Rectangle reconnoitering

Doing your homework is first step in buying a mattress

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette mattress illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette mattress illustration.

Shopping for a new mattress amid all the available choices -- all masquerading as big white rectangles -- is enough to make one lose sleep.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Though they all look alike on the outside, mattresses, such as these on display at Denver Mattress Co., may be distinctly different inside. Mattress shoppers should dress comfortably and plan on getting horizontal when they shop. The best way to pick a mattress is to try it out.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A store display shows how a pocketed coil mattress looks inside.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Some mattresses combine several technologies, in this case coils and foam.

It pays to do some homework before heading out to shop.

"Sleep is an important part of our overall health and if we don't get a good seven to eight hours a night, it will have a major impact on your mental and physical health," says Dr. T. Glenn Pait, director of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

"A mattress is like any other piece of furniture and it all comes down to personal preference," Pait says.

Most individuals seem to do best on a medium/firm mattress but there's really no evidence that says one type is better than another, Pait says. Basically, whatever is comfortable for one person may not be to another. "It really all goes back to the children's story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears,'" he says.

It helps to become familiar with differences between the various options including innerspring coils (encased or pocketed); specialty mattresses made of latex or rubber foam that elevate; and those with memory

foam, which conform to the sleeper's body.

There are also hybrid sleep sets offering a combination of innersprings and specialty foams. Throw in floating gel pods, designed to pull away body heat, and it's easy to become confused.

JUST TWO KINDS, SORT OF

"Broadly speaking, there are two different types of mattresses: Those that have innersprings and those that don't," explains David Perry, who covers the mattress industry for Furniture/Today, a weekly furniture trade publication.

The fastest-growing segment lately has been the innerspring category, which gives consumers a traditional mattress feeling, he says.

"Meanwhile, noninnerspring mattresses feature comfort layers that use memory foam, latex foam and other types of foams," Perry explains, adding, "Select Comfort's air beds also fall into the noninnerspring category."

Tempur-Pedic, which spends millions of dollars annually to promote its memory foam mattresses, is the leader in that arena and has done a lot to create awareness of that type of sleep set, Perry says.

One of the hottest trends in the market is hybrid sleep sets, which feature innersprings and layers of specialty foams, such as memory foam and latex, he adds.

Perry suggests shoppers don't get lost amid all of the choices. Instead, they should dress comfortably and go to a mattress department with the goal of finding the sleep set that feels best to them.

"Comfort is subjective, and consumers need to take the time to find the bed that feels most comfortable and supportive to them," he advises, adding, "They should also pay close attention to the store's return policy, because the only way to really know how a bed feels is to sleep on it for several days. It takes the body several days to adjust to a new sleep set."

A return policy offers the buyer a chance to try again.

"Before you start shopping, you need to think about what kind of needs you have and think about your own personal profile," says Mary Helen Uusimaki, vice president of marketing and communications with the Better Sleep Council, the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association.

Some questions shoppers should answer before they shop are:

What position do you sleep in? Are you hot- or cold-natured? Do you sleep alone or with a partner? How comfortably are you currently sleeping?

MAKE IT A DATE DAY

"The first step is to know yourself and your needs," she says. "And if you have a partner, you need to shop together."

Next, research the options and set a budget.

"If you go in cold you are likely going to be very overwhelmed," she says. "Back in the day, there wasn't a lot of technology that went into a mattresses. Consumers didn't have to worry about things like temperature- or motion-control or support.

"The third step is to ask questions," Uusimaki says. "The visit in the store with the sales associate needs to be a two-way conversation. If it's not, it may be time to try a different store.

"You need to find the best mattress your budget can buy," she advises. "It's a big investment -- you're going to be spending eight hours a day on it."

Most of the major mattress companies have websites where the same questions are posed. And most stores and manufacturers have photos or diagrams that show the interior of mattresses to help more clearly explain their construction and show the differences between one design and another.

One of the reasons mattress shopping is perplexing is because comfort is subjective. And the only way to find the right mattress is to test it for the recommended amount of time (10 to 15 minutes). Many are hesitant to do so, though, as it feels awkward to plop on a bed in a public place.

"Too many people go in and just push on the mattress or bounce around on it for a minute and say 'This feels good.' But no one sleeps that way," Uusimaki says.

She suggests shoppers wear comfortable clothes, like sweat pants or yoga pants, take a pillow, remove their shoes and really take their time lyying down for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

"That extra time is going to go a long way when you get home with it," she says. "Each of the companies will have at least one product that's right for you. It all comes down to what feels best for you."

NEW INNOVATIONS

Years ago, most mattresses were innersprings that required rotating and flipping on a regular basis. There have been a lot of innovations and changes in technology, says Susan Mathes, vice president of brand relations with Therapedic in Princeton, N.J.

"Now there's so much other types of materials being used -- like memory foam and even gels, and even the gels have evolved. The memory foam can cause the surface to feel hot and the gels pull the heat away from the body and is pulled out through the side of the mattress, allowing the surface to remain cool," Mathes explains.

"Originally there was an innerspring coil and it was all connected, but now there are individually wrapped coils to help with comfort and motion," she says.

And today's mattresses are not all meant to be flipped, she says. "Only 'two-sided' beds are designed with a comfort layer on both the top and bottom so you can flip the mattress," she explains. "One-sided models are equally as comfortable but are designed for comfort on top and support on the bottom and much more prevalent in the market today."

Brett Swygman, vice president of sales education and development with Simmons Bedding Co. said that in 2000, Simmons' Beautyrest pioneered and patented the first "no-flip"mattress, with sleeping materials on one side and support on the other.

"Because of the innovations Beautyrest pioneered, the industry followed," Swygman said.

But not all of the industry. Shanna Jordan of Jordan Bedding in Hot Springs, a family owned, factory direct mattress manufacturer founded in southwest Little Rock in 1958, says their company still makes traditional double-sided innerspring mattresses that can be flipped. Flipping can extend the life of the mattress, she says.

In 2007, the federal government enacted stricter standards regarding flammability of mattress sets. At that time it became more expensive to make a two-sided mattress, Jordan says. "Many manufacturers had already followed the lead of major name brands and started making one-sided mattresses because they offered a higher profit margin. We didn't want to sacrifice the quality we offer to our customers and are still committed to offering double-sided mattresses that still meet flammability standards."

"A two-sided innerspring mattresses is still a wonderful option for sleep comfort, especially with innovations like pocketed coil or Marshall coils that offer individualized support and reduce pressure points and motion when sleeping with a partner," Jordan says. Pocketed coil plush mattresses and two-sided pillow top mattresses are the most popular with their customers.

"We compare a two-sided mattress to rotating tires," she explains. "By being able to completely flip a mattress from end to end and side to side you get more life and comfort out of the mattress.

The company also offers mattresses crafted of Talalay latex (a renewable natural product) and memory foam.

"In memory foam mattresses, we find our 12-inch gel memory foam to be most popular," Jordan says.

"There are tons of different mattresses out there," says Nick Cooper, manager of Denver Mattress Co. in North Little Rock, which sells its own brand of mattresses as well as those by Simmons, Sealy and Serta. "Choosing one can be difficult and confusing."

He says the best thing a mattress shopper can do is take his time.

"It's always best to come in when you have enough time to visit with the salesperson, let them know what your sleep concerns are, and take your time trying out the mattresses. The longer you have to lie on the mattress, the better choice you're likely to make."

HomeStyle on 04/04/2015

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