Choosing a mattress for an adult: key criteria and advice

A third of our lives is spent asleep. That is what the body needs to rest fully and recharge with the energy for whatever comes next. It is exactly why the sleeping surface has to be chosen with care, for adults just as much as for children. Mattresses in particular hold the body in a comfortable position and have a direct effect on posture. Only the right model will give you the healthy, calm, deep sleep you are after.

What makes one mattress different from another?

As the market grows, more and more manufacturers appear, each offering a huge variety of sleep products. The parameters that set them apart include:

• price;
• dimensions;
• maximum weight;
• firmness;
• construction;
• filling;
• extra features.

When someone is shopping for mattresses for a bed, prices are far from the last thing on their mind, but the range is wide enough to suit any budget. The cost varies with the size of the mattress, the materials, how many of them are used and other technical characteristics.

Firm or soft?

When it comes to firmness, people generally go by their own preferences, their build, their health and their age. Manufacturers offer five degrees of firmness:

• low;
• below medium;
• medium;
• above medium;
• high.

How do you choose and buy a mattress with an orthopedic effect ? Firmness is decided by the filling. Manufacturers use everything from hard natural coconut coir to springy innovative foam – there are no limits here and the choice of materials is generous. A single mattress may combine several fillings to improve how it performs. Two-sided orthopedic mattresses adapted to the seasons usually work this way. They deliver comfortable sleep whatever the time of year.

So how do you find the ideal firmness? Plenty of factors come into it: age, body weight, general health. High and above-medium firmness is recommended for newborns and children up to the age of three. Preschoolers and children in the early school years do well on medium and above-medium models. After that, low firmness works, with the child's build taken into account. Adults, as a rule, simply go by how a mattress feels to them.