You are already set on buying a queen size mattress for you and your partner. That is sorted, but how do you choose the surface that will work for the two of you? Read on to discover the factors to consider, learn more about the popular designs, and find out which ones will work best for a couple with consideration of sleep positions, body weight, and the support needed.
Spine Alignment is Key to a Good Night’s Rest and Overall Body Refreshment
Before you consider motion transfer, space available for each, length, and the likes, put your spine first. Not even a king’s bed is worth a single night’s sleep if the mattress does not make it possible to align your spine perfectly. But before we put all the pressure on the mattress, just a word on positioning.
The ideal mattress must fit your preferred sleeping positions. Old habits are not easy to break. If you love sleeping on your back, it will take a lot of effort to change the habit to sleeping on your side or stomach. So, your partner most likely would also not easily change their sleep position. This means you will have to buy a queen size mattress that can accommodate both your preferred sleeping positions.
Weight and Physique
Here is the next obstacle – the overall weight of each. If both of you are heavy sleepers, then it is easier to find the perfect queen size mattress. But what if you have a small bone structure and are as light as a feather while your partner has wide shoulders and is a heavy sleeper?
You are bound to roll over to your partner throughout the night if the mattress does not give adequate weight support. In fact, a pure memory foam mattress is well-suited for the lightweight sleeper but is not recommended for the heavier-built sleeper. Also, the mattress must be able to support the total weight and the weight per side.
Length
Only now do we come to the length issue. A standard-length size suits most adults, but if one of the two bed partners is on the tall side, then an extra-length mattress is recommended. Having feet dangle off the edge of the foot end can hardly be comfortable. With that in mind, measure your heights and write these down along with the weight of each.
Do You Often Sit on the Edge of the Bed?
It may seem trivial, but this matters. If you or your partner often need to sit on the bed’s edge, then you will need a mattress that is firm enough to give sufficient support on the edges.
Working in Bed?
Sounds strange, but since so many people have started working from home, their beds have become their second desks. If you fall in this category, you will need to stay clear from a mattress that is on the softer side or made from materials that hug the body. Your body will complain with aches and pains if not receiving adequate support while sitting up. A firmer mattress will be better in this instance.
Restless Sleepers
Opposites attract – cliché perhaps, but still true. One might be sound asleep within minutes of hitting the sack while the other rolls around and changes positions throughout the night. You need a queen size mattress that is suitable for both with minimal transfer of motion.
Side Sleepers Need Joint Relief
If you both sleep on your sides, you will need a queen size mattress that provides enough pushback for support but gives away sufficient to provide for gentle pressure point relief at the hips, joints, and shoulders.
With these considerations in mind, let us take a closer look at other important factors in choosing the right queen size mattress for a couple.
Firmness of the Sleep Space
A very firm bed does not necessarily give the right support. Your body weight must be supported and since the weight of your body adds its own pressure, you need something that can support it. That said, specific points of contact, such as the shoulders, knees, hips, and elbows experience more pressure when on a hard surface. This means the mattress must provide a level of pressure relief at the joints. A medium or gentle firm mattress is likely to provide better support and joint pressure relief at the same time, helping to keep the spine in perfect alignment. If the sleep space is too hard, you will end up twisting your body into a shape that provides for more comfort.
Sleep position plays an important role in choosing the mattress. For a side sleeper, the surface must give more cushioning for the pressure points. For the back sleeper, the mattress must be slightly firmer rather than hug the body. When it comes to a sleep surface for both types of sleepers, select a gentle firm, medium firm, or firm mattress rather than a too soft one.
Support is Essential
For the side sleeper, the mattress must give adequate support for the entire body weight with pressure relief at the contact points such as shoulders and hips. For the back sleeper, the surface must give way at the shoulders and hips, just enough to still give good support to the lower back and the neck area. If one partner sleeps on their stomach, then a firmer mattress is better because a softer one will cause unnatural curving of the back, leading to pain and spine issues. The only way to get restorative sleep is to have the right surface.
Thickness Matters
The thickness of the sleep surface does not matter all that much if the mattress inner material is of superior quality and can handle the body weight applied. However, for heavier sleepers, a thicker sleep surface is better to carry the weight through.
Motion Transfer
Some types of mattresses like inner spring coil types carry motion more than memory foam, gel-infused memory foam, and pocket coil combined with foam layers. If you have a sleeping partner who is likely to get up at night or who sits and types in bed while you are trying to sleep, then you will want a mattress with minimal motion transfer.
Which Types of Mattresses?
The characteristics of different style mattresses differ and each type has specific benefits and disadvantages. Let us learn more below. Also take a look at the article “The Tech in My Bed. What Goes into the Making of a Mattress”.
Spring (Inner Coil)
These provide great support for a back sleeper, provided the right pillows are used, but they are not the best for side sleepers. The surface does not give way enough to provide for pressure relief at the shoulders and hips. The spring type also transfers motion. With two sleepers in the bed, motion transfer can lead to reduced sleep. Pocket coil spring mattresses provide for better sleep when it comes to couples requiring less motion transfer than the conventional coil spring ones.
Memory Foam
The surface hugs the body, making it rather gentle on all pressure points. However, the heavy sleeper does not benefit all that much from it as their body weight pushes the body through the foam with no support for the body. The memory foam is great for the lightweight and medium-weight sleepers. If, however, you need support in turning, then memory foam is not the answer as it hugs the body, making it slightly more difficult to turn than with a pocket coil type.
The memory foam is also not the answer if you need a lot of air circulation to keep cool at night. That said, memory foam does help to distribute your body’s weight more evenly, giving less pressure to specific contact points, and thereby helping to ensure good spinal alignment. If you are looking for a hypoallergenic sleep surface, then memory foam type sleep surfaces are also the answer.
Gel-Infused Foam
Gel-infused memory foam provides for an even more comfortable and lush sleep feel. The design provides for better support since it prevents the body from being completely hugged by the sleep surface. With the added support, optimal spinal alignment can be achieved. It is also faster to react to the body, making it easier to turn than with memory foam. The surface is also more breathable, giving better air circulation than with normal memory foam. Gel-infused foam is more expensive than memory foam and is better suited for the lighter-weight sleepers and those who prefer sleeping on their sides.
Hybrid Coil Pocket and Memory Foam or Layers of Foam
With this type of mattress, you get the best of all worlds, ensuring medium to firm support, exceptional comfort, less motion transfer, and good weight-carrying and distribution capability. If the hybrid combination includes gel-infused foam, then you have a great choice for light- to medium-weight persons.
Get Better Sleep with the Right Queen Size Mattress for Two
Armed with the knowledge shared herein, you are ready to shop for the perfect mattress for two people. View our range of queen size mattresses. Also be sure to make use of our promotions to save on the purchase price. We offer same day delivery on the best sellers throughout the country, meaning if you order today, you can have a restorative sleep this evening.
Our prices are competitive, and we price guarantee. If you get the same type of bed at a better price elsewhere, let us know and we will beat the price and give you money off. Several payment options exist, including layby.
Sleep better for less with our price savings, superior quality, and wide selection of mattresses. We offer the best prices because we make the beds and sell them directly to the public.
