HOW TO: Shop for a Mattress
A mattress is the most important furniture purchase since it has a direct affect on your overall health. This task is made easier if you shop armed with important information to aid you in your mattress choice. Shanna Jordan of Jordan Bedding, a local mattress factory selling direct to the public, offers this advice on how make mattress shopping a more comfortable experience. Talk to a mattress expert rather than a commissioned sales person. “Talk to someone who knows exactly how mattresses are put together. At Jordan Bedding we can show you all of the mattress components and you can see the steps to making a quality mattress,” says Jordan. Try before you buy. “Buying a mattress online from a faraway company sight unseen is the best way to make a shopping mistake,” warns Shanna. “The best way to purchase a mattress is to try and compare all of the different comfort levels and see what works best for your needs. A good mat- tress sale person is trained to direct you to the best mattress for you.” Buy a two- sided innerspring mattress. All Jordan innerspring mattresses can be flipped completely over, not just turned from side to side. One sided or “noflip” saves mattress manufacturers money be- cause they make half a mattress. Two sides will last longer than one. Coil count matters but so does construction. Many mattress manufacturers tell you that the only thing that matters is the coil gauge count. This is misleading, because not just the number of coils but the number of turns in the coil have a direct bearing on the comfort level and durability of the mattress. Also how much padding is on the mat- tress and what materials are used and where are they produced? Is the mattress hand crafted to secure all materials in place, or is it mass manufactured? Investigate the feel of new available types of mattresses, like mem- ory foam, gel memory foam, talalay latex, adjustable beds and pocketed coil units. Jordan Bedding sell 12 different comfort levels including foams and innerspring. Firmer is not always better, and neither is softer, for that matter. “When customers come in we ask them what kind of feel they prefer and direct them to the mattresses that best suit their needs. Then we encourage them to lie all the way down on each mattress for at least five to ten minutes. If they are still com- fortable in that amount of time it is probably the right mattress,” says Jordan. Jordan Bedding has been handcrafting quality mattresses since 1958 and is located at 4735 Malvern Ave. Call for more mat- tress buying tips at 501-262-1581 or visit their website at www. jordanbedding.com.