What to Look for in a Mattress

When you optimize the ergonomic support from your bed, you take care better care of your back and experience a far more rejuvenating sleep.

Below is the Bedtek list of essential things to look for when purchasing a new mattress.

1. Consider choosing a solid material mattress
- (not springs) which is made of a flexible/elastic material - ie latex, memory foams and high tech foams such as Visco (memory foam) and ColdFoam.
2. Choose a mattress which is ergonomically zoned
- denser in the middle where you are heavier and need more support, and softer in the shoulders because shoulders are wide and need to go down further into the mattress.
3. Choose a mattress with removable washable covers,
- which certified as non-allergenic (ie suitable for allergy sufferers). Our German and Swiss mattresses covers are removable and washable at 60 degrees celsius.
4. Choose a mattress which is certified free from any hazardous chemicals.
- only then can you be sure of a healthy and non-toxic sleep environment. Our German and Swiss mattresses are certified and manufactured under the voluntary Oeko-text standard. Check any mattress before you buy to ensure that mattresses is independently certified as safe - beware of unsubstantiated manufacturer claims about cleanliness, support, materials and safety.
5. Consider your specific needs, and those of your partner
- are they the same? If you have pressure related problems [sore shoulders, hips etc.] then consider a softer mattress or one with some memory foam in it. If your problems are largely support related, choose a mattress which is soft enough to distribute your weight evenly, but not so soft that you have trouble turning over on it. Ignore old wives tales about hard mattresses being appropriate or good for your back - they put unnecessary pressure on the rest of your body because they do not evenly distribute your weight. As long as the mattress is zoned for density, then even a mattress that is softer than you would normally risk buying, will in fact support you. If your weight or needs is greatly different from that of your partner, or you have a problem with partner disturbance, then consider buying side-by-side mattresses.
6. Consider the role of your bed frame
- in particular, the slats. Bedtek mattresses will perform significantly better on a system of flexible slats. Please refer to our page on how to choose a slatted frame system for more information.
7. Consider the technical aspects of various mattress materials
- as these are closely connected to healthy sleep and the life-span of the mattress. Below you will find additional information to help you choose a high quality product which suitable to your needs.

What's Special about Bedtek Mattresses?

Bedtek mattress technologies concentrate on supporting your body in the perfect ergonomic position. The remarkable benefits are that you achieve generally include more restful sleep, drastically reduced back pain, and reduction in other body pressure-related discomforts. Circulation improves - particularly with the use of visco foam and gel-pad technologies.

Bedtek mattress and flexible-slat sleep-systems are far more elastic and comfortable than spring mattresses and standard box-spring mattress ensembles. All mattresses and slats are ergonomically-zoned (up to 7 different density areas or zones), giving you;

1. adjustability and better support in the heavier area around hips
2. softness in the shoulder area so that your shoulders sink deeply into a more comfortable zone
3. tailored contouring to evenly distribute your weight, reduce pressure on your body and relax your spine into a natural and healthy sleeping position.

Unique to our mattresses are the removable, machine-washable mattress covers which absorb moisture, keeping you cool and dry. On the underneath side of the covers is a lyocel membrane (a soft and absorbent natural-fiber membrane), which keeps the mattress core dry, preventing allergens and parasites from entering the mattress core. Wash the covers clean at up to 60 degrees for an allergy-free (and far healthier) sleep environment.

When it comes to mattresses, harder is not necessarily better. A good mattress should adjust itself to the human body in an anatomically suitable manner. It is important that it does not sink too deeply under your hips and pelvis, since these are the places that come under most strain. Instead, it should absorb and distribute the body's weight. Otherwise, we end up in an unnatural sleeping position that all too frequently leads to back pain. A good mattress should yield to all your movements, but should immediately return to its original position once the load is removed. Bedtek has multi-zoned orthopedic mattresses in 100% Rubber and Natural Latex, in ColdFoam, and in memory foam (visco).

In recent years, there has been a shift away from rubber-based latexes towards alternative materials, including thermo-elastic foams (visco/memory foam) which react to body weight and warmth, Coldfoam, which is similar to a synthetic latex, and renewable resource foams made from vegetable oils. GEL technology pads are also used in some mattresses for body pressure relief. We also have a number of hybrid mattresses which combine these materials (and even sometimes special pocket springs or plastic coil technologies) into a single mattress, giving you the benefits of each of them in one solution. We are happy to discuss your needs and recommend a solution tailored to your needs. Bedtek is specialized in these new technology mattresses, and is currently the only retailer in Australia offering ColdFoam mattresses.

Latex...is it the best?

The first high quality solid-material mattresses were made from latex derived from the rubber tree. It was a natural product and was valued because of its elastic properties and its ability to conform to the human body and distribute weight evenly.

However, the technical definition of Latex includes rubber-based products and man-made synthetic latexes - as the following two main definitions for Latex show:

1. - plant sap: a milky white liquid produced by some plants such as the rubber tree, whose sap is used to make rubber

2. - mixture of plastic particles in water: a suspension of rubber or plastic polymer particles in water.

Modern latex mattresses can be completely natural or completely man-made - or both. Usually, they are a mix of rubber, synthetic latex and fillers. High quality latex mattresses have no fillers in them, and are made in a clean manufacturing process. The quality of the manufacturing process has a greater impact on the support and lifespan of the mattress than the proportion of rubber versus synthetic latex. Australian retailers often claim their mattresses are "pure latex" - a term which by definition suggests that it contains no fillers, but makes no comment about the proportion of natural versus synthetic latex.

Quality sleep is partly subjective - our sleep experience is far too complicated and personal for there to ever be one perfect mattress for all people. Keep an open mind. Non-toxicity is only guaranteed by the quality of the manufacturing procedures. All Bedtek mattresses are European manufactured, and European manufacturing standards are generally more advanced than those in developing countries. It is therefore generally better to buy European manufacturered products (in all materials, including latex) than Asian manufactured products. Try Latex and then compare it with the new high-tech alternatives such as Visco-elastic and Coldfoam.

Visco [memory foam]?

Visco- elastic foam was actually developed by NASA for space travel, and was designed to absorb the high pressure load on the astronauts' bodies during lift-off and re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.

This innovative and comfort-providing material reacts to body heat and weight and adapts itself to the contour of the individual's body. The pressure is distributed evenly over the body so that the body is perfectly relaxed in any position. Many back problems and other symptoms are eased by the resting the body in this ergonomic manner, which in the long run has positive benefits to the sleeper.

ColdFoam

Coldfoam is formed in an ecologically and advanced foaming process using alcohol and oils (often natural, renewable bio-oils from the soy bean and rape seed). An environment friendly mixture of raw materials and water is poured into a mould and allowed to set slowly without being heated (such as is with normal foams). After the material is set, it is compressed, the process resulting in both short and long cells which give the foam its properties - super high density and soft, velvety elascicity.

The properties of cold foam are similar to those of latex. It is better suited for the manufacture of fully mattresses than conventional foams which are lower density and tend to collapse. The mattresses provide excellent support over many years.

Anatomically designed core zones and many ventilation ducts guarantee excellent rest, comfort and the sleeping environment. The distinguishing features of this mattress core material are easy handling and a long service life.

Cold foam mattresses are light in their weight and easy to turn and move. Two out of every three Germans sleep currently on a coldfoam mattress.