If you want to buy the best mattress, you’ll need to have already decided on two things: what type of mattress you want and that you’re prepared to pay for it. The best doesn’t come cheap so to avoid an expensive mistake you need to do your research. Here are some pointers and recommendations as to the best that’s currently on the market.
The vast majority of mattresses sold on the market today are the same type that has been the number best seller for over a hundred years; the innerspring mattress. It has the look and feels that most people want. If you’re among those that prefer a coil system then you’ll probably have the hardest time of any potential buyer. Trying to sift through the literally thousands of products on the market is daunting.
However, there are some things to look out for. First, although coil count is not a guarantee that you’ll get the best support and longevity from a mattress, all the best mattresses have high coil counts. You should be looking for at least 650 coils in a queen size. The coils should be made of medium to high gauge and have a high number of turns.
Also, pay attention to the filling that lies between and on top of the coil unit. The filling should be of high-quality density foam. Other foam types like latex and visco-elastic are also other good signs – these types of foam are expensive to manufacture and have far superior comfort and support than regular foam.
For innerspring units where the coils are attached to each other, brands such as Sealy, Kingsdown and Serta are excellent. However, for the best, check out Stearns & Foster mattresses – they are perhaps the best-made mattresses that are manufactured in commercial numbers.
If you like the idea of the pocket coil – each coil is contained in its own separate fabric pocket and moves independently from its neighbor, then the Simmons Beautyrest should be top of your list. The company has been making this type of mattress for years and makes beautifully engineered mattresses.
Latex is making a resurgence of late. The material conforms to the exact shape of the sleeper, thereby providing great support and comfort; it’s hypo-allergenic and natural latex comes from sustainable resources. The Simmons Natural Care collection is made from natural latex and is a superb product. However, it’s also worth looking at Englander and Stearns & Foster latex mattresses.
For me, the Jamison Talalay Mattress is the best available. Without going into technical details, latex is made in one of two ways, the way it’s always has been and the Talalay method which uses not only heat but a vacuum environment to ensure that the air cells in the foam are both of even size and distribution. It’s not cheap, but if you want the best…
Tempurpedic introduced the world’s first memory foam mattress and it has, arguably, been the greatest technical innovation in mattress design since the introduction of the coil spring. Tempurpedic is still the market leader and many would argue that it’s still the best – myself included. However, other brands like the Sealy, Restonic and the Simmons Comforpedic mattress are definitely worth looking at – they can also be cheaper.
Other mattress types include water, gel, air and even magnetic (Restonic makes this unusual type). They’re all pretty niche mattresses with air being the most popular. If you’re in the market for an air mattress, the Simmons Luxaire is a good choice.
