Quick answer: To choose the right underlay, match it to your bed size, then weigh the comfort and support you want against your mattress's condition, your budget, and how long you want it to last. This guide walks through each factor.
Choosing the Perfect Underlay
A good quality mattress underlay can add an extra layer of softness and warmth to your bed making you and your family more comfortable and therefore leading to a better night’s sleep for all.
Underlays can also be helpful in regulating body temperature if being too hot or too cold in bed is an issue. By adding an extra layer of material between the sleeper and the mattress, underlays also have the added benefit of acting like a mattress protector as well.
Some people often confuse bedding underlays with mattress toppers, the biggest difference being that underlays are typically much thinner and therefore don’t add quite as much comfort or support.
What Should You Consider When Buying an Underlay?
Quick answer: Seven things: bed size, comfort level, support level, your mattress's type and age, budget, durability, and any special needs.
When it comes to finding the perfect underlay for you and your family, consider:
- Bed size
- Your preferred comfort level
- Your preferred support level
- Your mattress type and age
- Your budget
- How long you’d like your underlay to last
- Special needs
What Size Underlay Do You Need?
Quick answer: Match the underlay exactly to your mattress size so it fits securely and covers the full sleep surface.
When choosing your underlay, make sure that you get the right size for your mattress, as an improper fitting underlay can move around and cause frustration and discomfort.
How Do You Choose an Underlay Comfort Level?
Quick answer: Decide how much extra cushioning you want over your current mattress feel, and choose the underlay's thickness and material to suit.
If you’re adding an underlay to your bed to make it more comfortable, it makes perfect sense that the comfort of the underlay is an important consideration.
The comfort level of a underlay can be influenced by a number of things, including the thickness of the underlay, the materials used in the construction of the underlay, and of course the quality of the materials used in the construction of the underlay.
Underlays can be made from a range of materials, including foam underlays, polyester and cotton underlays, and wool underlays.
Each one of these materials has unique characteristics, some of which affect their level of comfort.
Because comfort is a subjective and individual thing, which of these may be most comfortable to you will be influenced by not only the comfort levels you want, but also other things like support, budget and the other things we’re about to discuss.
How Much Support Should an Underlay Add?
Quick answer: The right support level depends on your body and how much life is left in the mattress underneath.
Good quality underlays can not only add a layer of comfort to your bed, they can also provide an added layer of support, depending upon the material used in their construction.
Foam underlays, like the Tontine Full Body Support Foam Underlay not only adds a great deal of support to your mattress, it also helps distribute your body weight more evenly, and in doing so, can help relieve pressure points.
Does Your Mattress Type and Age Matter?
Quick answer: Yes. An underlay can refresh an ageing mattress or protect and fine-tune a new one, so its job depends on what it sits on.
The type and age of your mattress comes into consideration when choosing the perfect underlay for you and your family because underlays can be used to make hard mattresses a little softer, old mattresses more comfortable and supportive, and old and new mattresses last longer.
How Much Should You Spend on an Underlay?
Quick answer: An underlay is an affordable way to improve your sleep surface, and quality materials repay the extra spend in comfort and lifespan.
The golden rule when it comes to buying a new underlay for yourself or someone you love, is the same as when you’re buying a new pillow or quilt; “buy the best you can afford”.
Good quality sleep plays a vital role in ensuring we all lead happy, healthy lives, and because it can add a layer of comfort and support to your mattress, a new underlay could play a key role in determining how comfortable you are throughout the night so is an important factor affecting your quality of sleep.
The things that most effect the price you pay for your new underlay is the type and quality of materials it's made from, and where it's made.
Some materials are more expensive than others, for example wool underlays are usually more expensive than cotton and polyester underlays or foam underlays.
And even among underlays made with the same type of material, there can be quality differences. For example, not all foams have the same specifications and treatments.
Where an underlay is made can also affect its price.
How Long Should an Underlay Last?
Quick answer: Durability tracks material quality: better-made underlays hold their comfort and shape for longer.
Related to budget considerations are how long you would like and expect your new underlay to last.
Again, this depends to a great extent on the type and quality of materials the underlay is made from.
A good quality foam underlay could last you for five to ten years, whereas a polyester underlay may not quite last that long.
Regardless of the type of underlay you buy, it is possible to maximise the lifespan of any underlay by caring for it in line with the care instructions provided by the manufacturer.
For example, machine washable underlays should be washed monthly along with your quilt, following the care instructions provide on the care label.
What Special Needs Should You Factor In?
Quick answer: Requirements specific to your body and health, such as allergies, should lead your choice ahead of the general factors.
In addition to all the considerations listed above, you may also need to consider other things, which we call “special needs”. Special needs relate specifically to your circumstances and preferences, and include things like whether you or someone in your family suffer from allergies and asthma.
In this example, there are anti-microbial and anti-bacterial underlays, like the Tontine Woolen Underlay that is made with wool fibres that are coated with an anti-bacterial treatment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and mould.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of different bedding underlay options to consider, all with various features and benefits.
Using a good quality underlay can not only add an extra layer of comfort and support to your mattress, it can also help protect and prolong the life of your mattress, new or old, so we highly recommend their use in your home.
Investing in good quality bedding is one of the best investments you can make for you and your family.
There’s nothing better than a great night’s sleep, and for the best night’s sleep and comfort you can trust, there’s only one choice, Tontine.
