Glossary

• Breathability

  Mattresses need to breathe. With the amount of fillings and areas of space within a mattress, they can quickly hold heat and moisture. Over time this can influence the way a mattress behaves and also effect the life span of a mattress. 
  
  Manufacturers have developed different ways of tackling the problem of Breathability in mattresses. Some brands have used vents to allow air to pass through the mattress. Some brands use state-of-the-art materials to cover the mattress, such as Coolmax or Outlast. Memory Foam has a reputation of storing heat and moisture, as foam requires heat to soften up.Memory Foam brands have overcome this problem by applying Coolmax and Outlast, they also use Open Cell technology. This technique is to simply allow the foam to settle with larger spaces between the foam cells. This allows heat and moisture to move freely without getting trapped.
  
  Some mattresses are created in such a way that they do not require any additional Breathability methods. These mattresses are generally the entry level mattresses with Open Coil spring units and not a great deal of fillings.
  
  

• Firmness

  MyNextMattress is developing a new and unique solution to the Firmness scale accuracy. Not seen anywhere else in the World, we will be measuring the Firmness of all our mattresses precisely and in detail.
  
  We are the only company in the Country that will actually measure the Firmness of a mattress and give a grading out of 10. We are always aware that choosing your next mattress can be a difficult and time consuming process, therefore we strive to give as much information as possible on every mattress we sell.
  
  The way our system works is by applying weight to a mattress. We will apply weight gradually and measure the amount the mattress dips. The more weight, the more the mattress will 'sink'. We would then measure the distance the mattress dips and plot these measurements (weight and distance) on a graph. This graph can then be used to tell us the Firmness category the mattress fits into, 7 out of 10 for instance.
  
  Our Firmness Device provides a central rod which we apply weights to, on the bottom end there is a disc which pushes into the mattress. The top of this rod supports the weights and will sink according to the 'give' in a mattress. We measure from this point.
  
  As a result of this unique technique, it will be possible for you to shop by the firmness of a mattress, this is not possible anywhere else.

• Orthopaedic

  Orthopaedic mattresses are usually the firmest mattresses on the market. A common mistake made by those with back pain, is to assume that a firm Orthopaedic mattress will be the solution. Personal comfort and a correct diagnosis of the cause of the pain should always be saught before purchasing an Orthopaedic mattress. 
  
  Many brands have 'Ortho' mattresses. Terms used include 'Backcare' or 'Orthocare' and the theme is generally to produce a firmer feeling mattress. The idea is to create a mattress that the body can rest on without sinking in and bending the spine, causing pressure to build up. However, if a lighter person lays on a firmer mattress, they will find the spine will not align correctly as the loaded parts of the body (shoulders, hips etc) are not sitting correctly. For more information on the causes of back pain, click here or read about another solution in the Zoning description.

• Tension

  Another word for Firmness.

• Turn / No Turn

  Some mattresses require turning over, to aid even settlement. Others do not require turning, but will still require rotating.

• Zoning The idea behind Zoning is to offer support where it is needed. The body has certain areas under pressure when lying flat. Zones are designed to split the mattress into sections and offer some areas more support than others. The end result will be a straight spine and pressure relieved. Some mattresses are split into 3 Zones, some into 5 Zones and some into 7 Zones and so on. The principle areas requiring support (and therefore their own individual Zones) are the head, shoulders, hips and feet.  The spine should remain level as much as possible when lying on a mattress, therefore the areas with the most weight applied should be slightly firmer to allow for the extra loading. At the same time, the surrounding areas need to compensate for this and will not be as firm to allow the spine to remain straight. The Zoning may be created by simply adding more layers of fibres where needed, or a different type of spring in certain areas. In latex or foam mattresses, it is possible to vary the density of the foam or latex to create different tensions where required. Latex mattresses can also be sculpted in certain areas to remove latex and therefore make certain areas softer.