What is a waterbed?
The answer to the question “What is a waterbed?” Will be answered in great detail and in detail in the course of the article. Nevertheless, at the beginning of our comprehensive article about the waterbed, we want to briefly explain what is basically understood by a waterbed these days.
Definition – water bed:
Waterbed that
1.Bed with a mattress filled with water
2. Electrically heated mattress filled with water [for the bedding of sick people
If you look at the two definitions from the dictionary, you can see that the waterbed is always a sleeping pad filled with water. There are also various distinctions, which we will present to you in detail under types of waterbeds.
The questions “What does a waterbed include?” And “How is a waterbed constructed?” Can be answered relatively easily. Every waterbed consists initially of a substructure, which in turn usually consists of a base plate, a lower plinth frame and so-called weight distributors. The main task of this substructure is a) to raise the waterbed to a comfortable level (comfortable entry / exit or lying height) and b) to optimally distribute the weight of the filled water mattress.
The heater or the heating system of the water bed is placed on the base plate. The so-called safety film or safety tub, which also covers the frame (softside or hardside) of the waterbed, is located above the heater. Should water escape from the mattress of the bed, it will be caught by the safety tub.
The water mattress or the water core is placed in the safety tub and then covered with a textile cover, which is referred to as the top plate and which forms the actual lying surface of the water bed.
Find out more about the structure and components of the softside waterbed and the hardside waterbed below. In addition, we will introduce you to some other components of the waterbed in more detail.
Components softside waterbed
- Top plate / cover
- Water mattress (s) or water core (s) (with two cores there is usually a separating wedge)
- Safety film / safety tub
- “Fabric case” (the foam frame is inserted here)
- Heater (s)
- Thermal floor
- Base plate
- Base frame with weight distributors
The individual components are listed in descending order (from the lying surface to the floor). There may be deviations depending on the manufacturer or model.
Components hardside waterbed
- Top plate / cover
- Water mattress (s) or water core (s) (with two cores there is usually also a thermal partition)
- Safety film / safety tub
- Heater (s)
- Bed frame (hardside)
- Base plate
- Base frame with weight distributors (located in the hardside frame)
The individual components are listed in descending order (from the lying surface to the floor). There may be deviations depending on the manufacturer or model.
Water mattress
The water mattress or the water core is the functional heart of the water bed. Nowadays, water mattresses are made of a high-quality special vinyl, which is characterized by a high level of suppleness. The vinyl of a good water mattress is around 0.6 mm thick. However, the vinyl should not be too strong, because then the necessary flexibility is no longer guaranteed.
In the manufacture of water mattresses, the vinyl is welded. These weld seams represent the greatest risk of damage and thus the later leakage of the water. When buying a water bed, care should be taken that the weld seams of the water mattress are on the underside, where the water core rests on the bottom plate of the bed. If the welds are on the sides, they are exposed to mechanical pressure, which can lead to wear and tear and damage.
In addition to water mattresses with a smooth surface, there are now also models with a structured surface. In this context, one speaks of a stretching pattern on the surface of the water mattress. The surface elasticity is higher in such water mattresses, which further improves lying comfort and adaptability to the body. Some providers also offer water mattresses with a zone division like conventional mattresses. The different zones of the water mattress are achieved through different expansion patterns or through a combination of smooth and structured surface areas.
Water mattresses usually have a filling height of approx. 20 cm to 23 cm.
Reassurance
Water basically has the property of flowing, which is why the water moves in the mattress of the water bed. If the water can move completely freely and is not dampened, one speaks of an unsettled water bed or a free flow water bed. Not every user appreciates strong waves on the water bed, which is why various techniques are used to “calm down” or stabilize the water. Instead of calming, one also speaks of wave calming or wave damping.
The calming of the water bed by placing fleece mats in the vinyl cover is one of the oldest and most widespread methods. In this context, one speaks of fleece-calmed mattresses or fleece-calmed water mattresses.
