How to Buy the Perfect Mattress

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The most comfortable mattress in the world,
is a mattress with no surprises.

What should you look for in a mattress? It’s an intimidating question. Venturing out to buy a mattress can be a bewildering process. There are seemingly endless combinations of a few relatively simple materials. Is memory foam or latex better for you? Or do you prefer a pocketed coil or traditional innerspring mattress?

Mainly, you just need to listen to your own body, and start from there. You need the right kind of support, and you need to be comfortable. But you also need to take time to assess your options properly.

Here are a few things we think deserve the most attention as you try to figure out what the most comfortable mattress is for you.

1. Size

mattress size chart by mattress mill in bozeman montana

The size of your mattress plays an important role in how you sleep and how you feel about your bed.

You wouldn’t wear shoes that are too small, so why would a bed be any different? If you’re tall, you need something a bit longer; if you have a sleeping partner, the mattress needs to be wide enough so you don’t wake up staring at the floor every night. Buy the largest bed your budget permits.

2. Interior Support

air support mattress interior from mattress mill in bozeman montana

Support comes from inside the bed: the innerspring, air chamber or foam “core.” Each type of support has different benefits, and despite what many salespeople will tell you, no type of internal support is inherently better than another. It’s important to try several options.

Seriously, now. Take an afternoon, kick off your shoes and lay on different mattresses for as long as you can, curled up in your usual sleep position. You’ll need to take some time to really feel out the different types of mattresses. Ask about what’s going on inside the mattress, and take mental notes. A good mattress store knows this and won’t chase you out. (We won’t, anyway.)

3. Comfort

mattress comfort layer

A mattress’s comfort layers are the extra cushioning materials on top of the main support system. Common materials include polyurethane foam, latex rubber or memory foam. And just like the main support system, what works best for you comes down to taste and feel.

So while you might like a super-cushy pillowtop, maybe your husband likes a firmer bed with less fluff. In many of our mattresses, you can change out these comfort layers – or even split them down the middle for two different styles on one bed.

4. Durability

Many salespeople focus solely on coil count as an indicator of durability. However, there’s more to how well your mattress will hold up than how many coils it has. 

Coil design, wire gauge, the border rod, type of innerspring construction and the type of edge support all affect the comfort, quality and durability of your mattress. A bit of common sense: the upper layers should be of better quality, since they naturally get more traffic and wear out faster. And when it comes to foam, quality is related to density – denser foams are more durable and feel better for longer.

5. Warranty

Warranties can be confusing—many times, they have loopholes that make them tough to navigate, making it seem like they’re for the manufacturer’s protection and not yours.

We see it a bit differently: a warranty is our commitment to you in the event that a problem pops up. But no matter where you’re shopping for a mattress, ask about the length of the warranty, whether it’s prorated or not, what exactly the warranty covers and whether it’s serviced by that company or by an outside source.

Warranties are meant to cover construction defects, not normal wear and tear. Also, just because a mattress is covered for 10 years doesn’t mean you should wait that long before you buy a new mattress. Remember: listen to your body!