How to Choose Your Mattress Type: Keys to Getting Your Sleep Right

We spend a third of our lives asleep, yet few household decisions are made with less information than buying a mattress. Memory foam, pocket springs, latex, HR foam, hybrid… the choice is wide, and every technology promises the best sleep. The result: many people end up choosing by price or by instinct, and wake up months later wondering why they still don’t rest well.

The good news is that choosing well isn’t complicated once you know which variables really matter. Material type, firmness, sleeping position, body weight… with those pieces in place, the decision becomes clear and the difference to your sleep is immediate. This guide takes you through it from start to finish.

Why a bad mattress costs more than it seems

A mattress that doesn’t fit your body doesn’t just cause uncomfortable nights: it builds up muscle tension, causes frequent waking and leads to chronic pain in the lower back, shoulders or neck. Your spine needs to stay aligned while you sleep, and that alignment depends directly on the surface you sleep on.

What’s more, the average lifespan of a quality mattress is between eight and ten years. Every year spent on the wrong mattress is a year of poor sleep, drained energy and incomplete muscle recovery. Taking the time to choose well now is an investment that pays for itself night after night. That is why we suggest the following recommendations for choosing the perfect mattress:

1. The main types of mattress: what each one offers

Before talking about firmness or sleeping position, it helps to understand what is available on the market and who each type is designed for. The four main groups are:

• Memory foam (viscoelastic): The best seller in Spain. Its material moulds to your body heat and weight, spreading pressure evenly and removing the most common tension points. It absorbs night-time movement very well, which makes it an excellent option for couples. Current models with ventilation technology have overcome the heat-retention problem of more basic versions.
• Pocket springs: Each spring works independently inside its own fabric pocket. The result: outstanding zone-by-zone adaptation, great breathability and exceptional durability. If you want a cool, classic sleep with firm support, this technology is hard to beat.
• Latex: Very elastic and responsive, with naturally anti-mite and antibacterial properties. It adapts quickly to the contours of the body and offers a comfort level much appreciated by people with sensitivities. Natural latex mattresses with Eurolatex certification guarantee an audited composition and a verified origin.
• HR (high resilience) foam: High-density technical foam that recovers quickly. Light, durable and with even postural support. It is often the base technology in many multilayer mattresses, which add comfort layers of memory foam or latex on top to offer the best of both worlds.

The hybrid mattress deserves a special mention. It combines pocket springs with upper layers of memory foam or latex. It is the option that has grown most in recent years because it suits a very wide range of users: support, ventilation and body adaptation in a single product.

2. Firmness: the factor that most determines how you sleep

If one aspect makes the biggest difference to sleep quality and is the most underestimated when buying, it is firmness. It isn’t only about whether the mattress feels soft or hard when you lie down: it is about the real support it gives your spine for hours, in different positions and under your specific weight.

Most manufacturers rate firmness on a scale from 1 to 10. The most common ranges are:

• Soft (1-4): Greater adaptation, ideal for lighter people or side sleepers. It relieves pressure points at the shoulders and hips, where tension concentrates most.
• Medium (5-6): The most versatile on the market and the best seller. A perfect balance between adaptation and support. It works for most profiles and positions, and is especially recommended for couples with different needs.
• Medium-firm or firm (7-9): More support and less sinking. The most suitable option for heavier people, for those who sleep on their back or stomach, and for those with recurring lower back pain.

A very common mistake is to assume that higher firmness automatically means a healthier back. Current evidence suggests that an excessively hard mattress can cause as much lower back strain as one that is too soft. What matters is not maximum hardness, but the right support for your body.

3. Your sleeping position: the starting point of any choice

Your usual sleeping position is one of the most decisive factors when selecting a mattress. Each position creates different pressure points, and the mattress must respond to them to keep the spine aligned and your sleep restorative.

• On your back: Considered the healthiest position for the spine. It calls for medium or medium-firm firmness that keeps the natural curve of the lower back without letting the hips sink.
• On your side: The most common position among the population. It concentrates pressure on the shoulders and hips, so it needs a mattress with greater adaptation in those areas. Soft or medium firmness is the usual choice.
• On your stomach: Not the most recommended position for your back, but if it is your habitual one, medium-firm firmness helps stop the lower back from sinking and forcing an exaggerated arch for hours.

If you share a bed with someone who sleeps in a different position, pocket spring or hybrid mattresses offer greater independence by zone. Some ranges even let you customise the firmness on each half of the mattress, which ends the eternal compromise between both people’s needs.

4. Body weight: why the same mattress doesn’t work the same for everyone

Weight directly affects how the firmness of a mattress is perceived. The same model can feel ideal for someone weighing 65 kg and far too soft for someone weighing 95 kg, because the compression of the material varies with the load. Ignoring this variable leads to buying mattresses that feel wrong from the first use, even though nothing is wrong with the product.

As a general guide:

• Under 60 kg: Soft or medium firmness. A mattress that is too firm won’t give enough and will create unnecessary pressure points at the shoulders and hips.
• Between 60 and 90 kg: Medium or medium-firm firmness. The most common balance and the most suitable for most of the adult population in Spain.
• Over 90 kg: High firmness. Needed to avoid excessive sinking at the hips and lower back that would compromise spinal alignment through the night.

For couples with a significant weight difference, a high-independence pocket spring mattress is the most practical option: each zone responds on its own to the weight it receives, without passing on movement or compromising the other person’s support.

5. Mattress and base: a system that works together, not separately

The mattress and the base form a set. Choosing an excellent mattress and placing it on an incompatible base can reduce its performance considerably: the base affects ventilation, real support and the final feel of the firmness of the whole system.

• Memory foam and HR: Best with an upholstered base or divan. Widely spaced slats can cause localised sinking in less dense foams.
• Latex: Needs a breathable base. A sealed divan traps moisture and shortens the life of the mattress.
• Pocket springs: Compatible with almost any type of base, including slatted bases and fixed bases.

The base also modulates perceived firmness: a rigid base (divan) adds firmness to the set, while a slatted base adds extra cushioning. Bearing this in mind lets you fine-tune the final result if the firmness available isn’t exactly what you are looking for. Our advisers can help you configure the complete set.

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To sum up

Choosing your mattress well is not a matter of luck or price: it is a matter of information. Knowing the materials, defining firmness according to your weight and sleeping position, and making sure the base is compatible are the three steps that separate mediocre sleep from truly restorative sleep. And you notice the difference from the first night.

If you still have doubts about which mattress is right for you, we are here to help you find it. No obligation, no jargon: just the right questions to give you the exact answer you need.