What about Water-beds? They were so popular in the 60s and 70s. Seems like they would give support and comfort and be non-allergenic. With all the talk about memory foam being so toxic to some, this might be a viable alternative. I used one for awhile in the early 70s and I know they were much improved after the basic model that we had. We stopped using it when we inherited an antique bed from ancestors and didn’t have a spare bedroom to put one of the beds into.
Hi jmontague,
Waterbeds can certainly be a good choice for some people. While I’m certainly not a waterbed expert … you can see some of my thoughts about them here.
There are also many other alternatives to memory foam besides water and there are also many foam manufacturers that make memory foam that is CertiPur certified (or in a few cases even Oeko-Tex certified which is a higher standard yet) which means that it has been tested for harmful substances and VOC’s.
Phoenix
A lot has changed in waterbeds since the 60s and 70s. Whereas they used to just be a bag of water surrounded by a wooden box, today there are a few main points to understand about waterbeds:
- Hard-Sided vs Soft-sided Water Beds: While the traditional hard-sided waterbeds still exist- with a wooden box encapsulating the mattress- they tend to be outsold by Soft-Sided Waterbeds. Soft-Sided Waterbeds tend to have the appearance of innerspring beds, with a quilted top to the mattress.
- Waveless Water Mattress Options: Today you can choose between bladders that are motionless (waveless), partially waveless, and traditional “bag of water” type water bladders/water mattresses. Generally, the more waveless a bed is, the firmer it will be.
[Ii]Comfort Layers: Today waterbeds often come with layers of memory foam or latex above the water. This often leads to the water bladder/mattress serving primarily as a base/support layer. These beds with latex, memory foam, and water can be extremely luxurious[/li]
Waterbeds are sold primarily online today, although a few brick and mortar stores still exist. At our website selectwaterbeds.com, we sell approximately 4 softsided waterbeds to every 1 hardsided waterbed, which appears to be the trend throughout the industry. I slept on a waterbed for about 3 years and I must say I really enjoyed it, although draining a waterbladder to move was nearly impossible. Not a good option if you move often, but if the bed will be in one place, go for it.