Budget
First, you must consider your budget and what you are willing to spend. There are three main categories for mattresses:
- Economy – best value for affordable prices without compromising on quality
- Premium – Sweet spot uniting comfort, affordability, and craftsmanship
- Luxury – The highest quality, designed and crafted with the finest materials and manufacturing techniques.
Sleep Positions
Your sleep position is one of the most vital factors to consider when deciding on a mattress. Here’s what your sleeping position says about you.
Side Sleeper
Pressure points such as your hips and shoulders are vulnerable and need ample support and cushioning
Front Sleeper
Since this position can strain your neck, it needs to be properly supported. It’s important to find a mattress that isn’t too soft to ensure you keep your spine aligned.
Back Sleeper
As this is the recommended way to sleep, you get more flexibility with your mattress choice. Choose any mattress that keeps your natural spine alignment and ensures your back doesn’t curve too much either way.
Firmness Feel
Next, you want to figure out what firmness feel best suits you. However you should be aware that everyone’s bodies are different and feels are subjective. The information we provide are just general observations 🙂
Soft
When one thinks of a soft mattress they think of high level comfort, but it’s not quite that simple. The support and comfort level of softer mattresses depend on the individual. Typically, they suit people with lighter builds who find themselves moving around a lot at night or don’t sleep in any particular position.
Medium
A medium feel is an all-rounder type of mattress and is one of the most popular firmness levels right alongside medium-firm. Whether you sleep on your front, back, or side a medium will have your support and comfort needs covered. They are also proven to be good for back support. Like a medium-firm feel, medium-soft feels are also available.
Firm
A firm mattress usually suits people with an average to heavy build and can work well for front or back sleepers as it can keep your spine aligned while you sleep. Side sleepers may find that a firm feel doesn’t quite support their shoulders and hips.
Other Things to Consider
- Your sleeping partner – consider their sleeping needs and habits too
- Think long term – is this mattress something you can see in the foreseeable future (eg. You may want a single size now, but will you want that later?)
- Your bed base – to prevent sagging and other wear and tear, ensure it can adequately support your mattress. This could affect your sleep.
Conclusion
There’s no time limit, so don’t feel pressured to rush into a decision. Take the time to consider all your options and, if you have the opportunity, try the mattress out first to see what your body responds to. This also gives you the chance to ask the experts and get their opinion. You can find our authorised retailers and experts here: https://slumberzone.co.nz/find-a-retailer/
Keep an eye out for our next blog where we’ll take you through all the different materials and technologies and what they mean for your sleep.
