Going to the Mattresses - By Seth Stevenson - Slate Magazine
Great post on the mattress industry, and if you really are getting a better mattress when you pay a higher price.
My back gives me problems sometimes, so this advice on firm mattresses is great, answering the question: is a firm mattress good for my back?
He debunked the myth that firm mattresses are best. They are if you get
acute back spasms, but for regular back pain your mattress doesn't make
much difference. "The back is a complicated structure," he said. "Back
pain has a lot to do with how you're built, but not a lot to do with
your mattress." So you don't have to feel guilty about buying a soft,
cushy mattress. It doesn't make a difference. (Regional trivia: Firm
mattresses sell more in the Northeast [you penitent yankees, you!],
while soft wins out in the South.)
I love the memory foam toppers we currently use, so I thought this was an interesting little tidbit on foam mattresses:
Viscoelastic "memory" foam is popular now. I tried the Tempurpedic
brand and loved it—it melts to fit your form. But I wouldn't spend
$1,500 for a mattress, no matter how Swedish it is.
I would totally pay $1,500 for a mattress I loved, but I'm crazy that way.