Mattresses are most commonly described as soft, medium, medium-firm or firm. Medium to medium-firm beds are the most popular because they suit a wide range of needs. Mattresses can play a role in dispersing body heat and keeping the surface of your bed cool through the use of phase-change materials, which absorb heat, and thermal conductors that draw heat away.

The trend in mattresses is moving toward beds with memory foam, adjustable, and air. Innerspring mattresses have been around since the early 1900s. Unlike memory foam beds, these mattresses contain steel coils that compress when you put weight on them. Mattresses that are widely available on the market today can be grouped into one of five categories: innerspring, foam, hybrid, latex, and airbed.