Interiors Addict's guide to choosing a new mattress

Disclosure: My new bed was gifted by Forty Winks. Positive coverage was not guaranteed.

A decent bed is something you probably only shell out for a few times in a lifetime and by decent, I mean a step up from the cheapo one you get for your first share house. Like many things in life, you’re often reluctant to splash the cash on something which isn’t all that exciting (reminds me of my recent washing machine purchase!). It’s not like a new lounge which you can choose depending on your personal style and what’s trendy and show off to your mates when they come over. When you buy a new mattress (and they’re often more costly than the bed they sit on) you don’t invite people round to check it out. That would be weird! But, considering you spend a good third of your life in bed, as well as the psychological and health benefits associated with getting a decent kip, buying yourself a good night’s sleep should be more of a considered purchase than you might think.

These days, however, there are so many options it can be a bit baffling. And with people’s reluctance to accept the help of a salesperson in the local bed shop due to a fear of being given the hard sell, I can see why most people might give up and put it in the too hard basket. So, after my recent mattress and bed choosing experience at Forty Winks in Auburn, I thought I’d share with you some of what I’ve learned about mattresses!

The latest mattress technology

POCKETED SPRING TECHNOLOGY

Pocket springs are springs that are separately contained to work independently. Each coil sits within an encased fabric pocket, all joined to create an inner spring which stops movement from transferring across the bed providing minimum partner disturbance. These pockets can be zoned to specific areas, providing optimal orthopaedic support moulding to the contour of your body. Recent spring developments include titanium enriched springs, variable response pocketed coils with secondary reflex support coils.

REFLEX ZONED SUPPORT SYSTEM

Designed in conjunction with and supported by the International Chiropractors Association, King Koil’s new Reflex Zoned Support System (exclusive to Forty Winks) is a revolution in mattress comfort and support providing advanced spring technology. Individually encased Primary Coils gently contour to your body shape to minimise pressure and maximise support, while Active Coils positioned in specific zones intuitively respond to body weight and shape to provide support where it’s needed most. Reflex Support Systems provide even body weight distribution and are particularly suitable for sleeping partners with significantly varying sizes, weights and shapes.

GEL INFUSED PRODUCTS

FlexGel and similar gel products have been on the market for some time but this is now evolving. FlexGel is a revolutionary cellular material that provides medically proven muscle and joint pressure release allowing better circulation, superior airflow and breathability to regulate a comfortable sleeping temperature and hyper-allergenic benefits to help people with allergies get a better night’s rest. Gel Infused Memory Foam is a popular choice for consumers – both cool and supportive the infused gel helps to cool the sleeper and transfer heat away from the surface while holding the contour of your body.

MEMORY FOAM

A synthetic alternative to Latex, Memory Foam is a growing segment in the Australian market. Best suited to people with pressure related discomfort, benefits of this comfort layer include contouring support, pressure relief and minimised movement. Forty Winks offers an impressive range of mattresses and ensembles from Australia’s leading suppliers. From King Koil and Sleepmaker to Sealy Posturepedic and Tempur, there are options to suit all comfort and sleep needs.

The reality of choosing a bed

Please don’t be baffled by the information above. You really do need to go and try them out for yourself. Campbell Singer, the manager at Forty Winks Auburn, took us through a variety of beds in our price range, all the while stopping it getting too confusing by limiting how many ‘favourites’ we kept as we went along. The process of elimination is important. We talked about my husband’s shoulder problems and what position we sleep in. We were really encouraged to have a good lie down on the beds. Campbell said many people simply sit on beds and decide they don’t feel right, when the truth is they will feel a whole lot different when you lie your whole body on them. If you sleep on your side, don’t try out beds on your back. It sounds obvious, but it can seem a little confronting to sprawl across a bed in a showroom in the recovery position, which is how I sleep and what I had to do. You soon get over yourself though!

The one

When we finally settled on what we thought was ‘the one,’ Campbell encouraged us to find the right kind of pillow, settle down and spend a good 10 minutes seeing how it felt to lie on. It’s been a week since our Serta iRespond Medium ensemble arrived and we are loving it!

iRespond_Medium (2) — The bed we chose, for how it felt, not its looks! It now has a rather lovely upholstered headboard attached!

Things that surprised me about Forty Winks

They sell mattresses at all price points. While they’re known for stocking the big name, established brands, they also have plenty of options for people on a budget or those, for example, looking for something for an infrequently used guest bedroom.
They sell a lot of really on-trend beds with plenty of upholstered headboards in Warwick Fabrics.
They also sell bedroom furniture such as bedsides and ottomans.
A lot of their stock is Australian made.

My biggest advice?

Accept the help offered to you in the bed showroom. Tell them how you sleep, what you want to spend and what your areas of concern are. It’s not just about selling you a bed at a certain price, but selling you the right bed in your budget as there’ll be several options.

Remember that a bed isn’t just a piece of furniture. As Forty Winks say, they’re not selling you a bed but a good night’s sleep. I’ve certainly had a few of those lately!

Find your nearest Forty Winks store.