Buying Guide: Mattress Accessories

A great new mattress is a great mattress. But with the perfect base, pillows, and linens, it’s a fantastic bed! The endless array of options available when it comes to mattress accessories can make your decision exponentially more difficult.

We’re going to dive into the nitty gritty of these things for you, highlight some cool bed accessories, and explain what they can do for you and your sleep. If you’re still wondering which bed to buy, this is the 2023 mattress buying guide for you.

Adjustable Base

An adjustable base is quickly making the box spring something of a bygone time as one of the most popular choices in mattress foundations. Today’s adjustable bases are a long way from the hospital beds that many people think of and people find that they allow them to utilize their bed in many more ways than with a traditional flat foundation. Adjustable bases typically come in either head-up only or with both head-up and foot-up options. Some bases raise and lower independently on each side, offering co-sleepers independence in their positions of choice. A number of bedding companies make adjustable bases and we carry a number of choices from Tempur-Pedic, Purple, Serta, Sealy, and Beautyrest.

Benefits of An Adjustable Base

There are numerous benefits to an adjustable base that go beyond making it easier to watch TV, read, work on a needlepoint project, or enjoy breakfast in bed. They are an extremely valuable asset for those with sleep disorders, illnesses or injuries. A headup/footup adjustable base makes it easy to elevate injuries and easier to breathe when congested. Adjustable bases are one of the most game-changing mattress accessories that will take your experience in bed to the next level.

Mattress Protectors

A good mattress protector should be easy to wash, thick enough to provide a smooth surface for your sheets to lie on, and be deep-pocketed enough to reach well underneath the mattress you have. Most mattresses have protectors that fit their mattresses well, and it’s a good idea to ask your sales associate which they recommend for your particular mattress.

There are two main types available to purchase: encasement and fitted protectors. Fitted protectors go on just like a fitted sheet would and can be easily removed for regular washing. Encasement protectors provide a zippered 360-degree coverage for your mattress and even protect against bed bugs. However, all of this protection makes these more difficult to remove than fitted protectors. For most people, a fitted protector will be enough to protect against allergens, dust mites, bacteria and the occasional liquid spill. Higher-end covers feature technical fabric that absorbs moisture and distributes heat, while waterproof mattress protectors are recommended for young children, toddlers, and babies. They can be made from either natural or synthetic fibers, and each has a little bit of a different feel.

Mattress Longevity

Mattresses are big investments that are not machine washable. When you spend a third of your life on something, it needs to be taken care of to ensure that it can be relied upon day after day. A mattress protector is one of the most important mattress accessories you can buy and should be on your mattress at all times to extend its life and preserve the materials within. It will protect your mattress from spills, body oils, dust and other things that can cause it to degrade over time. Most mattress protectors will keep your bed safe from dust mites, and the full encasement types can protect your mattress from a bed bug infestation.

Supportive Bed Frame

Having a properly supported mattress is crucial to getting the most out of your investment. While most bed frames cater to the majority of mattress choices out there, they are not entirely one-size-fits-all bed accessories.

Platform bed frames do not require a box spring and can be used with any mattress. They can feel a bit firmer than some other types because the mattress sits on a rigid wooden platform. There are also metal-based platform bed frames that have more give than their wooden counterparts.

Divan bed frames feature drawers underneath for storage and can be more expensive and difficult to move. Loft bed frames sit very high up, allowing the space underneath to be used for other functions. There are many other types, from futons to ottomans to wrought iron, upholstered, four-poster, canopy and mid-century.

The thickness of your mattress is important to keep in mind when selecting a bed frame and how these choices complement each other will dictate the finished height of your bed. The ideal height for a bed that’s easy to get into is about 24 inches. Some people like their mattresses to be much lower than that, and others like to climb up into bed.

Luxury Sheet Set

Cotton is widely considered to be the most popular material for sheets, as it can be warm or cool depending on the knit. It is soft, breathable, and stands up to many washes. There are sheets made from other materials like linen, bamboo, silk, wool, polyester or a blend thereof. There are sheets specially designed to wick away heat, like the BedGear Dri-Tec Performance Sheets.

Cotton sheets are typically available in percale, standard weave, and jersey knit. Percale sheets are the cool crisp ones that wrinkle easily but feel refreshingly smooth against your skin. Standard weave sheets can be easily smoothed, and the quality and feel are generally dictated by the thread count with higher counts usually being softer and more durable. Some mattresses perform better with sheets designed specifically for them, like Purple’s Soft Stretch sheets. Jersey knit sheets are mostly cotton but have some elastic in them as the cotton is knitted rather than woven. These are the soft, stretchy sheets that feel a bit like a comfy T-shirt.

Flannel sheets are thick and give you a warm fuzzy feeling; lots of people like using them during the winter. Linen sheets are a more expensive option that initially have a bit of a rougher feel to them but quickly soften after a few washes.

Linen sheets can be used all year round because they regulate your body temperature so well.

Sheets are the accessories for your bed that you will have the most contact with daily so be sure to choose wisely!

Personalized Pillows

Traditional pillows were either made from goose down, feathers, or synthetic fibers. Today, pillows are made from these and other materials like temperature-regulating memory foam in Tempur-Pedics Cloud Pillow, the Bedgear Storm, and Purple’s GelFlex hyper-elastic polymer featured in their Harmony Pillows. Pillows such as those by Malouf can be infused with essential oils that help you relax and sleep better.

The position you like to sleep in will influence which thickness of pillow will feel the most comfortable to you. The goal is to keep your spine perfectly aligned from top to tail. If you are a side sleeper, you will want a pillow that is a bit thicker than if you sleep on your back or stomach.

Bed Accessories

When creating the perfect bed to crawl into, having the right accessories can make or break your experience. There is no use buying a fantastic mattress that perfectly cradles your spine, only to have your neck hurt when you wake up because your pillow is 10 years old and composed primarily of dust mites.

Your bedroom should be your oasis of comfort and tranquility, and the right bedding will take you there. The Sleep Specialists at Mattress World Northwest know just what products to recommend for your preferences and can help guide you toward the best choices. We can recommend bedding choices for hot sleepers, cold sleepers or those with allergies.

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