Mattress Information

Sizes

• Depending on your height and weight, if you sleep with someone else and whether you require a lot of moving around space in bed, you should choose a size that you find personally comfortable. The sizes of mattresses are standard industry-wide. Twin mattresses, generally sold for children, are 39 inches wide and 75 inches long. An extra-long twin has the same width but is 8 inches longer. A full size mattress is slightly wider than a twin, at 54 inches, but is the same length as a standard twin. Full size mattresses are also available in an extra long length of 80 inches. The queen is the most common choice for adult sleepers at 60 inches wide and 80 inches long. A standard king mattress, also known as an eastern king, is the widest at 76 inches and is the same length as a queen at 80 inches. The longest mattress is the California or western king. It is 84 inches long and only 72 inches wide, taking the four inches in length from the width of the standard king. Although they look slightly different, the actual surface space of the California and standard king is the same.

Innerspring Support

• The most common mattresses on the market today are innerspring support system mattresses. These mattresses are made up of a system of metal coils inside the mattress that are attached to a perimeter wire to hold them into the proper shape. These coils push back against the weight of the sleeper to provide support and prevent sagging. Heavy-duty foam is typically installed around the edges of the mattresses to keep the edges from collapsing and encouraging roll off. The mattresses are then covered in layers of foam or other materials to make a comfortable place to lie down.

Air Chamber

• You have probably heard about beds that support you with air instead of springs. These products are billed as a more comfortable alternative to innerspring mattresses. Most of the top quality air chamber beds use a bladder in the center of the mattress -- made from PVC, nylon, vulcanized rubber or other materials -- that inflates with a pump and provides the support that would be provided by springs in a traditional mattress. Some of these beds even offer various bells and whistles that allow the owner to adjust the amount of air in the chamber, making it softer or firmer. Some products have a remote control that allows independent adjustment of air in each side so one person can choose his comfort level and the other can choose hers.

Visco Elastic

• Visco elastic foam is known in the marketplace as memory foam. This material uses no air or springs, only high-density foam that molds to the shape of the body and then goes back to its original form when you get up the next morning. Manufacturers claim that these types of beds relieve pressure from the body since nothing is pushing back. Critics say that the mattresses can make moving around in bed more difficult and that the mattresses tend to cause the owner to sleep hot.