A water bed is a bed with a mattress made of strong plastic that is filled with water. Primarily, there are two types of waterbeds; hard-sided and soft-sided.
A hard-sided bed has a rigid frame usually made from either wood or MDF. The vinyl mattress is placed inside the frame and is supported by it. Soft-sided waterbeds have a foam cushioned edge. They look like conventional beds, are very easy to get into and out of.
Waterbeds require special bedding. They are unique and look best with specialized, properly fitted bedding, designed specifically for them. They require fitted sheets specially designed for the waterbed. They have deeper pocketed corners and an attached top sheet.
Finding good waterbed comforters is also very important because waterbed comforters perform more functions than comforters on standard beds do. Like standard comforters, they provide a layer of warmth at night and add color and style to the room. Additionally, waterbed comforters perform the following functions:
Heat retention: An unmade waterbed or one with just a sheet over it will lose a lot of the warmth that the heater and warmed water produce. On the other hand, a waterbed with a comforter pulled up all the way over the mattress will help maintain an even temperature on the bed and minimize heat loss. This will reduce the electricity bill also.
Mattress protection: An extra layer of protection on the precious waterbed mattress in the form of a fluffy comforter is a good way to prolong its life. Although the vinyl of waterbed mattresses is quite durable, it never hurts to tread on the side of caution.
Since the waterbed comforters have to perform the function of retaining heat radiated from the mattress, it is better to buy comforters that have some padding. Quilted or down comforters act as excellent insulators and provide protection without being too heavy.
The quilting on the waterbed comforter should be evenly spaced in a close arrangement to keep the down or filling of the comforter from shifting and clumping. Usually box stitch and baffle box stitch construction techniques are used to keep the filling from collecting in the corners of the comforter. In a box stitch down comforter the down is held down in place by stitched boxes. On the other hand in case of a baffle-box stitch gated baffles; pieces of vertical fabric between the top and bottom of the comforter keep the down in place.
The comforter must suit the specific style of the waterbed. For instance, in case of a hard sided waterbed the edges of the comforter are tucked into the sides of the bed, therefore, comforters with patterns on the edges that were meant to be displayed on the bed won’t work in this case. But comforters that are specifically designed to look stylish and appropriate when tucked in all the way around will definitely work. A standard comforter shall work for a soft sided waterbed since they are designed to have the same look as a standard mattress.
The comforter is just as important to a waterbed’s look and feel as are the water bed sheets, mattress, etc. Therefore one must exercise caution when making such an important purchase.
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