The standard sizes of mattresses are: TWIN: 39 wide, 75 long; TWIN EXTRA LONG: 38 wide; 80 long; DOUBLE/FULL: 54 wide, 75 long; QUEEN: 60 wide, 80 long; KING: 76 wide, 80 long; CALIFORNIA KING: 72 wide, 84 long.

3) Test. Test. Test. Try out mattresses. Go to several stores and lay down on different mattresses. See what you find comfortable. It depends on the individual. If you and your partner prefer different firmness levels look for a mattress that can have different firmness levels on each side. For example, I prefer a firmer mattress than my husband does so his side of the bed is less firm than mine. Comfort (as long as you are in your within the range of your budget) should be your number one consideration.

The seven items below are things you should be aware of and to consider before you purchase a mattress since that mattress will be a huge factor in the quality of sleep you receive each evening.

Decide on a budget. The prices of mattresses vary a great deal. If price is your number one consideration you can find an inexpensive mattress and box spring set for a few hundred dollars. But I recommend buying the best mattress and box spring you can afford. When you buy a mattress you get what you pay for. My first two mattress purchases were based on price and I never really got a good night s sleep. I saved and bought a high quality mattress a few years ago. It was a great buying decision. I now wake up feeling rested and refreshed, not tired and sore like I used to.

Decide what size mattress you are going to buy. If you are buying a mattress for a child a twin size mattress is fine, but if you are an adult and there are two people sleeping in your bed I don t recommend going with anything smaller than a queen size bed. If you can afford a king-size bed and you have the room for it, I recommend it.

Consider the size. Buying a too-small mattress is one of the biggest mistakes new bed-buyers make. Consider the size that suits the height and weight of bed users.
Decide how much you will spend. Consider a mattress that is comfortable and falls within your price range. Remember that a more expensive mattress isn t necessarily a better mattress. Test your mattress. Lie down on the bed in the position you normally sleep. Stretch, toss and turn on the mattress mimicking sleep to assess what you are buying.
Check for the warranty. Ask for a 30-60 day guarantee to insure that you get a good night sleep on the new mattress. Give yourself several weeks before deciding it isn t working for you.Box spring The box spring often is called the foundation. Don t buys a mattress without getting a new box spring for it. The box spring does much of the work for the mattress by absorbing stress and weight.

This has to do with how long the material of the mattress will last. A good mattress should last for about 8-10 years. It is suggested therefore one to consider it as an investment. Don t just settle for the lowest price; look for the best durable quality.

The convertible furniture 10 is shown in FIG. 1 including an articulated mattress 18 constructed in accordance with the present invention. As discussed previously, conventional convertible furniture mattresses are typically formed from a monolithic polyurethane foam core covered by a decorative piece of material.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mattress 18 includes a foam core 20 sandwiched between a top foam layer 22 and a bottom foam layer 24, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the foam core 20 includes a seat section 26, a hinge section 28 and a back section 30.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the specifics of the hinge section 28 of the present invention will now be discussed. The hinge section 28 is positioned to provide a flexible connection between the seat section 26 and the back section 30. Specifically, the hinge section 28 is adhesively attached between the inside edge 34 of the seat section 26 and the inside edge 46 of the back section 30.

Both the seat section and the back section are formed from a polyurethane foam, such as is conventionally used in currently available convertible furniture mattresses. In accordance with the invention, the hinge section is formed from a visco-elastic foam, commonly referred to as memory foam. Visco-elastic foam generally retains its shape as it is compressed.

When the articulated mattress of the present invention is moved from the horizontal, sleeping position to the upright, sitting position, the mattress flexes along the hinge portion. The visco-elastic foam that forms the hinge portion compresses and generally retains its compressed shape.

The inherent properties of the visco-elastic foam allows the articulated mattress to remain in the upright, sitting position without the hinge section causing the mattress to spring back into its horizontal, sleeping position.

In presently available convertible furniture, such as futons, the furniture includes a frame that is movable between an upright, seating position and a horizontal, sleeping position. The convertible furniture includes a mattress enclosed within a decorative covering that is placed on the furniture frame and acts as a cushion for the seat and back when the convertible furniture is in the upright position and functions as a mattress when the convertible furniture is in the horizontal, sleeping position.

Currently, the two most common types of futon mattresses are formed from either cotton or wool batting or foam, or a combination thereof, to provide the required cushioning when the mattress is positioned in either the upright position or the sleeping position. Currently, futon mattresses having a polyurethane foam core are the most popular due to their light weight and superior cushioning capabilities.

Although foam core futon mattresses have proven to be very comfortable, one problem that does exist is the desire for the foam core to return to the flat, horizontal sleeping position when it is bent upon itself in the upright, sitting position. Thus, when the mattress is folded onto itself while in the upright position, the foam positioned within the bend of the mattress has a tendency to urge the mattress back into the horizontal position, thus causing the mattress to slide off of the furniture frame.

There are several factors to keep in mind when choosing a mattress for a futon. You have to think of the firmness, which refers to how resistant the mattress is to pressure when someone lies on it. You want it to be firm enough so that when you lie down you can’t feel the springs underneath.

The rigidity of the mattress is another factor you have to look at. This refers to how well the mattress retains its square shape and how well the cover will fit after the mattress has been used several times.

The flexibility of the mattress is important as well. Since you have to fold it up to convert it from a sofa to a sleeper, this should not be a cumbersome task that requires more than one person.

The filling for this type of mattress is usually cotton or polyester and is constructed using different layering techniques. This is a great choice if you will be using the mattress all year round because the cotton fabrics keep you warm in winter and cool in summer.

These mattresses have a great degree of flexibility, which means they are very easy to fold. Innerspring mattresses. These mattresses closely resemble the type of mattress that you have in your bed because they contain springs. The grid of springs inside the mattress helps to eliminate noise when one moves about when sleeping.

When buying a futon mattress, you will need to think about how the futon will be used. The answer to this question will greatly affect the type of mattress you should buy. If the futon will be used as a bed, you will need to buy the thickest futon mattress you can afford. You can save money by buying a thinner mattress, but at the cost of your comfort.

Will the futon be used as both a couch and as a bed? If so, the mattress will have to endure a lot of folding. In this case, you will need a futon mattress that is very flexible. An innerspring mattress or a cotton-polyester blend is probably a good choice. Mattresses containing foam are also good possibilities as foam is good at conforming to new shapes. Foam mattresses also give added support.

Futon mattresses are available from such well-known manufacturers as Simmons, Beautyrest, and Sealy. They can range in price from way under $100 to several hundred dollars, depending on size, brand name, construction, and materials. Futons Store offers futon mattresses with free shipping; Overstock often sells futon mattresses at deep discounts over retail; Department stores such as Target, WalMart, and JC Penney sell futon mattresses.