When buying a new mattress, pay attention to how heavy (or light) this new mattress is. Especially if you plan on squeezing that gigantic thing through your door all on your own. Let’s be real here – we would all like a mattress that is big and sprawling.
Waking up to a bed that’s super comfy and large – that’s appealing to people regardless of their bedding preferences.
In this article, we condense critical weight and size information to help you better understand what mattress is the best buy for you.
What sizes are mattresses available in?
There are several size conventions that are followed around the world. In this post, we would only focus on US sizes.
This will not cover bespoke mattresses. If you are unaware, bespoke mattresses are custom made mattresses that are made to your exact size requirement rather than the standard size.
There are several things that are different in bespoke mattresses from a standard one but that is beyond the scope of this article.
What is the depth of a mattress?
Mattress depth usually ranges from 12 to 14 inches. Some brands, typically the ones that specialize in innerspring, will have their mattresses at the range of 11-12 inches.
It’s not a stark difference but does go a long way in the overall comfort and longevity of your mattress.
Does mattress weight determine its quality?
It is safe to say that everyone wants to have a peaceful night’s sleep. And a mattress can be instrumental in achieving that objective.
Poor mattresses can lead to tossing and turning in bed, restlessness, REM-less sleep, possible back pain, and other medical complications. Higher quality mattresses address these issues adequately and can help you get a good night’s rest and yield deep, restful sleep.
They also tend to last longer than their cheaper counterparts.
Many people assume that the weight of a mattress determines its overall quality.
This is quite untrue and the logic of this is unfounded. It is often true that the higher quality mattresses weigh more than their cheaper counterparts, but that is mostly because of their filling and/or materials used to manufacture it.
Weight is a by-product of a good mattress, not a determinant of it. Therefore you shouldn’t immediately judge a mattress by its weight.
Also, it’s important to note that mattresses often have completely different materials with which they are made.
Any given memory foam mattress is heavier than an innerspring mattress. But that doesn’t speak to the qualities of either the memory foam mattress or the innerspring one.
The common mattress makes.
Mattresses that are commercially available are usually made to be the following types:
- Innerspring mattresses.
- Memory foam mattresses.
- Regular foam mattresses.
- Pillow top mattresses.
- Gel mattresses.
- Hybrid mattresses.
Innerspring mattresses are usually comprised of coils of various kinds.
Most coils in the mattress are individual, meaning there are multiple coils placed around the mattress that give it its signature bounce.
However, there are certain cheaper mattresses, especially the kind that were manufactured in the last decade, where the coils are all one-piece.
In that case, they are individually wrapped in the frame of a metal trampoline to better support the sleeper.
Memory foam mattresses are usually made using viscoelastic polyurethane.
The idea behind a memory foam mattress is that the surface of the mattress contours to the shape of the person lying on it.
It is an intelligent design that snaps back to its original shape as soon as the weight is lifted, i.e. the person gets up.
However, it has some serious drawbacks. For once, polyurethane is notoriously hot when compared to other types of mattresses.
This makes memory foam mattresses quite unpopular in places with tropical climates. The best way to navigate this drawback is to choose a gel mattress.
Gel mattresses are identical to memory foam mattresses in design with just one tiny alteration.
Gel mattresses typically have a method to dissipate heat thus allowing sleepers to have a cooler surface to sleep on. However, they both can be a bit smelly at times.
Regular foam mattresses are very popular with the general buying public. They are lighter than memory foam mattresses but are not necessarily worse in quality. Another popular foam choice is latex.
Latex is quite pliable although not as much as polyurethane and definitely lacks the support of separated coils like in the innersprings.
Latex mattresses are sort of the middle ground between memory foam and inner spring mattresses.
Pillow top mattresses are regular innersprings that come with a top that is attached and is softer than the underlying support. Hybrid mattresses are usually made from a combination of materials/build to get the best of both worlds in terms of features.
The most common hybrid mattress type available in the market sport a gel top on innerspring body. Often times, the top has a layer of memory foam underneath the gel for better contouring.
There are also custom hybrid beds available that allow you to have difference firmness settings on each side of the bed.
Lastly, there are piston hybrids that are basically beds made out of springs that can be raised up or down to create a sloped surface for sleeping.
They are especially beneficial to people suffering from lower back pain.
What is the weight of an average mattress?
With regards to memory foam, a heavier mattress is demonstrative of higher density.
Density alludes to how much a square foot of material gauges. Low-density memory foam mattresses (beneath 4.0 lb) are lighter since they are comprised of fewer, bigger cells.
Denser memory foam (over 4.0 lb) is heavier on the grounds that it contains a more prominent density of cells, bringing about an increasingly responsive and tough product.
Weight of these mattress types can extend from around 40-60 pounds for a Twin, to 120-160 pounds for a Queen and around 130 to 180 pounds for a King size.
The general weight is a mix of the mattress core density, the density of the memory foam layers, and the amount of material in the bed.
Consequently, bigger sizes will gauge more as will thicker mattresses.
Should I be worried about the weight of a mattress?
The heaviness of a mattress is insignificant when it comes to its lifespan.
The essential reason you should have worries about this is if you’re planning to move the bed into another room or setting it up for the first time.
Most present day bed frames and furnishings ought to have no issue supporting a memory foam bed.
Memory foam vs innerspring.
Memory foam mattresses will be heavier than most innerspring ones because of the idea of constructional contrasts.
Spring beds include inward support frameworks made of open or pocketed metal coils, followed by foam or cushioning. Since the center has open space and is considerably less thick than the memory foam material, the final product is lighter.
All things considered, a spring bed can weigh between 20-150 pounds relying upon size and materials.
Beds with thick pillow tops that contain denser foams will weigh more.
Memory foam vs latex.
Memory foam and latex beds will in general be comparative on weight, however almost certainly, quality latex foam will weigh more than even most high-density memory foam beds.
This is on the grounds that heavy latex is utilized all through the mattress.
By and large, an all-latex mattress may weigh between 60-250 pounds relying upon thickness and size.
Memory foam vs air bed.
Air beds are made out of inflatable elastic chambers set inside a mattress encasement.
The support framework made of air makes mattresses that are lighter than memory foam by and large.
A few models contain foam pillowtops that can influence weight significantly. Air beds will weigh somewhere in the range of 20 and 90 pounds, in general.
Related questions.
Is it advisable to order mattresses online?
It is generally a good idea to go to the store and lie on your preferred mattress before deciding to buy. This is because of two reasons: one, it gives you some real perspective.
A memory foam mattress on sale for a couple thousand dollars may seem like a good buy to you from reading the reviews but going to the store, you may find that the four hundred dollar innerspring is much more to your taste. Two, you’d actually get a feel for your mattress before you decide to pay.
Mattresses are an investment and you should always strive to make a good one. Sleeping on the mattress at the store gives you the peace of mind and confidence that is difficult to achieve buying online.
But does that mean ordering from online stores is a bad idea? Absolutely not! There are often web only special deals that are too good to miss and the online offerings are traditionally cheaper than the store ones since they have less expenditure in terms of operating a brick and mortar store.
Many of the brands that are exclusively online are quite reputed and well known for their service. The best advice if you’re looking to buy online is to choose brands that are well established, read reviews and then decide on the purchase.
Moreover, most such brands allow you impressive sleep trial times (from 90 to 180 days) which guarantees your peace of mind as a buyer. Plus they often also come with extensive warranties that most store bought ones won’t cover.
At the end of the day, the choice comes down to personal preference. Some people will prefer stores while others will give a shot at buying online. Buying online can certainly be rewarding if you simply just follow the simple guidelines we outlined here.