The early 1970s was an exciting and changing time for young people. The Viet Nam war was in full swing, human rights was becoming prominent to several groups and rock and roll was moving forward at a very fast pace. Unless you were in the 15-30 age group this movement seemed self-destructive. Those with long hair, vans painted with flowers and enjoying marijuana became known as hippies. Because it was a hippie and student of San Francisco State University that first designed, patented and sold waterbed mattresses out of the back of his van, the stigma between waterbeds and hippies was formed. Waterbed mattresses had originally been the idea of Neil Arnott, a Scottish physician that wanted to make his bedridden patients more comfortable.
He wanted no credit for the idea that was started in the early 19th century and never filed for a patent. The idea worked well and was utilized in several infirmaries during the 1800s. The young man, Charles Hall, had taken Arnott’s idea and transformed into a full-sized bed that was popular in the 70s and 80s but considered by many as a fad. Had a more respectable, resigned major corporation been the patent holder, the waterbed might have risen to the top as a replacement for the coil spring mattress.
The original design of the waterbed mattress was crude and did not have a heater or frame but the benefits of minimizing pressure around joints by cradling the body’s shape were too good to ignore. The imperfections in the design of waterbed mattresses have been noted, addressed and today, the waterbed mattress is a very desirable form of slumber with many that have back problems. Water displacement brings about a state of weightlessness and relieves pressure to problem areas.
There are two different types of waterbeds. The first one is designed for hard-sided beds that hold the mattress in place with a plywood frame. The other is a soft-sided waterbed that has built-in foam sides within the mattress itself that can be used on any regular bed frame. The mattress exterior is the same for both models, made from a PVC-type vinyl for durability. The mattress is placed on top of a safety liner that protects flooring and furniture from water damage should your waterbed mattress develop a leak. A heater pad is placed directly below the safety liner and warms the entire mattress by a manual controlled thermostat. Many safety precautions have taken place since the first waterbed mattress hit the market in 1971, making them safer and more comfortable than before.
Baffles control the movement of the water inside of a waterbed mattress. Fiber that runs the entire length of the bed, cylinders or hydraulic cells controls the wave action, retarding the water from rocking. A free flow mattress has no form of baffles, just water. A semi-waveless mattress has a few baffles and a waveless mattress has many baffles for the best support. There are also special waterbed mattresses to provide special lumbar support. Waterbeds also come with a single or dual mattress. A dual mattress consists of two singles placed together in a cavity so there is individual control on the movement and amount of heat on each side.
Although there are many benefits to owning a waterbed mattress, there are still drawbacks. Water is heavy. A typical hard-sided waterbed mattress weighs 300 pounds per foot of width. This puts a queen-sized waterbed mattress at 1500 pounds. Many homes and apartments with wooden floors cannot sustain this much weight. There is also a certain amount of maintenance that comes along with a waterbed mattress. Having to replace a liner or heater requires removing the water from the bed and pointed metal objects, such as zippers, can puncture the surface.
A waterbed mattress provides the perfect way to sleep for reducing stress, relieving sore muscles, soothing a crying baby and selecting your own comfort of warmth. They are also dust mite free as there is no material to attract them. Those with allergies will notice a significant difference. There are pros and cons to waterbed mattresses just as there are with any other mattresses. But if you are looking for a warm, peaceful sleep, look at the newest styles of waterbed mattresses.
