Selecting a Waterbed Mattress

We normally recommend a firm mattress with lumbar support. Sleeping with proper support allows you to sleep in almost any positon in comfort.

Full Motion mattresses cause the hammocking effect. Because the central part of the body has more mass, your body sinks deeper throwing the head and legs upward. This makes it very difficult to sleep in any other position than flat on your back.

   If you have spent years sleeping in this position, changing may take patience. Be sure to set your heater to a warmer setting until you are used to a new firmer mattress. This will help the transition.

We feel there are two primary considerations for selecting a waterbed mattress from us that relates to comfort.

1. Waveless Rating
2. Firmness

   A Waveless Rating tells you how much motion there is in a mattress. A 100% waveless mattress will move very little - motion stops immediately. At the other end of the spectrum is a full motion mattress which has nothing inside it, typically it moves for 10 seconds or even longer.

   Firmness relates to the thickness of fiber layers and number of layers in a given mattress. More layers of fiber result in a firmer mattress. Each brand and line has different fiber layers.

Our Firmness Scale

Very Firm - Firm - Firm Stable - Supple - Plush - Plush Soft - Soft - Very Soft

This gives you a general idea of how firm our mattresses are in relation to each other. Mattresses below 90% waveless have less support so you may have little movement, but you will sleep lower in the mattress. This is why we show a profile view with our ratings.

The profile views of sleepers is for an average size person. Smaller sleepers and larger sleepers would be different than what is shown. Large sleepers should always consider firmer mattresses to get more back support.

Waveless ratings between 98 and 100 percent may seem insignificant and in some cases the cost difference may seem a lot. In most cases a firmer mattress with a 100% rating may be overstuffed. Our US Watermattress 900 model has nine layers of fiber, each layer is 2" thick. Since a mattress is roughly 9" thick you can see with 18" of fiber it is overstuffed providing a lot more support than a less expensive model. This might be an ideal choice for a large sleeper.

One consideration should be the type of waterbed mattress you want. Hardside or Softside? This is usually dependant on what you have at the time.

Another consideration would be what you are sleeping on now. We normally recommend a firm mattress with lumbar layers because it gives better support, however if you have slept for years on a full motion mattress, you may find a firm mattress uncomfortable until you gets used to sleeping flat again.

The next consideration is whether you want one or two mattresses. A dual mattress costs a little more but has some worthwhile advantages.

How much will it cost and how much is tax and shipping? Cost is always a consideration, but think about how many years you sleep on that mattress.

   If you buy a 95% waveless mattress that is rated supple, when you could have had a Firm mattress for $100 more, think about how little money that is over a number of years and how you will sleep better.

The final consideration is whether to get a protective cover for your mattress. This transforms your mattress by adding plush padding to the top of your mattress. It holds heat saving you money. It puncture proofs as well.