Originally Posted by Mass_nerder
some tips:
-stiff doesn't equal support.
I worked in a mattress shop a few years ago, and everyone always came in asking for a firm bed, which always led me to ask whether they were looking for a firm bed, or a supportive bed.
Plenty of softer beds, provide just as much support as a firm bed.
-A lot of retailers will try to dazzle you with the mattress's spring count. You might think that a higher spring count equals higher quality and better support but this is often not true.
-A lot of mattress manufacturers run their helical lacing (thin wires linking the independent springs) head to toe, which can cause the hammock effect. It's generally better to find one with helical lacing running across the bed, from side to side.
-Pay attention to any awkward stairwells, or small elevators you will need to use to get the mattress into your place...most mattresses with a boarder wire don't have a large of range of motion when bending, without causing permanent damage.
-When you're looking at pillow top construction, latex is a good thing to have, because it's an open cell foam, meaning it won't trap body heat and still provides lots of comfort.
-Don't get sucked in to a bed because it includes memory foam. Memory foam, in the thin layers usually provided in a typical pillow top, doesn't really give you any noticeable added benefit. It's kind of a buzz word to get people excited about the mattress.
-Stay away from "full" memory foam beds, unless you have serious back problems; memory foam is a closed cell foam, which means it doesn't dissipate heat very well. Men are generally "hot" sleepers, so the build up of heat can make for an uncomfortable night. A lot of memory foam mattresses aren't a full slab of memory foam either...Generally you get about 4-5" of memory foam on top of a generic foam base.
-A box spring is an important part of the whole "sleep system", so don't try to skip out (unless the mattress is specifically designed to go with out i.e. Ikea)
The box spring amounts to about 1/5 of the entire price, so you're not going to get a huge discount if you skip it. Most manufacturers require you to have a box spring in their warranty terms.
-Mattress manufacturers sell the same bed to multiple retailers with different model names, so it's tough to compare mattresses from store to store. Look at what's in the mattress, rather than the name.
-I'm sure it's been said several times, but don't pay the listed retail price; you can always get a discount. Keep your eyes out for sales at all times.
Again, speaking from experience, we had a mattress promotion on almost every week, selling them for 30-40% less than the typical listed price.
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