If you are looking for a new mattress, this guide can help. Here is what to consider when choosing a mattress for Jacksonville homeowners.

Whether you have purchased a new home in the Jacksonville area or it is time for a replacement, choosing a mattress is a big decision.

93% of people say finding the right mattress improves the quality of their sleep. Sleeping on the wrong bed can cause issues including insomnia, allergies, discomfort, body aches, and pain. 

But how do you know if you are purchasing the right mattress? There are various types of mattresses. The ideal mattress varies in definition from person to person. 

Buying a new mattress might feel like a complicated process.

We are breaking the process down with our guide to choosing the perfect mattress for your Jacksonville home.

Is It Time for a New Mattress?

The average mattress has a life span of 7 to 10 years. So how do you know if it's time for a new one? 

If you or your partner find you are waking up more through the night, it might be time for a new mattress. If you are suddenly experiencing any of the following things, your mattress could be nearing its end.

• Feeling your partner move during the night
• Tossing and turning throughout the night
• Aches and pain
• Numbness
• Wake up feeling groggy and not well-rested

If your mattress is suddenly creaking and making an unusual noise, it could indicate a change in its quality. You can also detect a difference in quality if the mattress feels as though it is sagging or less supportive. Finally, increased allergies may mean the mattress has run its course.

Some mattresses last longer than others, for example, innerspring mattresses only last 7 or 8 years. But memory foam and pillow top mattresses are more durable and last up to 10 years.

Choosing a Mattress You Love

A mattress is a significant investment. There are a lot of things to consider before choosing a mattress. You should ensure the mattress is the right fit for you before deciding on one.

Here are some of the things you should consider before choosing a mattress.

Comfort

When it comes to mattresses, comfort is subjective. What you look for in a bed might be different than what others consider comfortable, including your partner. 

Before shopping, you should consider the different beds you and your partner have slept in (hotels, guest rooms, etc.). Try to figure out which mattresses brought you the most comfort.

When you begin shopping for a mattress, make sure you are testing them out. You should lay on a display mattress for at least 10 minutes to ensure you feel comfortable. 

A comfortable mattress will help minimize sleep disruptions during the night. 

Support

Support is crucial to the performance of any mattress.

When lying on a mattress, you should feel like your neck and lower back are in a neutral position. Supportive mattresses keep your spine aligned.

Your body should feel supported and not like you are sinking or sagging into any area. It will help prevent pain in places like your back. 

Pressure Relief

Besides providing support, a good mattress should distribute your weight. 

By dispersing your weight, the mattress should relieve pressure points in your body. It can help to eliminate any aches and pain from developing. 

Support and pressure relief correlate to the firmness of a mattress. But these are all very different things.

Firmness

Firmness is how hard or soft a mattress is. It impacts the pressure relief, support, and comfort the bed provides. It is so essential, the mattress industry created a standard firmness scale.

The firmness of a mattress is on a scale from 1 to 10. Although ultra-soft mattresses with a rating of 1 are not on the market because they are too weak. Mattresses are graded the following way.

• 1-2/10 Ultra Soft 
• 3-5/10 Soft
• 6-7/10 Medium-Firm
• 8-9/10 Firm
• 10/10 Ultra Firm

Much like comfort, the appropriate level of firmness in a mattress differs from person to person. But, 80% of people prefer to sleep on mattresses between 3 and 7 on the firmness scale. 

Sleeping Position

Your preferred sleeping position also impacts the type of mattress you purchase. 

If you are a stomach sleeper, you may choose a firm mattress. But if you are a side sleeper or someone who sleeps on your back, you may select a medium-firm mattress because it will alleviate pressure and provide support. Combination sleepers who change position often, or couples who need to compromise, may prefer a medium-firm mattress.

Responsiveness

You can gauge the responsiveness of a mattress by how well it adjusts to your movement. 

Moving around in your sleep is normal, but a good mattress will quickly adjust to your body, without disrupting your comfort level. It can minimize how often your sleep is interrupted during the night. It can also ensure you don't interrupt your partner's sleep. 

Motion Transfer

We all remember the old mattress commercials where a bowling ball drops on one side of the bed to prove the other side is uninterrupted. The commercials demonstrated motion transfer. 

High-quality mattresses will absorb motion, which is especially important if you share your bed with a partner. If you or your partner are waking up because of each other's changing positions, your mattress is not doing a good job with motion transfer.

Edge Support

Edge support is the support provided around the perimeter of a mattress. 

This support helps encase the top of a mattress to prevent sagging or rolling toward the edge of the bed.

Edge support is also vital for anyone sitting on the edge of the bed, particularly those with pain or mobility issues. It can help provide a supportive spot to sit without compromising the mattress.

Temperature and Airflow

The need for airflow is significant because of the warm climate and humidity in Jacksonville. 

Your mattress must allow for good airflow. If the temperature of your mattress gets too hot, it can impact your comfort level. 

Memory foam and pillow top mattresses can get too warm. If you are choosing a mattress, you must understand the different materials in it. Make sure the mattress design encourages airflow.

Durability

Your mattress should last you several years. 

Read many online reviews of the product you are looking at before making a purchase. Ensure the company you purchase your mattress from is well-established and has a good reputation. 

You should pay attention to the quality of the mattress and ensure it is durable. You should also make sure it comes with a comprehensive warranty.

Size and Thickness

Mattresses come in varying sizes, including twin, full, queen, king, and California king.

Before you go shopping, you should know which size of mattress is appropriate for the room it's going in. Make sure you can get the mattress into your home with ease. 

The thickness of a mattress also matters. Your mattress should rise out of the bed's foundation without lifting you up too high. Please pay attention to the thickness, as it varies from mattress to mattress.

Harmful Chemicals and Allergens

We spend a lot of time sleeping on a mattress. Your mattress must be free of harmful chemicals, toxins, or allergens that will impact your health.

Make sure any mattress you buy has a green certificate. A green mattress is labeled as certPUR-US. You can also look for mattresses made from organic materials.

Sinkage

When you test a mattress, pay attention to how much your body sinks or sags. It is okay to slip into a soft mattress a bit, provided the bed is pushing back, contouring, and supporting your body. 

You should not feel like your spine is unaligned. If you do, the mattress will not be able to provide the support you need.

Understanding the Different Types of Mattresses

There's a wide variety of mattresses on the market. The different types of mattresses provide varying degrees of support and comfort. A variety of materials go into the different mattresses.

So how do you determine which type of mattress is best for you?

Let's break down the different styles of mattresses and talk about the pros and cons of each of them.

Innerspring Mattresses

One of the more traditional types of mattresses is the innerspring mattress. These mattresses are also commonly referred to as coil mattresses. 

As the name suggests, these mattresses use coil technology. The more coils in a mattress, the higher the support and quality. As a general rule of thumb, any mattress with less than 420 Bonnell coils is not high quality.

These mattresses are known for providing excellent airflow. Airflow is essential to people living in a warmer climate like Jacksonville. The mattress will help keep your temperature cool.

Innerspring mattresses provide edge support. They will not contour to the body. Because of their coils, these mattresses are responsive and provide a great bounce.

Unfortunately, these are harder to move around, which can even make making a bed more difficult. Although often more expensive than other mattresses, innerspring mattresses will only last 7 to 8 years on average.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam mattresses have become some of the most popular.

These mattresses blend support foam with a layer of memory foam, providing support. They are some of the most comfortable mattresses available. They help those who experience back pain, hip discomfort, and issues with motion transfer by contouring and lifting the body.

These are not ideal mattresses for those who sleep on their stomach because they may not provide enough support. 

Memory foam mattresses are low in VOC (volatile organic compound emission), which can help improve the air quality in your home. You should ensure the mattress uses polyurethane. Avoid foams with formaldehyde, ozone depleters, or other harmful chemicals.

These mattresses are more affordable and can last up to 10 years before needing replacement. Traditional memory foam gets too warm. If you are buying memory foam mattresses in Jacksonville, you should make sure they use gels or other technology to help increase airflow and stay regulated.

Hybrid Mattresses

Pillow tops are mattresses that have an extra layer of padding sewn on the top to make them feel plusher. It can make a mattress seem softer while eliminating the feeling of firmness created by the innerspring in the mattress.

Pillow tops are a more affordable mattress option. They are an ideal option for consumers in Jacksonville. The coils provide incredible airflow, allowing you to regulate your temperature and stay more relaxed. 

These mattresses are more responsive than memory foam mattresses, but they do not isolate motion in the same way because of the coils. 

Euro-top mattresses are much like pillow-top mattresses, but the extra support layer is underneath the mattress cover. It provides better edge support as well. They appear thicker than a regular pillow top mattress.

Pillow-top mattresses are more affordable than memory foam mattresses. But, the coils wear out much faster, making them far less durable. If you're looking for a mattress with a longer life span, this is not the ideal style for you.

Latex Mattresses

Latex mattresses blend latex with foam or springs to create exceptional support. 

These mattresses also offer cooling properties, making them an excellent option for someone living in a Jacksonville home. The increased airflow makes it easy to regulate your body temperature. 

Latex mattresses are also the longest-lasting mattresses, with a life span of up to 15 years. Because of their durability, latex mattresses are more expensive than other mattress types. 

They are also cumbersome and dense, making them awkward to move or even to put the sheets on your bed. If the ability to move your mattress with ease is a priority, this may not be the ideal mattress for you.

Mattress Buying Tips

If you have determined which type of mattress is best for you, it is time to create your mattress shopping checklist!

Purchasing a mattress is a big deal because it's a significant, long-term investment that impacts your quality of life. It can feel overwhelming, but by taking the following steps, you can ensure choosing a mattress is a smooth process and avoid buyer's remorse.

Measure the Space

Before you start shopping, measure the space you are looking to fill in your room. Failing to do so is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when buying a mattress.

Consider other bedroom furniture in the space. You may also want to consider your bed frame or the mattress' foundation to ensure you buy the appropriate mattress.

Gather Recommendations 

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to gather unbiased and honest reviews. Ask friends and family or your following on social media to share their mattress recommendations with you. 

This process can help you determine which mattress brands are preferred. It can also help you determine which local businesses provide the best customer service and warranty coverage.

If you struggle with pain or discomfort, you may also want to ask your doctor or registered massage therapist for advice on the best mattress. They might be able to help you find a bed that can help you feel better.

Do Your Research

Even if you are not buying a mattress online, browsing online can help you find the best mattress. Spend time researching different mattresses that might be a good fit for you. Online browsing can assist in comparing mattress prices as well.

Make sure you know the reputation of various mattress brands and products. You may also want a basic understanding of return and warranty policies of each mattress provider.

Feeling confident and knowledgeable will help you make an informed decision when shopping for your new mattress.

Test the Mattresses

You should make sure you are testing different types of mattresses. 

Kick your shoes off and lay down on the display models with your partner for 10 to 15 minutes. This process can help you determine how comfortable the mattress will be and whether it is right for you.

Begin by lying on your back to determine if the mattress is too soft. If you have a preferred sleeping position, you may want to lie in it for a while. You may also want to pay attention to any weird odors, as they may reveal chemicals or smells that will not disappear.

Read the Reviews

If you believe you have found the mattress for you, it is time to read the reviews. Thanks to the internet, there are online reviews for everything. You can do a quick search even while you're in the store.

Please ensure you read product reviews posted outside of the manufacturer's websites. It will provide you with an unbiased perspective. It would help if you looked for a mix of positive, neutral, and negative reviews to understand the product's pros and cons.

If the reviews check out and there are no red flags, it is time to take the next step in purchasing your mattress.

Trial, Delivery, Return, and Warranty Policies

In reality, you need a few weeks to sleep on a mattress before determining if it is right for you. That's why most respected mattress providers provide a reasonable trial period. The standard is 100 days, but make sure you have at least 30 days.

It will allow you to take your new mattress home, test it out, and determine how it improves your sleep. If it doesn't work out, you should be able to return it.

Make sure you understand the delivery and return policy of the mattress business. Read the fine print, and confirm there will not be any issues returning the mattress within the specified time frame if you need to.

You will also need to read the fine print on the warranty for your mattress. Mattresses should offer long-term coverage. Ensure you know what the extended warranty covers.

Sometimes purchasing a foundation from a different brand can void the warranty of your mattress. You might want to ask about this before buying a new mattress, especially if you already have a foundation at home.

Caring for Your Mattress

Make sure you buy extra items to help care for your new mattress. 

These items include the proper foundation for your mattress. Mattresses must be raised off the floor using a box spring or bunkie board system. Doing this helps to prolong their life.

You will also need a mattress protector to protect you from accidents like spills, leaks, sweat, etc. 

The Best Mattresses for Jacksonville Homeowners

Now that you understand what to look for in a bed and the different types of mattresses available, you might wonder where to find the best mattresses in Jacksonville.

Our team at JaxCo Furniture can help you find the perfect mattress. We offer a wide range of different styles and exceptional customer service. We are Jacksonville's most trusted furniture provider, with most of our business coming from referrals and return customers.

We are one of the most affordable stores in the area, and we can help you find a high-quality, supportive mattress within your budget.

You can also feel confident that your purchase is going to a good cause. Part of our profit goes toward supporting the Jacksonville community every month.

Finding the Right Mattress

Choosing a mattress that is right for you might feel like an overwhelming experience. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Using this helpful guide, you can feel confident in the mattress you purchase and ensure a night of better sleep for years to come. 

If you want some help finding the perfect mattress in Jacksonville, our team at JaxCo can help you. Contact us today to get started. Let us help you improve your sleep.