Before you even start shopping for new bedroom furniture, whether your in the market for a
oak night stand, wood dresser or mahogany armoire, think about what size of bed you'll need, how large of a bed your bedroom can comfortably accommodate and get ready to lie down and test out a lot of different ones before you make your decision.
Most people replace their mattresses about once per decade – but if your mattress isn’t giving you a good night's sleep, it's probably time to make a change, no matter how new your mattress may be.
Size Matters
Size is the first thing you'll need to think about. Other than the size of the mattress itself, make sure to allow for a little extra room for your headboard and footboard. These alone can add anywhere from 4 inches to a foot on either end of wood and
oak beds. Duvets and blankets can add a few inches to either side, so allow for a little extra room here as well.
If you're uncertain exactly how a new bed will fit into your room, use graph paper and sketch it out to see what sizes of bed will work well in the room. You'll want to allow a minimum of 2 feet on either side of the bed to allow for easy changing of linens and just being able to comfortably get around the room. You can measure the dimensions of a bed and lay masking tape on the floor to get an idea of how much room the bed will take up.
Standard bed sizes are:
Twin: 38-39 x 75 inches
Extra-Long Twin: 38-39 x 80 inches
Double/Standard/Full Size: 54 x 75 inches
Queen: 60 x 80 inches
King/Eastern King: 76-78 x 80 inches
California/Western King: 72 x 84 inches
Keep in mind that these sizes may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Testing Out a Mattress
It's a good idea to try out a mattress before buying. If you share a bed with someone, make sure that they come along to try it as well. Wear comfortable clothes and prepare to try several before you come to a decision.
Give yourself enough time to really get a feel for each mattress. Try sitting and lying on the bed and try out positions which you find yourself in while reading or working in bed for comfort.
Remember that firmer is not always necessarily better. With mattresses, it's a matter of your own comfort and preferences. Your mattress should be firm enough to support your spine, but not so firm that it doesn't have a little bit of give.
Always look for a warranty. Many manufacturers and retailers allow for a test period – if you decide the mattress isn’t what you want, you can exchange it for a different one. Keep in mind that delivery charges may still apply, however.
Bed Frames
When you’re looking at bed frames, once thing to look for is if the frame has slats which fit properly into the frame and will properly support your mattress and box spring. If you want a bed which doesn't use box springs, then you'll want a frame which has a solid base instead of slats.
When mattress shopping, always examine the cutaway samples and the labels to determine the construction of the mattress. Innerspring is the most commonly seen; this consists of springs covered with upholstery and layers of padding. Check how many coils are used, how many layers of padding are present and from what material they are made.
The more coils there are, the longer the mattress will stay in good shape. A double should have about 300 coils, a queen 375, 450-600 for a king size. These should be covered with several layers of upholstery, at least one layer of foam padding and a quilted pillow top.
Mattresses used to almost universally be 9" thick. That has changed, with many mattresses as thick as 16"! However, thicker doesn't always mean more comfortable.
Try out some different mattresses before deciding. Remember that an extra deep mattress may limit your choices of linens.