BUYING A WATERBED GUIDE

Thinking of buying a waterbed?.

Here we have put together a guide to help you buying your waterbed, new customers may be unfamiliar with some of the terminology used, so carry on reading below and soon you will sound like a fully fledged aficionado.

Waterbeds primarily come in two types of styles – hardside and softside

The Hardside waterbed

A  hardside waterbed (commonly called a timber frame) is exactly what it sound like, – made of wood which can either be finished in a wood stain and wax finish or upholstered in fabric, they were popular in the 1970’s but have fallen out of fashion since the arrival of the more popular softside waterbed, they look like a giant size match box sitting on a recessed pedestal base, their popularity waned because getting in and out of a hardside bed can be awkward for less agile people.

Replace Your Old Bed And Buy A New Softside Waterbed

A softside waterbed looks like a normal divan bed or bed frame, you would not know it was a waterbed until you actually got on the bed, they are far and away the most popular waterbed across the globe, because of the looks and the ease of getting in and out of bed, the top section is made of a high density foam that creates a box like structure that holds the water mattress, the foam is often encased by a border with a removable zip on cover, the top section sits on a sturdy base that helps distribute the weight evenly across the floor. In our opinion they are a superior bed to the hardside and outsell by a factor of around 20:1. Both hardside beds and softside waterbeds commonly come with underneath storage in the base below for easy storage with drawers.

The Waterbed Mattress

A waterbed mattress whether it’s a hardside waterbed mattress or a softside waterbed mattress do vary in size, with the hardside mattress being slightly bigger than the softside, however in principle they are exactly the same. Each mattress comes in various option from a 0 layer up to a 5 layer.

The layers, refer to movement – or motion you experience when on the bed, the layers are sometimes referred to as baffles but perform the same function, that is to control the amount of movement yet still provide the required support. The amount of movement often confuses people when they are purchasing a waterbed or new mattress. so read below and i will provide you with the necessary information.

Waterbed mattress0 Layer mattress, contains no layers, or baffles, it’s just a large vinyl bag, other names given are a “free flow”  that takes around 15 – 20 seconds for the water to stop moving.
2 Layer mattress, contains two layers of fibre to reduce water movement, other names given are typically a 50% or semi motionless that takes around 8 – 10 seconds for the water to stop moving.
3 Layer mattress, contains three layers of fibre to reduce water movement, other names given are typically a 75% or semi stable that takes around 5 – 7 seconds for the water to stop moving.
4 Layer mattress, contains four layers of fibre to reduce water movement, other names given are typically a 95% or stable that takes around 2- 4 seconds for the water to stop moving.
5 Layer, contains five layers of fibre to reduce water movement, other names given are typically a 99% or super stable that takes around 1 – 2 seconds for the water to stop moving.

Recent Sleep Survey

  • Yes - Improves my sleep
  • Sometimes
  • No - Makes no difference
  • I'm not sure

A recent survey on the percentage of people asked about bed quality highlighted some useful information. A good bed is often overlooked when it comes to getting a good – or a bad – night’s sleep! And yet it plays a vital role, in our daily life, our mood, our appetite, our ability to perform mentally as well as physically, is all controlled by sleep, that’s why getting a good night’s sleep is so important.

Research shows that sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress can deprive you of up to an hour’s vital, restful sleep. Instead of waking up feeling like your ready to take on the world, sleeping on a bed that does not provide the correct support  is likely to give you a disturbed night and a stiff neck or back in the morning.

83% of people surveyed agree eight a mattress impacted on how well they slept – good or bad!

A mattress may look okay, but after day one a conventional bed will start losing support, that’s why it’s recommended you change your bed every 8 years, a waterbed offers the same support in year ten, as the same day you first slept on it .

Interestingly, did you know a conventional mattress will weigh more, the more you sleep on it – that’s because night after night your body ash and dead skin is being absorbed into the mattress, and bed bugs thrive in the same environment as you, they excrete and defecate in the mattress, a mattress can be the number cause of allergies because of these factors.

A Waterbed is Hygenic

Waterbeds and a waterbed mattress are not only extremely comfortable to sleep on, they are also the most hygenic beds to sleep on in the world. Because a waterbed is made of vinyl to hold the water, nothing can penetrate the mattress – simply change your bedding periodically and clean the mattress to maintain a sterile environment perfect for sleeping.

What is a dual system waterbed?

Simply a dual system waterbed features two waterbed mattresses in the same bed as opposed to one mattress, each individual mattress can have a different layer to the other, and they have their own heating element, and they are separated by a thermal divider. The dual system allows two people sharing the bed to have their own level of comfort regarding the amount of layers, each side can have their own unique temperature settings, so one side can be cool and the other warm, the thermal barrier prevents any heat convection.

Are waterbeds heated?.

Our waterbeds do come with heaters, they are designed to help keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, each waterbed comes with a Sigma waterbed heater, controlled by a thermostat, the temperature settings from 26 – 36 degrees, most people typically have a waterbed set around 28 degrees, it is important to set the right temperature to help you sleep well throughout the night, if the water is too cold or too hot, then your sleep quality will be impaired, all of our waterbed heaters feature the latest safety standards, and approved by UK and EU standards.

What Size Waterbeds Are Available?

All of our waterbeds are available in sizes ranging from Single to Super-king size, please note – our waterbeds follow American sizing, and they do thing a little different on the other side of the pond than we do here in the UK, so we have put together some information below to help out.

Buying A Waterbed, Sizing Information

American Bed Names & Sizes

Twin: 39″ x 75″
Standard: 54″ x 75″
Queen: 60″ x 80″
Standard King/Eastern King: 76″ x 80″
California King: 72″ x 84″

UK Conventional Bed Names & Sizes

Small Single: 2’6″ x 6’3″
Standard Single: 3’0″ x 6’3″
Small Double: 4’0″ x 6’3″
Double: 4’6″ x 6’3″
King: 5’0″ x 6’6″
Super King: 6’0″ x 6’6″

UK Waterbed Names & Sizes (Softside)

Single: 3’0″ x 6’3″
Double: 4’6″ x 6’3″
Small Double: 4’0″ x 6’3″
Queen: 5’0″ x 6’6″
King: 6’0″ x 6’6″