Did you know the average person spends almost 1/3 of their life sleeping? That’s a lot of hours spent in blissful slumber, and if you sleep at home for the most part, a lot of hours spent on your mattress. But for most people, it’s not just sleep they’re after, it’s a good night’s rest – the kind of rest that only can be had on a great mattress.

There are a few signs your own mattress may have given up for good including:

  • Back aches, pain, stiffness in your neck, and over all aches and pains when you wake up
  • Your mattress is sagging in the center or it has lumps and bumps all over it
  • You need to add a thick mattress topper to make sleeping on it tolerable
  • It’s 5 to 7 years old
  • You go to a hotel or friends house and you have a better sleep than you do at home in your own bed

Your quality of sleep also depends on outside variables like stress levels and room temperature, but overall your mattress is going to be the bottom line between a poor sleep and an absolute dreamy one.

So how do you go about buying a new mattress? Here are five of the top features to look for in a mattress:

Behold, the Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are one of the popular mattresses manufactured today. They have coils to support you, and one of the most important features when choosing a new mattress is to ensure the coils are individually enclosed like you’d find in the Serta Perfect Sleeper Nocturnal Bliss mattress. That way the bed can stand up to years of use and the coils won’t pop up and hit you in the back like you’d see in a cartoon. Believe me, it does happen.

I wrote a review of the last year, and after almost a year of sleeping on this mattress I’d still give a 5 out of 5 star rating.  

Backache? Make a firm choice


If you suffer from lower back pain or shoulder pain when you wake up each morning, it might be due to your mattress being too soft for you. New mattresses have varying levels of support so you can choose the perfect level of firmness for you without giving up comfort. Take the Sealy Posturepedic PROBACK Reflex Pocket Coil Firm Eurotop mattress for example – it’s firm enough to support your back but the Eurotop makes it extra comfortable.

Float away on a pillow top

When you want an extra soft, extra cozy bed, your best bet is to choose a pillow top. Some pillow tops look like they have an additional topper sitting on top of the mattress, while others like the Serta Perfect Sleeper Tuscan Sunrise Pocket Coil Pillow Top Firm Mattress have the pillow top built right in with a mini pocket coil that gives you a soft, cloud-like night’s sleep.

Are you gelling?

Although you’d expect to find gel in hair products, you might be surprised to know you can also find it in mattresses. Gel is a relatively new feature in mattresses, and it works to mold your body to the mattress for the ultimate in comfort. The Simple Sleep 10″ Gel Memory Foam Mattress also has a top foam layer with Gel beads. This works to keep you cool and comfortable during hot summer nights.

A mattress to remember

We’ve all heard of mattresses with a permanent imprint of the person sleeping on them, and prior to the invention of memory foam, this wasn’t exactly a good thing. A memory foam mattress like the Monarch 8” Queen Memory Foam Mattress shapes to your body as you change positions throughout the night. The result is, no matter what position you’re in, you’ll always feel comfortable and cradled.

One other word of advice when it comes to buying a new mattress? Be sure to look for a good warranty. Take Sealy mattresses as an example—the PROBACK model comes with a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty. Monarch is covered by a 10-year non-prorated warranty, and Serta has10 years parts & labour.

Now that you’re an expert on mattress features, check out the lineup of great mattresses on Bestbuy.ca. An amazing nights sleep is just a few clicks away.

Shelly Wutke
Editor TV & Home Theatre
I'm a Vancouver freelancer and tech enthusiast. When I'm not writing you'll find me on my farm with my alpacas, chickens, and honeybees. Visit my website Survivemag