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Are you running from one mattress store to the next, browsing the Internet for suitable sleeping pads and not knowing what really suits you? Just a short test lie should decide which mattress you will sleep on for the next ten to fifteen years? And then there are the thousands of details such as degree of hardness, compression hardness, volume weight and number of springs that will confuse you.

We will show you how you can easily find your way around this jungle of technical terms and how to choose the right mattress for you and your sleeping habits in the right degree of firmness.

Sleep phase and some viscose foam mattresses, the firmness of which can be variably adjusted due to the effect of heat, are an exception to the degree of hardness. Here it is not possible to choose a predefined name, which is why mostly only the maximum body weight and the feeling of lying down are given.

The crux of the matter: degrees of hardness have not yet been standardized and can be freely specified by the manufacturer – according to their taste. If, for example, the cold foam mattress from manufacturer A in hardness H2 suits you, that does not mean, conversely, that the cold foam mattress from manufacturer B in H2 is also suitable for you. Nevertheless, you can use the degree of hardness as a rough guide for pre-selecting suitable mattresses.

Determine the right degree of hardness

For an initial orientation on the mattress market, we recommend that you not only select the appropriate degree of hardness based on your body weight, but also pay attention to your height. Because with heavy, tall people, the weight is distributed differently than with smaller people in the same weight range.

Practical formulas for on the go

If you would like to determine the degree of hardness independently of our calculator, you can simply memorize the following practical formulas:

• Body weight in kg <(body height in cm – 100) → soft (H1 to H2)
• Body weight in kg = (height in cm – 100) → medium (H3)
• Body weight in kg> (height in cm – 100) → fixed (H4 to H5)

Example:
You are 173 cm tall and weigh 90 kg
Calculation: 90> (173-100) → 90> 73
Result: Choose your mattress from degrees H4 to H5.
Our recommendation: In any case, please seek detailed advice on the choice of mattress, because in addition to the degree of hardness, many other factors such as sleeping position, body contours and physical complaints such as back problems and allergies are decisive in the selection.

How does a wrong degree of hardness affect?

For an ergonomically correct positioning of your spine, it is important that it runs straight when lying on your side.

Degree of hardness too soft

If your mattress is too soft for your body weight and height, your pelvis will sink too deep. The effect: your spine sags completely in the middle of your body. Possible consequences:

• Back pain
• Tension down to the neck

Degree of hardness too firm

If your mattress is too firm for your body weight and size, the shoulder cannot sink in optimally. This causes your spine to curve upwards in this area. Possible consequences:

• Back pain
• Pressure points
• Circulatory disorders
• Tension down to the neck

Degree of hardness right

If the degree of hardness matches your body weight and height, your shoulders and pelvis sink in so that your spine is positioned in an ergonomically correct manner.

Varying feeling of lying down with the same degree of hardness

While the degree of hardness is decisive for the pre-selection of the mattress, you can achieve your desired lying comfort with different core materials, surface and core textures as well as cover types. Factors such as your preferred sleeping position and your individual body type also play a role.

Influencing factor 1: mattress core

Depending on the core material selected, the mattress naturally offers a certain feeling of lying. Pure latex mattresses, for example, are perceived as a little softer, which is why they are often used for pressure-relieving lying. In order to achieve greater strength, latexed coconut fiber boards are placed between the latex layers in some models.

The situation is similar with visco foam: This material becomes soft due to heat and pressure and gives way at certain points. You will experience an almost weightless, very pressure-relieving feeling of lying down. To ensure that you lie ergonomically correct, viscose foam is usually used in combination with cold foam for mattresses, as this enables the necessary support for certain areas of the body to be achieved.

With cold foam cores, there is a large range of lying feelings. Because mostly these cores are provided with incisions and holes in order to achieve different surface behavior. Another advantage: This means that cold foam mattresses can also meet special needs. In addition, cold foam is significantly more breathable than visco foam and is therefore ideal for people who sweat more.

Gel foam mattresses bridge the gap between pressure-relieving lying on visco foam and the excellent breathability of cold foam. They combine all the positive properties of the other two foams in one innovative material. In addition to mattresses that are filled with viscous gel and offer a lying feeling similar to water beds, mattresses with foamed gel layers are very popular, as highly flexible, adaptable gel foam pads are applied to cold foam cores and thus ensure maximum pressure relief with the best moisture management.

In the case of innerspring mattresses, the wire thickness, number of coils and size of the individual springs influence the feeling of lying on the mattress. Inexpensive Bonell spring cores are characterized, for example, by a flat, very dynamic and rather soft lying sensation, whereas pocket springs and barrel pocket springs react more precisely to you and thus offer a significantly better support effect – often in comparison a little firmer with the same degree of hardness.

Influencing factor 2: mattress zoning

In addition to the basic material from which the mattress is made in the selected degree of firmness, the zoning also has a significant influence on the feeling of lying down. Because due to the different firm and soft areas within the mattress, you sink more or less deeply into the sleeping pad and tend to feel it to be harder or softer.

While zoning is not so important for stomach and back sleepers, side sleepers – especially those with very pronounced contours – should pay attention to appropriate mattress layouts. The shoulder and pelvic area must be made softer, but counter-pressure should be generated at waist level when lying down so that your spine is ergonomically correctly bedded.