In order to choose the right mattress and not regret your choice in the future, it is not at all necessary to be an expert in this field. Knowing the basic types of mattress designs and filling materials will help you make the right choice. Below we provide a brief description of those features that will help you get an idea of how to choose a mattress specifically for yourself.
Table of Contents
Mattress Type
There are two main types of mattress designs: spring and springless. Spring mattresses, respectively, include products based on a spring block (in the next paragraph, we will talk specifically about the types of these blocks). Accordingly, the springless type provides for the absence of any springs in the construction of the mattress. In this case, the basis of the mattress can be made up of various filling materials, position in which you sleep which will also be discussed below.
Let’s make a reservation right away that the question, “Which mattress is better: spring or springless?” – in itself is not correct, because the presence / absence of springs in the design of the mattress cannot be definitely considered either an advantage or a disadvantage of the product (although, of course, the presence / absence of springs still has its “pros” and “cons” – read about this in a specialized article ).
Spring Type
The Lonax factory produces spring mattresses based on 2 types of independent spring blocks:
– spring block TFK (density ~ 256 springs / berth);
– spring block S1000 – “Multipacket” type (density ~ 1000 springs / berth);
Actually, already from the names of these types of spring blocks, it becomes clear that their main difference from each other is the density of the springs. The higher the density, the more accurately the surface of the mattress follows the contours of your body, and the more comfortable the mattress itself is considered. All of the above spring blocks are independent, i.e. Each spring in the block is housed in a separate fabric cover that allows it to move independently of adjacent springs, thereby achieving a greater orthopedic effect. You can read more about our spring blocks and the puffy lux mattress in a dedicated article.
Filling
A key role among other characteristics of the mattress is played by the filling materials. Idle mattresses use both natural materials and artificially synthesized hypoallergenic filling materials. Natural materials include natural latex, coconut fiber, natural felt. Among artificial materials, one can distinguish polyurethane (high density PU foam is used in Idle mattresses) and memorix (viscoelastic material with a memory effect).
As a rule, mattresses based on natural materials are more expensive. This is due to the lower price of artificial materials, due to the development of production of which their cost has significantly decreased recently. In addition, natural materials (such as latex and coconut coir) often need to be imported into our country from abroad, therefore, their cost, taking into account transportation and customs clearance costs, is quite high. And the production of polyurethane and memorix is established in our country and does not require significant transportation costs.
In addition, I would like to note that the rather widespread opinion that artificial materials have an unpleasant odor, are of low quality and, in general, are harmful to health, is an absolute delusion. Modern artificial materials are in no way inferior to natural materials in quality and consumer characteristics, moreover, in some ways they are even superior. For example, the service life of polyurethane foam (polyurethane) is 2-2.5 times longer than its natural counterpart – natural latex. In addition, polyurethane foam, unlike latex, is a hypoallergenic material, and, therefore, is suitable for use by absolutely everyone.
Rigidity
The degree of hardness is, perhaps, one of the first parameters from which to start selecting a mattress. It is believed that the hardness index of an orthopedic mattress should be determined not based on your personal preferences, but primarily on the basis of a set of objective factors, namely:
– sleeping weight – in some cases it is recommended to be guided by the body mass index (the ratio of a person’s weight and height);
– age;
– presence / absence of chronic diseases of the spine or back pain.
Sleeper weight. Without going into details, it is believed that the more a person’s body weight, the harder the mattress on which he sleeps should be. Conditionally, you can generalize the choice of mattress hardness by dividing people by body weight into 3 main groups:
– from 40 to 60 kg – soft mattresses are recommended;
– from 60 to 90 kg – the weight parameter is not decisive, the previous requirement regarding the age of the sleeper should be followed;
– from 90 kg and more – the most rigid mattresses are recommended.
Sleeping age. Again, without going into details, we note that according to this criterion, the older the person, the softer the mattress should be. Accordingly, we have:
– hard mattresses are recommended for children from 0 to 12 years old;
– from 12 to 25 years old, a degree of hardness in the range from high to medium is acceptable.
– for people aged 25 to 47 years, the mattress can have an average or close to medium firmness.
– for people over 47 years old, a low hardness is recommended, i.e. the mattress should be soft.
This criterion is secondary after the criterion of the weight of the sleeper and can serve as an additional guideline when choosing a mattress. However, in some cases, this criterion may conflict with the previous one (for example, we have a 23-year-old man weighing 55 kg – according to the weight criterion, he is shown a soft mattress, and the age criterion recommends sleeping on a hard or medium-hard mattress). In this situation, we recommend that you still be guided by the weight criterion as the main criterion, or make a compromise intermediate decision – in this case, you can opt for a mattress of medium hardness.
The presence / absence of back diseases. It is very important (!) If you have a spinal disease, or simply have back pain, first of all contact your doctor. It is he who is able to establish the cause of pain and prescribe the appropriate treatment. In no case do not try to cope with the disease on your own by taking medications! We also note that buying even the most expensive orthopedic mattress will not save you from ailment. An orthopedic mattress serves only as a means of prevention, not treatment of diseases of the spine. Although often doctors, along with the appointment of medical procedures and taking medications, recommend buying a mattress of high rigidity.
Height
Requirements for the height of the mattress can only be dictated by your personal preferences, since the orthopedic qualities of the mattress do not depend on its height. Height restrictions may occur only in connection with the use of a lifting base mechanism in your bed, which has certain design features that do not allow placing too high a mattress on it. Please pay attention to how the mattress height is measured. The correct way is shown in the figure.
Maximum Permissible Weight Per Berth
This criterion for choosing a mattress is directly related to the firmness of the mattress. In general, most mattresses are suitable for a person of average build and weighing up to 90-100 kg. However, if your weight is more than 100-110 kg, this criterion will play a key role when choosing a mattress. In general, the more weight the mattress can support, the harder it is. Mattresses that can withstand a weight of up to 120-150 kg per bed often have high rigidity, which is quite logical from the point of view of choosing a mattress according to the criterion of rigidity – the more a person’s body weight, the harder the mattress on which he sleeps.
