Who wouldn’t want that? The best mattress for a great night’s sleep and to wake up rested, or to Netflix for hours on end. Everyone has their own wishes, which is why we went in search of answers to the question: which mattress suits me?

How do you choose a mattress that’s right for you?

Choosing a mattress is not something you do lightly. You sleep on it almost every night and a good mattress prevents a lot of physical problems later in life. So it is important to ask yourself, what kind of mattress do I need to meet my needs? To determine your needs it is good to look at your body weight and your sleeping position. It is also good to know whether you get hot or cold easily. If you find the answers to these questions, the choice is immediately a lot easier.

Choosing the best mattress for your sleeping position

Try to determine for yourself whether you sleep the most on your stomach, back or on your side. This is because there are differences in pressure distribution on the mattress between these different sleeping positions. Fortunately, there are also mattresses that offer support for all sleeping positions, but first we explain what the most desirable properties for a mattress are for each sleeping position.

Mattress back sleeper

A back sleeper generally benefits most from a medium to firm mattress. If the mattress is too soft, the hips can sink in too much, which is not good for the lower back. Because the hip and back area must be well supported, it is important that the mattress offers sufficient firmness. A mattress with a firm base is therefore ideal for the back sleeper. However, the back sleeper will benefit from the top layer (comfort layer) being slightly less firm. It is nice if your buttocks can sink a little, so that your back can make good contact. The mattress must therefore be firm in the base, but mouldable in the top layer.

Mattress side sleeper

A side sleeper creates pressure points mainly in the hip and shoulder areas. It is therefore important that the mattress offers a little more room to sink in in these areas. Therefore, choose a mattress that supports the different zones of the body individually with different hardnesses. This is usually indicated by the term ‘7-zone mattress’. This can be done, among other things, through different pocket springs or with cut-outs in the foam. Furthermore, even for a side sleeper, a firm base combined with a less firm top layer offers the best sleeping comfort. Thus all parts of the body receive both support and comfort.

Mattress stomach sleeper

Sleeping on the stomach is not the best position for the neck and back. Your neck is twisted and your back is often hollow. If you are a stomach sleeper, you will benefit most from a medium to firm mattress (depending on your body weight) that has a good ventilating top layer. Sometimes you lie in your mattress to breathe. In addition, it is no superfluous luxury if the top layer moulds somewhat to the body, since this evens out the torsion in the body.

Different mattress sizes

Most people like a nice big bed with room for all the fun bed activities, but when you buy a new mattress, it should of course match your box spring or slatted base. If you have an electrically adjustable bed, you should be able to adjust both sides independently of each other. In addition, the Dutch are getting taller, so we are looking for mattresses that are 210 or 220 cm long.

Right width mattress

Below are the mattress types, with corresponding width sizes listed.

  • Single Mattress (70 cm, 80 cm, 90 cm, 100 cm)
  • Doublet (120 cm and 140 cm)
  • Double mattress (160 cm, 180 cm, 200 cm, 210 cm 220 cm)
  • Kingsize mattress ( All sizes from 180 cm and wider)

There is also talk of Queen size, but this is actually an American / English size (152 x 203 cm). In the Netherlands and most of Europe, Queen size is considered the 160 x 200 cm size.

Right length mattress

Determine the length of your mattress. Mistakes are sometimes made here. These are the most common lengths;

  • Mattress 190 cm
  • Mattress 200 cm
  • Mattress 210 cm
  • Mattress 220 cm

Mattresses 190 cm long are almost non-existent in Western Europe. Here we are more likely to look at a 220 cm size, due to the increase in average height.

Proper mattress thickness

The proper thickness or height of the mattress is also important. This determines the degree to which both support and comfort can be formed into a good balance together. For proper support, the mattress should be at least 15 cm thick. However, most mattresses today are around 25 cm thick. Thicker than this is in most cases unnecessary, as a good mattress should be able to achieve its maximum support and comfort within this thickness.

Different types of mattresses

There are quite a few different types of mattresses on the market. This is partly because there are many different materials to make the mattresses with. It is therefore good to know what materials there are and what functions/properties these materials have. There are also mattress manufacturers who combine different materials to combine several good properties into an overall product.

  • Cold foam mattress
  • Pocket spring mattress
  • Memory foam mattress
  • Latex mattress
  • Inner spring mattress
  • Polyether mattress

Cold foam matress

HR foam (High-Resilience) or in other words Cold Foam, is a fantastic material as a base layer for a mattress. It is firm, resilient and moulds well to the body, but also easily resumes its former shape when you lie down differently. For this reason, cold foam is often used to provide support. Think of it as the foundation layer. The numbers you often see after HR are meant to show the density of the foam. In many cases, a higher number (HR-35+) means a higher cost but also a better quality. The cell structure of cold foam is open and therefore ventilates quite well. Cold foam mattresses also last a relatively long time because of this.

Pocket spring mattress

It may not come as a surprise, but a pocket spring mattress is especially resilient. By using different types of Pocket Springs in terms of resilience, different zones can be created in the mattress. This ensures that the pressure points of the body receive more or less counter pressure. Pocket spring mattresses ventilate relatively well. After all, there is a lot of space (air) in the springs. A disadvantage is that the resilience of Pocket springs is less capable of equalizing pressure points than a good cold foam or memory foam mattress. There are also rumors that the spiral metal wires can generate a magnetic field. Now this sounds far-fetched, but there is some truth to it. Finally, pocket sprung mattresses are less suitable for electric bed frames. This is because the steel wires can become entangled in each other.

Memory foam mattress

Memory foam, also known as Visco or NASA foam, is a material well suited for application as a comfort layer. It moulds well to the body and therefore provides a comfortable feeling. Be careful not to use too much memory foam in your mattress. It moulds perfectly to your body, but you won’t get much support from it. If a memory foam layer is too thick, you sink into it too deeply and it retains a lot of heat. This results in a trapped and cramped feeling. Nowadays, however, there are innovative developments on traditional memory foam that neutralize the temperature better. A good example is the so-called Serene foam, which is used in the Morningstar Stellar mattress (the purple layer). It contains gel beads that largely eliminate this problem. Yet the rule still holds, a memory foam mattress is best when memory foam is only used as a top layer for comfort. Support is better obtained from other materials.

Latex mattresses

Latex is a synthetic or natural rubber and an attractive choice for many people because of its flexible resilience. Its disadvantages are its poorer temperature and moisture regulation. As a result, latex mattresses are often fitted with channels to overcome this problem. There are also variants where the cell structure is broken by adding nitrogen during the production process. This is called Talalay Latex. A latex mattress, however, does not allow for a really good removal of moisture and heat. In addition, the lifespan of latex mattresses is limited compared to the other options. So keep that in mind!

Inner spring mattresses

Inner spring mattresses often refer to the old-fashioned Bonell spring mattresses, even though they could just be springs. Bonell spring mattresses are often found in old campers or caravans. They last relatively long, but are somewhat stiff. Never place this mattress on an electrically adjustable bed because it is not intended for that purpose. In general, an innerspring mattress is good in ventilation, but in terms of comfort it is not for everyone.

Polyether mattresses

Polyether mattresses are cheap. And let’s not beat around the bush, they are not very good quality either. Polyether mattresses have a relatively short lifespan, offer little support and ventilate very poorly. If you are looking for something cheap and temporary, then a polyether mattress is an option. For the long term and physical health, it is better to choose another option.

Need personal advice or more information on which mattress is best for you?

If you are looking for a really good quality mattress our advice is to try the Morningstar Stellar mattress. This mattress has the ideal combination of materials and is suitable for almost any body type. You can try the mattress for 100 nights and if you are not satisfied you get your money back. The mattress will also be collected from your home, so you are completely relieved of all worries. This makes it easy to experience what quality can do for your health.

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