You may have tricked out your home, turning your living room into a home theater, upgrading your kitchen to a Chef's dream, and turning your bathroom into a candle-lit spa, but at the end of the day, your bedroom is your real home base, with your bed as the star attraction. Add comfort and warmth to your ultimate home base with a fitted mattress pad.
Comforting
When buying a fitted mattress pad, the most obvious qualification is the fit. Yes, there's frame size; we all know a queen size mattress pad won't fit a twin very well. But mattress depth can be just as important. Because a fitted mattress pad fits over the mattress like a sheet, the pad must be deep enough to cover the whole thing, even down the sides. Otherwise, you'll end up spending a lot of time fixing and adjusting your mattress pad the way you would with ill fitting sheets. You also want a mattress pad to be made of a material you're comfortable with; no cotton or feather down if you're allergic, no water-proofing if you suspect chemical treatments.
Not Quite a Change
More often than not, a mattress pad is purchased to supplement the comfort of your bed. Mattresses have a way of getting worn down within the ideal 10 year replacement time frame and a properly quilted mattress pad can add some softness back in. It's definitely cheaper than replacing the mattress, especially when it comes to larger frames. They can also be used to upgrade a mattress that no longer matches your preferred level of comfort. This can change for people over the years, as they get older or obtain injuries; your once perfectly firm mattress can seem rock hard after a while.
The other reason to buy a mattress pad? Guests. In a situation where you have visitors staying overnight, a mattress pad can make guests feel more at home, and not just because they're comfy. Mattress pads can make even the most allergy-prone guest sleep well, since they limit exposure to dust mites because they're easily cleaned.
