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Buying a\u00a0new mattress\u00a0is an investment\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0use every night. Your bed can make or break whether you wake up feeling stiff and\u00a0achey, and it can help or hurt health conditions like chronic back pain.<\/p>\n
This makes it\u00a0all the more\u00a0important\u00a0that\u00a0you choose the right one, finding\u00a0your own personal\u00a0Goldilocks level of firmness, size, material, cost, and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep quality can be significantly influenced by certain mattress characteristics such as firmness, pressure distribution,\u00a0and age,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. Dionne Morgan, a sleep medicine physician at\u00a0Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute.<\/p>\n
But is it possible to respect your body by giving it ultimate comfort at night while also respecting your wallet and the spatial limitations of your bedroom? Yes. To cut through the bed-buying hype, we spoke with a physical therapist and a sleep medicine doctor to guide you on your path to the perfect mattress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sometimes\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0hard to tell whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0your sleeping position making you sore, or if your mattress has run its course.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re waking up in pain, that\u2019s a big red flag,\u201d said Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, physical therapist and owner of\u00a0Fusion Wellness & Femina Physical Therapy. Any pain should be investigated, but she\u00a0advises\u00a0trying to adjust your sleeping position or switching out pillows before buying a new mattress, as those tweaks cost much less than a new bed. You can also take note of whether you feel less stiff when sleeping in a hotel or on someone else\u2019s mattress.<\/p>\n
However, no mattress will last forever. \u201cIf it\u2019s been 7 to 10 years, you should consider looking for a new mattress,\u201d Jeffcoat said.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0also important to note that some mattresses will show wear and tear much earlier, depending on the quality of the\u00a0bed\u00a0materials.<\/p>\n
Morgan added that mattresses that are\u00a0very old\u00a0(around 9.5 years) have been associated with\u00a0more lower\u00a0back pain.<\/p>\n
Besides new pain or stiffness in the morning, your bed may show you real signs of breakdown if you notice lumps, sagging, and new creaks or noises, Jeffcoat said.\u00a0You may also develop allergies as the bed material starts breaking down, she added.<\/p>\n
Brands sell mattresses under all types of different names and with\u00a0different materials, but most can be\u00a0categorized as\u00a0three main types of mattresses: innerspring, memory foam, and hybrid.<\/p>\n
An innerspring mattress is\u00a0a\u00a0typical, coil-containing mattress that gives your bed a little bounce. While not as enveloping as a foam mattress, many innerspring mattresses on the market today are topped with soft material, offering some comfort as well as sturdy support.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0also more breathable than foam mattresses, making them more ideal for those who overheat at night.<\/p>\n
Memory foam mattresses are\u00a0made out of\u00a0foam\u00a0layers, leading to a dreamy, cloud-like sleeping experience. Generally speaking, they also\u00a0have good motion isolation,\u00a0which is a measure of how well a mattress absorbs the movement of another person in bed with you.<\/p>\n
While a memory foam mattress may offer ultimate comfort for some, they may not be supportive or firm enough for others. (There are some firmer memory foam mattresses out there, though.) For hot sleepers, this type of bed may also be uncomfortable because it\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0as breathable as other mattress types.<\/p>\n
Hybrid mattresses\u00a0combine\u00a0the structural\u00a0component\u00a0of an innerspring mattress with the pressure relief and comfort of a foam mattress. They typically\u00a0contain\u00a0springs on the bottom, supportive\u00a0layers,\u00a0and foam on top. How much foam a hybrid mattress has, or what type of comfort material it includes, varies.\u00a0Many people\u00a0sleep well on a\u00a0hybrid mattress.<\/p>\n
Mattresses are commonly sold in a handful of sizes, ranging from\u00a0a twin\u00a0size\u00a0\u00a0to\u00a0a king size.<\/p>\n
Space of your bedroom:\u00a0<\/strong>The first step of\u00a0selecting\u00a0your ideal\u00a0mattress size includes measuring your bedroom or apartment to see what you have space for. Even if you have the space, you should consider how much room\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0willing to give up for a mattress.<\/p>\n Who else is sleeping in your bed:<\/strong>\u00a0If you sleep with a partner or a pet,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0probably want\u00a0a larger mattress to accommodate everyone\u2019s body and movements during the night.<\/p>\n How much do you like to spread out:\u00a0<\/strong>Some people enjoy ample space to roll around or spread their arms, while others\u2019 movements are more minimal.<\/p>\n For a more in-depth look\u00a0at\u00a0mattress dimensions, read\u00a0our guide to bed sizes.<\/p>\n The perfect level of firmness for you will depend on your sleeping position, body\u00a0size,\u00a0and\u00a0if\u00a0you experience back pain. However,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0worth noting that\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0research supporting a medium-firm mattress\u00a0for better sleep in people with back pain.<\/p>\n \u201cMedium-firm mattresses seem to reduce back pain and improve sleep quality, especially in patients with chronic low back pain,\u201d Morgan said. She added that people with a higher\u00a0body mass index (BMI) may\u00a0benefit\u00a0from a mattress\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0a little firmer, since body weight will\u00a0impact\u00a0how supportive a mattress feels to someone.<\/p>\n A\u00a0medium to medium-firm mattress is also likely to suit side sleepers, who need enough support to keep their spine aligned and enough softness to relieve pressure on their joints. So, if\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0unsure\u00a0where to\u00a0start\u00a0your mattress-testing journey, start by lying on some\u00a0medium to medium-firm mattresses in a store to gauge what\u00a0feels good.<\/p>\n Jeffcoat recommends trying out beds in person, lying in your preferred sleeping position for at least five minutes to get the right feel and judge how supported and comfortable you feel.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, stomach\u00a0sleepers need more support\u00a0from\u00a0their mattress to keep their abdomen from caving into the mattress and creating an arch in their back, which contributes to back pain.\u00a0Back sleepers\u00a0require\u00a0good lumbar support. Side sleepers should prioritize pressure relief in addition to spinal alignment.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re primarily a side sleeper, you need to know that cushioning is important to your hips and your shoulders,\u201d Jeffcoat said.<\/p>\n Mattresses are made with a variety of materials and come in a few different forms: innerspring, memory foam, and hybrid. Between the few types, there is a world of difference in terms of mattress topping (pillow top vs. Euro top, for example), but also material factors like whether a mattress is organic or eco-friendly. There are also natural latex mattresses, for example. Before you buy, consider your personal priorities and lifestyle.<\/p>\n Another mattress difference to consider is whether you want to buy a \u201cbed in a box\u201d that has\u00a0the\u00a0added convenience of shipping to your\u00a0door, but\u00a0may be more likely to suffer quality issues like poor edge support\u00a0compared to mattresses that\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0come compressed.<\/p>\n With each size upgrade comes a price tag upgrade. The best mattress for you\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0break\u00a0the\u00a0bank and will fit neatly in whatever space\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0like to keep for it.<\/p>\n Before you buy a mattress, always confirm the store\u2019s and\/or mattress company\u2019s warranty in case your mattress becomes damaged, and ask about any return fees or other warranty fine print. The extent of a warranty and what it covers will\u00a0vary\u00a0from\u00a0company to company and mattress store to mattress store.<\/p>\n Some companies also offer trial periods, which allows you to try the mattress out at home without being locked into the purchase. Just be cautious about what you sign and what\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0agreeing to before you bring a bed home to try.<\/p>\n If\u00a0you\u2019d\u00a0like a jump start on where to look for a new mattress, read our lists of the\u00a0best mattresses overall\u00a0for 2026 so far, our list of\u00a0high-quality affordable beds, the\u00a0best hybrid mattresses\u00a0and the\u00a0mattresses that feel like a hotel bed. We review and test all mattresses in our lists according to\u00a0strict performance and comfort protocols.<\/p>\nEverything to look for when choosing a new mattress<\/h2>\n
Firmness,\u00a0pain\u00a0and pressure relief<\/h3>\n
Sleeping position<\/h3>\n
Mattress type and materials<\/h3>\n
Size and cost<\/h3>\n
Warranty and trial period<\/h3>\n
Our favorite mattresses<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
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Where is the best place to buy a mattress?<\/h3>\n