If you have purchased a mattress before, you know how difficult it can be to get the right one. I want to help you be prepared to buy your next set. Having been a mattress salesman, I can tell you a few basic things that will really help you make your choice.

A mattress comes in three basic comfort levels. You have the traditional Firm, Plush and Pillow Top. A lot of people have the impression that firm is better for your back and offers more support. This is not necessarily true. A Plush style mattress is generally a firm mattress with additional padding or comfort layers on top. A Pillow Top has many more layers than a Plush.

There are two main things to be concerned with the support level and the comfort level. The comfort level is what the mattress feels like when you first lay down on it. I have heard many people say right off, "Oh, that is too hard" or "Oh, that is tool soft". This is the comfort level I am talking about. How does it impress you when you first lay down? The second concern is about support. Many people think that only a firm mattress offers enough support. This is not true. There is basically a firm mattress inside of every plush and pillow top. What does matter is how does the overall package fit you personally. So the support level is, how it feels in the morning. Is it still comfortable? Is my back aching? Am I numb anywhere? Is there a pain I never felt before?

You also have to consider the quality of the mattress and the box springs or foundation. Some have real working springs that flex and absorb some of the weight, which is very good for the longevity of your mattress. Some have just a box frame foundation with no real spring or flexing action. This is good when talking about a specialty foam mattress, but not so good with a traditional mattress. If you buy a cheap mattress the springs are thinner or spaced apart and will not offer proper support and therefore will not last long. Depending upon your weight, the mattress may not last a year.

One can often judge quality by the length of the warranty period. A one year warranty says to me they are not to confident the mattress will hold up under normal circumstances. How often I had customers come is for a $99 mattress (cheapest springs with a loin cloth stretched over it) and ask me if that was a good one. I want to say well I won't say what I wanted to say. I would just smile and say well it only has a one-year warranty and it is our starting price point. That was my way of saying no stupid, it is a piece of junk and I wouldn't let my dog sleep on it let alone my kid or my grandmother. I had many people walk thinking that $99 was too much to pay. What planet were they from?

A Mattress set ranges in price from $99 to $4000. You can get overkill if you want it, but generally you can get a quality mattress for between $500 and $1500. You truly get what you pay for. I should note that there is a tremendous markup on mattress sets, so there is room for you to dicker on price. Note that there is a lot of overhead in any business and there is much competition in advertising just to get you in their store. This justifies the high price, but believe me, they are willing to entertain offers. Just don't accept any old high price.

When you go to the store you want to find a sales person who knows what they are talking about and will take the time to help you. The best will know how to do a comfort test. They will have you lie on a firm, plush and pillow top mattress set to see what comfort level works for you. After you establish that, you will be able to narrow down from 50 or more choices to 8-10. Lets say you pick plush, you then try all the plush mattress sets in your price range. They most likely will try to start you out on the highest price, which is the best feeling mattress also.

A more expensive mattress has additional features. So when you move down in price you will have to give up something. You just have to decide what you really need in a mattress set. Is it for everyday use or is it for a guest or young child. When talking about children, you must consider their weight. Many children weight as much as adults, but parents buy a cheap $99 mattress while they are putting money away for Harvard. Not a smart move. If you love your child, buy them a mattress with proper support and help them keep their backs healthy.

When I think of the mattress I had to use when I was growing up, it is amazing I don't have more health problems. That thing was like a hammock head to foot and side-to-side. I am not saying you have to spend $1000 but for $200-$300 you could be making a really great investment. When your child is in junior high, you may consider buying a mattress set with a 20-year warranty. A quality set that will take your child into college years and early adulthood.

If you are buying a set for yourself, you need to have the sales person or someone with you see how the top of the mattress is forming to you. There are main pressure points in the hips, shoulders, head and knee areas. If a mattress is to firm, it will not form to your body properly and relieve those pressure points. This is the main cause of tossing and turning because the blood supply is choked off causing an involuntary response of moving. You can understand that if you are constantly tossing and turning, you cannot possibly get the proper rest you need.

We humans require a proper sleep cycle and if we don't get it we suffer in many other ways. A good mattress set is truly worth the time and investment you make in it. I would recommend, you shop at a mattress specialty shop to get the best trained sales people, a variety of brands and most important of all a comfort guarantee. A comfort guarantee works like this. For 90 days or 120 days in some cases, you get to try the mattress set in your home with the possibility of getting an exchange for a different comfort level, if this one just does not work for you.

I don't know how many people I have seen purchase a $2000 mattress only to find out it kills their back or they can't sleep comfortable on it. This is a hard thing to take. No pun intended. If you shop the right place, get the right help, get the right features for you, spend the right amount of money to get what you need and want, and do so at a place that guarantees your comfort, then your chances of having consistent comfortable sleep is really good.

You cannot always tell if a firm will work for you or if a pillow top will be to soft and cause you to have backaches; But if you can test if out for 3-4 months, you will know for sure. Experiencing is knowing for sure.

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