so its very important to read the warranty before you purchase, most manufacturers have web sites with the warranty posted, do not take some ones word for it in a retail store, get it in writing and know your rights, buyer beware. Also look for things like no shipping fees in case of a problem, no repair costs, replacement mattresses for free, etc.

Space
Last but not least, space! Look for the largest mattress your room can hold and you can afford. When sleeping together with your partner, space is not only going to make your nights more comfortable, but may also keep your relationship at a healthy level. In case your buying a mattress for your child, keep in mind that your child will outgrow a short mattress. A 74 inch mattress length may be great now, but ten years from now their feet may be floating in the air.

Once you have purchased your mattress, maintenance is important to make your mattress last as long as specified by the manufacturers guarantee. The following tips are helpful to make your mattress last longer:

Can-Flip Innerspring mattresses should be turned over and rotated monthly.
No-Flip Innerspring mattress should be rotated bi-monthly.
All foam mattresses should be rotated monthly.
Never wet an innerspring or all foam mattresses. Use a vacuum cleaner for regular cleaning.
The handles on a mattress are there for positioning and should not be used to lift or carry the mattress.
Obviously, do not try to fold or bend an innerspring mattress, luxury foam mattresses are bendable.
Sitting on the edge of innerspring or all foam mattresses is not good for its durability. Mattresses are designed to carry the weight of a person lying down and not to support somebody sitting on the edge for long periods of time.
Make sure the mattress is placed on a matching foundation and 5-leg bed frame for queen sizes or larger. All foam mattresses are heaver than traditional innerspring, so foundations are very important, the wrong type will cost you your warranty. A mattress is only as good as its foundation no mater what you spend.

A mattress is the place where you spend about 30% of your lifetime during those hours that comfort is of your highest priority. Knowing the important factors is essential. Children that get a better nights sleep do better in school and are easier to handle. Adults health is mostly determined by the quality of rest they receive especially in high stress work places. Buying online is an excellent way to purchase a new mattress as long as the company offers 100% no non-sense comfort guarantees with no re-stocking and shipping charges.

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About the author: Thomas Jay Wacker is the General Manager and V.P. of http://www.simplepedic.comWacker has over 20 years experience in the home furnishing industry and leads the Wacker Management Team in Denver Colorado.


 

Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You

 The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. "The bedroom? " you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric. During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless you use an organic mattress which does not break down into these toxic by-products.

The foam mattress story gets even more scary. The average petroleum-based foam queen-sized mattress is soaked in about a pound of fire retardant chemicals called PDBEs, which have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. PDBEs are chemicals which are similar to the banned PCBs, and they build up in the body like DDT and PCBs. The PDBEs are used because they are the simplest and cheapest way to conform to United States mattress fire resistance codes. They are also promoted by the chemical industry, which recently sponsored tightening of the mattress fire resistance codes, which will cause even greater quantities of PDBEs to be used in the manufacture of mattresses beginning in 2006. While these new codes will save an estimated 27 lives a year from fires, these new regulations play Russian roulette with the future health of the 285 million Americans that sleep on these petroleum-based foam mattresses. Those calling for a ban on PDBEs say the greater danger is not the lives lost in fires, but the potentially millions of cases of cancer caused by exposure to these chemicals over the coming decades.

The solution to this problem is to remove petroleum-based bedding from your home, and this has spawned the burgeoning organic bedroom movement. The cornerstone of this trend is the organic mattress, which is the same kind of mattresses our ancestors used before the rise of the petrochemical industry after World War II. It is also interesting to note that current cancer rates are more than 5 times higher than before World War II, when everybody was sleeping on organic mattresses by definition, because there was no petrochemical industry during those times.

Examples of an organic mattress include:

1. Organic cotton and wool batting innerspring mattresses with an organic cotton fabric cover. Wool is naturally fire retardant and meets all US fire codes.
2. A Natural latex mattress, whose foam is made from the latex sap of the rubber tree and which require no fire retardants because natural rubber does not burn well.
3. Luxury organic mattresses which use combination of all three materials, organic cotton, wool, and latex, to produce maximum comfort mattresses that rival any non-organic mattresses.
4. All organic cotton mattresses. Although cotton does not burn well, it requires a doctors prescription because cotton does not meet US fire resistance codes.

Organic mattresses also have comfort advantages over traditional petroleum-based foam mattresses. They wick away moisture from the body much more thoroughly than clammy polyester and man-made foam, stopping night sweating and cutting down on problems like athletes foot and jock itch. Wool also regulates body temperature very well, which is important for a restful sleep. Natural latex foam and wool are resistant to dust mites, which cause allergies in many people, and organic cotton and latex foam are both hypoallergenic materials. Organic mattresses are also considered a must for people with chemical sensitivities.

Major North American manufacturers of organic mattresses include Vivetique/Crown City Mattress, located in South El Monte, California, Royal Pedic, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and Obasan, located in Ottawa, Canada. Retailers of organic mattresses include a variety of local mattress stores who carry products from these manufacturers, and nationwide web retailers, like Dax Stores, which often have the best prices for these mattresses.

Mark Sweiger is a freelance reporter on home and garden topics and ecological news, and he can be reached via email at msweiger@NOSPAMearthlink.net . He is a definite believer in the value of organic sheets and organic mattresses (see http://www.daxstores.com/organic-bedding.htmland http://www.daxstores.com/organic-mattresses.htmlfor a further introduction to these).

A Good Nights Sleep: Choosing the Right Mattress

A good mattress should provide you with optimal support and comfort to help ensure you are ready to start the new day. Following are some key tips on choosing the right mattress for you.

Shop at a store that you trust. If you're unsure of where to start, ask family and friends for suggestions.

Talk to salespeople who know the products. If you don't get the assistance that you want, go elsewhere.

Don't be strange bedfellows. If the beds for two, make sure your partner goes with you.

Take the time to test the mattresses out. Wear comfortable clothes and be ready to lay down.

Assess each mattress on its comfort, support, durability, and space.

A firm mattress doesn't have to feel hard to touch. Firmness is determined by the design of the mattress.

Plan on buying a complete set - the mattress and the foundation (boxspring). Placing a new mattress on an old foundation will impede the performance and reduce the useful life of the mattress.

Shop for the best value, not the lowest price. A quality mattress is going to serve you the best in the long term.

Compare services when purchasing. How much for delivery? Will they remove your old mattress? Do they offer financing?

Remember, we spend almost one third of our life in bed, take care of yourself and buy a good quality, comfortable mattress.

Also remember that once your have purchased the right mattress, you need to take care of your investment.

Be sure to not remove the attached tags, as they contain important care information.

Don't allow the kids (or grown-ups) to jump on the bed.

Make sure that you keep a washable pad/mattress protector on the bed.

Don't use the side handles to lift the mattress, these are to assist with positioning the mattress only.

Regularly rotate and turn your mattress and boxspring. This should be done every few weeks after purchase, and then every few months after that. Some manufacturers recommend not rotating a sleep set, be sure to check for this.

Olivia Filipetto is publisher of www.bedroomfurniture.com, providing all you need to know about enchancing your bedroom and buying bedroom furniture.bedroomfurniture@gmail.com