Choosing a mattress by lying on it
Mattresses are the hardest thing in a furniture shop to buy well, because the labels describe the construction and what you need to know is how it feels under you. Firmness is a fit, not a grade, and the fit depends on how you sleep and what you weigh.
What you get
- Help matching firmness to how you actually sleep, and to the base you already own
Step by step
- 1
Come at a time you can stay a while
Ten minutes on a mattress is not too long, and two minutes tells you nothing. If you share a bed, come together and lie on it at the same time.
- 2
Lie the way you sleep
In your usual position, with a pillow. Your lower back should feel supported with no gap under it, and your shoulder and hip should sink in enough that your spine stays roughly straight.
- 3
Check what is under it at home
A foam mattress on slats more than 7 to 8 cm apart will sag between them, and some warranties require a maximum gap. Measure your slats before you choose.
Quoted after a visit
Not listed here yet. Ask in the showroom or send a message.
- Anybody replacing a mattress they have had for years and cannot judge any more
- Couples who want different things from the same mattress
- People with back or shoulder pain who have been told to change their mattress
About mattress and sleep consultation
Ten minutes, in the position you actually sleep in, with a pillow. Sitting on the edge tells you nothing at all.
Side sleepers usually want soft to medium, back sleepers medium to firm, front sleepers firm. Go a step firmer if you are heavier, because the same mattress compresses more under more weight.
What this usually involves buying
Sofas
Read the guideBeds
Read the guideCome and sit on it
Bring your measurements. The doorway, the turn at the top of the stairs, and the wall it has to go against. Those three numbers prevent most of the problems.