Mattresses

Despite high prices and manufacturer claims, very little research has actually been conducted to learn which mattresses are the most comfortable, according to this article. Mary Duenwald provides advice and… commentary from experts on what to look for when selecting a mattress, as well as some basic shopping guidelines and how to tell whether your existing mattress needs to be replaced. However, no specific recommendations are made as to the best models, brands or types of mattresses.

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This excellent article in Choice, a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, does not rate individual mattresses, but does provide overall buying information. It goes into great detail about… coil construction and spinal alignment as well as mattress selection for individuals with special health needs. It's an excellent overall primer for the shopper who wants to fully understand mattress construction.

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Buzzillions.com compiles owner reviews from various online retailers, but users can also post reviews directly to Buzzillions.com. This site is a particularly helpful resource when looking for information… on products -- like mattresses -- that tend to receive only a few reviews spread across several retailer websites. Leggett & Platt's 10-inch memory foam mattress receives a large number of reviews with a high overall rating here, as does another 10-inch memory foam mattress manufactured by MerchSource.

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Though Macy's lists neither the rating nor the number of reviews on the main search page, we still give it high marks for ease of use. Customers can browse by price range, brand, size and firmness.… Unfortunately, there are few user comments in general, and even mattresses listed as customer favorites have only a handful of evaluations; some none at all. We also question the criteria used to select favorites since some of the mattresses listed earn only mediocre customer ratings and some highly negative comments. On the upside, most of the comments are thoughtfully written and provided useful information.

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Daniel Burrows and Liz Hoffman have compiled many pages of information on viscoelastic memory-foam and latex mattresses, along with a smaller amount of information on other types. Although no specific… brands are particularly recommended, the site has good information on memory-foam densities, temperature sensitivity, types, construction and more. There are some good pro/con lists comparing types. It seems the editors prefer latex over other types, but there isn't a strong endorsement.

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Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell University, offers tips for choosing a mattress that will promote good spinal health. Hedge urges readers to look for a mattress designed to conform to the… spine's natural curves, as well as to distribute pressure evenly to help circulation and minimize the transfer of movement from one sleeping partner to the other. In a peer-review comment, Dr. Richard D. Guyer of the Texas Back Institute adds some practical pointers on dealing with the mattress-buying experience.

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This study, which was funded by airbed manufacturer Select Comfort, compares self-reported sleep and pain scores among back-pain patients after sleeping on a new Select Comfort airbed and on their own… innerspring mattress. On the surface, the results seem to indicate that the Select Comfort airbed is very beneficial for those with back pain. However, no objective measurements were used to assess the patients, and it's hard to tell how much of their improvement may be a placebo effect, or simply the result of sleeping on a new mattress.

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