Ah, mattress shopping. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than laying fully clothed on a bare mattress while a hovering sales clerk asks, “how does that feel?” My answer usually includes some obscure guesstimate of “too firm” or “too soft.” Well, I say enough with the Goldilocks conundrum. We asked John Shaw, director of the Sleep Studio at Cantoni, for some advice on what to look for when mattress shopping. Here are some tips to help you find the one that’s “just right”:
- The best mattress will provide spinal alignment. The mattress needs to respond to your curves in a way that allows your spine to be straight when you lie on your side and maintain its natural curve when you lie on your back.
- Once you’ve narrowed your search down to 2-3 mattresses, invest in your test drive. Spend at least 10-15 minutes in your primary sleeping position on each mattress.
- If you have allergies to mattress synthetics or the chemical fire retardants, consider natural and hypoallergenic options.
- This seems obvious, but remember to dress comfortably when shopping—nothing tight or constricting.
- Don’t be afraid to invest in your mattress. Thousands of dollars can seem like a lot when paid all at once but think of what you’re paying per night. The average mattress lasts 10 years. So, for example, a $20,000 mattress comes out to $2.80 a night per person. Not so bad considering you probably spend more than that on your daily vanilla latte.
