4 Popular Types of Mattresses and Their Benefits
A healthy sleeping habit can make a big difference in the quality of life of an individual, and getting a good night’s sleep depends on various factors such as comfort, stress level, temperature, and of course, the right mattress.
You can’t get quality sleep unless you feel comfortable, so it’s no surprise that mattress technology has become so vital over the years. As of 2019, the mattress industry is valued at over $31.6 billion and is projected to grow to more than $43 billion in the next five years.
With the mattress industry gaining widespread popularity, many types of mattresses are saturating the market, but only a few are recognized, and they are the ones with the most sales.
According to research, 20% of manufacturers in the mattress industry are responsible for 90.8% of all sales made globally.
In this article, you can learn more about some of the most popular types of mattresses, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of different mattresses.
Types of Mattresses
- Innerspring mattress
- Memory foam mattress
- Hybrid mattress
- Latex mattress
Let’s take a better look at each of these mattress types.
1. Innerspring Mattress
Innerspring mattresses are one of the most popular types of mattresses in the industry, and they are constructed using a steel coil support system. This support system comprises of springs connected into a single unit. Generally, the higher the number of coils, the more comfortable your mattress is.
A good thing about innerspring is that it comes in various forms and quality that supports back sleepers, tummy sleepers, and side sleepers. Depending on your needs, you can feel comfortable using the right type of innerspring mattress.
Another advantage of the innerspring mattress is that it is affordable and widely available. However, it is not the best at relieving pain and pressure points, plus they are known to become noisy as the springs begin to wear out.
Light sleepers do not feel comfortable on it because it does not allow easy movement when turning or tossing.
2. Memory Foam Mattress
Memory foam can adapt to your body shape while you sleep, thereby offering incredible pressure relief all over the body. They are also great for proper spine alignment. Memory foam takes the pressure off the hips, elbows, shoulders, ribs, knees, so it can be a great pick for people suffering from rheumatism and arthritis because it improves blood circulation. It is excellent for back sleepers and people with back pain because it helps to align your spine in a healthy position by providing support where necessary.
One major disadvantage of memory foam, according to users, is that it can sometimes feel too hot and can soften when the room temperature is hot. Another downside is that it can be challenging to get out of it due to its cradling ability.
3. Hybrid Mattress
A hybrid mattress is a combination of memory foam and innerspring mattresses. It combines the best qualities of both memory foam and innerspring mattresses in one product, thereby providing a better sleeping experience for users. Therefore, hybrid mattresses provide great pressure relief, minimize motion transfer, and have good temperature regulation.
When you check the features of both memory foam and innerspring mattresses, you will discover that each of them lacks one or more of the elements found in a hybrid mattress.
The major challenge of a hybrid mattress is the issue of structural weakness due to the combination of several properties.
4. Latex Mattress
Latex mattresses are made using latex foam, which happens to be a natural resource. Durability and affordability are some of the major contributing factors to its popularity. It is convenient for kids, middle-aged individuals, and pregnant women. It is no wonder 80% of latex mattress owners say they are satisfied with their purchase.
What makes latex mattresses different from other types of beds is the manner in which they are processed. Every form of latex mattress has a unique way of processing that is responsible for its unique features.
Latex mattresses are environmentally friendly, perfect for spine alignment, resistant to dust mites and mold, allergen-free, and a great pain reliever.
How Your Sleep Position Affects Your Mattress Choice
On average, you spend a third of your day in bed. Ideally, the right mattress should help reduce the pressure points on your body and help you sleep better without pain.
Although there are a lot of options out there in the market, finding the right mattress for you should depend majorly on how you sleep and your health condition. An expensive mattress does not necessarily mean a good night’s sleep.
According to statistics, 63% of individuals sleep on their side, 16% on their stomach, and another 14% on their back. Combo sleepers use a combination of all three when taking a nap, and make up the remaining 7%.
Individuals who sleep on their side generally need a mattress that easily adapts to their sleeping position, and that also allows for the relief of pressure.
Those that sleep on their stomachs need a firm mattress that provides sufficient support for their hips, while back sleepers need mattresses that provide support ranging from medium to firm.
The back sleeping position is known as the healthiest as it allows for the natural alignment of the spine.
Combo sleepers tend to avoid mattresses that sink deeply, as they might have a hard time switching sleeping positions.
Bottom Line
There are several other mattress types out there, but for the sake of this article, we have focused on the most popular of them all. As we mentioned earlier, selecting a mattress should depend on a lot of factors, but most importantly, your comfort, your sleep position, and maybe price.
Some other significant factors that also need consideration include the mattress’s hypoallergenic properties, cooling properties, the mattress size, and its firmness.
Salman Zafar is an ecopreneur, consultant, advisor, speaker and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection, conservation and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Salman is the Founder of EcoMENA, a popular voluntary organization based in Qatar. He is also the Founder and CEO of BioEnergy Consult, a reputed consulting firm active in biomass, waste-to-energy and waste management segments.
Salman is a professional environmental writer with more than 350 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass environmental awareness in different parts of the world.
Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com
Great info. Looking to buy a hybrid mattress, Can you recomment me any?