How to choose the right mattress
Mattress marketing is noise. Sleep position, body weight, temperature and partner differences decide the right firmness and construction.
What this decision really turns on
Position and support
Side sleepers need pressure relief at hip and shoulder; back and stomach sleepers need more support.
Heat
Dense all-foam sleeps warmer. Coils and breathable covers move heat away.
Two people, one bed
Different weights and positions often mean a split feel or a hybrid rather than a compromise firmness.
Questions worth answering first
- Which position do you sleep in most of the night?
- Do you sleep hot?
- Is there a partner, and do your preferences differ?
- Any recurring back, hip or shoulder pain?
HOW HOUSE asks these one at a time, then reasons from your answers — and your photos, if you share them.
Mistakes that cost homeowners money
- Judging a mattress by a few minutes in a showroom.
- Buying firmer than you need because 'firm is better for backs' — support matters, hardness doesn't.
- Ignoring the trial period and return terms.