The bed is such a familiar piece of furniture for us that it is impossible to imagine our everyday life without it. You start and end your day on it. How to choose the right bed? Let's figure it out.
The bed is such a familiar piece of furniture for us that it is impossible to imagine our everyday life without it.
Which bed is best suited for family comfort and will create the necessary conditions for a good night's sleep? There are five factors that determine the level of comfort:
form – appearance and functionality;
dimensions – length, width and height;
construction – frame and materials;
the base of the bed - determines its safety;
mattress – protects your health.
Which bed is best suited for family comfort and will create the necessary conditions for a good night's sleep?
Let's take a closer look at each of them.
The classic rectangular shape is the basis of bedroom furniture.
1. Form – beauty or practicality?
The classic rectangular shape is the basis of bedroom furniture. Heart-shaped or circle-shaped beds look impressive, but are inconvenient for everyday family life. You can sleep together on such exclusive beds only by hugging tightly, so as not to fall on the floor in your sleep. You can curl up, but if you have a sore back, you will not have a good night's sleep. For a non-standard shaped bed, you need to sew custom sheets and covers. It requires more empty space, which will be used inefficiently.
You can curl up into a ball, but if you have a bad back, you won't get a good night's sleep.
NOTE! If there is not enough space for cabinets, for storing clothes and other necessary things, use beds with built-in drawers.
Transformer beds will help you solve the problem of lack of space in a small apartment. During the day, they can be transformed into a wall cabinet or a convenient desk-nightstand. Also pay attention to bunk beds that disguise themselves as a sofa.
For a non-standard shaped bed, you need to sew custom sheets and covers.
Owners of a spacious apartment will love a bed on a podium. The idea of raising a cozy nest above the bustle of the world will undoubtedly take your relationship to a higher level, but before that, think carefully about the advisability of this step.
The choice of bed frame depends on the number of people who will sleep on it.
A more practical solution would be to equip the podium with drawers. In fact, you will get a full-fledged closet pretending to be a bed.
2. Dimensions – it all depends on the width, length and height
In Russia and Europe, it is common to divide beds into three categories: single, one and a half, and double. But each person has individual values for height and shoulder width, which do not always fit into the Procrustean bed of such a classification.
With good build quality, such a bed will last a long time.
The most important thing is the size of the bed. The length should be no less than your height, to which you can safely add 20 cm. The following simple method will help you choose a bed of the required width: lie down on it strictly in the middle, spread your arms to the sides and bend them at the elbows. If they remain within the sleeping area, you have made the right choice.
It's easier to catch a cold from a draft on a low bed.
In furniture stores you can choose beds made according to European and American standards. In order to buy comfortable furniture, use our comparison table:
Type
(by number of sleeping places)
Russia, Europe
(width, m – length for all types up to 2.1 m)
America
(length x width, m)
Single
0.9-1
Twin – 1.90x0.99.
Twin X-Long – 2.03x0.99.
One and a half bed
1-1.3
No
Double bed
1.4-1.6
Full – 1.37x1.90,
Queen – 1.52x2.03.
Double (family)
1.80-2.00
Standard King — 1.98×2.03,
Western King – 1.83x2.13
The height of the base also affects comfort.
The height of the base also affects comfort. It depends on the climate and local cultural traditions. It is easier to catch a cold from a draft on a low bed. For Europe with a cooler climate, the optimal value is considered to be within 0.5-0.6 m, and in Asia it does not exceed 0.4 m. Residents of America fall the most painfully - the minimum bed height starts from 0.8 m.
The material and frame of a single bed can be the same.
NOTE! For older people, a high bed base is preferable – this way they spend less effort getting up in the morning.
Each person has individual values for height and shoulder width, which do not always fit into the Procrustean bed of such a classification.
3. Frame and material - the more serious the relationship, the stronger
The choice of bed frame depends on the number of people who will sleep on it. A single bed can be made of chipboard and consist of two supporting backs (headboard and footboard) and two longitudinal side walls - tsars. With good quality assembly, such a bed will last a long time.
The material and frame of a single bed can be the same. But more common is the option of four side rails, four legs and one hanging headboard.
But more common is the option of four side rails, four legs and one hanging headboard.
Double and family beds are subject to increased load. Therefore, do not buy economy options. The best solution would be a metal frame or a box made of solid wood.
Bed backs (headboard and footboard) are important frame elements that perform several functions:
in single and one-and-a-half bed versions they are the supporting element of the frame;
prevent the pillow from falling and the blanket from sliding onto the floor;
protect against contact of body parts with the wall - the wallpaper is not damaged and the risk of colds is reduced - remember how we like to watch TV before going to bed, leaning our backs against the headboard;
in some models, the footboard is made in the form of a narrow and high drawer with a folding top, which is convenient for storing soft items;
Night lights can be installed on the headboard for comfortable reading.
Double and family beds are subject to increased stress.
4. The foundation of the bed - you can only lean on something that provides resistance
The main rule is that the bottom of the bed should not bend under the weight of the mattress and sleeping people. Therefore, folding beds with a base made of stretched dense fabric and structures with metal gratings can only be useful as a temporary sleeping place.
The base made of the now popular curved slats glued from wood veneer makes the structure lighter and can easily withstand heavy loads. But it can easily break if your children decide to use the bed as a trampoline.
The best solution would be a metal frame or a box made of solid wood.
The bed base should be made of a solid piece of thick plywood or chipboard. A lattice of thick boards with a small gap between them is allowed.
IMPORTANT! When buying a wooden bed, make sure that there is a longitudinal crossbar inside the box, which serves as additional support. It evenly distributes the load created by the sleepers and prevents the base of the bed from being pressed through.
Night lights can be installed on the headboard for comfortable reading.
5. Mattress - the balance of yin and yang is in mutual agreement
Be careful when choosing it. The products that come with the bed do not take into account the individual features of your figure. And when the bed is double, then a natural conflict of interests will arise between the spouses, which must be resolved as quickly as possible.
Cheap foam products quickly sag and lose their original shape – they do not withstand long-term use. Refuse such a mattress or hide it in a closet and use it for guests.
The main rule is that the bottom of the bed should not sag under the weight of the mattress and the sleeping people.
If your weight categories are the same, then a mattress for a bed with a base consisting of blocks of dependent springs of about 100 pieces per 1 square meter will do. The upper part of each spring is connected to the neighboring one. This method provides the necessary orthopedic rigidity, but has a drawback. With a large difference in weight, the outer surface forms a slope towards the heavier spouse. And this is fraught with his inevitable sliding off the bed onto the floor during sleep.
It requires more empty space, which will be used inefficiently.
The second consequence of this method of connecting springs is an unpleasant loud squeak. You can make good soundproofing in the apartment, but it will be cheaper to buy a mattress for a bed made using independent spring technology (EVS) - 200 or more pieces per square meter. Each of them carries its part of the load, without transmitting it to the adjacent element, and is enclosed in a shell that eliminates friction and dampens clicks emitted during sharp compression. The surface finely adjusts to the shape of your body, eliminating skewing.
The base made of the currently popular bent slats, glued from wood veneer, lightens the structure and easily withstands heavy loads.
But disagreements in bed may not end there - your spouse likes to sleep on a hard surface, and you are used to a feather bed. In a modern mattress, a layer of batting or latex is responsible for softness, and the hardness is created by the next layer of felt or coconut fiber (coir). The ratio of the thicknesses of these components gives the surface the necessary properties.
If your tastes differ dramatically, buy two identical-sized single mattresses for the bed, each with a different surface firmness. You can also buy a product in which one half is intentionally made softer. A similar effect can be achieved by using less tight springs.
For older people, a high bed base is preferable – this way they spend less effort getting up in the morning.
If the weight difference exceeds 50 kg, the family idyll will be saved by a product made using DS technology. Between the usual blocks of independent springs, elements made according to the “two in one” principle are evenly distributed - a narrower spring of shorter length is inserted into a high spring with a large diameter. The ratio of ordinary and reinforced elements is approximately 260 to 130 per 1 square meter. When the outer one cannot cope with the load, the inner spring comes to the rescue. This design significantly extends their service life.
The protective cover should not accumulate dust and moisture and should not be worn through. The best material is jacquard - it contains cotton and synthetic materials.
The length should be no less than your height, to which you can safely add 20 cm.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION! The higher the cotton content in jacquard, the higher its strength.
A good and cheaper solution would be a jersey cover. Polyester products are durable and do not let moisture through, but they are poorly ventilated and create a weak coefficient of friction - sheets slide off easily. Calico covers "breathe", but wear out quickly.
The most important thing is the size of the sleeping area.
Every bed should know its place!
Ergonomics has long developed simple and mandatory rules that help to conveniently place it in the room:
It is better to place a double bed with the headboard against the wall;
there should be at least 70 cm of free space between surrounding objects and the side walls of the bed;
do not place your bed in front of a window - few people like waking up to bright sunlight, and the risk of getting a chronic cold from constant drafts will increase significantly;
Do not place the bed in the center of the room - the best option would be a niche or space in a furniture wall.
In furniture stores you can choose beds made according to European and American standards.
Listen carefully to the advice of interior designers. The bed should match the chosen style.
A wicker structure with a bamboo frame will fit perfectly into an eco-style, but will not go well with a minimalist design.
A high podium or platform will fit well into high-tech, but will not look good in a Romanesque or Provence style interior, as well as in rooms with low ceilings.
There are five factors that determine the level of comfort.
IMPORTANT! Beds of this shape will look organic in a separate bedroom, but the height of the podium should not exceed 0.2 m.
This is where you start and end your day.
The productivity of your day depends on how well you rested at night. Therefore, choose your bed carefully – it plays an important role in this. To make the nest of family life truly cozy, make sure that your loved ones will want to come home.
If there is not enough space for cabinets, for storing clothes and other necessary things, use beds with built-in drawers.
