How to Buy a Mattress
Are You Getting the Best Sleep Experience Possible?
- Do you have trouble falling asleep?
- Do you wake up stiff and achy?
- Do you have chronic back pain?
- Do you find it hard to focus throughout the day?
- Are you constantly tired or sleepy?
- Is your mattress saggy or lumpy?
- Is your mattress more than 5 years old?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may need to change your mattress and foundation.
Your Mattress is a Major Factor in the Quality of Your Sleep
You may not realize it, but the way you think and feel throughout the day has a lot to do with your mattress. A quality mattress should provide a good night's rest and leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated when you wake up. The key to this is the level of support your mattress provides.
A mattress should provide uniform support from head to toe. Over time, mattresses lose their support and begin to sag, leaving gaps between your body and the mattress itself. Once this happens, you're no longer getting proper support. This can make you uncomfortable, making it difficult to fall asleep. Missing out on a good night's rest affects your mood and affects your ability to concentrate throughout the day.
Poor support while sleeping is also one of the main causes of chronic back pain, especially in the morning. Improper support can lead to spinal and pelvic misalignment over a long period of time.
A quality mattress is typically built to last about 6-7 years, but several factors like age and lifestyle also determine how effectively your mattress supports your body. Your body's needs change with age, so even though your mattress may still feel comfortable, it may not be giving you sufficient support. For some people, this can happen after approximately 5 years on the same mattress. At that point, it's best to get a new one.
A Quality Investment
Most people spend more time and money on products they don't use nearly as much as their mattress. It's important to think of your mattress as a major investment, especially considering how much use you'll get out of it and the number of benefits it can provide.
In fact, a quality mattress is one of the most long-lasting and beneficial investments you'll make — and it essentially costs less per day than your daily cups of coffee. Just look at the following numbers:
| COST OF OWNING A MATTRESS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | Mattress Duration | Cost per Day |
| $699 | 3 Years | $0.63/Day |
| $899 | 5 Years | $0.49/Day |
| $1099 | 7 Years | $0.43/Day |
| COST OF DRINKING COFFEE DAILY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | Large Latte Coffee | Cost per Day |
| $3.80 | 5 Times a Week | $2.71/Day |
| $3.80 | 3 Times a Week | $1.62/Day |
| $3.80 | 2 Times a Week | $1.08/Day |
| COST OF OWNING A CAR (EXCLUDING GAS AND MAINTENANCE) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | Car Loan Amount | Cost per Day |
| $17,000 | 5 Years at 7% | $11.05/Day |
| $25,000 | 5 Years at 7% | $16.27/Day |
| $40,000 | 5 Years at 7% | $26.04/Day |
Choosing the Right Mattress
You're going to spend about 1/3 of your life on your mattress. You might as well make that time as comfortable as possible. When it comes down to selecting a mattress, the most important factor is your personal comfort. Price and features don't necessarily correlate with comfort. The most expensive and luxurious mattress may seem comfortable to one person, but uncomfortable to another.
You can spend days trying to figure out the spring count that suits you best, or which materials are the most luxurious. But the only way to truly know whether a particular mattress is for you is to try it out. All the springs and fancy materials in the world don't mean a thing if you're not comfortable.
The Matching Foundation
A good foundation is as important as a good mattress. The foundation takes a lot of the nightly wear and tear and contributes to a bed's overall comfort and support. You should never put a new mattress on an old foundation. When you select your new mattress, it's important to buy its companion foundation; the two are designed to work together.
Don't Forget the Pillow!
With all this talk about getting proper body support, it's important not to forget about head and neck support too. Choosing the right pillow is just as important as choosing the right mattress and foundation; they all go hand in hand to provide the best possible sleep experience.
Your pillow should provide just the right cushioning to position your head and neck properly. It should hold your head at the same level as your shoulders. Your spine should be aligned as if you were standing upright with correct posture.
If you sleep on your side, you'll likely want a firm pillow to give your head and neck extra support. If you sleep on your back, look for a medium-firm pillow to cradle your head with more "give." And if you sleep on your stomach, you may want a soft pillow to lessen the strain on your neck.
Mattress Shopping Made Easy
Choosing a new mattress can be a difficult task. Firm or soft? Spring or foam? Pillow top or plush? With so many features and brands to choose from, the process can be overwhelming.
That's why El Dorado Furniture has developed the exclusive Comfort Level System. This easy-to-use system is designed to take the guess work out of choosing a mattress while ensuring you find the mattress that's best for you.
The Comfort Level System
Everyone's perception of comfort is different. An "extra firm" mattress may feel more like a "firm" or even "soft" mattress to some people. These levels of support also differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, creating even more confusion.
El Dorado Furniture's exclusive Comfort Level System solves this problem by using a consistent scale to rate all of our mattresses, regardless of manufacturer, brand, or type.
We've identified Comfort Levels ranging from "extra firm" to "extra plush" across our vast selection of mattresses. Each Comfort Level was then assigned a color (i.e., red for "firm," yellow for "soft," green for "plush"). Each and every one of our mattresses was then tested, rated, and color-coded according to this system.
With this consistent rating system, finding your mattress is as easy as 1, 2, 3 — literally!
Three Easy Steps to a Better Night's Sleep.
Inside each of our Boulevard showrooms is the Mattress Shop. At the entrance of this shop, you will find the Comfort Level System Test Area. Just follow these steps to ensure you find your perfect mattress and pillow!
- Choose your pillow type.
Choose your pillow from the Test Area based on your sleeping position. We have pillows for Back Sleepers, Side Sleepers, and Tummy Sleepers. Also be sure to pick up a hypoallergenic protector when trying out your pillow. - Try out the test beds to determine your Comfort Level Color.
Lie down on each of the beds in the Test Area. Don't be shy — get comfortable! Use your pillow and get into your usual sleeping position, and relax. Determine your Comfort Level Color by noting the color of the bed that's most comfortable to you. - Try out beds that match your Comfort Level Color until you find the perfect one for you.
Now that you've determined your Comfort Level Color, try out mattresses with that same color, located on the Product Description tags at the foot of each bed. Be sure to try out each mattress for 5-10 minutes in your usual sleeping position.
What Type of Mattress is Best for You?
Even though El Dorado Furniture has simplified your mattress-shopping experience, there's no such thing as too much knowledge. Here's a run-down of the different types of mattresses offered at our Mattress Shop.
Innerspring
This is the most common and widely purchased type of mattress. It uses the support of tempered steel coils in a variety of configurations. Layers of upholstery provide insulation and cushioning between your body and the spring unit. The result of this basic approach, coupled with state-of-the-art technology, is a full range of comfort choices.
Foam
Solid foam mattresses offer a wide variety of different of feels. They can be made of a solid core or several layers of different types of foam laminated together. Advanced technology in polyurethane foams, refinements to traditional latex, and the new visco-elastic ("memory") foams have added to the choice of comfort, support, and performance.
Power/Adjustable Beds
Electronically adjustable beds allow sleepers to adjust the head and foot of the bed to the most comfortable position. The mattress and foundation must be specially built for the flexing motion and can be innerspring, foam, or a combination of the two. Since the flexing causes extra wear on the mattress, quality construction is extremely important. Mattresses not built for this purpose should not be used with an adjustable bed frame.
Futons
Futons are a popular alternative for those who need a sofa by day and a mattress by night. The mattresses must be very flexible, so they are typically made of cotton, synthetic fibers, and foam in various combinations. The futon is designed to support sitting as well as sleeping.