Popular Mattresses

Keep memory foam in mind, along with our mattress buying tips.

If you live to the full average life span of around 75 years, you will spend 25 years of your life in bed. Buying a quality mattress isn't just an extravagance; it's a major life decision. A quality mattress will improve your health, comfort, and overall well being. Keep that in mind as you're on the hunt for the most popular mattresses.

Memory foam mattress

Famously derived from NASA technology, a memory foam mattress will sense your body's heat and conform itself to the shape of your body, increasing your comfort and easing chronic back pain.

There are many memory foam mattress companies in the market today:

Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic boasts that its memory foam mattress is the only one recognized by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation. Tempur-Pedic also claims that its memory foam mattress is more technologically advanced than other brands. Marketing aside, the Tempur-Pedic memory foam mattress is considered one of the very best available.

Serta
You'll likely remember Serta for their sheep counting television ads, but the Serta memory foam mattress is also known for being both durable and comfortable.

Sealy
Sealy's memory foam mattress is known as the TrueForm, and comes with a 20-year limited warranty.

Simmons
The Simmons memory foam mattress is known as the Caresse, though there is also the Caresse Ultra and the Caresse Ultimate, the latter of which features an additional 2 inches of memory foam pillow top.

Other mattresses

While memory foam mattresses receive the most attention, traditional innerspring mattresses are far from obsolete. The Simmons Beautyrest and BackCare brands are well regarded, as is the Sealy Posturepedic.

Futon mattresses also remain popular either for an extra bed or a favorite napping location. Sealy makes some high quality futon mattresses that are terrific for occasional use.

Mattress shopping tips

As with cars, it's highly recommended that you take any mattress for a "test drive" before you purchase it. No, that doesn't mean you have to spend the night in the mattress store, but don't be afraid to spend fifteen minutes lounging on a mattress you think you might want to take home.

Firmer is better…sometimes.
Firmer mattresses are usually the most popular mattresses, but that doesn't mean they're better at preventing back pain. A mattress that's too soft can also cause back or spinal problems.

Higher coil counts are better…sort of.
When you talk to a mattress salesperson, they'll probably tell you that a higher coil count will result in better sleep and a more durable mattress. Maybe so. But keep in mind that some mattresses offer more coils but use thinner wire, or thicker wire and fewer coils. That doesn't mean you should just throw your hands up and sleep on the floor. Just don't spend more than you intended to if you can't physically feel a difference.

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