Shopping for a Mattress

The scientific formula for figuring out exactly which mattress may be best for you goes something like this: Lay down, roll around, assume several sleeping positions, have your partner flop around next to you, then buy the mattress that feels the most comfortable. "It’s a lot like choosing running shoes," says Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon who’s also a consultant to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Pennsylvania Ballet. "Some people need more arch support, some people need less, some people do better in Reeboks and some people do better in Nikes."

With that in mind, here’s an overview of what’s out there:

The springs are surrounded by an insulator pad made coconut husks or pieces of fabric matted and glued together, says ConsumerReports.org. That’s topped with a layer of foam and then layers of cushioning materials, which can include viscoelastic foam, latex foam, wool, cashmere or silk. "There’s a real art to assembling a bed," says Perry. "Part of the art of mattresses is the different way you can blend materials to provide different feels."

Finally, the mattress is covered in fabric ticking, anything from synthetic fabric to tightly woven damask. Paying more for luxurious fabric ticking seems somewhat ludicrous since generally the first thing you do with a mattress is cover it up with bed linens, but it’s all part of the packaging. "There’s an expectation issue," says Perry. "You want a luxurious mattress to feel luxurious when you run your hand over it in the store."

Similarly, most mattresses are covered in white or cream colored fabrics because women, who do most of the shopping for mattresses, see white as a hygienic color. "The bed, after all, is a nest, and women are more comfortable with the cleanliness and purity suggested by white products," Perry explains.

If you’re buying an innerspring mattress, you’ll also want to buy a box spring. Newer mattresses are often heavier than the mattresses made a decade or more ago and need the support of a stronger box spring. Also, most mattresses are not covered by a warranty if you don’t buy a new box spring, too.

"Tempur-pedic positions the product as space age–it looks different, it feels different," says Perry. Viscoelastic foam doesn’t bounce, so you’re less likely to be bothered by a restless bed partner. But it also doesn’t have the spring and give of an innerspring mattress, so it can take some getting used to. It’s also expensive. Their Classic mattress starts at $1,599 for a queen size. This is a product you’ll definitely want to try before you buy, and Tempur-pedic’s website includes a hotel locator that lets you find hotels with their mattresses. While spending a night at a hotel to try out a mattress may sound a little extreme, it may make sense if you’re thinking of spending $1,600 on something that you plan to spend eight hours a day with for the next 10 years.

Latex foam is another option. It’s hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, so is often billed as a top choice for allergy or asthma sufferers. It conforms to your body, so it relieves pressure points, and is breathable, so it’s warmer in winter and cooler in summer. It also has a bouncier feel than viscoelastic foam. However, those with latex allergies should consider something else.

Air Mattresses
No, this is not the blow-up version you take camping. Select Comfort, which makes the Sleep Number Bed, offers mattresses with puncture-resistant chambers inside instead of springs. The chambers pump and release air in and out of the mattress, providing varying degrees of firmness. The air chambers are covered in a layer of support foam, and that in turn is topped with a comfort pad. A remote control pump lets you adjust your side of the bed to whatever firmness level you like. They're also pricey, ranging from about $1,600 to $2,300 for a queen size.

The bottom line is "it all depends on feel," says Nancy Shark, executive director of the Better Sleep Council. "It really doesn’t matter what the construction is if you can’t sleep on it."

After exhaustive research online, on the phone and in the stores, I finally decided on a latex foam mattress. I don’t have allergies or asthma, I didn’t crave something different than the more traditional innerspring, and I don’t have arthritis or injuries that benefit from the lack of pressure points in a foam mattress. It’s just that after lying down on bed after bed after bed, something felt different about this one from the first moment. As Goldilocks put it, "this one was just right."

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