The Complete Guide to Choosing a Mattress

Mattress shopping gets confusing fast, mostly because the labels ("medium-firm," "orthopedic," "plush") don't mean the same thing from one product to the next. The more useful question isn't which label sounds best, it's how you actually sleep.

Foam and spring are the two core constructions. Foam contours closely to your body and isolates motion well, so it's a strong pick if you share a bed and don't want to feel your partner move. Spring mattresses respond faster and sleep a little cooler, since air moves more freely through the coil layer.

Firmness should follow your sleep position more than your taste. Side sleepers generally do better on a softer surface that cushions the shoulder and hip. Back sleepers usually want something in the middle: enough give to support the lower back without letting the hips sink. Stomach sleepers tend to need the firmest option on offer, to keep the spine from bowing.

Beyond that, size and budget are practical decisions, not comfort ones: buy the largest size your room and budget allow, since more sleeping surface reduces disturbance from a restless partner regardless of the mattress type underneath it.