BEDDING BUYER'S GUIDE

It’s a modern world, and that often means an overwhelming amount of choices. Here’s a quick guide to help you find your way to the mattress that’s right for you.

Matters of Support
Plush or firm? Latex, innerspring, memory foam, or air? The right answer for you is deeply personal and comfort is always subjective. For years, the rule-of-thumb was to get a firm mattress. However, body contours are not flat no matter whether you’re a back, side or stomach sleeper. Many conventional firm beds leave unsupported gaps between your body and the mattress. The body craves support when it needs rest and requires a sleep surface that conforms to those contours yet feels good. The best mattresses will keep your whole spine in alignment, from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. Supporting without stiffness, cradling without confining.

Back? Side? Stomach?
How you sleep is important: Side sleepers need firmer support given a large space gap between the mattress and their ear and shoulder blade. However, the same sleeper may need a plusher mattress to support the hips and shoulders (and associated contours) which exert a lot of pressure on the mattress which could lead to more pressure points.



Inherent Quality
The conforming nature of latex foam alleviates high pressure points that can cause tossing and turning at night, pain and stiffness the next morning. Latex is hypo-allergenic, contains anti-microbial properties, is dust-mite resistant and breathable. So, it can keep you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Value
Whether you are looking for a guest room mattress or one that you will be sleeping on every night for the next ten to fifteen years, purchase the best mattress you can afford. Latex foam can be more expensive than conventional innerspring mattresses because they are made of pure latex rubber— simply the best foam choice available today. But latex can last a lifetime so it may actually be more cost effective in the long run.

Easy to Maintain
Because latex foam mattresses never need flipping or turning, they are better for your back at night and during the day (as you don’t have to lift a 125 + pound mattress to keep its shape or to avoid body impressions).

How is latex different from memory foam?
Latex foam is proven to provide 31% more pressure relief and contouring support than memory foam. And it responds instantly to your unique body contours—without waiting for body heat. Latex is made from a rubber-based product versus memory or viscoelastic foam which is derived from plastics. Latex provides “instantaneous recovery” as it contours and supports any body movement, while memory foam provides “slow recovery”. With memory foam, the sleeper must wait for their body temperature to soften the foam prior to getting that true contouring support that they would experience immediately with latex.