If your mattress is over 8 years, it is probably the right time you start looking for a new mattress. Although the 8-year-old rule does not apply to all mattresses, most mattresses by the time they are 8 years old do not offer quality performance. Sleeping on a poor quality mattress comes with many challenges such as waking up in pain, being restless, not feeling well rested, and not sleeping through the night. Unfortunately, with many options and brands available for buyers, choosing a perfect mattress is usually not straightforward. Some of the things you should consider include:
Type of the Mattress
Mattresses are either latex, memory foam, hybrid, innerspring, or pillow top. Choosing the right type of mattress is usually the hardest part of buying a mattress as it depends on an individual’s needs and preferences. The memory foam mattresses are preferred for their great support, body contouring and pressure relief. The latex mattresses usually offer great comfort, responsiveness, bounce and cooling. The coil mattresses are best for people looking for comfort, bounce and strong edge support. The pillow-top mattresses are best for individuals looking for a softer and more cushion comfort. The hybrids are manufactured from a combination of different materials to maximize certain benefits while minimizing certain cons.
Firmness
Apart from deciding the appropriate type of mattress, choosing how firm the mattress should be is the other most difficult step in buying a mattress. The firmness and feel of the mattress mostly depend on an individual subjective definition of the firm, medium and soft. It also depends on your weight, body type, and size among other factors. The only way you can tell whether a mattress is firm enough for you is by testing the feel as you sleep on it. Thankfully, some mattress companies allow buyers to test the mattress firmness before buying. Eva with its 120-night trial is a good example of this model.
How You Sleep
Although mattress companies are offering some mattress with universal comfort level, what is best for a person who likes to sleep on the side is not necessarily what is best for one who likes sleeping on the back. People who tend to sleep on their back need a mattress that offers a lot of support to relieve pressure points on their neck and back.
Mattresses with soft to medium level firmness are the best for side sleepers. People who sleep on their back need a mattress that offers firmness and support. The best mattresses for back sleepers tend to have firmness levels of between 4 and 7 in a range where 10 is the most firm. People who sleep on their back need a mattress that provides equal support across the body, usually a mattress that offers a slightly hard or softer feel.
Although the budget is a big consideration when buying a mattress, the fact that a good mattress can last more than 8 years, offering the same quality, you should be more interested in buying a top quality mattress as opposed to buying the cheapest mattress. However, you should also make sure you do not overpay for the mattress by balancing your budget and needs.
