Information on Waterbeds

What Is A Waterbed Mattress

A waterbed mattress, water mattress, or flotation mattress is a bed or mattress where the primary sleep support medium is filled with water.

There are two distinct types of waterbeds:

1. Softside
2. Wood Frame or Hardside

A softside waterbed consists of a water mattress framed by foam bolsters. The water mattress and bolsters are contained by a fabric casing or cover.

The whole assembly sits on a platform that may be sheets of plywood or more commonly today by a foundation - an upholstered box made to look like a box spring.

Advantages:

1. Softside is Soft and comfortable
2. Easy to get on and off bed
3. Similar size to innerspring beds - uses conventional linens
4. Usually comes with a padded top for additional comfort
5. Can use heat so going to sleep in winter is much faster and relieves back and leg muscle pain

1. Cost - softside waterbeds are usually much more expensive than a hardside waterbed
2. More parts means there is more to go wrong so replacement is more expensive. Sometimes the bolsters get too soft, or the casing / padded top loose shape. A zipper may quit or the mattress itself may leak if old.
3. Hard to find parts, older beds are often replaced by newer designs and parts can be scarce.

A hardside waterbed consists of a water mattress contained by a wood frame and platform.

This frame may be a softwood like pine or be a hardwood. Headboards can be a simple board or have a complex bookcase or cabinet design. The base assembly (riser) can raise the bed high off the floor or barely off the floor at all.

1. Requires special size sheets
2. Weighs a little more than a softside
3. A little harder to get into and out of
4. Sides of frame are hard which can be fixed with rail caps