How to Choose Mattress in Malaysia - Joey’s Mattress Buying Guide

By Joey Mattress

How to Choose Mattress in Malaysia - Joey’s Mattress Buying Guide

As a mattress company, we get loads of questions about sleep on a daily basis, from ones like “Should I get a hard or soft mattress?”, to “Will this mattress fit my bed frame?”, and even “Is this mattress suitable for old people?”.

Hence, we understand first-hand that mattress shopping can be a very tiring and confusing experience. There are simply too many options out there, and when you search the internet for information, you tend to stumble upon unhelpful online articles that are either sponsored, or too Western-centric.

Everyone deserves solid, basic knowledge when choosing a new mattress in Malaysia—that's why we made this guide for you. It's a quick reference to help you navigate your bed-shopping journey, organized by popular consumer concerns. At the end, you'll find a customizable checklist for your personal needs.

What’s the best mattress material out there?

1. Spring Mattress

Ah, the old-time favourite of aunties and uncles, who swear by the firmness of the spring mattress. There are actually two types of spring mattresses– (a) Bonnel spring mattresses, which is one of the oldest and most common mattress designs out there, and (b) pocket spring mattresses.

Bonnel spring mattresses (also known as ‘innerspring’ mattresses) have a metal spring support frame topped with cushioning. They’re affordable and generally comfortable but offer poor motion isolation, can get creaky with age, and may have issues with broken springs.

Pocket spring mattress have individually wrapped coils, each in its own fabric pocket. This design allows each spring to move independently, offering more flexibility and better support for your body's contours compared to innerspring mattresses.

2. Latex

There are two types of latex mattresses in the market— all-natural latex, and synthetic latex. Be aware that some "natural latex" beds may contain up to 30% synthetic material. Latex mattresses are fire-resistant and hypoallergenic but can feel hot at night due to lower breathability, so they’re often combined with other materials.

3. Coconut Fibre (Coir)

Coir is a high-density fiber from coconut husks, known for its breathability and ability to wick away moisture. However, it can sag over time and has a rough texture, so it’s often combined with foam or latex for added comfort.

4. Foam

Foam mattresses are made using different types of polyurethane foam, and their properties (and quality) can vary depending on their specific blend. Foam mattresses are known to be comfortable, ‘quiet’ mattresses. However, some people may dislike the close-conforming, ‘sleep-in-the-mattress’ feel which is unique to foam mattresses.

Here, we’ll explain more about two types of foam on the market— memory foam, and our very own J-Foam 😉

a) Memory Foam (also called viscoelastic foam) is made from polyurethane with added chemicals to enhance its viscosity and bounce. These mattresses mold to your body’s shape, offering excellent back and joint support. Though they’re heavier, they’re also temperature-sensitive, reacting to your body’s heat.

b) J-Foam is Joey Mattress's unique flexible polyurethane foam (FPF) blend, featuring a soft comfort layer on top and a firm support layer below. It’s designed to deliver great pressure relief and motion isolation, ensuring undisturbed sleep with proper back support. This exclusive trademarked blend is only produced at Joey’s factory.

5. Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses combine different materials for a balanced sleep experience, suiting various body types and offering more durability than traditional spring mattresses. However, their performance depends on the specific design, and while they can be more expensive, they may still have lower motion isolation due to the use of Bonnel springs.

Anatomy of a mattress

Apart from understanding what materials make up a mattress, it’s also important that you know how a mattress is designed and assembled. Generally, mattresses comprise of two main layers— the Comfort Layer, and the Support Layer.

The Comfort Layer is the top padding that shapes your sleep experience. Made from softer materials, it cushions and contours to your body for even weight distribution.

The Support Layer forms the bottom part and ensures proper spinal alignment. It balances support across the body, relieving pressure on your shoulders and hips while maintaining support at the waist.

Essentially, a well-designed mattress lets you sink in comfortably while still providing strong core support. Some designs even have multiple comfort and support layers for added benefits!

Edge Support (Joey’s Weakness?)

Many people mistakenly believe that all mattresses need edge support— let’s break down what edge support is and why certain mattresses need it.

Edge support is often associated with traditional innerspring mattresses, where it prevents sagging by reinforcing the perimeter with materials like encased foam or steel rods. However, latex and foam mattresses, like the Joey Mattress, don’t require this feature because they naturally contour to your body without sagging. Hard edge support could actually reduce their flexibility and comfort. Unless you have specific needs like physical impairments or frequently sit on your mattress, edge support may not be as important as pressure relief and motion absorption.

Just for your clarification, the Joey Mattress does not come with any hard edge support. However, our mattress does offer superior motion absorption, pressure-point relief, and body-hugging comfort ☺️

Mattress Sizes

For first-time mattress buyers, size can be confusing. Did you know that mattress sizes are actually not standardized across the world?

European and US sizes tend to be both longer and wider than Malaysian sizes. However, it is quite difficult to find US/Euro sized mattresses here because it’s not a common business practice to import whole mattresses— brands can originate from different countries and be manufactured elsewhere.

Here are some of the most popular size-related questions we’ve gotten on social media:

1) What’s the difference between a Single and a Super Single?

A Super Single is 16cm (or approx 6 inches) wider than a Single bed. This means that Super Single gives you more room for extra pillows or soft toys!

2) Will a normal mattress fit my Ikea bed frame?

We’ve recently launched Ikea-sized mattresses designed to fit seamlessly into your Ikea bed frame. Ikea mattresses are typically 10 cm longer than the Malaysian standard. While regular mattresses can fit, there will be a gap unless the frame is adjustable. With our new Ikea-sized option, you won't need to worry about the gap. For standard mattresses, you can fill the gap with cushions or cover it up with an untucked top sheet for aesthetic purposes.

3) Does mattress height matter?

Mattress thicknesses typically start from approximately 20cm to 35cm, and thicker mattresses will tend to be heavier. As a reference, Joey’s mattresses are all 23cm thick irrespective of size, with our King-sized mattress weighing 35KG.

It would be good to think about mattress thickness alongside the height of the bed frame that you’re using. Is it one with a divan bed base, or one with tall legs? A thick mattress and a tall bed frame could make it a little difficult for a petite or less-agile individual to get out of bed. If you’re buying a bed for the elderly at home, make sure that the combined mattress-and-frame height is comfortable for them to get in and out of the bed easily.

4) If I am very tall (>180cm), can I sleep on a regular bed?

Experts typically recommend having at least 10 cm from your feet to the edge of your bed for maximum comfort. This can be hard for individuals who are well over 180cm, and it may be advisable for them to seek out mattresses of a Super King size. However, don’t forget that unconventionally-sized mattresses will require you to find customized bed sheets and bed frames to go with them!

So, honestly, Joey. Which mattress is better?

As you can see from the previous page, every material has their own pros and cons. We can’t even make the claim that Joey’s mattresses are the best in the world. Even if a certain material is touted to have great benefits, its quality is still dependent on the manufacturing standards of the company and where they get their source material from. This is why it’s very important to go for trusted, reputable bedding companies to ensure you’re getting the most rest out of your ringgit.

In fact, the reason why so many variations of mattresses can exist in the market is because people have vastly different sleep preferences and needs. And most of the time, we’re unable to directly compare between our new and old mattress, which makes it very hard for us to gauge our sleeping experience accurately. Traditional mattress companies usually do not have return policies, which makes all purchase decisions irreversibly final. Hence, it’s important for us to know how to adequately test out a mattress that’ll accompany us for at least a decade of our lives.

Here’s how to properly try a mattress:

1. Recruit your sleeping partner

If you sleep with a partner, have them test the mattress with you. This is especially important if you have different body sizes or sleep habits—like tossing, frequent bathroom trips, or even a cat that jumps on the bed. Consider back issues or allergies too. The best mattress is the one that works for everyone sharing it.

2. How much do you weigh?

Most mattresses can support around 100kg per side (200kg for King/Queen). However, how a mattress feels varies by body type. Heavier individuals may sink too much in softer beds, while lighter ones might find firm spring mattresses wobbly, especially with a heavier partner. Choose a mattress that fully supports your unique needs.

3. Assess the rest (if you can!)

When trying out a new bed, you can ask yourself these things:

-Did I sleep well throughout the night?

-Did I get uncomfortably warm in bed?

-Do I have any aches or pains anywhere that was not previously there?

-Did I feel disturbed when my partner moves around?

-Was I forced to adopt an unhealthy sleeping position to get comfortable?

-Is the mattress’s texture and firmness level comfortable for me?

-How does this bed compare to my old bed?

4. Give it time

One often overlooked tip for mattress shopping is that your body needs time to adjust to a new bed, especially if it’s a different material or firmness. Initial discomfort might just be unfamiliarity, so give it time—Joey recommends at least 30 nights.

If trying a mattress in a showroom, lie on it for at least 20 minutes in your usual sleep positions. It might feel awkward, but it’s worth it for your future comfort. If you have a partner, have them get off the bed while you’re on it to check motion isolation.

Bonus tip: Try tracking your sleep

If you need a clearer way to assess your sleep quality, you can always download sleep tracker apps to help identify how well you’re sleeping on your new bed. We’d recommend you to get started on the tracker even before buying a new bed, so you can do a before-and-after comparison on how your sleep quality has improved!

Return Policies are Important

Ultimately, we’re unable to properly assess our new bed unless we can sleep on them for an extended period of time. This is why Joey would recommend purchasing mattresses from companies that have a good trial and return policy. And besides us, there are several other mattress companies that offer trial periods too (not just tooting our own horn here!).

Here’s how Joey’s return policy works:

  • Enjoy a 99-night trial with free delivery nationwide and free returns in West Malaysia.
  • You must try the mattress for at least 30 days before deciding.
  • Returns must be made before the 99-night trial ends.
  • Only damage-free mattresses (no stains, rips, or tears) can be returned.
  • The mattress should be wrapped in its original plastic bag.
  • Only one return per household.

And that’s it! To initiate a return, simply contact us through our social media or e-mail and we will assist accordingly. Our handsome delivery partners will handle the pick up, so you can rest easy once the mattress is ready. However, if the returned mattress is found unacceptably damaged or dirty, a 15-30% refund deduction could be applied depending on the severity, but you’ll still get your refund!

A side note: we never, ever resell any returned mattresses— they are stored at our warehouse and donated to suitable parties. Our mattresses are always made-to-order to arrive fresh at your doorstep!

The Ultimate Mattress Buying Checklist

Print to use, or click to fill. This customizable checklist can help you compare between all the brands you’re interested in when you’re looking for a new bed. We’ve cheekily helped you fill one up for Joey!

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