Edge support is one of the most important traits to consider in a mattress before making a purchase. It can affect the way a mattress feels and what level of support it offers to your body throughout the night.
A mattress with good edge support can help extend the lifespan of your mattress, offer a high-quality support system, and help you get a good night’s sleep.
This article will go over everything you need to know about edge support on your mattress, including what edge support is, what the top benefits of edge support are, and what edge support means for different mattress types.
What is mattress edge support?
Edge support refers to the sturdiness level of the perimeter of your mattress. A supportive mattress with high edge support won’t sink down when you sit on the edge. It will also allow you to rest closer to the edge of the bed without falling off.
This can be helpful for those who sleep in the side sleeping position. Mattresses with high edge support can also help prevent mattress sagging over time and potentially extend the lifespan of your mattress overall.
Top benefits of good edge support on a mattress
Mattresses with good edge support can provide a lot of benefits to a variety of sleepers. They tend to be firm mattresses with extra support.
You can also find more comfortable mattresses with a cushioned comfort layer if you prefer not to sleep on a firmer mattress. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to find a mattress with good edge support to meet your personal preferences.
Below, we’ll go over the top benefits of having a mattress with good edge support so you can be more informed before making a purchasing decision.
Increase stability and support
The most beneficial part of having a mattress with good edge support is that it increases both stability and support while you’re sleeping. If you frequently wake up with back pain or joint pain, it may be because you’re not getting enough support throughout the night.
Increased stability also helps ensure you won’t fall off of the bed in the middle of the night, especially if you tend to keep to one side of the mattress.
Besides that, a stable and supportive sleep surface can help aid with pressure relief and offer additional support and stability to your bed throughout the night. This is particularly important for plus-size sleepers.
Prevent sagging
Sagging is one of the common complaints of people shopping for a new mattress. Sagging beds can often cause back pain for stomach sleepers, side sleepers, and back sleepers.
Perhaps it’s not surprising to know that sagging mattresses often don’t have the proper amount of edge support. This is a common issue with all-foam mattresses. While they may offer more cushioning than an innerspring mattress with a high firmness level, they don’t always offer a firm support system.
A quality mattress with good edge support will be supportive, pressure-relieving, and comfortable.
Reduce motion transfer
Mattresses with good edge support also have better motion transfer. That means you won’t feel your partner moving around throughout the night.
Higher levels of motion isolation mean that you and your partner can freely move around on your side of the bed without disturbing the other. This can lead to better quality sleep in the long run.
Selecting the type of mattress with the best edge support for you
Finding a mattress with the best edge support for your sleeping preferences can be difficult.
Bear in mind that there are four main types of mattresses on the market: innerspring, memory foam, hybrid, and latex foam. These mattress types all have a variety of traits and average edge support levels that you can select from.
Below, we’ll go over each mattress type in detail, outline the most common level of edge support in each mattress, and share what other important traits you should consider before buying.
Innerspring mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are the most common type of mattress. They also generally offer high levels of edge support. You can find a variety of firmness options for innerspring mattresses, but they commonly fall in the medium-firm to firm range.
These mattresses are also great for both heavier people and those looking for extra support on their pressure points throughout the night. They’re sturdy and tend to have a good lifespan.
If you’re worried about having a mattress that’s too firm, you can still consider an innerspring mattress with a pillow top or foam comfort layer. These layers sit at the top of the mattress to provide more comfort without sacrificing stability and support.
Memory foam mattresses
Memory foam mattresses are fairly popular, but they generally don’t have good edge support. These mattresses are made of varying layers of foam, including polyurethane foam. While they do an excellent job of conforming to your body, they tend to offer low edge support and can be prone to sagging.
Lower levels of edge support in a memory foam mattress mean you may not feel as stable or supported throughout the night. That said, there are some higher-quality memory foam mattresses, made of high-density foam, that have better edge support.
You can also find gel memory foam mattresses, which are great for their cooling properties. This can be helpful for those who sleep hot at night but may not need the additional edge support.
Hybrid mattresses
Hybrid mattresses are a great middle-ground between softer memory foam mattresses and firmer innerspring beds. They often have a high-density foam top with a firmer innerspring core.
These mattresses offer high levels of edge support while still remaining comfortable and soft. However, these mattresses are often one of the most expensive types you can purchase.
Hybrid mattresses can be really beneficial for just about any sleeper—no matter what sleeping position, body type, or other personal preferences you have.
Latex mattresses
Latex mattresses are a great option if you’re looking for something cushioned that also offers a little bit of extra support. These mattresses are still soft, but latex foam is a little more supportive compared to memory foam.
Latex foam mattresses have more edge support than memory foam mattresses but less than hybrids. If you’re looking for a mattress whose main trait is being supportive, then this may not be the bed for you.
But if you’re looking for mid-level support and value extra comfort, latex mattresses could be perfect for you. They’re also long-lasting and hypoallergenic. However, they’re amongst some of the most expensive mattresses currently on the market.
Who may want to consider mattresses with more edge support
Mattress shopping is heavily dependent on your personal preferences. That means some shoppers may value traits like edge support over other traits. But who benefits the most from having a mattress with good edge support?
Edge support is an important trait for people who tend to frequently sit on the edge of their mattress—whether to watch TV, read a book, or just hang out and chat.
Sitting on your mattress’s edge frequently can wear down the support quicker than usual—but a mattress with good edge support can withstand the additional pressure without compromising quality.
Heavier people may also benefit greatly from a mattress with good edge support. Those with a higher body weight may require more stability and support in a mattress to feel comfortable. This is easily solved with good edge support on a mattress.
Find the best mattress for your sleeping preferences with Saatva
To ensure you enjoy comfortable sleep night after night, it’s important to find a mattress with the best edge support for your body type and sleeping preferences.
Saatva offers a wide range of mattresses with excellent edge support. All of our mattresses are made with high-quality materials and come with a 365-night home trial.
Take our online mattress quiz to find the right mattress for you so you can improve your sleep experience.