Waterbeds

Technically, waterbeds are just water-filled vinyl beds. However, there is more to it than the eyes meet. A lot of engineering goes into making the bed comfortable and durable. Furthermore, a lot of advancements have been made in bed technology in the recent past.

Waterbeds have a history that is long and sometimes entertaining. In fact, their history begins really long ago with Persian goat-skin mattresses filled with water. People used beds like these more than five thousand years ago. But waterbeds came back into popularity during the twentieth century. It wasn’t until 1968 that Charles Hall developed a waterbed with a vinyl mattress. He stumbled upon the idea of a bed filled with water after many attempts to create liquid furniture. This article will tell you everything you need to know about them. Having a better understanding of them will help you make the right choices when you are shopping.

A brief guide to buying waterbeds

Waterbed has undergone huge changes over the years. In the earliest versions of water beds, customers had to fill the entire waterbed with a garden hose. Now, only tubes, called “bladders,” have to be filled. And because of the weight of the water, they required special frames to support the bed. These days it is much easier to use them. Some modern-day waterbeds even eliminate the need for a separate frame. Modern waterbeds even come with self-contained temperature control systems. This article will tell you everything you need to know about them.

Hardside waterbeds vs Softside waterbeds

A hard side waterbed uses a conventional wooden box frame and requires no material for wave reduction. This will let you feel the complete movement of the waterbed. However, depending on the preferred comfort level, some hard side waterbeds can still decrease the motion of the bed. Softside beds look much like a standard mattress over hardside mattresses. You can fit them into existing furniture, use regular sheets and do not need a separate wood frame. Although softside beds remove the wavelike sensation, they still maintain the contouring and pressure-free support.

Uses of waterbeds

A waterbed is especially useful for those with spinal and back pain. It greatly decreases the pressure on the spine and provides the sleeper with great relief. Waterbeds spread the weight of the body evenly, resulting in a good night’s sleep. Since these beds do not produce bed sores, doctors recommend them for those who are paralysed, or bed ridden. So, in a way, these beds are useful for both normal people and those who need special medical attention. However, with the invention of materials like memory foam, the popularity of water has gone down among regular folks.

Benefits of waterbed

The most important benefit is that these beds can adjust to the contour of the person sleeping on it. Because water moves around easily, it moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas of the bed. Because of this property of water, every inch of the body of the person lying on the bed gets exactly the same amount of pressure. Another benefit of these beds is that it is very easy to heat the bed. The convection of the water will spread the heat across the bed. While there are beds with heating systems, this works seamlessly even when the weather is freezing cold.

Disadvantages of waterbeds

Waterbeds require more maintenance than regular beds. You will need to use conditioners to prevent moulds and change the bladder once in a while. Also, your regular bed sheets might not work on these beds. So, buying new sets of bed accessories will turn out to be an extra cost. These beds are difficult to move around. You’ll need extra effort to rearrange your waterbed if you get bored with your bedroom decor. Lastly, the bed will accidentally get pierced every so often if you are not careful. You would not know if the perforation is too small. You will only notice it when the water will slowly leak out of the bed and ruin your floor.