When purchasing a mattress, there are several things you should consider. First, determine what size mattress you need. The smallest size mattress you can purchase is a twin mattress. The next largest is a full, also called a double, followed by a queen, a king, and a California king mattress. If you need a great deal of room or will be sharing the mattress with a partner, you will likely need at least a queen size mattress. At the same time, you must consider the size of your bedroom to ensure it can accommodate the mattress size you select.

Another consideration when purchasing a mattress is its firmness. Your mattress should be firm enough to support your body and to make you feel comfortable, which means it should be consistently firm throughout the entire mattress and capable of keeping your body aligned. If your mattress is too soft, it will not properly support your neck and back. This can cause those areas of your body to be sore when you wake up in the morning. At the same time, the contact points of your mattress should feel soft against your body. Otherwise, your body may begin to ache and you will have a restless sleep.

The mattress you select should also be well constructed. A high quality mattress will have thick padding and a higher coil count to provide optimum support. The padding is important because it provides comfort and helps prevent the mattress from sagging. The ticking, which is the outermost layer of the mattress, should ideally be a cotton-polyester blend or better. A mattress of lower quality may have a vinyl ticking.

Of course, you must also consider the appearance of your mattress. Since your mattress will likely be covered most of the time, this may not be much of a concern for you. Nevertheless, you should consider the color, the pattern, and the fabric used to make the mattress. The mattress will be a part of your bedroom for many years, so you need to be sure it is one you will be happy with – both when the sheets are on and when they are off.