To ensure a good night’s sleep, it’s essential to have quality bedding. Bedding includes several components: the bed itself, the mattress, and the box spring. All of these elements must be chosen carefully to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. In addition to comfort, the choice of bedding greatly influences the aesthetic of a bedroom.
Choosing the right bedding helps protect your health while adding style to your bedroom. But with such a wide variety of models available, how do you choose the right bed? How do you choose the right mattress and box spring?
Are you looking to replace your bedding? You've come to the right place. We invite you to keep reading to discover our comprehensive bedding buying guide. There, you'll find all our tips for choosing the right bed and box spring.
How Do You Choose the Right Bed?
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a bed. There are many different types of beds, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. To choose the right bed, you should consider the following:
- the characteristics of the user(s) (age, height, weight, mobility, etc.);
- the room where the bed will be placed and the available space;
- the desired level of comfort;
- decoration or style.
To make the best possible choice and get a better night’s sleep, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different types of beds available on the market. Once you’ve taken this first step, you should choose a bed based on your body type, as well as your expectations and personal preferences.
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What kind of bed should you choose?
Step 1: Choose a bed from among the various models offered by manufacturers. While a traditional bed may be just right for you, other types of beds may be better suited to your needs.
So, you can choose from:
- a storage bed, which provides additional storage space under the bed frame;
- an adjustable bed, so you can raise certain parts of your mattress and sleep more comfortably;
- a round bed, so you can stand out and sleep in a spacious bed;
- a king- or queen-size bed, for a larger bed;
- a bunk bed or a loft bed, to make the most of the space;
- a fold-away bed, so you can hide your bed when you have guests or simply to save space in your home;
- A canopy bed to give your bedroom a luxurious, baroque feel.
As you can see, there’s a wide variety of bed types to choose from. It’s up to you to decide what’s most important to you: saving space, comfort, or style.
In addition to the type of bed, you can also choose your bed based on the materials it's made of. A wooden bed, a wrought-iron bed, or even a leather bed—the choice is yours.
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What size and height should you choose for your bed?
The size and height of a bed are also important factors to consider when choosing bedding, since the bed should be selected based on the user’s body type.
When it comes to bed size, it’s recommended to choose a mattress that’s 15 to 20 cm longer than the sleeper’s height. The bed size is chosen in the same way to ensure the mattress fits the bed. The same principle applies when choosing the bed’s width: select it based on the sleeper’s build. People who tend to move around a lot will also appreciate wider beds. Keep in mind that even though the standard dimensions of a double bed (140 x 190 cm) are the most common, it’s entirely possible to choose a longer or wider bed to better suit your needs.
The height of a bed is also something that shouldn’t be chosen at random. Even though the average height ranges from 50 to 55 cm, this may not be suitable for everyone. In fact, the taller a person is, the higher the bed should be. The opposite is also true for shorter people. Choosing a bed height that suits your height helps prevent strain on your knees, back, or certain muscles. An improperly chosen height can indeed cause pain over the long term, especially from repeatedly getting in and out of bed.
To make sure a bed is the right height, sit on the edge with your feet flat on the floor. Your legs should form an angle of about 90°. In general, we recommend choosing:
- a height of 50 cm if you're about 1.75 m tall;
- a height of 45 cm if you're about 1.60 m tall;
- a height of 55 cm if you're about 1.90 m tall.
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How do you choose a mattress?
Of course, the comfort of your bedding is also an essential factor to consider, keeping in mind that it is primarily provided by the mattress. Two aspects stand out when it comes to the comfort of the mattress:
- flexibility;
- firmness.
It’s therefore a good idea to choose a mattress by paying attention to its density, as this factor affects its firmness. If you’re looking for a firm—or even very firm—mattress, we highly recommend a spring mattress or a futon. For a medium-firm mattress, a natural latex mattress is ideal. Memory foam and synthetic foam mattresses, on the other hand, are generally on the softer side.
Once again, your body type is important when choosing the right mattress. People who are heavier will need a firm mattress to properly support their bodies and prevent pressure points, while those who are lighter will need a softer mattress.
To choose an eco-friendly mattress that also protects your health, we recommend opting for a natural mattress rather than a synthetic one. Natural mattresses, such as wool or horsehair mattresses, are fairly rare, but you can opt for a natural latex mattress. This material, derived from the rubber tree, is healthy, durable, and naturally antibacterial. Natural latex is also very effective against dust mites.
How to Choose the Right Mattress Base?
Let’s now turn to the topic of bed bases. While choosing the right mattress is important for a comfortable night’s sleep, you shouldn’t overlook the bed base, which has a significant impact on sleeping comfort. In fact, it absorbs one-third of the sleeper’s movements and helps extend the mattress’s lifespan.
Sleeping on a box spring improves ventilation and hygiene in your bedding. This is an important consideration, given that our bodies lose half a liter of water through perspiration every night.
So, how do you choose the right box spring? What type of box spring should you choose for your bedding, and what factors should you consider to make the best possible choice?
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What are the different types of bed bases?
It's helpful to know the different types of bed frames offered by manufacturers so you can choose the one that best meets your needs.
The slatted bed base: the traditional bed base
The most common type of bed base is the slatted bed base. This type of bed base consists of wooden slats of varying widths and spacing. The slats can be fixed—that is, attached to the bed base frame—or adjustable. It’s worth noting that active (or articulated) slats provide greater comfort than fixed slats because they offer better elasticity. This type of slat is therefore better able to adapt to the sleeper’s movements.
A slatted bed frame has the advantage of allowing for good ventilation of the mattress, which extends its lifespan. This improves the mattress’s hygiene and keeps the sleeper cooler in the summer. This type of bed frame is suitable for foam and latex mattresses.
The slatted bed base: a solution for back problems
The pocket-spring mattress base consists of flexible, multidirectional springs that conform to the sleeper’s movements. This type of mattress base thus provides point-by-point support and automatically adjusts the sleeping position. In addition, it offers the same level of ventilation as a slatted mattress base.
We recommend choosing a slatted bed frame if you’re looking for a very comfortable sleeping surface, if you have back problems, or if you move around a lot while you sleep. It also works very well with foam and latex mattresses.
The spring mattress for a soft sleeping surface
As the name suggests, a spring mattress is made up of springs: either biconical springs or pocket springs. This type of mattress is popular with people who prefer a soft sleeping surface, so we do not recommend it if you like to sleep on a firm bed.
A box spring is only suitable for use with innerspring mattresses so that the two can be used together. Also note that a box spring has a shorter lifespan than a slatted bed frame.
The floor-mounted bed frame for those who prefer a firm feel
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a very firm sleeping surface, the slatted bed frame—once very common—might be of interest to you. It consists of a wooden slatted board with holes to improve ventilation and provides a very firm sleeping surface.
Although the solid-bottom box spring is perforated, it does not allow air to circulate like a slatted box spring, and is therefore not ideal for long-term hygiene. However, if you’re looking for a very firm feel and don’t suffer from back pain, a solid-bottom box spring may be right for you.
Upholstered bed frames for a more stylish look
You can also choose an upholstered bed base, which is covered in fabric. An upholstered bed base can be a slatted, pad-top, or spring-based bed base. The fabric both adds style to the bed and protects the bed base frame. It’s an ideal solution for coordinating your bed base with your headboard.
However, an upholstered bed base does not provide optimal ventilation. Therefore, it is recommended that you choose a bed base that is fairly high if you decide to go with an upholstered bed base.
The electric bed base for even more comfort
The electric bed base—sometimes also called a TPR bed base (with adjustable head and foot sections)—is very popular because it allows you to raise one or more parts of the bed for greater comfort at night. The electric bed base can feature slats or pads and is adjusted using a remote control.
Thanks to the unique design of the electric bed base, you can raise your head, torso, knees, or legs to sleep in a more comfortable position. This type of bed base is ideal for people suffering from pain, as it helps prevent lower back and muscle tension. It also promotes better blood circulation for the sleeper.
In the case of a double bed, the frame consists of two separate box springs and two separate mattresses to provide greater independence. This allows each person to adjust their bed according to their needs and preferences. As a result, the movements of one person do not affect the movements of the other person sleeping with them.
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What are the key factors to consider when choosing a bed frame?
You now know the different types of bed bases you can choose for your bedding. But how do you make the right choice among these models?
First of all, you should choose your bed base based on your mattress. You cannot choose a spring bed base if your mattress is made of latex, as this could damage it. Similarly, the size of your bed base must match the size of your mattress. We recommend choosing a slatted bed base for foam, latex, or wool mattresses. For spring mattresses, you can choose either a slatted bed base or a spring bed base.
Finally, you should choose a bed base based on your needs and preferences. Do you suffer from allergies or tend to sweat a lot? If so, opt for a slatted bed base, which will ensure the best possible ventilation for your bedding. Would you like to add a decorative touch to your bed? Feel free to choose an upholstered bed base.
Also pay attention to the firmness and flexibility offered by the different types of bed bases. If you prefer soft beds, you’ll likely prefer a spring bed base or an adjustable slat bed base. On the other hand, opt for a fixed slat bed base or a solid-bottom bed base if you’re looking for a firmer sleeping surface.