Mattress firmness guide

Firmness is one of the foremost influential considerations for mattress buyers. the proper firmness setting can deliver a snug sleep experience and relieve pressure points within the back, hips, and other susceptible areas of the sleeper’s body.

The wrong mattress firmness, on the opposite hand, can cause nightly distress and cause more aches and pains. This guide will discuss the various mattress firmness and the way these settings impact sleep quality.

What is mattress firmness?

When discussing mattresses, ‘firmness’ refers to how soft or firm the bed feels to individual sleepers. Firmness is directly tied to the highest comfort layers of the mattress.

These layers are often made of textiles like polyfoam, memory foam, and latex. they're developed to cushion the sleeper and act to produce a cushion for the firmer, thicker materials found within the bed’s support centre. The firmness suggests how closely the mattress will conform to the sleeper’s body.

Another significant mattress factor, support, is usually mistaken for firmness. Support guides the bed’s capability to supply a flat, even surface that underestimates pressure points and keeps the spine aligned. While the comfort layers impact firmness, the bed’s bottom layers – called the support core – play the foremost significant role in mattress supportive qualities.

Additionally, conforming ability is distinct from firmness. Conforming ability refers to how consistently the mattress contours to the sleeper’s body without sagging under the shoulders, core and other heavy areas. Ultimately, a mattress shopper should take firmness, support, and conforming ability under consideration before deciding which model is best for them.

Firmness scale

Soft/Very Soft

Support: Softer mattresses offer good support for those who weigh but 130 pounds – particularly side sleepers who want to enhance their spinal alignment. Heavier people often find softer beds provide inadequate support and sag excessively.

Conforming ability: Soft mattresses conform very closely to the sleeper’s body – too closely for a few. Expect a decent, body-hugging sensation.

Lifespan: Softer mattress materials tend to deteriorate more quickly. As a result, mattresses with exceptionally soft comfort layers typically have shorter lifespans than those with firmer layers.

Price: Many mattresses are ‘Extra Soft’ or ‘Soft’ because they're constructed with several comfort layers, including memory foam and latex components. These materials can push up the worth point by an oversized margin. More delicate mattresses tend to be dearer for this reason.

Medium Firm

Support: Mattresses with moderate firmness settings offer stable, adequate support without sacrificing surface comfort. This makes them ideal for people that weigh 130 to 230 pounds and sleep in any position.

Conforming ability: ‘Medium Soft’ to ‘Medium Firm’ mattresses provide a balance of cushioning and support, leading to moderate but consistent body contouring.

Lifespan: In terms of longevity, these mattresses tend to outlast softer models but don't seem to be as durable as ‘Firm’ or ‘Extra Firm’ beds.

Price: ‘Medium Soft’ to ‘Medium Firm’ mattresses tend to possess fewer cushioning layers than their softer, dearer counterparts. Price points for these mattresses are on par with industry averages.

Firm

Support: ‘Firm’ and ‘Extra Firm’ mattresses sink little or no, if at all. This makes them suitable for folks that weigh over 230 pounds – particularly back and stomach sleepers who need a flat, even surface with permanently spinal alignment.

Conforming ability: Firmer mattresses usually have thinner comfort layers that conform to a minimal extent. While this can be often ideal for heavier people, those weighing but 230 pounds may find that the bed doesn’t conform closely enough to alleviate discomfort and align their spine.

Lifespan: Firmer mattresses have the longest lifespans because the materials are denser and more immune to indentations, sagging, and other kinds of wear and tear.

Price: Because they lack the padding materials that always increase price points, ‘Firm’ and ‘Extra Firm’ mattresses tend to be cheaper than their softer counterparts.