Mattress

A Mattress is a thick sleeping mat often placed over a box spring on a bed. The most common type of mattress is the innerspring. It consists of padding and metal coiled springs.

The origin of the word mattress is Arabic and is derived from Matrah place where something is thrown such as a mat or cushion. The average lifespan of a mattress will vary but is typically between 8 and 10 years.

Mattress manufacturers will sell the same mattress under different names to separate retailers, so choosing a mattress can be quite confusing. To avoid all the name confusion just ignore the brand names and focus on the comfort.

The comfort of a mattress is dependent on its firmness or softness. The firmness is related to the wire gauge and coil count. Stronger metals provide more support as does a higher coil count or a thicker wire gauge. The combinations can be confusing as some have a high coil count with a low gauge while others have a thick gauge and a low count. So to determine comfort the best thing to do is test it. Lay down on the mattress and let your body tell you how it feels.

• Sealy

• Tempur-Pedic

• Serta

• Simmons

• Stearns and Foster

• Bassett

• Spring Air