Terminology

Sometimes shopping for a mattress can leave you feeling frustrated. There are a number of reasons for this and we can help remedy many of them. One of the top reasons for frustration is the terminology. There are so many industry-specific terms that it can be like a foreign language.

I don't know about you but I feel achingly silly shopping for a mattress - when I am willing to do it right that is. As you may know the experts say you should plan on hunkering down on the bed for at least fifteen minutes to get some idea of its comfort. We know that just sitting on the edge of the mattress is going to tell you nothing. What you really need to do is get on the bed and lay down. Really lay down and get comfortable as if you were going to bed. Now there are some people who think nothing of a taking 45 minute nap at the store. They even bring their own pillows and if the mattress has some promise, they may even fall asleep. With the high cost of mattresses these days, a little investment of time and attention is well worth it. But you may need to swallow a bit of pride to do this. We agree it seems a little awkward to bring your pillow, take off your shoes and get onto the bed as if you are going to really sleep. But it is the right way to do it. And with an investment of this much money and with this much impact on your life, it's certainly worth some time and some embarrassment. The sales staff will actually be impressed. Now that you are ready to take the leap and get on that bed, you may want to brush up on your mattress nomenclature as well. You want to be ready and know what the words are that come out of the sales staff's mouths. No need to be thrown when the salesman spouts on and on about eurotop, latex, and memory foam. Here are a few clues to mattress terminology:

Eurotop is an extra layer of foam, cotton etc. in a covering that is sewn to the top of a mattress... it's also called pillowtop.

Innerspring mattress is made of metal coils with a covering of foam.

Ticking is the outer covering of a mattress. It needs to be quality and long wearing.

Latex is a natural rubber foam used in making Latex mattresses.

Memory foam is a heat sensitive foam that will conform to your body. You'll find the words NASA thrown around a lot to impress you since it was first used by NASA.

Bed sizes are pretty standard in the United States. Smallest size is a twin bed otherwise known as a single bed. Full is next, also referred to as a double. Queen is slightly larger than a full and King tops it out as the largest standard size.

If you read through the information on this site, your vocabulary should be up to par and ready for the sales staff you encounter when shopping. Don't be intimidated, be prepared.