Best Mattress for an Adjustable Bed

September 06, 2021

Not long ago, the majority of new mattresses sold came as a set: an innerspring mattress with a box spring platform. Today, most mattresses are sold separately from the platform, which means you're able to pick and choose the perfect mattress, without having to commit to buying a particular bed platform or base.

One of the most popular bed bases today is the adjustable bed base. Adjustable beds offer sleepers luxurious comfort by adjusting the bed and moving the head or foot of the bed up and down, so that it’s always in the perfect position.

When a mattress and bed base are sold separately, it allows you to pick and choose the best mattress for adjustable beds for your needs, as well as the best bed base that will match your sleeping style, which makes for a special and unique sleeping experience.

So, how do you choose the best mattress for an adjustable bed?

What Are Adjustable Beds?

Adjustable beds are beds that sleepers can adjust to their liking. This means that sleepers can make the bed higher or lower to suit their preferred sleeping positions. Not every bed has an adjustable frame, so an adjustable bed is often considered luxurious, and top-of-the-line.

How Do Adjustable Beds Work?

An adjustable bed is actually a bed frame with an adjustable bed base that includes an electronic motor and gears that move different components of the bed frame up and down. Adjustable bases typically allow users to move the head and foot portions of the bed frame up and down to suit whatever specific comfort needs they have.

Special Features

Not every adjustable bed on the market is the same. For example, some beds that are adjustable offer head and foot positioning, but few other features. If you want a more high-tech adjustable bed base, you can find an adjustable frame that offers features beyond just moving the head or foot positioning up and down.

Split sides: Two sleepers on the same bed base might prefer different heights. Split sides allow for a single bed frame to accommodate different heights. This requires a split mattress for adjustable beds as well.

Zero-gravity: A zero-gravity function automatically adjusts the head and foot positioning to offer a sleeper a weightless feel that provides intense pressure relief, especially on the spine.

Bottom lighting: Some mattresses for adjustable beds have lights installed on the bottom that can act as safety lighting during late-night trips out of bed.

Massage: Many beds of this type also feature a vibrating function that provides sleepers with full-body massages from head to toe.

USB Ports: Because adjustable bases need to be plugged into an outlet to work, they constantly have electricity running through them. Some adjustable bed manufacturers take advantage of this by including USB ports in their beds for users to use as charging stations.

What Are the Benefits of Adjustable Beds?

The popularity of adjustable-based beds continues to rise due to their ability to offers sleepers a more comfortable and truly unique sleeping experience. While sleeping on a flat surface may work for many, there are many more who are in need of a little more versatility.

Comfort

An adjustable bed allows for this, since you're able to adjust the head or foot of the bed, to a number of comfortable sleeping positions.

Adjustable beds are also popular among those who are looking for ways to reduce pain, which they may have, giving them the ability to adjust the bed to a position that gives them the most comfort, and relieves their pressure and pain.

Convenience

An adjustable bed type offers users the convenience of raising the top of their mattress to sit up in bed. This is perfect for those who want to comfortably watch TV in bed, or work on a laptop without causing back pain.

While regular beds offer a large flat surface to put a mattress on, a bed base that adjusts offers sleepers the ability to create their own unique sleeping experience.

Health Benefits

It is no coincidence that an adjustable bed mimics some features of similar adjustable bed frames you might find in a hospital room. These beds are designed to offer health benefits for those who want to relieve pressure points, lessen heartburn, elevate injuries, and much more.

Circulation and Swelling

Standing or sitting for long periods of time can prevent proper blood flow. When blood accumulates in your lower extremities, it can swell painfully. Elevating your ankles and feet above your heart can help to get the blood circulating as it should.

Pressure Relief

The zero-gravity feature on most adjustable bed bases allows for maximum pressure relief, especially on the pressure points that cause back pain. This is especially true when your adjustable frame is paired with a mattress that offers optimum pressure relief on painful pressure points.

Joint Pain

The pressure relief benefits of an adjustable bed base can also affect the entire body. Those with arthritis and other joint issues can adjust their bed to find comfort that a flat bed might not provide.

GERD

Acid reflux and GERD causes a great deal of pain and sleep loss. Raising an adjustable frame so that the head of a bed is higher than the rest can keep painful acid from traveling up the esophagus at night.

Recovery

During certain injuries like sprained ankles or broken feet, those body parts should stay elevated. Additionally, certain surgeries require a person to sleep in positions other than flat on a horizontal surface. An adjustable bed paired with a mattress for adjustable bed can make this task much easier.

Sleep Apnea

Elevating the head can reduce snoring and remove pressure from the airways. For those who suffer from sleep apnea, relieving pressure on the breathing passages and sinuses can alleviate some of the problems that lead to trouble with breathing at night.

Mobility Issues

If you have trouble getting in and out of bed, it might be because of the horizontal nature of a typical bed. An adjustable bed base can help those with mobility issues to get in and out of bed more easily and safely from a sitting position.

What Are the Drawbacks of Adjustable Beds?

You might find that adjustable mattress beds are not perfect for your needs. Below are some common drawbacks of beds that are adjustable.

Weight

Adjustable beds are heavier than regular beds. They house motors, cables, and gears that other types of beds do not.

Price

Because adjustable bed frames are far more advanced than traditional bed frames, they are typically more expensive.

Noise

The motor on an adjustable bed frame can make noise when you adjust your bed. Usually, it is not loud. However, it is not necessarily silent. If you are worried about complete silence, take into consideration that your adjustable bed frame might make noise.

Require Electricity

Adjustable bed frames require electricity to operate. Therefore, adjustable bases need to be placed in a room nearby a power outlet. This might be inconvenient, since you will have to arrange your room to accommodate your adjustable base.

What Features to Look for in Adjustable Beds

When choosing a mattress for adjustable beds, you should consider an adjustable base that offers all of the following:

• Big enough for your intended mattress size
• Sleep trial
• Long warranty
• Features you want
• Fits in your bedroom
• Split if preferred

An adjustable base is a large purchase. You want to be sure you choose the right one for all of your needs.

What Features to Look for in Adjustable Bed Mattresses

Even though an adjustable bed can give you a luxurious sleeping experience, choosing the best mattress is truly key to years of comfortable sleep.

Mattress Size

Your new mattress should be the proper size to fit with your adjustable base. You should have enough room for you or you and your partner to sleep comfortably throughout the night every night.

Mattress Thickness

Other important mattress qualities include support and thickness. Not all mattress thicknesses are compatible with adjustable bases. Once a mattress is more than 14 inches thick, it can be difficult to bend.

The ideal mattress should be thick enough to offer the right amount of firmness, support, and pressure-relieving qualities for its intended sleepers. It should not be too thick to bend easily, however.

Mattress Temperature Regulation

Certain types of mattresses are better for temperature regulation than others. Hot sleepers will be uncomfortable throughout the night if a mattress retains heat, for example. Breathable mattresses are better for hot sleepers because they allow air to flow freely, and do not trap heat against a sleeper’s body.

Preferred Sleep Position

Sleep position plays a role in what mattress a person should choose.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers need firmer mattresses to keep their spine aligned. Softer mattresses will allow a person to sink into the mattress too much, which can cause spinal misalignment and back pain over time.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers, like back sleepers, should also sleep on a firmer mattress to keep their spine aligned. Stomach sleeping is the rarest sleep position. Sleep experts do not recommend people sleep nightly on their stomachs, if they can help it.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need softer mattresses because their stomach and hips are put under a lot of pressure in this sleep position. A softer mattress is more pressure relieving for side sleepers who sleep on these parts of the body.

Combination Sleepers

Since combination sleepers can sleep in any sleep position on any given night, a well-balanced mattress is the best mattress to choose. A medium-firm mattress is a good choice for combination sleepers because it is not too firm and not too soft, so it can accommodate all the different sleep positions.

Split vs. Solid

Are you and your partner both picky sleepers? If you and your partner will likely want to use different adjustment levels at the same time, a split mattress might be a great choice for you. A split mattress is designed to be compatible with an adjustable split base.

Weight Capacity

Some mattresses are not as durable as others. For a mattress to offer the ideal comfort and support to you and your partner, you want to make sure your new mattress has enough strength to handle its intended weight capacity with ease.

Low-quality mattresses might give out within a few years if put under lots of weight. However, the best high-quality mattresses will hold up for years, regardless of your body weight.

Sleep Trial Period

Consider buying from companies that offer a sleep trial. When a company offers a trial period, you can sleep on a mattress during the trial period to decide if you like how it feels. If you find the mattress is not for you, you can let the company know before the trial period ends.

The company should offer to pick up the mattress, and refund your money, if you are unsatisfied with the purchase during the trial period.

Warranty

Companies that believe in their mattresses offer great warranties to prove it. Consider shopping from companies that back their products with long warranties, so you know your mattress will be supported for the long term.

Best Mattress Types for Adjustable Beds

Not all mattresses are created equal. While you do not need a special mattress to use with an adjustable base, some mattress types work better than others.

Latex

A quality latex mattress is the perfect mattress choice for beds that are adjustable because it gives you the comfort and support you need while still easily conforming to a variety of positions due to its cellular structure. This type of mattress is soft and comfortable, contouring to your body while also being breathable and sleeping cool.

Latex mattresses are hypoallergenic, and come in multiple firmness levels. All-natural, organic latex is perfectly safe and healthy, as well, so you can be confident about the materials you bring into your home.

Latex is naturally extremely durable, so you will not have to replace your mattress for many years.

Memory Foam

Memory foam contours to the body as well. This is a popular type of mattress to use alongside an adjustable bed. Memory foam is contouring, and offers firm comfort and support for excellent pressure relief.

Unlike latex mattresses, memory foam mattresses are not all-natural or organic. They go through an off-gassing process, which releases certain chemicals into the atmosphere. This is not necessarily overtly dangerous, but it can exacerbate respiratory illnesses.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses often include some form of individually-wrapped coils and outer comfort layers made of foam or latex. They can work with adjustable mattresses. Before using any mattress with an adjustable bed, you should check manufacturer warranty information to ensure it is safe to do so.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses are traditional mattresses that include an inner layer of metal springs. These mattresses do not work well with adjustable bases because the springs can become damaged upon frequent bending.

Dangers of Choosing a Low-Quality Mattress for Your Adjustable Bed

• Will often sag over time
• Won’t offer the firm support you need, too soft
• Will sleep hot
• May be unsafe; off-gassing, strange odors
• Won’t provide the edge support you need
• Won’t protect you from motion transfer

FAQ About Adjustable Beds

If you still have questions about adjustable beds and mattresses, take a look at these frequently asked questions below.

Are Certain Mattresses Made for Adjustable Beds?

You do not have to buy a special adjustable mattress for an adjustable bed. However, You should buy a mattress that will work well with an adjustable bed. Latex and foam mattresses work well, hybrid mattresses work fine, and innerspring mattresses do not work unless stated by the manufacturer.

Does Sleeping Position Matter with Adjustable Beds?

Certain sleepers will find an adjustable bed more comfortable than others. However, beds that are adjustable offer more than just a surface to sleep on. Side sleepers, back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and combination sleepers can all find comfort with adjustable frames.

Do Adjustable Beds Damage Mattresses?

If you pair a foam or latex mattress with your adjustable bed frame, it should not get damaged. These mattress types are good to pair with an adjustable bed because they are fine to bend. Innerspring mattresses should not be used with adjustable bed frames because they will likely get damaged.

Do Mattress Pads and Toppers Work with Adjustable Beds?

You can use a latex mattress topper with your adjustable bed. Just make sure your mattress and topper together are not too thick. Typically, once your mattress is more than 14 inches thick, it becomes difficult to bend.

How Much Do Adjustable Beds Cost?

An average adjustable bed frame will cost between $1,000 and $4,000. You will also have to factor in the price of the mattress for your adjustable bed.

Does the Eco Terra Natural Hybrid Mattress Work with an Adjustable Bed?

A strong and supportive foundation is recommended for the Eco Terra. Our hybrid latex mattress is a single-source origin mattress with advanced pressure-relieving coils, making it a perfect choice for all adjustable beds.

It’s essential to find the highest quality all-natural latex mattress when pairing it with an adjustable bed base. A low-quality mattress simply won’t offer you the support you need when used with an adjustable bed base. It also won’t last as long as a high-quality mattress.

Why the Eco Terra Hybrid Mattress Is the Best Choice

The Eco Terra hybrid latex mattress is considered a high-quality mattress for many reasons. As an eco-friendly mattress, it is plant-derived, and all-natural. Because it’s all-natural, your sleep each night will be cool and comfortable.

Also, when you choose an Eco Terra latex mattress, you won’t sink down into the foam, which often happens with memory foam mattresses. Latex mattresses and mattresses with high quality, fabric-encased coils are also more flexible than standard innerspring mattresses. They are perfect mattresses to go with your adjustable bed.   

Eco Terra is an affordable mattress, offering customers a 90-day trial period to get a feel for their mattress. If you are not satisfied after the 90-day trial period, Eco Terra will arrange to pick up the mattress, and refund you. Eco Terra also backs our mattresses with a 15-year limited warranty.

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