What is the Best Firm Mattress?

Choosing the right mattress firmness is important for healthy sleep; however, the decision process can easily become confusing. At Linx Beds, we want to help you to make the most informed choice possible.

Mattress support is independent of the firmness of a mattress, and this can lead to confusion. Any support that a mattress offers refers to its long-term combination of comfort and its ability to encourage a healthy sleeping posture. A mattress’s firmness is a guide to the initial feel of the mattress.

In this article, we’re going to help you understand what is the best firm mattress for you. We’ll share our advice on what you should consider when deciding on mattress firmness, and the benefits that different degrees of firmness offers.

Sleep Side

Your preferred sleep side plays a role in dictating what mattress firmness you’ll find most comfortable and supportive. So, be sure to keep this in mind when coming to a decision.

What firmness is best for side sleepers?

If you tend to sleep on your side, then a mattress with soft or medium firmness will offer you more comfort and support. Softer mattresses allow for your hips and shoulders to compress into the bed. If your mattress is too firm, it could leave you with pressure points and chronic pain.

What firmness is best for front sleepers?

For those of you who sleep on your stomach, we recommend a medium-firm or firm mattress. If your mattress is too soft, your body is more likely to sink into it, and you may feel suffocated. A firm mattress will support your hips, keep your body in a neutral position and keep your spine aligned. As a result, you lower the risk of developing lower back pain.

What firmness is best for back sleepers?

A medium-firm or firm mattress is ideal for you if you usually sleep on your back as the compressed layers help to provide long-term support. With a firmer mattress, you’ll find the surface you’re sleeping on to be more even and stable. This stability provides better support for your back, holds your body in a neutral position and prevents your midsection from compressing into the mattress.

Body Weight

Another point to consider when deciding on mattress firmness is your weight. If your body weight is on the lighter side, then you are likely to find a softer mattress more comfortable. Lighter people put less pressure on mattresses, and so they’re unlikely to sink into it.

However, if you’re heavier, you should certainly consider a firmer mattress. A mattress that isn’t firm enough will feel too soft and won’t support your body properly. Firmer mattresses are also better suited for heavier people because they are less likely to sag; this is in comparison to a softer mattress supporting a heavier weight. 

Pains and Aches

Unfortunately, back pain, especially in older adults, is common, which makes ‘what mattress firmness is best for back pain?’ a frequent concern. Choosing the wrong mattress firmness can harm your body and worsen the pain. In turn, this will lead to poor quality sleep which can cause additional health concerns.

If you experience back pain or pain in your joints, then you need to find a mattress with balance. So, we recommend a medium-firm mattress. Your mattress should be firm enough to encourage a neutral position of your spine, but soft enough to contour your body properly. 

A medium-firm orthopedic mattress will help to spread your body weight out evenly and alleviate pressure, especially around your joints.

Don’t forget that your mattress may be causing aches and pains because it’s time to be replaced! Your mattress should last about eight years, but there may be a reason why it’s stopped offering you comfort sooner.

Sleep Partner

It can be more challenging to decide on the ideal mattress firmness if you have a sleep partner. However, in most cases, a medium-firm mattress will suit couples well without any party seriously compromising on comfort and support.

If you and your sleep partner do have drastically different needs, then a zip and link mattress is an excellent solution.

Zip and link mattresses are two, single mattresses that can be easily and seamlessly zipped together to form one, double mattress. The mattresses join together so effortlessly that you won’t even notice the divide when you sleep.

You can choose different types of mattresses with different levels of firmness, so both you and your partner can sleep comfortably.

Choosing a mattress with the right level of firmness for your needs is important. You should consider the factors discussed above in combination to ensure that you make the right decision.

At Linx Beds, we offer a range of comfortable mattresses with different levels of firmness – so you’ll be sure to find one that gives you a fantastic night sleep. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch or check out our blog for more advice.