Early waterbeds were designed with a one-piece bladder-type mattress. This would result in the water sloshing back and forth and not everyone was wild about the feeling. Manufacturers responded with new designs and the open, bladder-type of waterbed mattress was replaced with a mattress featuring internal baffles that would mute the wave action of previous designs.
Traditional waterbed mattresses needed a heating element to keep the water temperature as high or higher, than your normal body temperature.
The flapper-type designs were improved yet again with other baffled designs that incorporated foam fiber material inside the mattress that would stabilize the mattress and keep the bed from excessively rocking back and forth. These designs remained a standard for many years but new developments in waterbeds were on the horizon and gained immediate consumer acceptance.
In the late nineteen seventies, a new type of waterbed system hit the scene and would change the waterbed market yet again. The new design featured a soft-sided mattress that, on the outside, had the look and feel of a traditional mattress and did not require a wooded frame. The real difference could be found on the inside. The old bladder-type waterbed mattress was replaced with a series of water-filled tubes or cylinders that run down the long axis of the bed.
The tubes could be filled to achieve the desired firmness and were encased in an upholstered frame. Early tube-type mattresses lacked a leak protection in the form of a vinyl liner but liners became available in later designs and could be added as an after-market item. The size of these innovative mattresses is very close to the industry standard for conventional mattresses and this eliminated the need to buy traditional waterbed sheets.
Since the design incorporates a thick layer of foam padding and traditional mattress ticking the need for an electric heater was eliminated. The tubular waterbed can take up less space than a traditional waterbed since the tube-type mattress does not require a bulky wooden frame. Tubular waterbeds can be placed on variety of more traditional bed frame styles.
Less Weight
Tubular waterbeds are generally lighter than their traditional cousins since the weight of a bulky wooded frame and pedestal has been eliminated. Weight has always been a factor with waterbeds and there was a fear, largely based on a misperception that waterbeds were too heavy for the average residential floor.
The fact is that the average residential refrigerator can weigh more per foot than the average waterbed and there has never been a reported case of refrigerators spontaneously falling through the floor nor have any waterbeds.
As a rule, residential floors that are built to standard building codes can safely support at least forty pounds per square foot. Imagine six or seven adults standing shoulder to shoulder forming a square. Now imagine those six or seven adults spontaneously falling through the floor. That would be a hard image to conjure up since it would not happen. The average waterbed weights slightly less than the combined weight of those six adults and the weight load is more evenly distributed.
Other Important Advantages
Moving a tubular waterbed has some advantages over bladder-type beds. The individual tubes are often light enough to carry out of the house or placed in a bathtub and allowed to drain. This eliminates the need for siphons and pumps that are needed to drain bladder mattresses. The tubes can be rolled up and safely packed away.
There is no bulky framing to breakdown and reassemble. Tubular or cylinder-type waterbeds have an additional advantage by allowing you to use the entire mattress from edge to edge.
The days of a water-filled vinyl bladder surrounded by a simple wooden frame are quickly fading into history. Waterbed designs have undergone a sea change as it were and these changes can be seen in the soft sided or hybrid waterbed. These beds closely resemble a traditional innerspring flat bed in appearance but this may where the similarities end.
Soft sided waterbeds are not new, having been introduced in the late nineteen seventies but the designs have been steadily improving. Early soft-sided designs featured a dense foam outer frame with a water filled bladder or series of water cylinders inside. The foam outer frame was incorporated into the safety liver and provided support for the mattress. A foam cover was used on top that eliminated the need for a heating system.
The result was a mattress that could be placed on a traditional foundation and accept standard sized sheets. The bladder or the cylinders could be filled to control firmness and the beds were relatively comfortable even as compared to sleeping on a heated vinyl mattress.
Newer hybrid waterbeds have expanded on this original concept and have begun to incorporate newer materials and multilayer designs that can enhance the sleep experience and overall comfort. Single layer foam top covers have been replaced in some cases by multiple layers of foam including the use of visco elastic memory foam.
Some designs feature support areas for the lumber spine that are incorporated as part of the top cover. The support system continues as part of the inner foam layers.
The use of memory foam adds significantly to overall comfort and seems to work well in combination with the adjustable nature of the water bladder or water tubes. The firmness can be controlled to accommodate the needs of say a couple who have different preferences when it comes to how hard or how soft a mattress should be.
For those folks who prefer the feel of a nice warm bed, electric heating systems are available. Heating systems have gone hi tech with digital controls and improved materials and construction. Though a heating system is not required for modern hybrid waterbeds, there is nothing like the feel of a toasty warm bed on a chilly evening.
So with the improvements in design and materials, the ability to adjust the firmness level and even plush pillow top covers, hybrid waterbeds make an excellent alternative to the traditional innerspring sleep system. As if these choices were not enough, another advantage is the great reduction in overall weight and the size of the footprint.
Since hybrid waterbeds can be accommodated in a standard bed frame, the room needed for a waterbed is greatly reduced compared to the oversized framing needed for an older style wood frame bed.
There has been ongoing disagreement among those in the medical profession about the benefits and drawbacks of waterbeds in general though some of this disagreement fades when it comes to hybrids. The key point is the variability of several factors including the type of waterbed, the construction and how the bed is setup.
Some studies claim to show that certain medical conditions are caused or exacerbated by sleeping on waterbeds or being exposed to waterbed heating systems. Among the claims of medical detriment are increased rates of infertility in men, higher rates of miscarriage among women and even increased incidence of certain childhood cancers.
The choice of a sleep system is important to our overall health so do the research and pick a bed that works for you. Hybrid waterbeds offer a comfortable alternative and can be just the right bed for you.
Mitch Endick has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home, Puppies Dogs and Education. Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the populargood sleep site: . Heprovides informative advice on waterbeds, waterbed mattre. Mitch Endick's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.