Need a new mattress? Read our top tips before heading out to the shops!
Has your mattress reached the end of its life or do you suspect it could be the sources of your backpain?
Choosing a new mattress is a tricky affair, get it wrong and you can waste an awful lot of money. We spend a third of our lives in bed, so choose carefully and take your time.
Before you gasp at the cost of a new bed, consider this, 1/3 of your life is spent in bed, if you spend £1,000 on a bed, over 10 years, that's £100, halve the £100, if you are sharing, is £50 a year. 52 weeks in a year, less 2 weeks holiday which equals £1 a week. yes your bed will cost you only £1 a week for 10 years!
Your new mattress needs to be high enough, so that you can get up and sit down easily and wide enough if you or your sleep partner is restless! (You could then consider a zip together mattress).
If you are sharing your bed take your partner along with you and maybe a book to read!
- A simple rule of thumb to test whether a bed has the right level of firmness for you is to lie down on your back, slide your hand between mattress and the small of your back. If there is a large gap the bed is probably too hard, if it is difficult to push your hand through, it is probably too soft, if your hand slides through but maintains contact then the bed is probably just right.
- It is advisable to purchase your mattress and base together. Don't be embarrassed to spend a good 10-20 minutes lying down in order to get a real feel of the comfort of the bed!
- A solid base is good and offers support when sitting or getting off the bed. A good quality sprung edge base is the most flexible and will absorb wear and tear well.
- The mattress should be supportive enough to take the weight of your body without sagging, but firm enough for you to turn with ease (a really giving surface is hard to turn on). The heavier the person the deeper the mattress needs to be.
- Memory foam responds to temperature and weight to relieve and disperse pressure, they generally have longer life spans. You must ensure you can turn with ease however, as lying in one position for too long may create stiffness in your body.