Mattress Myths and Economics

We write another blog about economics, so we thought it might be alright to talk about the economics of mattresses.  We also are finding some myths out there about what constitutes a good mattress. so without further ado...

Mattress economics is quite simple.  Stores have mattresses and you need somewhere to sleep.  That's when it gets complicated.  There are at least four separate technologies out there to choose from.  The oldest is Innerspring.  Most myths developed around these spring mattresses, and frankly a number of them are true.  The biggest is the bed needs to be firm.  This is true, but only if you are talking about springs, and only if you know the definition of firm. 

Firm as it applies here means a high coil count, not just a harder surface.  The coil count in a mattress determines how many points of contact it will make with your body.  The more points of contact, the more support the bed will have.  Stiffer, but fewer in number coils do not offer as much support as higher count springs, but the less springs, the less raw materials, and the less it costs to produce.  Laying on a spring bed and choosing it because it is harder than other test beds is a mistake.  Weed out the low coil count beds and then test what is left.  A great spring bed will support your posture with a large number of coils reacting to the weight of your body, that is support.  Too hard and it will throw your body out of posture and you will wake with pain at some point.

While this is true of spring beds, the opposite is true of other technologies like water, air or foam.  The truth is that for these beds softer is some what more supportive as it will allow your body to find equilibrium on the surface.  If you think you might want a softer sleep, like you get in the trusty recliner, consider these other technologies, you might find they suit your needs better.

Another myth, promulgated by some of our brothers is that you should replace your mattress every 8 to 10 years.  This one is more or less true for spring beds.  Spring mattress manufacturers design their beds to last about 10 years for the average sized consumer.  If you are heavier than that average, your bed will last less, and if you are lighter your bed will last longer.  They use 10 years for a reason as well.  Our bodies change over time.  The support we need on a mattress will change as our bodies change.  The average length of time where the current support will not be optimal anymore is 10 years.



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With higher coil gauge and coil counts, and better materials, there is no reason a spring bed couldn't be engineered to last 25 to 30 years.  But the cost would be high, and at about 10 years your body will need different support anyway, which is an economic waste of money to throw away a good bed.  The same is true of foam beds.  Honestly, there are only two technologies that lend themselves to long usage, water and air.  Both of these technologies have the ability to change the support level as your body changes.  As a result the most reputable manufacturers of these technologies use better foams and fabrics and they can last 20 or more years, some of the best will last indefinitely, as you can change parts and avoid buying a whole new bed.  Water beds are somewhat out of vogue, as air beds are climbing in popularity.  Tempurpedic, a foam company, is launching an air base bed for this very reason.

The last myth of this post is that if your bed isn't quite right, you can just add a topper to it and it will last another 5 years.  This is untrue for all technologies.  Hope springs eternal, but the fact is foam toppers, like pillow tops offer comfort, not support.  If you are waking with back or neck pain, the support in your mattress is gone.  Putting a topper on it will not correct the issue.  And all "valleys" in the bed do not mean the support is gone, it can be just the foam, in this case a topper might help, but will not give you long term repair.

Beds have three major parts inside that cover.  They have a base level, a support level and a comfort level.  Some manufacturers to save money eliminate the base level, as the customer doesn't feel it.  Spring beds base level is a box spring, or a foundation with springs in it with a hard surface.  Foam beds use high density foam as a base level, other foam as the support level, and a comfort level that is designed to feel good, like memory foam or latex foam.  Some sagging comes from inferior foams, or even layered foams and batting.  Seems the demand was for higher mattresses, and so some added loft by making the top layer too high.

I have had laments about not being able to flip mattresses any more.  Flipping would make them last longer, but in consumer research, manufactures have found people don't flip anyway, so why add the expense.

Mattresses are a commodity.  As such they are extremely competitive on price.  Two things add to the price, raw materials and promotion.  That's right promotion.  I know of at least one company who spends about half of the wholesale price of their beds to buy advertising.  So when you shop, and you think you might like a certain mattress, check out all offerings.  The best deal may not be the easiest to find, because they don't promote as heavily.  In the case of springs, while there are a lot of brands, there are probably three spring makers, who sell to all the brands.  In the case of foam and air, check out the quality of the components.  Most air manufacturers make "modular" beds, there is no reason to not look under the hood to see the foams and other parts.  Judge these beds by their components.

Hope that helps a bit.  As you do research, and that is most common any more, use sites like the BBB, Angie's list or specific sites like Sleep Like the Dead.  You can tell a lot about the quality by the number of complaints ( or lack there of) lodged against different technologies.  Hope this helps you to...

Sleep Well!