Buying Advice

You can’t beat a good night’s sleep – it leaves you feeling fit, thinking sharply and happy!

The foundation of good sleep is a comfortable bed and the right mattress. It can be the difference between a restorative night’s sleep and poor quality sleep that results in tiredness and fatigue.

Research shows that sleeping on an uncomfortable bed could rob you of up to an hour’s sleep – yet the deterioration may be so gradual and invisible that many people fail to make the connection between an uncomfortable bed and poor sleep.

You may need a new mattress if…

Beds don’t last forever. Even if it looks okay, it may not be giving you the support or comfort you need for a good night’s sleep.

A mattress’s life span is affected by several factors such as the quality, care and amount you use it (e.g. reading, watching TV and sleeping each night versus occasional use of a spare bed). Changes in lifestyle (marriage, new home) and in our bodies (losing or gaining weight, ageing, etc) can also necessitate a change of bed.

Here’s a few things to consider:

• Have you had your mattress more than seven years?

• Do you wake up with stiffness and/or aches and pains?

• Are you sleeping as well as you did a year ago?

• Have you had a better night’s sleep in a bed other than yours?

• Does your mattress show signs of visible wear and tear (it sags, is lumpy etc)?

There are literally thousands of beds from which to choose and there’s no such thing as the perfect type of bed for a particular condition or situation (e.g. one ideal bed for a back pain sufferer). Although a good retailer – and this booklet – will arm you with lots of information to make the process simpler, only you can make the final, important decision – so take your time and make it wisely.

Before you go shopping for a new bed, think about what you want from your bed. Here are a few general points to consider:

• Type. What sort of style do you prefer? What do you like or dislike about your current bed? Do you prefer a firmer or softer feel?

• The price is right. Always shop for the best value not the lowest price. Of course, there are some perfectly acceptable, lower priced beds available (far preferable to an unhygienic second hand bed shaped to someone else’s body) but the better the construction, the better the support and comfort and the longer the bed will last.

• Size matters. With a larger bed you are less likely to disturb your partner. You should be able to lie side by side, with your arms behind your head and your elbows out, without touching. Your bed should also be 4-6in (10-15cm) longer than the tallest partner. Many manufacturers make beds up to 7ft square as a matter of course; others will make special sizes.

Also consider the bed’s height – many contemporary styles are low, while those with storage drawers may be much higher.

FACT!

Did you know that two people sharing a standard double size bed have only as much personal sleeping space as a baby in a cot?

• Check dimensions. Bed sizes are not standardised and even if they have the same name (eg King size) they may not be the same size – especially if the mattress and base are not from the same manufacturer.

European common sizes are different and many imported bedsteads come in European sizes.

• Buy base and mattress together. At the very least, make sure you try mattresses on a similar type of base. The two are designed to work together and a change of base will affect the feel and performance of the mattress.

• Access all areas. If you are worried about getting the bed upstairs, remember most divans have split bases; while many bedsteads are actually delivered in pieces for assembly in situ. To avoid problems with delivery, you should tell the retailer about potential access problems (narrow staircases, tight corners etc) before you buy. Check the retailer’s terms and conditions.

• After sales service. Can’t decide between two or three equally suitable products? Think about the retailer’s service – e.g. quick delivery; guarantee or warranty offered; free disposal of your old bed; special offers; or even just the chemistry between yourself and the salesman.

• Buy it now. If you need a new mattress NOW most retailers keep a limited stock of mattresses for same or next day delivery. A recent development has been the introduction of vacuum packing and rolling which enables suppliers to compress foam (and some spring) mattresses into compact, portable rolls ups. Usually packed in a smart kit or zip bag, they are literally ‘takeaway’.