Buying Tips To Get The Best Mattress

Innerspring mattresses - Specific guidelines on construction are of little value because of the many types and the lack of information on labels. Look for support in the areas where body weight will be concentrated: the central portion of the bed and around the edges. Handles should be provided for moving the mattress and there should be ventilating holes. For queen-sized mattresses and box springs, prices generally range from $300 to $600.

Water beds - Although salesmen may say water beds can be filled to meet any desired firmness, manufacturers say "stiffening" the bed defeats its flotation principle and causes the bed to wear out quickly. Water beds should be filled only to the top of their frames.
Nearly all water beds are seven feet long and generally have one price per model type, often costing $300 to $400, depending on the thickness of the vinyl (between 20 and 24 millimeters), the type of seam construction and frame. Beds with butt seams are less expensive than beds with overlapping seams. The most expensive water bed has a "waveless" lap-seamed construction, with interior baffles to impede the motion of water.

Foam mattresses - The heavier it is the better, because the denser mattresses will have fewer air bubbles and be less likely to disintegrate. Firmness is obtained by increasing the thickness of the mattress, which is usually four to six inches. Urethane, an oil-based product, is commonly used to make foam mattresses, but latex from Canada is the best and most expensive material.

Prices range from a $50 queen mattress that will probably sag in two years to $275 for a latex one that will last 12 or more years.