Your guide for waterbeds

Waterbeds have achieved a steadily increasing market share in recent years. Almost 5% of all people in Germany sleep on them - and most of them swear by them. Those who are not satisfied have often not had good advice, have not received professional service or have received a poorly manufactured product. Because not all waterbeds are the same - and neither is a water bag that you just have to fill or empty as needed. Misinformation often leads to uncertainty and prejudice. Below are the frequently asked questions and their answers:

Advice

Is the be-all and end-all when it comes to waterbeds. Only an experienced specialist retailer can put together a waterbed "made to measure" for the customer, taking into account size, body weight, stature, orthopaedic aspects - adapted to the individual budget.

Foils

"The thicker the better" is not necessarily true. The foil must be permanently elastic and resistant to buckling. Quality manufacturers use vinyl that has been demonstrably tested for harmful substances and durability.

What is the weight of a waterbed?

A full-volume water double bed with a filling height of at least 20 cm brings a weight of about 250 litres equal to kilograms to an area of two square metres. This corresponds to the weight of three to four standing persons on the same area and is not an issue even for old buildings and half-timbered houses in the vast majority of cases.

What is the life expectancy of a waterbed?

"Ten plus..."! With good quality, you can expect a waterbed to last more than ten years; there are also reports of much older beds. Individual components can be replaced if necessary. Maintenance costs by adding water ("conditioner") once or twice a year and vinyl care are repaid by the bed's longer durability. Attention should be paid to the quality of the fleece interior. Here, mattresses should be chosen with tiles that reach all the way to the inner edge of the mattress and are fixed in themselves. Tile qualities also vary in terms of their water tolerance, which is reflected in the behaviour of the interior over the years. Poor quality tile, for example, will disintegrate. The purchase price, which may be higher than that of a standard mattress, pays off because the mattresses do not sag and remain dimensionally stable. Individual parts made of different vinyls must not be combined. Professional assembly is indispensable.

Medical arguments

Indicated, among other things, for head, neck and back pain due to disc wear of the cervical spine, thoracic spine and lumbar spine, for wear of the sacral joints, for arthrosis, rheumatism, scoliosis/kyphosis, flat back, back pain due to muscular tension, allergies, lying through (decubitus), etc.
The spine can assume its physiological shape and is supported in this position (not to be compared with a hammock or soft foam). Individually fitting interior and adjusted filling quantity enable the anatomically correct position.
Faster and easier achievement of the deep sleep phases with production of the growth and regeneration hormone STH. Uniform blood circulation of the tissue, limbs no longer fall asleep.
Better sleep through due to less turning and tossing. The sleeping system can always be kept in a hygienically perfect condition by wiping down the mattresses and washing the overlay.
Bursting

There is no pressure on water mattresses, so they cannot burst. Mechanically caused defects in the mattress vinyl core can be easily repaired with waterbed repair kits. If repaired professionally, the lifespan remains unaffected. Water that drips out collects in a safety tray.

Rocking

The intensity of the movement depends on the interior - the so-called "calming" or "damping". Standard is a calming by tile. It is given in percent, seconds or by the number of tile layers. The most accurate way to compare individual systems is in seconds, as tile layers can vary in strength. In addition, back supports (LS, Lumbar Support) are offered. The assumption that a waterbed can be regulated by the amount of water alone is wrong. The amount of water plays a role in the filling in order to adjust the lying comfort to the individual body weight.

Hose and tube systems

According to the criteria of the Fachverband Wasserbett e.V. and RAL-GZ 430, they are not fully-fledged waterbeds because they do not have the ergonomic properties of full-volume systems. They are often advertised as being "easier to handle" and "easier to dismantle when moving house". However, this is clearly at the expense of lying comfort.

Electricity - costs and risks

A double bed with two separate water mattresses and two heating systems consumes about 1.32 kWh/day. The exact value depends on the adjustable heating temperature, outside temperature, ventilation behaviour, insulation, bed size, bed type, etc. The heating elements are sealed by two foils.

The heating elements are separated from the water by two foils - that of the mattress and that of the safety tub. In addition, modern quality heaters have a waterproof finish, are usually GS/TÜV-tested and low in radiation. Those who want to do without electricity in the bedroom can switch off the heating at night - the temperature drops practically imperceptibly by approx. 1° C.

Wellness

You don't have to be ill to enjoy a waterbed. The more intensive and qualitatively better sleep ensures better fitness and optimised performance the next day.