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by Graham Challenger
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Support and comfort are not the same when selecting a mattress. Today’s mattresses are built to support your spine during sleep. However, don't confuse the internal structure with features added to increase the comfort level—and sales appeal—of the mattresses you encounter when shopping.
The average person spends about one-third of his/her life asleep. You know this trivial fact because the mattress manufacturers and bedding retailers have been using it in advertising forever—and it happens to be true. Getting a good night’s sleep begins and ends with a quality-made mattress. A specific brand name won’t make a difference in how well you sleep. In fact, it’s very likely that a fancy name label will increase the price you pay for no measurable difference in sleep quality. A well made, quality mattress has a single job. It should hold your spine in place, straight and flat, while evenly redistributing your body weight across a wide area to relieve pressure and allow your muscles to rest. One of the most confusing elements of shopping for a mattress is finding one that is comfortable. Because the average person purchases a new bed so rarely, most mattress shoppers don’t know how to evaluate or compare mattresses. It's important to understand the difference between support for your spine/back and comfort for your body. We will examine both support and comfort in an effort to give you the information you need to find the mattress and foundation set that will give you the best night’s sleep. You may be surprised to learn that support and comfort are not the same thing. It takes a combination of both for you to receive a great night’s sleep. Many misconceptions exist about purchasing a new mattress and foundation set. When the first caveman threw a pile of leaves on the ground, he probably told his neighbor that the maple leaves were "firmer and more comfortable" that the oak leaves. Some retailers still operate within this archaic premise. By generating confusion, some retail salespeople attempt to steer shoppers to the bedding with the biggest commission. Similarly, some retailers will try to push a featured brand or a mattress that is overstocked. Keep in mind that knowledge is power! Use the knowledge you have gained from your research to purchase the best mattress and foundation set that your budget allows. Let’s look at the difference between support and comfort. As mentioned earlier, a mattress with good support holds your body weight, allowing your spine and muscles to rest. A comfortable mattress has nice padding with cosmetic appeal that provides a tactile sleep experience. Support is delivered to your spine by the innerspring components of a traditional mattress. The innerspring system of all mattresses, regardless of the manufacturer, is constructed of the same basic materials; metal "spring" coils are stacked side by side on a flat surface. They are connected so they can work as a single unit. They are then surrounded by an edge support and wrapped in cosmetic upholstery. This is an oversimplification, but you can read more about innerspring construction in detail elsewhere. The point is that current build technology makes it possible for mattresses to be very supportive, while having a soft cushion surface. The various widely advertised viseo-foam mattresses work slightly differently, but the theory is the same. The innerspring system resists downward pressure, which is applied by your body's weight. A good innerspring system spreads your weight over a wide area and presents a flat surface with consistent upward pressure. Your body feels that as support. In top-of-the-line mattresses, the innerspring systems are similar across brand names and models. The marketable difference is in the cosmetic upholstery. This is the pretty, soft, hard, fluffy, or Pillowtop exterior you’ll feel with your hand when you press down on a mattress surface. The exterior upholstery provides the comfort component of a sleep experience. Many mattress shoppers assume that a mattress labeled “firm” will provide better support than a heavily cushioned or Pillowtop style mattress. As mentioned earlier, support and comfort are related, but they are not the same. Most bedding manufacturers use the same innerspring internal components under all types of mattresses in their product line. In other words, a mattress with a firm surface would provide the same support for your back as the softest Pillowtop mattress from the same manufacturer. Comfort is delivered to your body through the use of exterior padding layered on top of the innersprings. The exterior padding can be traditional, high density foams, or the newer Pillowtop mattress surfaces. No standard scale exists within the bedding industry to measure support or comfort levels. Everyone has a different opinion of firm, and comfort is highly subjective. This vagueness encourages advertising hyperbole. Millions of dollars are spent each year telling you what "firm" means. Ironically, who do you think ultimately pays for all those advertisements? Here’s a general description of mattress comfort on a scale of 1 to 5. Remember, the level of comfort built into a mattress has very little to do with the actual support your spine receives from the innerspring system. Comfort Level #1 Is your bedroom floor carpeted? This is your Comfort Level #1 mattress. Some sleepers like a hard surface—no fluffy padding, just a flat surface. Grab the top sheet, pull it up to your chin, and snooze. Comfort Level #2 If you have a bad back, Comfort Level #2 is what you need to consider. Throw a heavy winter blanket on the carpeted bedroom floor or zip open a sleeping bag—that’s a hard, supportive mattress with some cosmetic padding. The best orthopedic mattresses are this firm. You’ll wake with no aches, pains, or stiffness in your back. Comfort Level #3 A good, firm support mattress that is showing 2-3 inches of surface padding is Comfort Level #3. Press one finger down on the surface and feel the depth. For obvious reasons, this is the most common mattress. All mattress makers build this comfort level mattress. It’s the safe choice for retailers to keep in stock as it sells most often. It makes a great in-between mattress for a couple with different preferences. A Comfort Level #3 is also the best place to start if you are going to compare beds in a store. Comfort Level #4 Have you added a foam pad or feather/fiber-filled mattress pad to your bed surface? You can get that soft surface with a fluffy or a Pillowtop style mattress. These mattresses are noticeably padded to the touch. If you press your hand into this mattress surface, your hand will sink 4-5 inches. These beds are fluffy bed surfaces. Comfort Level #5 If you are old enough to remember the "good old days" of waterbeds, then you’ll know the comfort level at the softness end of the scale. These are the larger Pillowtop mattresses, but some plush-pad beds are this soft. The viseo-foam mattresses are at this end of the scale, also. Remember, the innerspring support is the same unit, so comfort is a personal choice and a marketing feature. The bedding with greater Pillowtop padding or the five layers of foam featured in a glossy flyer will be more expensive. Comfort levels vary from one individual to another. It’s a personal preference, which is why Goldilocks chose a Comfort Level #3! “Not too hard, not too soft—it’s just right.” |
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Visit the Web sites of City Discount Mattress Retail Affiliates
Tampa Bay, Florida www.BlackSwanBeds.com (Palm Harbor, FL) Graham Challenger is a product specialist for City Discount Mattress (www.learn-from.citydiscountmattress.com). He’s available to answer the questions consumers have about mattress and bedding issues. Graham will not recommend specific brands or models of mattresses, but will offer advise on the mattress styles and features you may want to explore, suggest creative ways to compare choices and offer retail shopping tips. City Discount Mattress helps consumers purchase a better mattress for less money by training store owners to offer more product information, a wider diversity of mattress choices and by reducing meaningless advertising hype. City Discount Mattress retailers offer true customer service, knowledgeable staff with less sales pressure, and a wider variety of mattress choices than is commonly available at big box retailers. If you are a single-store or low-unit number retail mattress store owner and want to increase sales or successfully compete with big ad-budget chain stores, ask how City Discount Mattress can help you. We can increase the total sales in your store, while allowing you sleep at night, knowing your business practices are consumer-friendly. The most unique feature of the City Discount Mattress marketing campaign is that retail stores do not pay anything upfront for our advertising and marketing assistance. Retailers: Learn how we do it by contacting Graham@citydiscountmattress.com. |