What’s inside your mattress matters

You spend so much time on your mattress. About a third of your life if you are doing it right. So it is really important that his collection of materials is safe and comfortable for you to spend so much time pressed against. You’re at your most vulnerable when you are asleep. This is when your body takes the time to return and restore itself. You need to make sure you are doing that on materials that are chosen to aid your health.

So what is inside your mattress matters. Choosing a mattress made from the right materials is important for two reasons; it affects your comfort, and it impacts your health.

Why does mattress material matter?

If you choose the right mattress made from the right materials, you’ll have a mattress that is:

• breathable
• fire resistant
• durable
• comfortable

You might presume all mattresses have these qualities. Unfortunately, they do not. Lots of mattresses have chemicals added to them to make them fire resistant. These chemicals might not be safe for you to inhale. They might also have a funny chemical smell that will make your sleep uncomfortable, or not support your frame properly. Non-breathable materials don’t wick away moisture, which can make your mattress a breeding ground for mould. It can also trap dust. This is really bad for people who have dust allergies.

The trouble with foam mattresses

An unfortunate key offender in the unhealthy mattress category is foam mattresses. This might surprise you, because foam mattresses are often marketed as high quality products. Twenty years or so ago, clever marketing on TV had people lining up to buy a foam mattress, convinced this was the key to a good night of sleep.

But those people had been misled. Not only is foam often terrible at offering support – particularly for those with weak joints and muscles – but this man-made material is unhealthy, and it is not a good idea to be in close proximity with it for long periods of time.

Lots of foam mattresses contain toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and naphthalene. Memory foam also sometimes contains isocyanates, which have been linked to irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin. This chemical can also cause chest tightness and asthma.

Worse than that, chemicals added to foam mattresses as flame retardants have been linked to developmental brain disorders, cancers, and obesity.

Memory foam also goes through a process called off-gassing, which can create a terrible smell. It might take several weeks for this smell to evaporate properly. And who wants a new mattress that stinks?

Memory foam and joint/muscle pain

Lots of people buy foam mattresses because they think they offer great support, but the opposite is true. Because foam moulds to the body, you might make an indention that you struggle to get out of if you have joint or muscle pain. This can cause disturbed sleep, because you might find yourself struggling to turn over. Foam is no good for you if you’re a wriggler.

What materials are good in mattresses?

We’re off the opinion that natural materials are best to use in mattresses. Nature is phenomenal. She gives us a whole host of materials that we can use for comfort and health. Natural materials often used in mattresses have several benefits, including:

• being naturally breathable
• wicking away moisture
• Being naturally fire resistant
• being hypoallergenic
• and being comfortable and naturally springy.

Ely mattresses contain cotton, horse hair and wool.

We chose cotton because it is durable and comfortable. Until not so long ago, this was the number one filling for mattresses, but a shift to cheaper man-made materials saw it shunted aside in favour of profits. But cotton is an incredible mattress material, because it lasts a long time and is breathable, which means it won’t remain wet if you sweat. This is important, because sweat is a breeding ground for mould. It will also stain your mattress, and make it smell.

We use horse hair because it is naturally springy. It’s also a natural fire retardant. It’s moisture wicking properties are incredible. You can shake horse hair and it will dry almost immediately.

Finally, we use wool. Aside from being breathable and being a natural fire retardant, wool is temperature regulating, which means it will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. What more could you want?

Buy an Ely mattress

Ely mattresses come with a sleep trial and ten year warranty. You can spread your payments to make it more affordable, and purchase an Ely mattress from baby to adult size. Our two man team will deliver your mattress to a room of your choice, and we’ll even take your old mattress and recycle it for you.For more information, browse our Ely mattress range.