Best Waterbed Mattress for You

Waterbeds used to be a hit back in the 20th century. But, do they still make waterbeds? You bet! They’ve changed and improved. So, today we’re going to explore what happened to waterbeds, a dying trend, but one that does provide a certain level of comfort and intriguing uniqueness that simply can’t go ignored.

Best Waterbed Mattress Reviews

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Types of Waterbeds

While it’s true that waterbeds can have plenty of different variations, they currently fall under two major categories:

• Hardside waterbeds are characterized by wooden frames that give the bed its shape. Basically, these wooden chambers are the ones that contain the water, but these beds are quite heavy even if they aren’t filled with any liquid. They are the least expensive category of waterbeds.
• Softside waterbeds also have water chambers, but instead of using wooden frames, they use a combination of fabric upholstery and foam. If you see one without touching it or knowing what it is, you are likely to confuse it with a regular mattress. Much like a regular bed, softside waterbeds also have padded upper comfort layers.

You will also discover that waterbeds can be recognized by how the surface feels. Consequently, you can come across:

• Freeflow waterbeds, which don’t use baffled or bolsters are they create noticeable waves.
• Semi-waveless waterbeds, which contain baffles or bolsters (sometimes even both) and have subtle wave movements.
• Waveless waterbeds, where the water chamber is so well-padded, you can’t feel the water moving inside the bed.

Waterbed Benefits

The two main types of waterbeds are actually very different from another, and it’s important for you to know the characteristics of each if you want to be more informed about what you’re going to buy. Such as, how much does a waterbed cost, or what types are available, and where to buy a waterbed mattress?

When it comes to hardside waterbeds:

• They will most likely have covers that are made from vinyl. Since the covers are really thin, the sleeper comes in closer contact with the water, which gives the bed a more floating feel.
• The vast majority of hard side waterbeds integrate some sort of heating element that controls the temperature of the water. These heaters typically consume a lot of electricity.
• Even if the water chambers are made from wood, don’t be fooled into thinking they are more resistant. In fact, the thin cover makes it easier for the bed to get punctured, and you can imagine where that leads.
• They are cheaper compared to softside waterbeds (can cost as low as $50), but they are typically available in only three sizes: super Single (measuring 48 x 84 inches), Queen (measuring 60 x 84 inches), and Cal King (measuring 72 x 84 inches).

And then there are softside waterbeds:

• They look and feel much like a conventional mattress.
• They have a variety of different covers made from materials like polyester, cotton, or other regular mattress cover fabrics.
• This type of mattress also has an internal heating element, but this one consumes less energy compared to the one inside the hardside waterbed.
• If the structure of the frame of a softside waterbed is good, there is less damage potential when compared to a hardside waterbed.
• These beds can be as expensive as a regular luxury mattress. They are available in most standard sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King, and Cal King.

Are Waterbeds Hard to Care For?

If you’ve never owned a waterbed, it’s perfectly normal to ask yourself about the durability of such a product, and how hard it is to care for it (because nobody wants a punctured waterbed). There are three main bits of information that you should know: how to store a waterbed, how to drain it, and what to do in case of any punctures.

Draining a waterbed required using a hose attachment with a reverse suction features. You need to make sure that the heater is turned off. Use a thick tower to pad the mattress valve to make sure there aren’t any water leaks.

The way you store a waterbed is also something that you have to pay attention to. Make sure that you’ve drained the bed as much as possible to avoid water leaks. A water conditioner is also a good idea because it helps maintain the water sterile. The bed eventually needs to be stored at room temperature in order to avoid too much heat or high levels of humidity. Also make sure that you fold the mattress as best as you can, or otherwise it can crack and tear.

In the event that your waterbed starts to leak, you need to know how to handle the situation. The first step is identifying the punctured spot. There are high chances that the warranty of the bed will cover the repair/replacement of the product, provided that human error wasn’t what lead to the puncture in the first place (note of advice: don’t play with scissors in bed).

If there are any small leaks on the top side of the mattress, you can proceed to fix this yourself. You will need a patch kit (which is typically easy to find online). By measuring the hole you can select the appropriate patch size and use rubbing alcohol around the punctured spot to make sure that there are no impurities that might prevent the patch’s adhesive from sticking to the bed. If your punctured spot is on the edge of the bed, the side, or the corners, you should seek professional assistance, as these are harder to fix. Hopefully, we’ve shed a little bit of light on the waterbed situation. That means that it’s time to dive into some of the best and coolest waterbed models that money can buy, and maybe we can make you reconsider the idea that waterbeds are a thing of the past.

Bottom Line 

It is true that when it comes to good waterbed mattresses, your options are very limited. That’s because there isn’t enough market demand for this particular type of bed, but also because manufacturers prefer to invest in construction that they know people are going to buy. 

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a single good waterbed out there, as all the models we spoke of today are quite good in their respective categories. Just remember that you have to understand what exactly using a waterbed implies, how you’re going to feel when you sleep on it and make an effort to understand the construction and characteristics of each type of waterbed so that you can make an informed shopping decision.