Times Advocate, 1991-05-15, Page 6Pape 6
Times -Advocate, May 15, 1991
Bed-
- s
Are you in the market for a new
mattress? Although statistics about
purchasing patterns say were buying beds
more often (every 10.8 years), it isn't
often enough to make the average
consumer feel entirely comfortable with
the bed -shopping experience.
"People actually put off buying a bed
even when the bed they're sleeping on is
giving them morning backaches and worse:'
explains Maria Ivancin, director of the
Market Research Bureau of Washington,
D.C., who just completed research about
bed -buying. '"There's a lot of confusion
out there about what to look for"
The uncertainty stems partly from the
wide array of models and styles of
bedding available today, and the fact that
it's difficult to comparison-shop, since
model names differ from store to store.
But take heart, tossers and turners—
here's all you need to know to walk into
your local bedding store with
complete confidence. Don't
'1�%%"• be surprised if you
actually enjoy
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the experience. After all, it is the only
shopping you can do lying down!
Think Quality
Did you ever stop to consider that
you're going to be spending more than
three of the next ten years on your new
bed? That's why the old adage "buy the
best you can afford" is sound advice for
bed -shoppers. Whether you opt for a
traditional mattress -and -foundation set,
as most consumers do, or one of several
alternatives, the investment you make in
quality workmanship and materials will
pay off in years of comfort and support.
What's more, if you calculate the cost
of even the most expensive bedding on
the market today over a projected useful
lifespan of 10 years, you'll find that proper
"equipment" for a great night's sleep costs
less than a cup of coffee a day!
How do you determine quality in a
mattress? Price is one guideline; so is
appearance. Better bedding will feature
extra layers of cushioning materials, fine
tailoring, and a covering or "ticking" of
luxurious fabric, such as damask. Its
surface will look and feel plush. Some
mattresses today, dubbed pillow -tops,
look as though a comforter has been
stitched to the top for extra cushioning
and comfort. Lie down and try several
sleep sets in varying price ranges—you'll
begin to feel a difference.
Get The Inside Story
If you could peek inside an innerspring
mattress—the most popular type—you'd
find that the support comes from tempered
steel coils, with layers of upholstery
insulating and cushioning your body.
Using this basic concept, state-of-the-art
technolbgy has created a full range of
comfort choices. Forget your old ideas
about a hard mattress being good for you.
Go Ahead.
It's something you've always wanted to
do. Just to see what happens. To rip off
that little white tag that says: UNDER
PENALTY OF LAW THIS TAG NOT
TO BE REMOVED.
Will you be nabbed by the "mattress
cops"? Will you do time? Be branded for
life?
According to the Better Sleep Council,
a nonprofit organization dedicated to
consumer education, you can safely
throw caution to the wind. The promise
of prosecution printed on your mattress
tag doesn't apply to you. Look
closely and you'll find the phrase
that lets you off the hook: EXCEPT
BY THE CONSUMER.
The tag, required by most states, is
t shoppers from bu i
n t made of all -n
Free Sleep
Tips For Better
Sleep Month
Among the resources available to
consumers during May for Better Sleep
Month is a toll-free sleep hotline,
sponsored by the Better Sleep Council.
By dialing 1 -800 -82 -SLEEP, callers can
hear pre-recorded sleep advice from
noted psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers.
The Better Sleep Council also offers a
free 20 -page booklet, "The Sleep Better,
Live Better Guide; which is full of ideas
for improving sleep. It can be obtained by
writing the Better Sleep Council,
5 Ways To Ditch
Your Old Bed
Some people deny themselves
the pleasure of a good night's
sleep on a new bed because
they don't know what to do with
thetr old ones But there's more
than one way to get ,ld ofa
mattress set properly (passing n
bad mattress on to children,
gudsb or friends Is not properl)
Check these alternatives, and
get ready to kiss your old bed
• Your bedding retailer may pick
up your old set when the new
one is delivered. Be sure to
ask when you buy your mat-
tress and foundation.
• Charitable organisation, like
Goodwill industries and the
Salvation Army, may welcome
donations of used mattresses.
• Most local garbage collectors
will arrange to pick up large
stems. Call for a special pick-
up times or to tris�e arrange-
ments.
• utilize a local disposal service
such as a landfill, shredder,
waste -to -energy plant or any
other effective means of dispo-
sal - preferably one that's en-
vironmentally friendly.
• If all else fails. consult the Yel-
low Pages under "Rubbish
and Garbage E- emovar' servic-
es.
Advertising Feature
1 Shopping
Tips
• Take your partner.When buying
for two, both of ou should
make the decision.
• Wear comfortable clothes and
s- hoes you can easily remove for
awarecbtthat comparison-
shopping for bedding by model
name may only lead to frustra-
tion. You probably won't find
the same model in one store as
you did in another.
lbgether with your partner, lie
down and "rest -drive" each mat-
tress. You can't judge support
and comfort by sitting on the
edge or lying down for a few sec-
onds. Assume your usual sleep-
s position
• Get the whole story. Study all
the available information, in-
cluding labels and "cutaways" of
mattresses showing their con-
struction. Ask the salesperson
to tell you about product fea-
tures.
• Shop for the beat value, not the
lowest price. You can always
find "bargain bedding" at rock -
bottom prices, but it a no bar-
gain when it comes to getting a
good night's sleep. Buy the best
you can afford.
• Shop at a store you know and
trust to give you good informa-
tion, good service and top quali-
ty product
• Be sure to ask the store to pick
up your old bedding when they
deliver the new.
1
Today's quality, supportive mattresses are
actually quite soft and comfortable, as
you'll discover during your shopping,
excursion.
Ask the salesperson about the
mattress's construction. For best quality,
Rip It Off.
sanitary materials. It's the seller, not the
buyer, who's not permitted to remove it.
Once the mattress is yours, you can do
whatever you want with that pesky tag.
But, advises the Council, it's best to
leave it alone. For one thing, the tag
identifies the manufacturer—information
that can be useful, especially if you have a
warranty claim. It's often dated, which
may help you determine if any warranty
still applies.
The date can also tell you if it's time to
consider a new mattress. After 8-10 years,
says the Council, even the best mattress
probably isn't giving you the best comfort
and support for restful, healthful sleep.
So, go ahead and give in to the urge to
tear off that tag. But when the deed is
it should have more than 300 coils in full-
size (more than 450 in king- and 375 in
queen -size). Coils aren't the only
consideration, however, and a high coil -
count isn't the only mark of a superior
product. Wire gauge is important, soo—
the lower the number, the more durable
the wire (13 is thicker than 16). Look for
a combination of a top-quality inner-
spring system and superior upholstery
materials.
Dont make the mistake of putting a
new mattress on your old foundation. A
mattress and foundation are engineered
to work together as a sleep set. The
foundation, or boxspring, acts like a large
shock absorber, taking a lot of the nightly
wear and tear, and contributes to the
bed's overall comfort and support.
Bedding illterriatives
As innerspring bedding has changed
and improved, so have foam and flotation
bedding. Foam bed buyers will find a
wider choice of "feels" than ever, thanks
to the development of the newer high -
resilience polyurethanes and better -
quality latex. Foam mattresses can be
made of a solid core or of several layers of
different types of foam laminated
together. Be sure that the foam has a
minimum density of two pounds per
cubic foot; in general, the higher that
number, the better the foam.
Flotation lovers will discover many
options that probably didn't exist when
they bought their first waterbed. The
traditional "hardside" waterbed, with its
vinyl mattress, liner and heater, has been
joined by the newer "softside" style,
which looks like a conventional mattress
and boxspring. Each style is available in
dozens of feels, from "full motion" to
"waveless:' To ensure quality, look for
vinyl that is at least 20 mil thick, with
durable scams. Ask if the bed will meet
OK State of Californias Waterbed
Standards for extra assurance of good
performance.
While you're exploring the various
alternatives, you may want aro look into
air -supported beds, electric adjustable
beds or Japanese-style futons, to find
what best suits your taste and lifestyle. A
reliable store or company can be your
best source of information on these and t'.'
other specialty sleep products.
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Size Wise
One of the biggest mistakes new -bed -
buyers make is investing in a too -small
mattress. If someone shares your bed,
you'll need at least a 9ueen-size bed;
consider a king if you re tall or you like a
little extra space. Both are several inches
• wider and longer than the standard
double or full-size bed. Remember that
we all move throughout the night
(perhaps as much as 40 to 60 times). A
larger bed ensures freedom of motion,
which is important to quality Sleep.■
Good News:
FITTED Sheets For
FAT Mattresses.
In the past we've reported about a
somewhat troublesome situation that left
many people short -sheeted. At issue was
the fact that mattresses are much thicker
than ever before—some as thick as 13 or
more inches—and fitted bottom sheets
weren't quite covering the mattress, to
the frustration of many consumers.
b-: done, don't toss it Read it and put it in a Thanks co a cooperative effort by the
(ISPA) and the National Bath, Bed and
Linen Association, the situation is quickly
being resolved. This spring, several
manufacturers are unveiling expanded
lines of roomier sheets to fit "high contour"
mattresses—the special name agreed
upon by both industries to help shoppers
select compatible products.
;safe hideaway. We won't -,.----,--Incermsieflodacep Products A - - -- . -- - --- i
1
P.O. Box 13, Washington, D.C.
20044. In Canada, write: Better
Sleep Council, P.O. Box 1277,
Downsview; Ontario M3H 5V6.
Those who request the
"Sleep Better, Live Better Guide"
during the month of May will
receive an additional bonus: a
reprint of "101 Ways to Put
Yourself to Sleep, excerpted from
the book Hare to Sleep Like
a Baby, by Dianne Hales. ■
NO NEEd
TO COUNT SIIEEp
Choose one of our
Bay Rest
The People's Choice
Bedding Sets
Of our
Posture Beauty Mattress Set
All sizes to choose from
Low overhead Everyday low prices
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4.V4`
Q.I. Furniture
Dashwood
Fres set up and delivery on bedding wiN also remove old bedding,
no chaff
Call Goo. anytime 237-3881, 238-2077
Like well -worn blue jeans or a favourite pair of running shoes, our mattress
and boxspring tend to become old, familiar friends - and we don't recog-
nize that they've gradually been loosing their comfort and support.
A Bed Check Unfortunately, we tend to get used to our old mattress and box
spring - like a favorite pair of old running shoes - and
don't recognize that they've been gradually
losing their comfort and support.
The Better Sleep Council recommends an Annual
Bed Check. It's especially important when your bed has
been in use for 8-10 years - the age at which it should be
seriously considered for retirement.
1. Is the cover soiled, stained or torn?
2. Does the mattress surface look uneven?
3. Are there sagging spots where you usually lie or around the
edges?
4. Does the foundation (boxspring) have an uneven or sagging
surface?
5. Would you be embarrassed to show your bed—without
covers—to your neighbors?
6. Is the mattress comfortable in some places and in some
positions, but not in others?
7. When you turn over, do you hear creaks, crunches or other
suspicious noises?
8. When you roll around, does the bed wobble or sway?
9. Are you and your partner rolling together without meaning to?
10. Are you fighting each other—or the covers—for enough space
to get comfortable?
Give yourself one point for every "yes." If you scored 8-10 points, your old mattress and foundation
are definitely ready for retirement.
No charge for delivery
No charge for set up
No charge for removal of old bedding
Knowledgeable sleep experts
Drop In for a free copy of A to Zzzz "to Better Sleep"
This informative booklet presents practical advice
to help you sleep better, feel and live better.
(!1. 1itt & *It FURNITURE
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The Sleep 8pecialiat.
188 Main St., Lucan
2274688
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