Are Waterbeds Making a Comeback? The Pros and Cons of Owning a Waterbed
Posted: Wednesday, October 03, 2007
by Lorrie Davids
I certainly hope so! It seemed that waterbeds and outlets to purchase them were going the way of the dinosaur and it was getting harder to find accessories for my almost 30 year old bed. Then, I checked out the internet and found a new store was opening nearby. I was pleased to find out that storefronts and internet waterbed shops are increasing in number.
Your waterbed won't burst. Nope, I've never even heard of this happening. We have a Siberian Husky and a White Shepherd and they regularly play on our bed. They have never punctured the mattress, nor have I. Occasionally, though, your bed may have a small leak. If your waterbed does have a leak, it is a slow process and as you make your bed you will notice a small damp spot. All you do is pull back the sheets, find the leak (it will be small) prop up the mattress to remove any stress, then patch the spot with a waterproof patch that often comes with the waterbed. If your bed didn't come with a patch kit, pick one up at a discount store in the sporting goods department or at a pool supply place. Also, using just a bead of the glue is sufficient for many leaks. In 30 years of owning a waterbed, we have had maybe 5 places to patch. Waterbeds set inside a liner within the frame of the bed, so if you are still worried, that liner is a safeguard. A waterbed mattress lasts about 15 years.
Waterbeds are NOT bad for your back. Because of the nature of the waterbed, equal pressure is placed on all parts of your body. Because pressure is distributed your muscles relax more than on a conventional bed. People with a bad back will often find their pain diminishes or disappears after sleeping on a waterbed. I have a congenital back problem but have have no problems with my back since sleeping on a waterbed. Waterbeds have been known to reduce the occurence of bed sores in bedridden patients.
Waterbeds are heated. Ahhhh...that is really nice especially in the winter. Most keep their waterbeds set between 86 and 90 degrees. Think about that when it is 20 degrees outside. In the summer, you can turn the bed's heater down and your bed stays nice and cool. Talk about climate control! A heater lasts several years.
Waterbeds reduce allergies. Yep, you read that right. The reason is a waterbed mattress is made of vinyl so you have eliminated dust mites and other bed bug issues. If the mattress pad and sheets are washed regularly, you will see a decrease in allergy problems.
Your waterbed will not toss you out on a wave. You can decide just how much movement you want your waterbed to have. You can purchase freeflow beds that have more movement or choose from a variety of baffled and chambered beds that remove much of the motion.
Now, for the downside. Because they are heated you will use about the same amount of electricity in a year heating your waterbed as you do for a class A freezer. But, remember, you can turn your home's heater down for those winter nights, so it may just even out. If you keep your bed made the heat doesn't escape from the bed quickly which makes it even more energy efficient.
Moving with a waterbed takes more effort because you have to drain the bed (the drain and fill kit comes with the bed when you purchase it), disassemble it and put it back together at the new place. It is a little more time consuming, but well worth it. Waterbeds are not hard to assemble. The brackets stay attached to the bed as do most of the screws and you just line the bracket with the screws and let the frame pieces fall into place.
You will have to remember to condition the mattress every year. This is easy, you buy a bottle of conditioner from an online vendor or local store and pour it in the bed's fill hole. How to remember? I buy a bottle of waterbed conditioner and put it in my husband's stocking every Christmas.
The sheets cost more for a waterbed than a conventional mattress. Some people prefer soft-side waterbeds which have the benefts of a waterbed but use regular bed sheets.
As you can see, the benefits of sleeping on a waterbed far outweigh the drawbacks. If you are in the market for a new bed, check out your local waterbed store. Let me know what you think. Also, if you already sleep on a waterbed, leave some feedback.
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More commentsHi, I have a very bad back, and it seems when i am motionless at night my back siezes up, i have a soft bed, and a firm bed, and my back does the same thing on both, do you think i will get a little more motion on a water bed, just from breathing or something? i'm sick of waking up in screamin' pain and not being able to get a long enuff sleep!also i had a soft sided water bed about 20 years ago, and the long tubes of water kept seperating where my body lay, so i would end up laying between them instead of ON the water... have the designs of the softsided waterbeds changed to prevent this?? thanks for any help you can give me... :)Elaine, I am sorry for the pain you have endured. I have injured my back in the past and my husband has some problems with his. All injuries have been muscular. We both sleep well with our waterbed and wake up with no problems. We just got a new mattress - it is 70% waveless, but the motion is about the same as our old mattress. But, oh man, it feels better than our old one did, less like an air mattress. The materials used are so much softer now.I don't know what to say about soft-sides; I have never slept on one. We like the wooden frame. The material that reduces waves and makes ours a little firmer is two layers of fiber, so there are no tubes. I'd recommend checking Google for a nearby waterbed store and try them out. Lay on one for an hour or so and see how it compares with what you had before. Let me know how it turns out! And thanks for taking the time to read and comment.Hi Lorrie, thanks for your prompt reply! i figure i will get about an 85% waveless one, but you didn't answer my question, do you think i will get a gentle movement just from breathing? i know i will get some movement when my husband moves, but he doesn't move as much as he used to...i have phoned a couple stores in my area, there's not many! and they talk about 'chambers' for motionless waterbeds, so i guess that's different than yours, do you know anything about them from what other people have said or something? thank you for your sympathy and thanks for this article!!I'm sorry, Elaine. You are right, I didn't. From breathing, I don't think you will have any movement, but to be sure, lay on one in a showroom. I did that when shopping for our new one a few weeks ago. I was not impressed with the softsides or waveless. The waveless was like laying on a brick for me. I don't notice the movement much; we've slept on a waterbed for so many years. We like gentle motion. We ordered our mattress through the internet and had excellent results. I hope you can find a mattress/bed that helps you feel better and sleep through the night. Thanks again for your comment, and if I missed anything else, let me know.Hi Lorrie, thanks for answering, i didn't mean that breathing would cause waves but that it might let my back move slightly with each breath, so that it doesn't spaz up by morning from no motion.... so what if i got a soft side with a free flow bag in it, or just a little fibre (60%) reduction would i still get gentle motion? did you not like the soft sides because there was less motion? my husband is very worried about all this, because he says he slept on a water bed when he was a teenager and woke up with a sore back because it felt like his back was sort of sleeping on a bit of a hill, and curved upward, whether on his side or his back... is this a matter of over filling a mattress? or underfilling? see how little i know? lol i do want the gentle motion, for sure, but i don't want to be sleeping on a HILL lol what do you think? and where did you order your mattress from? do they have stretch top? those seem like a good idea... tho i have a line on a good deal here, like three hundred bucks for a soft side free flow one.... do let me know your thoughts, i do have to sleep straight, no pushing up on my spine, except i do need the indent at my waist filled when i sleep on my side.... recommendations? thanks!!!!looks like the deal i found is just for mattresses for hard sided waterbeds :( sooooo where did you order from?I totally agree with the 2 layers of fiber...that sounds like the one we had 20 years ago that I liked so much!! I'm not sure what's in the one we have now, but it's not quite as comfortable.
so i found a place where i can get a hard sided waterbed, just a box, a heater, a liner, deckboards, mattress protector and free flow matress for $620 including taxes, canadian dollars, everything is more expensive here :) i hope yoiu are right about liking the gentle flow lol and i hope my husband and i don't end up sleeping on a hill.... what do you think?Hi Elaine. We ordered from Waterbed Outlet. They have videos online so you can see the motion for some of their mattresses. I had forgotten about that til just now. With a waterbed, where you have the most weight, that is that place that will be lower so it often feels like the feet are slightly higher than the rest of your body. At least that has been our experience. I hope it works for you. We love our waterbed, but not everyone likes them. Like any mattress, it may take some time to get used to it. Keep me posted. I'd like to hear what you think of it.i googled waterbed outlet but i couldn't find a site with videos..... so do you think it will make me feel crookedy, i'm quite overweight in the middle, with skinny legs, will this aggravate my hip problem? do you have a link for where you bought your waterbed from? i will definitely keep you posted... as long as i don't lose this site in my myriad of bookmarks lolHi Elaine - I can't post URLs here, but it is called Waterbed Outlet. I just looked at YouTube under waterbed wave video and found some of their "wave tests". I can't say how you will do with a waterbed; all I can tell you about is my experience. For us, it has been a good thing. I hope it will be for you also!i found the videos thru facebook on youtube :) one thing i was concerned about, it that it looks like the woman is lying crookedy because at the edge of the mattress it goes downward, because it's a rounded bag i guess, my husband is a bed hog and i am always sleeping on the edge lol will i be crooked? i'm very much enjoying talking to you!We don't have that problem, but everyone is different. I am enjoying our conversation also, and wish I had answers for you. Is there a showroom near enough to you that you and your husband can go lay on one for a little while? You would learn a lot just by doing that.yes, my husband said we could go on monday to try some in the showroom, but he slept all day lol HE has no problem with our current set up.... right now i'm trying an air mattress, but can't stay asleep long enough to test it on my back, i'm having insomnia trouble lately... so i just took some sleeping pills with hopes that i will sleep tonight... certainly an air mattress will be cheaper than a waterbed... i'm not sure what the difference is between air and water on the back... maybe later this week we will go to the waterbed show room... i'm anxious to see how it feels... and you ARE answering questions and helping me :) no worriesHi Elaine - Have fun shopping! Older waterbed mattresses felt something like an air mattress, but our new mattress is much well, softer isn't really the word... less rigid maybe, softer, but not smooshy. It is much different than an air mattress. Some people love air mattresses and that might be the way for you to go. Thanks for keeping me posted on your progress.does your new mattress have fibres in it? why isn't it so smooshy? why is it softer? i'm very interested because my husband doesn't want me to buy an old style...Yes, ours has a double layer of fiber. It's not smooshy like those foam beds because it gives with weight. Did you get to lay on one yet? Ours is a 70% waveless from Waterbed Outlet.no i haven't got to lay on one yet, but actually i took so many sleeping pills that i slept for about 13 hours last night on my air mattress, my back hurt A LITTLE BIT when i got up, but NOTHING like it would have in our regular bed, i think i'm going to spend the money in a couple days on an aerobed, it's got a remote control for inflating to your desired level, and i think that this will be perfect for me, if not, if this is just a placebo effect, i will buy a waterbed in feb. 70% waveless sounds good, after watching those videos from waterbed outlet, they do look comfortable, i would probably get something like that.... this has been the most fun i've had researching something on the net in a long time, and i'm a real researcher lolol i'll let you know what happens... thanks so much!!!!the air bed was a bust, no pun intended :) just as uncomfortable as anything else... right now we are sleeping on it with foam on top, and my back hurts, we have been bed hunting, considering latex, latex with padded coils, and a very expensive tempurpedic, and i'm back to thinking about a waterbed again lol.. i got a chance to lay on a 95% waveless waterbed, and i loved it!! except getting out of the wooden box, HATED IT!!! i layed in a soft sided waterbed, but it was only 75% waveless and i didn't like it near as much, the mattress material felt cheesy, and seemed to seperate me from the water in a way i didn't like.there's a company in california that sells an air sided waterbed that doesn't need to box but needs some kind of pedestal... i'm tempted to order the waterbed, but then what would i do if i couldn't find the pedestal? plust the pedestal has to be cut to 3 inches smaller then the edges of the mattress, who's going to do that? me and a chainsaw? lol so i don't know what to do, maybe a softsided is the best i can do... what do you think?guess what, hubby just agreed to us trying a waterbed, will probably cost us over a grand for the frame and the mattress and the heater, liner, conditioner, but i just think it's worth a try for a possible great sleep for years to come when no other bed promises that POSSIBILITY... unless that guy with the air sided one tells me i can put it on the floor.... do YOU know why waterbeds have to go on a pedestal or in a box, or both? that air sided one has a built in liner, so if it's for the liner i should be able to put it on the floor... anyway, i'm excited that hubby said ok!!!HI Elaine - sorry the air bed didn't work. The trick to getting out of a waterbed is to "roll" out. You can't sit up then get out or you "bottom" out. Ha! Trust me, I have tried. It is easier to roll to my knees then step out and find I do that with a normal mattress also. I'm excited for you and your new bed. I hope it is all you are wishing it to be. Keep me posted! Ha - I feel like I know you by now! Merry Christmas!Hi Lorrie! that's what i told my husband just get on our hands and knees and step out... too bad i didn't think of that at the waterbed store instead of looking sooooo undignified lol.... so i talked to the guy in california selling the airsided one, and he said we could just have a hunk of plywood underneath, now that shouldn't cost us too much... except shipping for the bed with all the fibres might be a bit much, but i think that's what we are going to do... i know, i feel like i know you too lol you're very friendly and helpful to boot! Merry Christmas to you too!!There are lots of inputs and questions but not ONE mention of one of the more important aspects of using a bed.What are they like for making LOVE in ??That's something that could make or break it.Well, since no one is responding to this question...I will attempt to answer. Let's just say, I don't think you will be disappointed!Can you please post a vid or something?Assuming your partner is really good I'd say perfect! After all, these beds were most popular during the free love days of the 1960's-'70's (wink ;) With a free flow matress there will be a gentle rolling through the matress, not huge surf and breaking waves. If that bothers you at first put your toes against the footboard for stability. Are you kidding? It doesn't get better. If you're so inclined there are mirrored canopy beds for sale. I live in California so I won't mix overhead glass with quake country, but maybe that's fine for Holland. Just sayin'.Mature female, thanks for commenting! You made me chuckle. Yeah, probably best not to have glass hanging over your bed in earthquake areas!
My husband and I have had a waterbed our whole marriage. We've been married for 34 years. We have always loved it and have been through about 3 or 4 mattresses. Our first was not a waveless, but our next one was and we liked it better. The last one we bought is not quite as comfortable and is called waveless, but I think I want one with more baffles. Now, the problem. My husband has recently begun to have back trouble and his physical therapist has told him that a waterbed is terrible for his back, and not only that, he said that because the mattress has movement, you don't have quality sleep because even your breathing will keep you from sleeping well due to the movement. I was ALMOST convinced, because I have developed sleep apnea and use a c-pap machine, so I'm naturally worried that it might be affecting my sleep with the slight waves. Well, your comments and article have helped me. When we sleep in hotels or anywhere but home we can't wait to get home to our bed. Other beds just aren't comfortable because of the pressure points. So, I need to share this info with my husband. You are right, the last mattress we bought was VERY difficult to find and we just had to take what we could find because it appeared to be the only one in town. That was about 10 years ago. One drawback to a waterbed...when it springs a bad leak, you pretty much have to sleep on the couch till you get a new one. I was also looking forward to not having to pay the PG&E for the heater! Oh well, even THAT you have put a positive spin to! So, now I can buy a new dresser instead of a new mattress!! And yes, waterbed mattresses ARE affordable!Thanks, Sherry, for reading and commenting. Yeah, we love ours. Recently our Siberian Husky thought the rail and part of the mattress was her chew toy. We had a tooth sized hole! We did have to drain the bed and move it over so the carpet could dry out. Probably about 1 gallon or so had leaked. It was inconvenient, but easy to patch. Oh, it was in our new mattress, by the way. It was an accident and my husky came out to alert me that something was wrong. I ignored her for a couple hours thinking she just wanted attention and I was working so just told her to go lay down. Even with all that, we love our waterbed.
when i met my first wife we bought a water bed. that was 20 some years ago. divorced her, but kept the bed. nothing in the world is better then waking up on a chilly morning and being all warm and comfortable. i have heard comments about back issues but after all this time i can tell you , my back feels great. and as for moving a water bed. yes it does take some time to drain and refill, but all the pieces fit nicely through doorways and up stairs. just try getting a conventional king size mattress and box spring in most older buildings. i sleep good, my back is great and it breaks down in to pieces that are all a one man carry. please try your best to explain how this could not be the greatest thing in sleeping since the dream.Well, R. I guess you got something good from that marriage! We have a guest room with a conventional mattress, but nothing compares to that waterbed. Nothing compares! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I've been sleeping on my waterbed since 1977! I've purchased new mattresses, heaters and liners over the years, but not many (like 4 sets.) I am very good about using the conditioners. Never once sprung a leak or had a tear or hole of any kind even after moving it to new homes. My dachshund and my yorkshire terrier have slept on it with no problems. In my school years I've accidentally let sharp things wind up between the matress and sideboards (this is not ok, but I got away with it.) Pens and earrings were a common oops, but no holes. It's been great. I got it for my 14th birthday so my mother worried that my spine would grow crooked. The family doctors she asked said it wouldn't cause any problems. I'm 46 now with great posture and no problems. I honestly dread nights spent on conventional beds when in hotels or visiting where there's no waterbeds. The next day I feel like one giant miserable bruise. Ugh! Feels like sleeping on concrete: cold and rock like. And the thought of bedbugs living in the fabric matresses and boxsprings is way too gross. Waterbeds are far cleaner and safer! I LOVE my bed and refuse to give it up. Ever. The other rooms in my home have the conventional beds I tried to like for the sake of keeping more with the times. One had a temper pedic matress (big mistake--too stiff and too hot.) One was developed for burn victims and was to put minimal pressure on the body. I always come back to my good ol' waterbed. You gotta love 'em! Oh, and for those worried about the weight, they weigh only 25 pounds per square foot, so if the floor will support you while you stand on it (or a bathtub or refrigerator) it will safely hold your full bed even on second floors or modular homes. I would recommend trying the different matresses if two people will be on it. I found that when I filled it for one person it was tight for two, and when filled for two and one left the other would bottom out. Baffles cured this problem. Older family members of mine still on their waterbeds tell me the heat really helps arthritis joint pain and back pain. Hope this helps!Thanks, Corrina for reading and commenting. I share your feelings on traditional mattresses. I have slept on a tempurpedic mattress one time and the indentation a person makes in it made it uncomfortable to move. Waterbeds rank at the top for me, also!
Lets bring back the waterbed big time!!!! We are making custom padded beds for water right now and its going leaps and bounds. This new generation of waterbed sleepers are learning fast the comfort of sleep on a bed that molds to you . Thats right just like your temperpedic and memory foams without the wear and break down lol. and at a fraction of the cost. Nice article keep it up . Have a great day MikeThanks, Mike for reading and commenting! I agree with you. If people knew the comfort, I think they'd be the bed of choice for many more.
I found this site while searching for queen and king size waterbed sheets. My MIL is coming tomorrow and will be sleeping on the queen she gave us 20 yrs. ago. I got my first waterbed when I was 18 and now I'm 58 - my husband and I still have the one I had before we got married. It's about 28 yrs. old and we've replaced the heater 3 times and the mattress 4 times. My husband wasn't sure he would like a waterbed - had heard it was bad for your back!- but now we have a hard time sleeping on anything else. Our waterbed is the one thing we miss when we're on vacation. My dad has lived with us for 4 yrs. and he sleeps on a soft side full size waterbed, which stays nice and warm for him. There IS one down side to waterbeds though - they are SO hard to get out of on cold mornings.lol My husband often comments that our bed is the most comfortable bed in the world! Over the years, waterbeds have continued to improve - my first one just sat on the floor! Our latest mattress is nice and thick and is waveless. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........I wouldn't give it up for the world! And my husband's back? The waterbed has been so good for it.Anon, thank you for reading and commenting. I have great low cost waterbed sheets, though they take some effort. Someone gave me the idea and I now have 3 sets of sheets for less than the cost of one custom set of sheets. Use flat sheets, sew the bottoms together and get bed straps to run the length of the mattress (placed under the mattress along the edge). Once the bed is made, that is it - we are done.
Hi Julia
Just thought you should know that Memphis does have someone handling waterbeds. WaterBeds of Memphis at 2563 Summer Memphis TN has in stock everything you need for Hardsides and can get softside mattresses as well... They can be reached at 901-755-0088
Debbie: You said a downside of a waterbed is that moving it takes more effort because you have to drain it, disassemble it and put it back together at the new place. Actually, I love a waterbed because it is EASIER to move! How? I transport only the waterbed matress, which can be checked as luggage on a plane in a small box instead of a clumsy two-person matress move into a U-Haul truck. I would then buy a used waterbed frame (usually very inexpensive) in the new city. My waterbed mattress followed me in moves from St. Louis to New York City to Los Angeles and ultimately back to St. Louis. The easy portability of a drained and folded waterbed matress is unique, something that a regular matress and box springs cannot do!
Great idea, Charlie! Thanks for reading and sharing your experience!
my parents had a waterbed for about 16 years till they were divorced.When i was a child 6 7 and 8 , I used to jump up and down on it never heard them say the bed was leaking. Was a very beautiful fully oak bed with the drawers under neath and backlit head rest. im sure they have come a long wayy since then. Im 30 now and that was over twenty years ago, oh yeah it was king size.. soooo nice . I think I'm going to look into getting 1. Are the mattresses nicer now then before??You will find there are many more options for a waterbed now at a price to fit most any budget. The newer mattresses definitely fit the frames better than in years past. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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