Getting A New Mattress? Make Sure It Suits Your Needs

Claire Small
Authored by Claire Small
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 - 11:20am

Put your hand up if you were the type of child who, when checking into a hotel, would instinctively run and jump on the bed as soon the door was unlocked? You might even be a fully grown adult and still be the kind of person who will sit on and the edge of the bed and give it a few short hops on your bum as a quick test.

With all the craziness of the last year, the UK has become a bit DIY obsessed. You only have to go and look at the queues outside Homebase or B&Q to see as such. And while most of your neighbours may now have incredible looking gardens, or a living room that beats the local cinema, I reckon there’s one essential piece of furniture which people are still trepidatious to buy right now: mattresses.

Without being able to go to a showroom and do a little hop on the bed or lie down to try it out, you might feel a little non-receptive towards buying a new mattress, especially with so much choice. Gone are the days of a spring mattress when we have memory foam galore and posture protective mattresses available.

So what should you know if you’re thinking of buying a new mattress? Thanks to the furniture experts at Hampton McMurray, here is everything you should be keeping an eye out for when you go shopping online.

Understand what it is made from

Looking at the variety of mattress types on offer is a bit like looking at the menu for your local takeaway; you know what you want, but you don’t want to make the mistake of ordering the wrong thing. There are so many different types of mattress that it can feel overwhelming, with undue pressure towards picking something good. So which do you go for? The most common mattress varieties in the UK include:

  • Pocket Spring – The modern version of your old coil mattress growing up
  • Memory Foam – Made to help distribute weight
  • Zoned  - Made of different layers, typically gel then foam
  • Pillow Top – Ideal for side sleepers as it provides something for the shoulder to sink into

Then there’s the whole area of what material to choose for the filling, i.e. foam, alpaca, feather etc., but that’s another guide for a later date

Get one for your sleeping position

Speaking of pillow tops, you always want your mattress to help your sleeping position. I perpetually sleep on my side, almost shoulder first, so having an orthopaedic mattress helps a lot. They can be pricey, but I think it is worth it for something you’ll spend most of your week in. For those who don’t have the budget, getting the right type of pillow can help. If you’ve ever found you can’t get a good night’s sleep in a hotel, it can be down to resting on a pillow with an entirely different firmness.

Side sleepers should get a pillow that fills the gap from the neck to shoulder, while anyone who always ends up sleeping on their back will want a soft pillow to help prevent the back from arching.

Know your measurements

We can all dream of having a super-king mattress to stretch out on, but it is a terrible idea if you don’t have the room for it.

The standard measurements for mattress sizes in the UK (in cm) would be:

  • Super-King – 180 x 200
  • King – 150 x 200
  • Double – 135 x 190
  • Small Double – 120 x 190
  • Single – 90 x 190
  • Small Single – 75 x 190

You always want to get a size that gives you enough space to move around your bed easily and, more importantly, your bed frame can support. I’ve seen instances where people have put a king-size mattress on top of a double-sized divan, and it ends up warping the mattress like soggy bread.

Now get a good night’s sleep

I hope you found this guide handy, and that it will help you get a good night’s sleep in the not too distant future.

 

 

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