Mattress comparison and opinions

How thick should your mattress be? Guide, 2022

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 Our editors strive to be honest and accurate. We follow the IPSO Publishers Code of Practice.
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Editorial independence

Our editors strive to be honest and accurate. We follow the IPSO Publishers Code of Practice.

Undercovermattress is supported by its readers. We may earn a commission through products purchased through links on this page. Find out about our process here

How thick a mattress should be

In choosing the perfect mattress that suits your needs, you would be looking for a mattress that will give you adequate comfort and relaxation. Of course, no sane🤪 person would want a mattress that will cause distress, nor one  which can cause you  pains. This is very pertinent for you to know and be sure of how thick you want your mattress to be for your sweet sleep.😴

The quality of our mattresses, including their thickness, contributes immensely to our general health, happiness and well-being. You wouldn't escape some health hazards🤕 and dangers posed by our environments and living standards, only for your mattress to become a clog on the wheel of your active life; 🚴hence we will take you through what the thickness of your mattress should be.

Therefore, in this article, we will explain the various levels of mattress thicknesses to help you understand and discern the best choice for you based on your distinct sleep desires, patterns, and body weight. This will enable you to decide on a mattress that is just right 🧩for you whenever you want a new bed.

Factors that influence mattress thickness

In selecting a new bed to buy, you need to know the factors that contribute to the depth  of your mattress. Ideally, a reliable and comfortable mattress should be in the range of 8 to 14 inches thick. 

The mattress layers, 🥞the sleep pattern of the sleeper, body weight, bed size, and mattress thickness profile are major determinants of how thick a mattress should be.

 Let's look into these factors bit by bit.

Mattress layers

Mattresses have 2 or more layers in them, mainly formulated🧪 to provide maximum support for sleepers. Mattress densities 🧱vary from between 2 to more than twenty inches in thickness.

These layers consist of the following: 

  • Base layer
  • Comfort layer

Base Layer 

The base layer of your mattress also known as the foundation layer is the lower structure 🔧 of your mattress that is responsible for providing comprehensive durability 🔩and support. It is usually made from poly-foam, latex, or pocketed springs. This layer should make up at least 50 per cent of your mattress thickness.

If your bed doesn't have a thick foundation, the mattress will likely show signs🚸 of weakness, scrape and crack quickly, such as slumping in the areas where your hips and low back lie. For optimal performance, your mattress foundation layer should be between 6 to 7 inches thick.

Comfort Layers

After the base layer of your mattress, the remaining portion of your mattress is the comfort layer. These layers play a major role in healthy spine alignment, relaxation,💆‍♀️ and motion isolation, which can be good for couples. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨The majority of mattresses have 2 to 3 inches thick comfort layers.

How thick a mattress should be

The soft and topmost layer of your mattress which is the closest to your body when you are on the bed and reduce pressure is the comfort layer. The layers are made with cotton, wool 🐑or poly-foam, to contour the curves of your body. 

Though, if your comfort layers are too tough, you won’t receive the proper backing💂 you need to keep your spine in alignment and relieve pressure from your lower back, shoulders, and hips no matter your sleeping behaviour.

Also, if your comfort layers are too thick, you can suffer pain that even reaches your bones 🦴, which is  not ideal for the health and longevity 👴 of your spine.

Sleep Position of the Mattress Sleeper

The way you position yourself while sleeping affects how comfortable and relaxed you will feel on the mattress, and equally determine how healthy you will feel when you wake up.🌞

 For instance some people look👀 for mattresses between 6 and 8 inches to best support their shoulders and bottoms, while strengthening 💪 spinal alignment.

You may need support for susceptible regions of the body, like your back and hips. Choosing 👉a mattress with a particular thickness can help provide you with immense comfort

Some people are side sleepers, while others are stomach, back, and combination sleepers.

Extra support for side sleepers with thick mattresses
Side Sleepers

Side-sleepers need extra support for the hips, making a mattress between 12 and 14 inches thick the ideal 🤩choice for them. Sleepers of this position need smooth cushioning 🌥to lessen the shoulders and hips pain and pressure. Thick beds with extra-plush comfort layers provide pressure point relief and impede muscle pains during sleep.😴

Stomach Sleepers

Every stomach sleeper wants support for their front and backs, and to achieve this, they should go for any bed that the thickness is between 10 and 15 inches, to reduce or escape 💨 the high risk of encountering spinal misalignment⚖ and dislocation. Sleeping in a stomach position can  put strain😬  on both neck and back, making it extremely hard for your thick mattresses to support you properly, and give you the needed comfort. 

Why trust us?

You know how you dream of getting a good night's sleep? Well, you can. Get the sleep you deserve with our mattress and sleeping product reviews. Our team tests out all the best mattresses so that you don't have to. We fill our site with honest and detailed reviews, along with fair comparisons of similar products and personalized recommendations for which one is best for you. We have reviewed over 50 products with more than 20 data points for each mattress. making our reviews thorough and rigorous.

Back Sleepers 

Beds for back sleepers are generally firm, 10 to 12 inches. If you are a back sleeper, you will need support for your shoulders and bottom.🍑 A strong mattress of this thickness  can keep your spine properly aligned.

Combination Sleepers

People who sleep in all three positions , rotate and roll 🎲 throughout the period they are in bed. Therefore, such sleepers, need a medium-firm mattress to adapt to  all sleep positions. Mattresses for combination🎰 sleepers should be at least 12 inches thick with a middle feel to provide the sleeper with the best balance of firmness and softness.🧸

How thick a mattress should be

Body Weight  

More mattress thickness paves way for tremendous amounts of weight to be properly distributed over the mattress, which is very crucial for gaining spinal alignment and maximizing🥇 support. This is specifically effective for couples who need a mattress that can withstand the weight of two individuals. 

Bed Position

Also, mattress thickness can influence the touch 🤝and style of your bedroom. If the frame of your bed is too high, avoid a mattress that is extra thick and large. Do not leap 🦗in or out of your bed every day.

The Mattress Thickness Profile 

Mattresses can be distinguished into five types. These include:

  • Low profile
  • Slim profile
  • Standard profile
  • Deep or thick profile
  • Extra thick profile

Silentnight Geltex Ultra 3000

Our grading of the Silentnight Geltex Ultra 3000

Silentnight mattress logo
Silentnight Geltex Ultra 3000

A mattress that harmonizes Geltex foam and 3000 springs to produce a mattress of a medium firmness with thermal regulation and adaptability at the forefront of its showcased capacities.

4 / 5
star star star star How thick a mattress should be

Silentnight Geltex Ultra 3000: Pros and Cons

We appreciate

    You are a hot sleeper and need to sleep in temperatures that are moderate or below.

    You are sensitive to allergens and need a mattress that will combat them with hypoallergenic features

    You need special attention to the neutral alignment of your spine and need and a mattress that will help in that regards at least at the beginning.

    You are a side sleeper

     

     

We regret


    You tend to need quality  edge support because you sleep off-centre and need supportive sides. For that we recommend the {"article":"1641814895285x841513573322063900","label":"Simba Hybrid"}

    You are a stomach sleeper and need a quite firm mattress. For that we recommend the {"article":"1643890790151x503032825292259300","label":"Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid"}

    You don't want a mattress that is too large because you have a small room and door frame and want to be able to transport it easily whilst having a mattress that delivers on quality. For that we recommend the {"article":"1643575505033x494589132635897860","label":"Nectar Mattress"}
     

Layers of a deep mattress, stacked cake slices
Pros and cons of thick mattresses

 Sleeping on a thicker a mattress gives sleepers  can  offer that  ultra-plush🤗 sensation.  It is commonly  very useful for spine alignment. An example of a mattress that is thick and is considered as an orthopeadic mattress is the Silentnight Geltex Ultra 3000

Sleepers with health challenges such as arthritis, shoulder pain, or hip pain should endeavour to use mattresses of about twelve to fourteen inches thick. Thick mattresses' comes with softer layers and contain improved cushioning🧽 to relieve pains and pressure.

Smaller mattresses are not the best choice for couples since they can’t withstand the weight of  adults. This can make sleep quite uneasy and may cause permanent damage 🔨to your mattress due to slumping.

Though a thick mattress may be a good option for most sleepers, it still has its disadvantages. Extra thick mattresses comprise more layers, so they can be lack the delicacy of the complementing layers transmitting to you and they tend to be rather costly🦞

Also, its over-sized nature can be so hefty and very cumbersome to carry. Mobility 🚲issues typically are a problem for this mattress size.


 

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