We field calls from hundreds of clients a week. While every facility looks a little bit different, their questions sound very similar. We’ve consolidated these questions into a few basic things you need to know when purchasing mattresses for your rescue mission, college, summer camp, or transitional housing facility.
1. Who is using my mattresses?
As a buyer, it’s understood that you don’t want to make the wrong decision. However, it may be difficult for you to pinpoint the exact needs of your residents. This isn’t an uncommon issue. In fact, 85% of the time, buyers aren’t the ones actually sleeping on the mattresses on their facility. While this doesn’t mean that you aren’t concerned about things like value, comfort, and durability, it may be difficult to differentiate between similar items.
Let’s consider a few examples as well as the product that would best fit each situation. For example, maybe you’re a summer camp primarily geared toward elementary school children. In this case, you should consider getting the most bang for your buck with a Dura-Last Camp Mattress. On the other hand, long-term adult residential rehabilitation centers may want to consider going with a comfortable, longer-lasting innerspring mattress.
2. How often are they being used?
Maybe one of these two situations above applied to you, or maybe not. However, you’ve come to the right place. As the direct-to-consumer manufacturer, American Bedding can provide a tailor-made mattress that helps any audience sleep comfortably. So, let’s consider the next top question: how often are your mattresses being used?
When you’re thinking about how often your mattresses are being used, durability should be top of mind — whether it’s every night or every so often. Durability is a big part of what makes our mattresses a cut above the rest. Not only can they withstand frequent sanitation and are easy to clean, but they’re also waterproof and bed bug proof. Not to mention, when you think it’s time to say goodbye, our mattresses are also 100% recyclable.
3. Will traditional mattress options work for me?
The most common misconception in the industry is the “Twin-size Mattress.” When you walk into a residential mattress showroom, there is one single bed: a 38” x 74” traditional twin.
However, what may look like a “Twin-size” can really be one of a dozen different custom-size sleep surfaces, designed to maximize space inside the facility. In an attempt to avoid some of this chaos, American Bedding differentiates between the most common size single beds as follows:
| Cot | 30”x74” | Most commonly used in children’s summer camps and treatment centers, as well as in some short-term rescue mission facilities. |
| Dorm | 36”x74” | As the name implies, this mattress is most commonly used in dormitories and transitional housing units. |
| Dorm XL | 36”x80” | This extra-long mattress is ideal for use in residential housing centers and college dormitories, comfortably sleeping a full-size adult. |
| Twin | 38”x74” | The most standard size mattress, this is ideal for use in adult shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, and other applications where a residential-style single bed is required. |
| Twin XL | 38”x80” | As the largest standard size single bed on the market, the Twin XL is ideal for use in long-term adult rehabilitation centers, transitional housing, military bases, and more. |
4. Do I need to shop for custom mattress solutions?
If you haven’t found the right fit for your facility yet — don’t worry. This brings us to the final thing to consider: do you need a custom-sized mattress? The great thing about working with a direct-to-consumer manufacturer is that often facilities don’t fit within any of these “traditional” size parameters.
Call American Bedding today to discuss custom-size camp mattresses, premium camp mattresses, and innerspring mattresses. Our knowledgeable, qualified sales staff can begin walking you through the key decisions you must make the best choice for your facility. And, once you do decide, here’s our complete guide to caring for mattresses and institutional furniture for reference.
