Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Ortho Mattress/Bedtime Showrooms
The mattress and bed store for you.

FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Please send me any questions that you would like to see added to this FAQ page. Email: Blade Berg, Manager of our website.



Scroll down the page to the questions that interest you, or jump to FAQs about Price, Comparing mattresses, King Size, All sizes, Comfort, Durability, Store Locations, Box Spring, Air/ water beds.

Q: What do mattresses cost?
A: This is certainly the number one question people ask, but not normally the number one issue in choosing a new mattress. You have something to sleep on now (either a current mattress of some kind or the floor), so clearly the number one issue should be finding a comfortable sleep surface rather than the price. Since price will be an issue though, I will attempt to give some insight.

Mattress prices cover a wide range of prices, in much the same way that cars do. A Rolls Royce may well be the finest car on the road, but at $300,000. they aren't a common car on the road. You can still buy a new car for well under $10,000. that is quite suitable to take care of your transportation needs.... Mattresses cover a similar range, with sets starting under $200. and running to well over $2000. I have seen some companies claim to have specially constructed mattresses that sell in the $6,000. range. (I don't think any mattresses I've heard of are worth $6,000. Some companies are just hunting big profit margins.) You should be able to buy a VERY nice mattress for about $1000. in queen size, with additional money going toward subtle improvements in comfort and durability. (A $130,000 Mercedes and a $50,000 Lincoln Town Car are aimed at similar consumers, but I'm told that the Benz does a better job of being luxurious.)

To get any useful pricing information, I'm afraid you'll actually have to see and try the mattresses. Then you can start looking at the prices. You'll find the mattress industry to be sufficiently competitive that if one store seems dramatically less or more expensive, there is likely to be a feature the salesman should be talking about to explain the uncommon pricing.
Back to FAQs index (Top of this page.)

Q: How can you compare mattresses at two stores that sell the same brand?
A: Mattresses at different retailers will have different labels and fabrics on them, even if they are the same internally. To compare them, you can compare the number of coils in them (usually the coil count is given for a full size mattress), and you can compare the quality and quantity of padding.

Q: What size is "king size"?
A: There are two. Neither one is "normal" king or "regular" king. Cal. King is longer. Eastern King is wider. In California, Cal. King is (as you might expect) the normal king size. In most other states, Eastern King is the normal king size.... If you are looking at sheets, headboards, or mattresses that just say "King", ask which king size they are selling to you.
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: What are the common mattress sizes?
A: Twin 38"x74", Full 54"x74", Queen 60"x80", and the King sizes. In California, the common king size is California King 72"x84". In the USA outside California, the common king size is Eastern King 76"x80". We also sell an Extra Long Twin 38"x80". "Super Single" is a waterbed size and is not normally available for conventional innerspring bedding. (Super single should be 48"x84", but waterbed sizes can vary somewhat.)
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: Should I get a hard or a soft mattress?
A: When a doctor tells you to buy a firm mattress, they mean it should have support INSIDE! It can have soft or hard padding on the outside, and still have firm support on the inside.

Typical people who sleep on softer mattresses:
1. People who sleep on their sides (who have their hips, shoulders, and other bony parts of their bodies against the mattress)
2. Women (who have curvier bodies that need a mattress to contour to their body more)
3. Older consumers (whose circulation is slowing down, and don't want
body pressure to cut down circulation)
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: Which will last longer: a hard mattress or a soft mattress?
A: Durability comes from the springs and the QUALITY of the padding. The stiffness of the padding, will not make it last longer. (In much the same way that spicy food is not more filling than bland food... it just tastes differently.) Texture and durability are two separate elements. Choose whichever comfort level you prefer.
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: Where is the nearest Ortho store? What is the phone number?
A: We have several stores in the San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose area.
Here is a list.
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: Why buy a box spring when buying a new mattress?
A: The box spring works as the support and shock absorber for your new mattress. If your box spring is too hard, it causes your mattress to absorb all the shocks it takes. (Like climbing onto your mattress, or thrashing around in your sleep.) If the box spring is too soft, it will cause the springs in your mattress to warp into the sagging springs.

Box springs are designed by the mattress manufacturer to work as a set with the new mattress. If you were buying a new car, you wouldn't try to keep your old shock absorbers. Using a new mattress on an insufficient support can void the warranty.
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Q: Which would you recommend... a floatation air bed, or a floatation water bed?
A: I included links to air beds and floatation beds simply as an aid to people who found my site while looking for something else. We don't sell either product. I personally don't feel either one offers proper support. Fluid systems sometimes offer a more even pressure support than most conventional bedding, but do it by sacrificing postural support. (They will allow your body to hammock down into them.) Innerspring mattresses offer a better balance between
body pressure on the mattress and postural support. You sleep on an innerspring mattress. You sag down into a floatation bed. (This is why you'd want to consider a firm mattress, with a plush surface.)
I feel that the product by Select Comfort is frightfully overpriced, and the product by Land and Sky (despite being well made for the type of product it is) is not something I would want to own. Other people would CERTAINLY disagree with me, but the latest survey of Orthopedic surgeons that I saw, indicated that 80% of them recommended conventional innerspring mattresses. The remaining 20% were recommending things ranging from water beds to floatation systems to air beds to foam mattresses. They didn't ALL agree on one type of mattress, but I think 80% is a pretty strong endorsement.
I also like the fact that innerspring mattresses don't leak.
Back to FAQs index Top of this page.

Back to Ortho's entrance page.

Please send any questions that you would like to see added to this FAQ page. Email: Blade Berg, Manager of our website.
Or call phone (925)687-0517