Finding the right replacement mattress for sleeper sofa beds is challenging because of the abuse sleeper sofa mattresses take with the folding and unfolding they get. Choose from a visco-elastic, latex, memory foam and inner coil (or innerspring) mattress.
It probably doesn’t happen very often, but some day many people will need a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa. Few people think when they buy a sleeper sofa about where they will get a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa when they need one. Many people buy a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa soon after buying a sleeper sofa just because they want a better night’s sleep.
One of the first things you must do when shopping for a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa is to measure the thickness of your existing mattress. It is best to measure thickness near a foot corner, where compaction is probably minimal. This thickness will tell you what to look for in a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa.
The biggest challenge for a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa is the frequent bending and unbending that it must endure when the sleeper sofa is folded up or opened out. This bending can form creases in an inexpensive fiber batting filled replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa, allowing the support bars of the sleeper sofa to prod and poke the sleeper. Fiber batting mattresses also tend to be much thinner than other types, compounding the problem. Usually, the fiber batting is sewn down in many places in a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa to minimize the shifting of the fiber batting, but this technique is only partially effective.
Many consumers like latex foam as a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa. Latex foam is a simple, one-piece solution that can be cut to any size by custom mattress manufacturers. It is as inexpensive as fiber batting but holds its shape better. On the downside, latex foam is a close-cell foam in which air does not circulate between the tiny bubbles that make up the foam. Latex foam traps body heat and can make some sleepers uncomfortable. It is not unusual to find a latex foam replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa that has holes or channels drilled through it to allow air to circulate, providing some cooling effect, though another solution is to place a wool mattress topper on the latex mattress for better insulation. Over several years, a latex foam replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa will deteriorate and start to crumble. Latex foam mattresses always require a slip-on mattress cover.
A coil spring, or innerspring, replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa is a popular choice among many consumers. It provides more of a “real bed” sleeping experience, with individual coils supporting each part of the body. A coil spring replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa often has a top layer of quilted fiber batting, latex or visco-elastic memory foam, or both. At least one replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa puts an air-inflated compartment atop its coil springs, cushioned from the springs by a layer of fiber batting.
Visco-elastic memory foam mattresses, at about $350 for a queen size, may be the ultimate a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa. Visco-elastic memory foam was developed by NASA to cushion astronauts against the g-forces of spacecraft liftoffs. It conforms very well to support all parts of the body, and rebounds to its original shape thousands of times.
Whatever kind of replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa you buy, try to test it in a store before buying. A good night’s sleep is worth the trouble of shopping wisely.