My wife and I planning to buy a new mattress. We put our older, but still fairly new one, in the guest bedroom. Do you have any advice?
"Moving your bed into the guest room and buying a new one for yourselves makes more sense than spending money for a bed you're not going to use that much so we always encourage people to do that," says Mike Worner, store manager of Mattress King in west Little Rock.
"When it comes to selecting the new one, I'd consider the age, overall comfort and how happy you currently are with what you have," he says, adding that it's not a hard and fast rule that every mattress needs to be replaced every eight years.
"Generally, if you keep a good bed protector on the mattress it keeps a lot of the nasty stuff -- body oils, sweat, bacteria, dust mites, all which work to deteriorate the mattress faster -- from getting in there," Worner says, adding that if a mattress protector is used and washed regularly, that will help extend the life of the mattress.
"The key is to use one that is both completely waterproof and breathable," he explains. "That's the healthiest type of cover you can put on the bed because it will keep things from getting into the mattress but it won't make you sleep hot."
One of the first things to consider when choosing a new mattress is the size of the bed and the budget.
The next consideration in choosing a mattress is whether you are sleeping on it alone or with a partner. Is that partner a restless sleeper? Those sharing a bed need to make sure the needs and preferences of both are considered.
"There's all foam, traditional springs, and hybrids constructed of half springs and half foam," Worner explains. "And they all feel different to different people so you need to make sure you spend time on the mattress and try it out in the store."
In addition to testing out the bed in the store, businesses offering a 30-day return or exchange policy allow the customer to test drive the bed at home for a longer length of time.
When it comes to firm versus plush, Worner says there's no one right answer for every person.
"It depends on what you're used to, what you've slept on your entire life," he explains.
"If you want a firm one, you just want to make sure you get the right support and with a soft one, you want to get the right amount of comfort."
"The key is finding enough support with enough comfort," he says. "Too much support can cause pressure points and lack of support can cause back pain."
Worner adds that those shopping for a mattress should buy from someone they trust to help them select the best bed for them and choose a reputable company.
"Don't believe everything you hear," he says. "There's a lot of wrong information out there."
The ultimate goal in choosing a new mattress is to select one that will help provide a good night's sleep, which is crucial to general overall health, and the chance to rest and recharge the body for the next day.
Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? Send your question to Linda S. Haymes, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or email:
lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 08/20/2016