We all know that having options can make the process of actually making a choice a lot harder. We want to help de-mystify one option that you have to make when choosing a new Essentia organic foam mattress… what contour should I be sleeping on, Mid or Fior? This can be one of the biggest decisions you make when it comes to your new mattress, and one of the most confusing.
Traditionally, mattresses are referred to as firm or soft. Sleeping on a mattress that is too firm can cause an unnatural S-shape that distorts your back/spine and concentrates pressure on the shoulder and hip area. As you can see here:
Adversely, sleeping on a mattress that is too soft can result in a hammock effect where there is no proper back support and sagging in the middle of the mattress, which leads to back pain. As you can see here:
What you are looking for is the Goldilocks of mattresses, one that promotes natural spinal alignment while supporting the natural curves of the body as demonstrated here:
This can be hard to come by on a spring mattresses, traditional latex mattress or low-density memory foam mattresses, as these mattresses don’t properly distribute your body weight which means you are either sinking too far into a mattress causing the hammock effect in image 2 above or experiencing major pressure points by a mattress that offers no contour such as the first image above.
So what is the healthiest sleep surface for any back? The best sleep surface if you are suffering from back pain or want to avoid back pain is a high-density foam mattress that is able to address the proper contour your back needs for support. Here at Essentia, we’ve taken that concept and reinvented it to not only be the best sleep surface for your back, but also the healthiest. Traditional memory foam is made using polyurethane foams and toxic chemicals, Essentia’s patented Beyond Latex organic foam is the only slow-response organic latex foam that behaves like memory foam.
Our latex-based foam is handcrafted in our GOLS & GOTS certified organic factory using only the highest quality natural and organic components. Our team of engineers has developed different foam formulas that offer firmer or softer support for your back without sacrificing density or durability. What this results in is a mattress that allows for different levels of contour.
What Does Contour Mean?
Our Beyond Latex organic foam mattresses cannot be described as soft or firm, and that is because foam mattresses evenly distribute your body weight ensuring the negative space between your body and the mattress is filled to support your natural curvature and offer unmatched pressure relief. Most importantly, there are a few important factors to be aware of that will affect how you perceive the feel of a foam mattress.
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Your posture type! In our work with osteopaths to develop the Essentia ID assessment we have come to understand that your posture type is a big factor in determining the type of contour you need. This means understanding your back type or posture type can be helpful in picking a contour. Generally speaking there are 5 posture types: Healthy Posture or natural curves without any pronounced curvature, Kyphosis or rounded shoulders and increased curves at mid back, Lordosis or exaggerated lower back curve often called a swayback, Flat Back or no natural curves, and Forward Head or the head is positioned so that the ears are in front of the body's midline also results in less curvature.
- What the mattress is on! This is the most important thing to consider when purchasing a foam mattress. Keep in mind that foam does contour your body, and if it is on a foundation that sags or cannot support the weight of the mattress and sleeper it will cause more contour or a softer feel. For example, if you are using an old boxspring a heavy foam mattress will sink into those springs and want to contour to the shape of the boxspring which can affect how the mattress contours your body. This is why we recommend a firm foundation when using any foam mattress. You must not use a box spring, weak foundation, bowed slats, or slats that have more than 3 inches of space between each slat. Each of those scenarios will alter the support of the foam and in turn affect the support for your back. Here at Essentia, we recommend our Vertebase 2.0 or Rize Adjustable Foundation as very firm support for our mattresses. If you are unsure about your foundation, our team of sleep experts will be happy to chat with you and share more things to look for and recommendations.
For these reasons, here at Essentia, we don’t refer to our mattresses as soft or firm. However, we do offer internal support layers in the mattresses which dictates the level of contour of the foam to your body. We also don’t resort to adding extra air for softness that results in a softer foam, in fact, while you may be sleeping on an Essentia mattress that offers a deeper contour to your natural curvature, it is still one of the highest-density foams on the market so you won’t be losing any spinal support.
Understanding Essentia’s Contour Options
When looking at our Classic REM5 and Dormeuse REM9 performance mattresses, you have the choice of 2 contour options for your sleep experience.
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Mid Contour This is an elevated support. Meaning the internal support layers have been engineered so that you do not sink into the mattress. You will experience pressure relief and incredible comfort without feeling like you are hammocking or being too enveloped by the foam. A person with a flat back or less pronounced back curvature will prefer this mid-contour support.
- Fior Contour This is a deeper support. Meaning the internal support layers have been engineered to allow a subtle drop into the mattress in order to eliminate negative space for curved postures. You will experience pressure relief and incredible comfort while the foam embraces your shoulders and lumbar areas. If you have a pronounced spinal curvature you’ll love the feel of a fior contour mattress which means the foam envelopes your natural body shape more, especially at the shoulders and hips. It’s important to note that this isn’t so much a sinking feeling but rather you are sleeping deeper in the foam.
We have also found that different sleeping styles tend to prefer a certain contour. Back and stomach sleepers will gravitate toward a mid-contour feel, while side sleepers do prefer a fior contour which allows for more pressure relief at the shoulders and hips.
Our Tatami and Stratami mattresses are both mid-contour support mattresses.
Picking a new mattress can be difficult, but going with Essentia means you are prioritizing your overall wellness and are ready to experience the best sleep of your life! Your Essentia mattress purchase does come with a 120-Night Sleep Trial as well as a 20-Year warranty because we have your back! Explore our Customer Guarantee here. Don’t hesitate to chat with an Essentia sleep expert if you would like more help making a contour choice.
