Hard Sided Waterbeds Are New Again

by: Michael O'Brien

The traditional hard sided or framed waterbed is more popular than ever. Once thought to be passe, hard sided waterbeds have maintained a loyal following among those folks who appreciate the style and function of a properly designed waterbed ensemble.

The design and reliability of waterbed mattresses has steadily improved over the years. As a result, the hard sided waterbed offers a greater level of comfort then ever before. Heating systems are more energy efficient and frame designs have gone well past the days of simple pine boards.

Having slept on a hard sided waterbed for well over twenty years, I have been very impressed with how these unique sleep systems have endured. When the new and improved motionless mattresses are combined with the ability to control the firmness of the bed the comfort level can rival more expensive, adjustable beds.

The urban legends of waterbeds falling through floors or flooding bedrooms have long since been dispelled. I have not been able to find a single documented case of a waterbed falling through the floor. No one is even sure how the rumor got started. The fact is that a properly assembled hard sided waterbed is safe, affordable and extremely comfortable.

Now the new fangled soft sided waterbeds have some advantages of their hard sided cousins. They weigh less and look like a traditional innerspring mattress. Soft sided waterbeds or hybrids as some folks call them can use standard sizes of sheets. But there is no substitute for the plush feel of nice, warm waterbed, filled to just the right firmness.

Big in the heyday of waterbeds, mostly in the nineteen seventies, manufacturers experimented with alternatives to the wooded frame. Wood frames were and still are the standard, but some interesting earlier attempts were made to replace wood to encase the waterbed mattress. The invention of the airframe mattress was hailed as the next big step in waterbed design. Light and easy to set up, airframes have certain advantages.

In order to appreciate how the airframe worked, you need only imagine an air filled ring surrounding the water bladder. There is one big difference between an airframe and a traditional wood frame. Wood frames, or sandbox as they were often referred to, incorporated a separate vinyl safety liner that creates a sort of bathtub. If the mattress does spring a leak, the water would be captured in the liner. If fact, the liner could retain the all of the water in the mattress.

Some early airframe designs did not have a safety feature like the liner and were one piece affairs. If the bladder was punctured or a seam failed, the water was free to leak all over the room. In fact, if the airframe failed, there was a good chance the bladder would rupture since there would not be anything supporting it. Some airframe designs have a separate inflatable frame. Once inflated, the water bladder fits snugly inside the frame, much like a wood frame design.

Some manufacturers offer sizes of airframe mattresses that can be used with a standard sized wood waterbed frame. The combination of an airframe mattress and a hard sided frame does offer one significant benefit. The outer edges of the airframe mattress will support your weight edge to edge, much like a well made innerspring mattress.

So if you have considered purchasing a hard sided waterbed there has never been a better time. Shopping online for your waterbed accessories like sheets, pillows, conditioners and chemicals makes owning and caring for your hard sided waterbed more convenient then ever.

About the Author

Michael O'Brien is a writer for many popular websites.