What size mattress do I need?

**For consumers on the west coast, there is also the "California King," which is 72 inches wide by 84 inches long – 4 inches narrower and 4 inches longer than a regular king.

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Examples of proper bed frames for queen- and king-size bedding:

Overall Height:Many of today’s mattress sets are much taller than mattress sets from 15 + years ago. They can sometimes dwarf a headboard and/or nightstands. If you are concerned this may be an issue for you, measure to see the maximum overall height your existing furniture will tolerate, and take that information with you to our store. Once you have identified a couple mattresses that are comfortable for you, then see if those mattress sets fit within the maximum height requirement you have. If not, ask your salesperson about low-profile boxsprings or bed frames which will lower the overall height of the mattress set.

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This may not be something you have ever thought much about, so if you are not sure, try to notice what position you get in right before dropping off to sleep and what position you are in when first awakening. It may not be the same every day, as we all sleep in various positions throughout the night, but you will probably discover that you have a preference.

1. Back: most people who sleep primarily on their backs like a fairly hard sleeping surface. The key, however, is to realize that there needs to be enough surface padding and conforming properties in the support system of the mattress to give proper support to the lower lumbar region of the spine. Otherwise, your body will be fighting gravity all night to keep the natural curvature of the spine in place, rather than being allowed to fully relax and rejuvenate.
   
   
2. Stomach: if you sleep primarily on your stomach, try to stop! Doctors and chiropractors tell us that is not a healthy sleeping position. However, stomach sleepers need a fairly hard sleeping surface.
   
   
3. Side: this is the most common primary sleeping position. Side sleepers need padding materials to cushion the hips and shoulders and minimize pressure points which impeded blood flow. If you often wake up with your arm still asleep, then you are probably sleeping on a too-hard mattress, or one with very little surface padding. Side sleepers tend to prefer medium to soft sleeping surfaces.

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I don’t know anything about mattresses. What do I need to know about coils, boxsprings, upholstery padding?

Actually, you don’t need to know anything about the construction of a mattress in order to find a mattress that suits you, but you may want to know some of the following information.

1. Coils: The most commonly discussed feature of an innerspring mattress is the number of coils in the mattress. This feature is also one of the most misunderstood. The main purpose of the coil unit in a mattress is support, and support is a very important component of a mattress. However, the number of coils in and of itself does not necessarily correspond to the amount of support in a mattress. The reason is that the design of the coil unit and the gauge of the wire used in the coil unit alter the total number of coils that will fit in the finite space of a mattress. So, comparing coil counts of mattresses will only have meaning if the two mattresses have the same design and the same gauge of wire. In other words, it would be meaningful to compare the coil count of two mattresses within the same brand, but possibly not meaningful to compare two mattresses of differing brands, as the coil units will differ in design. A more meaningful look at coils would be how conforming the coil unit is to a person’s body. The best mattresses are designed to “conform to the spine’s natural curves and to keep the spine in alignment when you lay down.” (Cornell University (2000) Hotel Ergonomics - Guest Room and Office Design (Kelley Dallas)). Another important feature of a coil unit is perimeter edge support. A mattress with good perimeter edge support allows for maximum sleeping surface. An excellent edge support is a foam encased coil unit. This design also allows the mattress to be flexed more than a traditional mattress made with a border rod around the coil unit. This feature can also be a benefit if your new mattress needs to be delivered upstairs and/or around tight corners.
   
   
   
2. Alternatives to innerspring: There are other types of mattresses available, although innerspring mattresses are still the most common. Mattresses made completely of foam, either Memory foam or Latex foam, offer support from a foam core rather than an innerspring core. Normally, the core or center support in these mattresses is not made of Memory foam or Latex foam. Those more expensive foams are placed closer to the surface of the mattress for maximum benefit and comfort. Both Memory foam and Latex foam can also be found in the surface padding of many of the better quality innerspring mattresses. A person who is particularly sensitive to any type of pressure that might come from a coil innerspring, however, might find these foam mattresses to be best for their needs. For further discussion of these two foams used in today’s better quality mattresses, see upholstery padding.
   
   
   
3. Boxsprings/foundations: The primary difference between a boxspring and a foundation is flex. A traditional boxspring is designed to act as a shock absorber, and therefore has some flex in the coils of the boxspring. Some luxury brands even use 8-way hand-tie construction in some of their boxsprings, a feature mostly found in high-end sofas and chairs. Foundations, on the other hand, are designed to be a solid, inflexible surface to support the mattress. Very inexpensive mattress sets often use a wood foundation, which looks at first just like a boxspring, but upon closer examination, you will see that it is not. This type of foundation serves a purpose, but is not very sturdy and will not hold up well under the weight of kids jumping on the mattress, for example (which you know they do when you are not looking sometimes!). A modular foundation, however, found under most of today’s one-sided mattresses, is a very sturdy foundation, and provides proper support and durability. It is not recommended (and in fact may void your mattress warranty) to place a new mattress on an old boxspring. Considering the life of a mattress set is about 8-10 years, an “old boxspring” would be 2 or more years old, and/or be the wrong type of support for the new mattress.
   
   
   
4. Upholstery padding: The upholstery layers of a mattress are what deliver you comfort. And a mattress certainly should be a purchase based on comfort! If it has been a while since you last shopped for a mattress, one of the first things you will notice is how thick the mattresses have become. The reason is that mattresses today are made with many more layers of foam and fiber padding than mattresses from 15 years ago. All that padding is there for your comfort. The further away from the innerspring your body is, the more comfortable the mattress tends to be to most people, so mattress manufacturers have added a lot of upholstery padding to their mattresses. Two types of foam found in many of today’s luxury mattresses are Memory foam (also known as visco foam) and latex foam.

Visco Foam: Developed by NASA to absorb the tremendous forces that astronauts experience during blast-off, visco-elastic memory foam dramatically reduces pressure points. Memory foam or visco-elastic foam is temperature-sensitive, open cell foam. Itcontinuously molds and adjusts to the shape of your body - reducing and minimizing pressure points - relieving body stress and strain.

Latex Foam: The main features and benefits of latex foam are:

• Naturally crafted from the milk of the tropical rubber tree
• Environmentally friendly – naturally derived & biodegradable
• Instantly conforms to body shape
• Provides superior orthopedic support
• Superior pressure relief reduces tossing and turning and alleviates pressure to help bring oxygen and nutrients to muscles
• Antimicrobial, dust mite and mildew resistant
• Breathable cell structure – warmer in winter, cooler in summer
• Mattresses never need turning or flipping; consistent feel from top to bottom, head to toe

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What is covered by a mattress manufacturer’s warranty?

Simply, the warranty covers defects in the workmanship of the product. With a mattress, a defect might include a spring protruding from the mattress or compression of padding materials in the sleep areas of more than 1.5 inches. What is not covered is comfort preferences or height issues. Due to the nature of use of a mattress, a mattress that has become stained or soiled is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. At Furniture World Galleries & Matress Superstore, we offer a mattress pad that is guaranteed to keep the mattress from becoming stained or soiled to help you protect your investment and keep your warranty active. Please ask a sales professional in the store or over the phone about this product. If a mattress set has not been properly supported by a bed frame, then it is no longer covered by the warranty (see Will my new mattress set fit with my existing or new bedroom furniture? above. See the warranty card from the specific mattress company brand for complete details on the warranty of the product.

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