Mattress Buying 101

The IKEA catalog, brochures and stores are all about helping you make the most important place in the world — home — comfortable and stylish. When it comes to mattresses, comfort is key. But what makes a mattress comfortable depends on you. If you're in the market for a mattress, consider these ideas:

Goldilocks was right. Some mattresses are too firm, some are too soft, and some are just right. And, like Goldilocks, you won't know which works best for you until you try different ones. So when you go mattress shopping, lie down on a few—with a pillow. If you come to an IKEA store, bring one from home or use one of ours. And if you already have an idea whether you prefer a hard mattress or a soft one, each IKEA mattress has a "firmness scale" to help you locate the models that you should try out.

Find your mattress type. Looking for the right firmness is only the starting point in your search for the perfect mattress. Keep in mind that there are three basic types of mattresses: spring, foam and latex. And they'll each give you a different sleep experience. If you prefer cooler temperatures at night, a spring mattress — which has open spaces around the springs that allow air to circulate freely — is the best choice. Foam mattresses are made of a dense material that retains body heat, so they are warmer to sleep on. Latex mattresses are less dense, and they are a good compromise. All three types are available in different levels of firmness.

Use our guide. The various choices of firmness and type can make choosing a mattress difficult — especially because your body shape, height and weight also play a role in determining how you will best get a good night's rest. So we've made it easy. The IKEA Mattress Guide can help you make the right choice among the numerous models available. The guide analyzes details about your body dimensions, your sleep position and other preferences and suggests some mattress choices. It takes only a few minutes, and the suggestions are tailor-made for you. Once you have one or two choices in mind, spend at least 10 minutes lying on any mattress you consider buying, and lie in your most typical sleep position.

Good mattresses sleep two comfortably. Many good nights of sleep can be lost because of a partner who tosses and turns. If you share your bed with someone who does (or if you do) consider a latex or foam mattress. Either provides enough firmness that you'll be isolated from your partner's movements. Both of you may sleep more comfortably.

Rest assured. A mattress isn't something you buy every day. Get one you can depend on for years to come. Quality and durability are designed into every IKEA mattress. To guarantee that a mattress will keep its shape, we test it with a 220-pound weight that "goes to bed" 10,000 times. That same weight "wakes up" and sits on the edge of the mattress 20,000 times. And a 300-pound weight "tosses and turns" 30,000 times. What's more, IKEA mattresses come with a warranty of up to 25 years on some models.

Just in case the mattress you select turns out to be too hard or too soft once you get it home, you can bring it back to your IKEA store. Our SULTAN mattresses have a 90-day exchange policy. Click here for details.