A replacement mattress sleeper sofa discussion is in order when you or your guests start either feeling the support bars of the sleeper sofa or the dust that rises from your old mattress start a sneezing fit of the people in the room. Your choices are bountiful.
Is it time to buy a replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa? You can usually tell if any of the following is true:
- Thin spots appear at points where the supporting metal frame touches the mattress
- The mattress “flops” limply when you try to open or close the sleeper sofa
- Holes have appeared, and stuffing is leaking out
- Sleepers complained of being beaten by metal parts in their dreams
When it is time to buy a replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa, start by measuring the thickness of your existing mattress at some relatively unworn point, such as a corner at the foot of the mattress. This measurement will tell you what thickness to look for in a replacement mattress.
Next, you will want to consider the type of material and construction that you want in a replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa.
A simple shell filled with fiber batting is the most inexpensive type of replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa. It is also the least comfortable and likeliest to wear out early. Even in a replacement mattress where the fiber batting is sewn down or “tufted”, the fiber batting tends to shift under the relentless strain of folding and unfolding the sleeper sofa, creating thin spots and allowing metal bars to plague sleepers.
Coil springs are a popular choice for a replacement mattress in a sleeper sofa. Individual coil springs provide support for each part of the body. Intertwined or connected coil springs tend to provide less comfort. Coil springs will always be topped by a cushioning layer of fiber batting, latex or visco-elastic foam, or both. At least one coil spring replacement mattress is cushioned by an air-inflated compartment which in turn sits atop visco-elastic memory foam.
Latex foam is a simple and inexpensive replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa. Custom mattress makers can cut a slab of latex foam to almost any size and thickness you may require. A slip-on mattress cover is essential for any latex foam replacement mattress; they are usually sold separately. A latex foam replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa may have holes or channels drilled through it in many places, to promote air circulation and prevent the sleeper from becoming too warm. Over several years, latex foam loses its elasticity and begins to crumble; then it is time for another replacement mattress for your sleeper sofa.
Light-years ahead of latex foam is visco-elastic memory foam, made popular by the Tempur-Pedic line of mattresses. This space-age innovation was developed by NASA to cushion astronauts against the bruising g-forces of liftoff and re-entry into the atmosphere. Instead of latex rubber, it is made of a polymer plastic blown into millions of tiny, interconnected bubbles. The open-cell bubbles allow air to circulate and keep sleepers cool. The visco-elastic memory foam provides firm, even support to all body parts. The foam also rebounds to its original shape thousands of time, making a long-lasting replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa. Some people are concerned about off-gassing of the materials used to make this mattress.
The options for a replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa are clear and simple. It is best to test-ride several types of mattress in a store before settling on the on you want.