When shopping at Orange County mattress stores for a new mattress, something you should absolutely consider is how firm you’d like your new mattress to be. This is because the firmness of your mattress can quite literally change your sleep quality- a mattress that’s too firm or soft for your liking can make falling and staying asleep uncomfortable. Firmness is a pretty subjective topic considering different levels of firmness will feel comfortable for different groups of people. Things like personal preference and sleeping position can all impact what firmness you find comfortable. If you’re unsure what firmness would work best for you, here’s a quick rundown of the different levels available.
The different firmness levels
Generally, there are four different types of firmness levels available on the market: soft, medium soft, medium firm, and firm. Within these types, there is also a firmness scale many mattress stores will use to describe the exact feel of each mattress. This scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely soft and 10 being extremely firm. Let’s breakdown these categories even more:
1) Soft
A soft mattress will usually land between the 1 and 2 marks on the firmness scale. These types of mattresses are best described as pillow-soft since they are truly the softest mattresses on the market. They are also characterized as having the least amount of support and the greatest amount of ‘body contour comfort’ compared to the other 3 levels. Body contour comfort refers to the mattress’s sinkage, meaning that as you lie or sit down on it, the mattress is able to ‘hug’ your body and cradle it as you sink into the plush mattress material. While they do exist, mattresses that are considered 1s and 2s are very hard to find since many people find the lack of support to be quite uncomfortable. Typically, people who are interested in soft mattresses will opt for one that is medium soft instead.
2) Medium soft
Medium soft mattresses range between 3 to 4 on the firmness scale. These mattresses offer a little more support than their softer counterparts while still maintaining an incredibly plush texture. Because of this, medium-soft mattresses are still able to provide a good amount of sinkage and contour to the body well while also offering an additional amount of core support. Overall, these types of mattresses work best for strict side sleepers who require extra comfort and pressure relief around their hips, lower back, and shoulder.
3) Medium firm
Medium firm is the middle ground firmness level. Ranging from 5 to 7 on the firmness scale, these mattresses have a good balance of both pressure relief and support. For this reason, medium firm mattresses are often thought of as universally comfortable, as they are suitable for back, side, stomach, and combination sleepers. The sinkage on this type of mattress is a lot more subtle, however they still do provide an adequate level of body contour comfort for most people’s preferences. This is an especially great option for combination sleepers who are looking for a mattress that will feel comfortable and support them no matter what position they choose to sleep in.
4) Firm
Finally, at 8 to 10, firm mattresses take up the end of the firmness scale. Between the 4 firmness levels, firm mattresses are the absolute most supportive and have little to no body contour. In fact, the design was made specifically so you’re laying on top of it and not ‘in’ it like mattresses with greater sinkage may make you feel. This amount of firmness is typically not ideal for side sleepers, as the mattress lacks significant amounts of pressure relief. Generally, side sleepers may experience pain along their shoulders and hips since these mattresses would be compressesing these areas uncomfortably, leading to poor sleep quality. Instead, firm mattresses are better for back sleepers or people who frequently experience back pain.
Overall, finding a firmness level that is comfortable is entirely up to your personal preferences. So the next time you visit one of your local Orange County mattress stores such as Mattress Sale Liquidators, make sure you take your time to test out all your options to truly find the perfect mattress for you.