The bed is a special place and regardless of the fact that have a significant other to share it with or not, you must make sure it fits your needs. The main aspect that matters when choosing a bed is the level of comfort it offers. But comfort doesn’t just mean great materials and a nice texture! It also means good back support, a good inner structure, a healthy core, and enough space for you to move around freely.
Most new bed-buyers tend to buy a mattress that is too small for their needs because they don’t really understand how the sizing system. For instance, if a couple buys a double (aka a full-size bed) they will learn how it is to feel like a baby in a crib. The double measures 53 inches wide (which is just 15 inches wider than a twin size) and can’t support the space needs a couple might have – especially if you’re not both models.
On the other hand, buying the best king size mattress is a fantastic choice for a regularly-sized couple. This mattress is 76 inches wide and about 80 inches long and it manages to offer each person about the same space as a twin bed. So, if you’re looking for that extra level of comfort, a king size mattress is a perfect choice.
However, I have to warn you: this is a pretty big mattress! This means that, before you decide on buying it, you should make sure it fits in your bedroom. For this, measure the available space and try to figure out where you want the mattress to be. Once you learn it will fit in the bedroom, you must also measure the halls, the doors, and all the entrances the mattress will have to go through in order to reach the bedroom.
Now that you know the size of your future bed and how you will transport it, it’s time to decide on the type of structure and material you want. Since there are plenty of designs and material combinations out there, I will help you choose the best king mattress that fits your needs. For this, I will teach you how to choose the best king mattress and I’ll describe the top five best mattress materials on the market.
My hope is that, by the end of this article, you will know exactly what you want and you will be able to go online and order the future bed of your dreams.
Tips to Picking the Right King Bed
One of the aspects that matters the most for your health is the quality of sleep. If you’re not getting enough sleep or you can’t rest the right way, your body will undergo changes that will affect your health and alertness. You will be more stressed, and your attention span will shorten.
I think this is enough to show you the importance of a highest rated and high-quality mattress in your life. And, as a couple, a king size mattress is the perfect choice to make sure you both have the space to feel comfortable during the night.
As promised, below I listed the most important steps to take when you’re looking to choose out of the plethora of designs and models available in today’s market.
First, you must do your research. I know, this is a time-consuming task, but it is also mandatory. And no, you can’t buy the mattress your friend bought and swears by it unless you go to your friend’s house and test it yourself! When it comes to mattresses, there is no one-mattress-fits-all-design.
You can start your search online, by browsing sites that have king size mattress reviews. I strongly recommend choosing authoritative pages where the information will be unbiased. Here, you will learn about the inner structure of the mattress, the way it is constructed and the types of materials used to make it.
An online search will also reveal reviews from people who already bought a king size mattress of a certain type and now share their opinion. Reviews are a fantastic way to learn more about the type of bed you want to buy and how it behaves in different situations and settings.
With mattresses, it’s important to test the feel of the material on your skin and see how your back feels with the overall structure. For this, I highly recommend visiting retail stores once you narrowed down your search to several designs. Stores allow you to lie down on the mattress and get an idea of the general feeling before you decide which one to take home.
You should also ask about warranty, return policies (in case you change your mind after a few days), and the possibility of a home trial. There are also some online stores that offer the possibility of a home trial, but the concept is just starting so there may not be that many.
I know that sometimes the best king size mattress for the money can cost a bit more than a regular full-size bed, but they are definitely worth every extra penny! Still, if you’re on a budget, it helps if you compare prices and quality levels. After all, there are plenty of opportunities out there!
For instance, you can choose a mattress that features an innerspring structure in favor of one that features a latex core. This will definitely lower the price as the latter one is usually a bit more expensive than regular designs. I also recommend trying a combination of layers and materials – these are usually better balanced and offer improved back support due to the combination of different textures and densities. And it’s a great way to reduce the cost of the type of mattress you want.
When you look for a new best king mattress reviews, you’ll notice they come with a wide range of materials, cores, and textures. However, the most popular materials (and the ones I like to recommend) are:
- Memory Foam
- Latex Foam
- Air Mattress
- Gel Foam
- Hybrid
Below you can read about each type of materials and the mattress that uses them in more detail so you’ll know which one better suits your needs.
#1: Memory Foam
What we know today as memory foam is actually a material invented by NASA for their pilots’ comfort back in the 1960s. So you can say it’s not much of a novelty when it comes to materials. However, you should also know that it is one of the most sought materials for various sitting surfaces and mattresses in the world.
This happened due to the fact that this foam can take the shape of your body, offering proper support and equal body weight distribution. Even more, when you remove the heat and the pressure created by your body, the foam slowly returns to its initial shape. However, the slowly sinking motion of the foam can be unpleasant for some people, which is why I recommend doing a test first.
Still, you should know that the memory foam is a synthetic material (viscoelastic) and it usually sleeps pretty warm as it traps body heat, which makes it a bit uncomfortable during hot summers. Still, during winter it’s a fantastic choice! Even more, recent designs come with cooling systems that allow the body heat to dissipate faster, making the memory foam mattress a more suitable choice even for summer nights.
If you go online and start reading users’ reviews for the best king size mattresses, you’ll notice most people consider this material the best possible choice. Still, you should also know that there are several types of memory foam, differentiated by levels of density. However, a more dense foam doesn’t necessarily mean the mattress will be more firm; it just means it will be more durable. There are also memory toppers for your bed which you can read more about.
The standard density recommended by specialists is 5lb, but you will find various combinations on the market. For instance, if the entire mattress was created using 5-pounds foam, you are in for a very durable product. Still, the price may be quite steep. But, if you find a great deal on a mattress that says it has 5lb foam without specifying the percentage, you should be very careful. Some producers like to say they sell 5lb memory foam mattresses, but they forget to specify that only the first layer is 5lb; the ones beneath are usually 2 or 3 lbs.
Overall, I like the idea of a memory foam king size mattress, but it’s not for everyone. Of course, the characteristics of the memory foam make the mattress ideal for people with back pain as it helps the spine maintain a correct posture during sleep.
#2: Latex
As you can imagine, this type of a king size mattress will have a latex core, which is a great choice if you like a flexible sleeping surface. Latex is well-known for its cooling properties and offers amazing support for the entire body as it allows for a well-balanced weight distribution.
Latex is also one of the materials that promote great responsiveness to your movements during the night and comes as a great alternative to most synthetic materials used in mattresses these days. It’s also a firm surface that won’t make you feel like the mattress is hugging you or that you are slowly sinking into a sea of foam.
However, the core is a type of foam (latex foam) so it’s not a chunk of rubber (a misconception that puts many buyers on the run). Even more, latex is a natural compound, obtained from the sap of the rubber tree, and it allows the air to flow through with ease. This ensures amazing breathability and maintains the bed at an acceptable temperature, regardless of the temperatures outside.
Another feature I like on latex foam king mattresses is the fact that they are hypoallergenic. Because the material is natural and doesn’t have any compounds that attract dust and other allergens, the latex mattress is one of the best materials to use by people with allergies and asthma.
Finally, latex is durable and the mattress will last for years to come and I consider it as one of the best king mattresses. However, the price is pretty steep if you want an all-natural latex mattress. Of course, there are cheap king size mattress versions available, but a low-quality latex mattress can develop lumps and dents as the time passes, which will completely beat the purpose of a new mattress.
There is also the possibility of getting products with synthetic latex in their composition. This is a man-made latex that keeps most of the features of the organic compound, but it’s easier to find and costs less. Still, if you don’t want to give up on the great characteristics of organic latex, you can try a blend (80% synthetic with 20% organic).
Overall, latex is a great material for your bed, but a king size latex mattress will be pretty heavy and difficult to move around. Also, latex is a solid material so your sleeping surface will be quite firm. If you consider all these aspects and you still find this type of bed suitable for your needs, then you are in for a real treat that will be with you for years to come!
#3: Air Mattress
An air mattress makes for an unconventional type of bed (if you’re looking for a permanent solution) but works great as a bed for guests. I think that the versatility is the strong point for this type of mattress as you can use it in a wide range of scenarios and it is highly portable (unlike the options I mentioned above).
But are they a suitable choice for a good night sleep? Well, if you consider that the only back support you’ll get is literally air, you may want to reconsider your option. However, the fact that you can adjust the firmness to whatever you need, and you can change the settings from one day to another, makes it a great choice for people with back problems.
If you feel the bed is too soft, you can add some air to the mattress and make it more firm by simply pressing a button. The same goes the other way around. Actually, I believe this setting is what makes this type of mattress so great for guests – everyone likes their bed a certain way.
Another cool feature that makes an air mattress amazing for couples is the fact that it can support two different firmness settings at the same time. This is only valid for large mattresses (like a king size) – they support two inner chambers, separate from each other. This allows for one side to be firmer than the other so each person sleeping in the bed can be happy with this setting.
Did you know that most mattresses will sag after a while (usually years)? This means that the mattress will start to get used, especially on the side where you sleep and a small crater will start to take shape leading to an uneven sleeping surface. But, with an air mattress, you don’t have this problem! There is no core to get out of shape and no coils or springs that can break. If the surface feels too soft, you just add more air and you’re done.
Finally, an air mattress will be with you for a lot more than an innerspring product. However, there’s a catch: no cats or sharp objects should touch the surface! With good maintenance, an air bed can last up to 15 years which is about 5 years over any other type of mattress!
#4: Gel Foam Mattress – One of the Top Rated
In the world of mattresses in a box, many materials come as foam so they can offer a great sleeping surface with a uniform body weight distribution. So, the gel foam and the memory foam have a similar structure, but they are presented as different materials.
The gel foam mattress is viscoelastic (the main material in the memory foam mattress) infused with gel beads that can be introduced as a single layer, or can be distributed through the mattress uniformly. The features are fairly similar to a memory foam surface, but there are some differences which I’ll discuss below.
But first, you should know that there are two types of gel that can be used in mattresses: a thermally conducted gel and a phase-changing material. The first type of gel is great for dissipating body heat, creating a cool bed that works amazingly during those hot summer nights. On the other hand, the second type of gel has the ability to store and release heat within a temperature range, keeping the body temperature at a certain level during sleep.
Still, just like with the memory foam mattress, with gel ones, it’s important to check the amount of gel available in the mattress. Of course, the quality it’s also important to make sure to ask the producer these aspects before you buy any of these beds.
Since it’s basically an improved memory foam surface, the gel-infused mattresses come with the same great features. These include amazing back support, great feel against the skin, the same slowly sinking feeling, and no extra movement if your partner moves in his/her sleep. But, due to the gel, the mattress won’t feel as hot as memory foam one, which is a great addition.
However, there is a negative aspect and it’s in direct connection with durability. The gel beads affect the cellular structure of the foam in time, leading to a less durable mattress. The process increases in speed with larger gel beads and this can be seen as a problem, especially if we consider the fact that gel mattresses are a bit more expensive than regular memory foam mattresses.
One last aspect I think it’s important to mention is the quantity of gel. Some producers tend to add a low percentage just to increase the price, but if there is not enough gel in the foam, the effect will be completely inexistent.
#5: Hybrid Mattress – Most Affordable Beds
As you can already imagine, a hybrid mattress is a combination of two or more different materials. This way, you can enjoy the features of both materials without having to buy king size mattress for two separate beds.
For instance, one of the most popular hybrid mattresses in today’s market is the latex and memory foam combination. Put separately, each has amazing benefits, but together, they create a fantastic sleeping surface that eliminates the sinking feeling of memory foam. Because latex is firmer and naturally buoyant, it eliminates some of the softness in the memory foam so people who don’t like the stuck feeling, can enjoy the rest of the features.
Another amazing combination is the memory foam, gel foam, and springs combination (microcoils actually). This type of mattress comes with the softness of the memory foam, the support of the springs, and the cooling system of the gel foam. Pretty cool, right?
The beauty of such a mattress is the combination (and there are lots of them)! You get to use all the benefits of two or three unique materials without having to endure all the negative aspects as well. This concept brought hybrid mattress on a top place in sales all over the world as they also implement great prices.
This is possible due to a technique called a ‘layer cake’, which implies the materials will be layered on top of each other. For instance, you can use the element that will bring the most comfort to the user on top, and create the inner structure with different types of materials that are less expensive. As long as the producer manages to create a balance between a high-quality inner structure and the top layer, you will be able to buy a wonderful product that will be both durable and comfortable.
Overall, a hybrid king mattresses deliver the same quality due to the top layer and gives you the possibility to save the money you would have spent if the mattress would have been designed from top to bottom using the same material. It is a great deal if you ask me! I hope I helped you find the best mattress for your home!
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