What Is the Right Mattress For Your Adjustable Base?

Make Sure Your Bed Fits Your Base

When you’re looking for the perfect bedroom set up, an adjustable base is just the ticket to ultimate comfort no matter what you’re doing.

As the popularity of this technology grows by leaps-and-bounds, choosing a mattress when you have an adjustable bed can be a bit tricky. Adjustable bases are a great option for your room, but you want to be sure that the mattress you put on it adds to the comfort and mobility not take away from it.

Knowing the type of mattress to choose for your base is essential. Typically, you’ll be looking for the following:

• Latex mattresses
• Memory foam mattresses
• Individually-wrapped coil mattresses
• Hybrid mattresses
• Modern multi-chamber air mattresses

You want to stay away from interlaced coil mattresses, older design air mattresses, and ultra-firm mattresses because they won’t be flexible enough to bend as needed, so they don’t move properly with the adjustable bases.

Types of Mattresses Best-Suited for Adjustable Bases

An adjustable bed base lifts the top and bottom of the mattress (the head and foot) between a number of degrees depending on the model. This elevation creates a more comfortable shape for you to read, watch TV, and even sleep.

That means the most important thing to think about when choosing a mattress is its flexibility and durability. The right mattress for an adjustable will bend and flex to follow the contour of the base, while still maintaining the support and structural integrity you need for comfortable reclining and sleeping.

Memory Foam & Latex Mattress

Memory foam conforms to your body shape and evenly supports your weight. That eliminates the common complaint of pressure points other mattresses have. When used with an adjustable bed, memory foam flexes easily to match the contour of the base without compromising comfort and support.

Like memory foam mattresses, those made from latex are 100% foam and similarly effective at preventing pain and t points. However, they have a different feel that is commonly described as “buoyant.” Because they are slightly more rigid, choose a thinner size so it can properly adapt to your adjustable base.

Memory foam and latex mattresses are typically the best choices to use with an adjustable bed. They are flexible enough to match the curves of the base, and if you pick a brand that uses high-quality foam and materials, it will maintain its support and durability for years. However, you should be aware that there are significant differences in construction among the manufacturers that make memory foam and latex mattresses. Our top pick is Tempur-Pedic.

This is definitely where off-brand worries can come into play. You’ll want to be sure you’re purchasing a mattress from a reputable manufacturer that will stand by their product and provides technical support as well as comprehensive warranties.

Innerspring mattresses

Innerspring mattresses are most likely what your parents and grandparents slept on for most of their lives. But they’ve certainly been upgraded since then.

Innersprings are made from coiled springs and a padded top. Innersprings are still very common because their technology has been improved over the years. The pillowtop options have been made increasingly plusher. They have also started to be made using individually pocketed coils, which makes the bed much more responsive. Additionally, the padding is often paired with a layer of foam and the coils themselves have been made to be more flexible and create fewer pressure points.

There are several good innerspring options available on the site, including Magniflex, a premium Italian-made mattress company, and of course our two most popular Sealy and Stearns & Foster. Their premium mattresses are of very high quality and Sealy and Tempur both manufacture their own bases as well.

Airbed mattresses

Airbeds are made with one or more inner air chambers, and allow you to adjust their support by increasing or decreasing the air pressure. However, only specific types are suitable for use with adjustable beds.

Models with multiple chambers are usually fine. Just be aware that when the adjustable base bends, it can impede the airflow and reduce support. We don’t recommend using an airbed with a single chamber though, because they are almost always too rigid.

In modern airbeds, there are typically several chambers, often up to five, and this allows the beds to bend and flex and change the internal air pressure in a number of areas for the best support and comfort. These also often have a layer of memory foam on the top portion for that cushioning-feel many love. Our soon-to-be-carried favorite is the ReST mattress.

Here are the main three things to consider when looking for a mattress for your adjustable base:

Flexibility: A mattress must be able to bend at least 45 degrees and be able to keep its position and still recover to its original shape without damage.

Thickness: This can really vary by the brand. A thinner mattress will likely bend easier, though there are several mattresses from Sealy, Tempur, and Stearns & Foster that are thicker and can still bend well-enough to be suitable for an adjustable base.

Durability: The mattress chosen for your adjustable base must have the ability to be adjusted several times throughout its lifetime, this is crucial to the longevity of the mattress. A cheap mattress will likely not serve you well in the long run. Put your hard-earned income to good use with a mattress brand you can trust.

When you have chosen your mattress style and the adjustable base design, the final step is to make sure the sizes are compatible. Once this is all taken care of you will enjoy many years of comfortable and healthy night's sleep.

There you have it. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us over the phone, through email, or through the website’s live chat. We’re here to help. You can also check out the Mattress Buying Guide or the Adjustable Base Buying Guide.