Mattresses: FAQ

In this article I'd like to touch the most frequent questions relating mattresses and correct choice of them. Answers of highly experienced orthopedist John Panston are introduced here which will help you clear up the situation in the variety of mattresses.

The best variant for your child is a mattress with coconut stuff. Pay attention that a high quality mattress will not be cheap. Check carefully manufacturer and quality of stuff of the mattress. A proper one should be filled with natural coconut fiber. It is rather hard and never causes allergy.

Please, give your recommendations. I cannot decide what mattress to choose for my children (2 years and 5 years old). My wife wants to buy two non-spring mattresses but I'm not sure it's a correct choice.

In general the best choices for your children are non-spring mattresses. The most appropriate stuff is natural coconut fiber. It is a hard supporting mattress that will help form your children's backbones in a correct way. For the elder child you may get a coconut fiber mattress with latex upper layer that is considered softer.

We need a good mattress for our child's bed (70x140). We heard the coconut fiber mattresses are considered the best ones? Are there any cheaper mattresses for children?

You're completely right that a coconut fiber mattress is the best variant for children due to its multiple heeling properties. But if it is unacceptable, you may choose a non-spring mattress filled with foamed polyurethane but with a cotton isolator and in a cotton cover.

We want to get a spring mattress for our three-year-old child. But we were completely shocked by variety of them. Can you explain, please, the difference between a dependent spring block and an independent one? Is it obligatory to buy a mattress with an independent spring block and why it is so expensive?

Taking into consideration that your child is growing and you'll need to change the mattress soon I'd advise you to get a mattress with a dependent spring block saving your money. On the other hand, an independent spring block is much more convenient as it completely corresponds to the anatomic building of your child. So, here you should orientate yourselves on the sum of money you are ready to spend for such a purchase.

Please, recommend an inexpensive mattress for a ten-year-old child. Is it possible to buy a spring mattress with a dependent spring block?

If you don't dispose of money enough to get a mattress with an independent spring block you may buy a mattress with a dependent spring block but preferably with coconut layers on the both sides.

There are normative standards for all the production including mattresses. But frankly speaking, there is no information in the State Standards concerning orthopedic mattresses that's why all the sellers explain the meaning of this notion differently. There are some certified organizations checking main characteristics of all the furniture (deformation, loss of consumer quality, hygienic appropriateness). The best way to get a high quality orthopedic mattress is to buy it in a specialized shop provided with a warranty.

What is difference between orthopedic and anatomic mattresses?

Frankly speaking both notions are not stated in the State Standard and concocted by the manufacturers themselves. In general the word "orthopedic" means something designed to prevent or treat bone injuries. Such a mattress should have a spring even surface. Speaking about an anatomic mattress, I mean a mattress shaping your body.

Please, give some information on coconut fiber mattresses and their properties.

A coconut fiber mattress is a mattress filled with coconut fibers sodden with natural latex and molded into regularly shaped mats. This material belongs to resilient hard stuff and is used in hard orthopedic mattresses. It is much more useful than artificial stuff and has longer lifetime. It is capable of resisting putrefaction, decomposition and warping. The coconut fiber is treated with special ecological solutions to prevent appearance of any insects inside the mattress.

I saw a mattress filled with artificial latex. But I read earlier that artificial latex did not exist. Explain please the situation.

In general artificial latex means an artificial material close to foamed polyurethane in chemical characteristics. But a lot of special additives are used in this material to improve its quality and extend its lifetime, so in many cases it resembles natural latex.

What is natural latex and what properties it has?

Natural latex consists of seringa (20%) and synthetic caoutchouc. It is usually derived from seringa latex through vulcanization. Within the process of its production a porous structure appears. It has micro cells looking like bee ones. Due to this structure the material has rather a long lifetime (over 10 years). Latex belongs to simple elastic materials. It can be properly used in non-spring orthopedic mattresses and independent spring orthopedic mattresses.

Please advise what mattress is most preferable for partners of very different weight categories (60 and 120 kg).

I'd advise you to get two single mattresses instead of a double one. Other parameters you may determine yourselves to your choice. It does not matter whether these mattresses will be spring or non-spring ones.

In general a water mattress is a mattress filled with water or gel. Nowadays such mattresses are very popular and belong to exclusive variant. Waterbeds have more advantages over the ordinary ones. You may heat your bed to the temperature you need, which makes the bed very comfortable in winter. A water environment stimulates a good sleep thus relieving from insomnia, unloads muscles, and improves blood circulation. Such a bed shapes exactly to the body, removes pressure from the spine allowing the spinal muscles to relax, reduces the risk of bedsores for movement-impaired people. Besides, it has rather a long lifetime (over 12 years). But a waterbed has also some disadvantages. It is much more difficult to move it comparing with an ordinary mattress (necessity to drain the water, disassemble the frame, etc.). Besides, there is always a risk of leakage and piercing, especially in houses where small children are present.

Surely you have a consumer right to demand a certificate for any componentry you are interested in. But frankly speaking I'm not sure that an ordinary seller has such documents. He/she simply does not need them. You may just know the mattress trademark providing warranty for its production and components.

What does a dependent spring block mean? Why don't sellers recommend getting a mattress with such a block?

A dependent spring block (150 springs on a square meter), also known as "Bonnel", is generally used in mattresses of low price level. An acceptable price is probably the only advantage of such mattresses. Their significant disadvantage is rigid attachment of big diameter springs and reduction of orthopedic properties of the mattress.

What spring mattress would you advise for a person suffering from back problems?

If you can venture to buy a mattress with an independent spring block and natural stuff, this variant would be an ideal one for you. Such a mattress is very useful in ecological and heeling properties and has a long lifetime, but its price will be certainly much higher than of other mattresses. Latex or coconut fibers are usually used in such mattresses.

What is a multipocket? Does it really have so many useful properties or it's just fleecing?

Multipocket (750 springs on a square meter) is the last development in the area of orthopedic mattresses. This model of mattresses is considered the best one due to its numerous orthopedic properties. Thousands springs can ideally reflect contours of your body, allocate the load with precious accuracy and provide your back with comfortable and reasonable rest. Unfortunately this technology is too expensive, so it's not acceptable for each customer. But people who can get such mattresses are lucky indeed as the multipocket system is the only capable of creating the highest possible anatomic effect.

How many spring turns should a proper spring mattress have?

A spring mattress should have five spring turns. Unfortunately some manufacturers deceive their customers. They use four turn springs instead of five turn ones. This allows reducing the block cost by 10 %. But such a mattress won't be as hard as required to provide orthopedic effects. You may detect such a defect paying attention at thickness of the mattress. A high quality mattress should be from 17 to 22 cm thick in ordinary state and not less than 15 cm in a condensed form.

What is TFK system and can I use it instead of an expensive multipocket?

TFK system means an independent spring block (280 springs on a square meter) in which each spring is stitched into a separate cover. Such a construction increases significantly orthopedic properties of the mattress. It prevents undesirable fluctuations of the construction and allocates the load evenly. It can relieve your neck, back, joint and muscle pain leaving you feeling refreshed and restored in the morning. Your backbone rests without any tension. So if you cannot afford a multipocket mattress this variant would be ideal for you.