Waterbeds - How are they made?

Most people have a general concept of the bed and mattress construction of a conventional bed made of springs or foam. Waterbeds are however another matter. Here is some information to give you and idea of how water beds are put together and why they are so good.

The bladder (mattress section)

The most important part of a waterbed is the mattress or bladder. This is the part that holds the water and it is that part that you sleep on.

The mattress of a waterbed is made from a thick vinyl, normally a PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride. This is very similar to the vinyl liners used in swimming pools. The thicker the vinyl, the more hardwearing and resistant it will be to damage and potential puncturing. Most waterbed bladders have a vinyl thickness of between 20 mil and 28 mil.

The bladder of a waterbed is manufactured from separate pieces of vinyl that are connected using seams to form the shape of the mattress. These seams are very strong and they are reinforced and completely watertight. The result is that corners and edges are, despite being seamed, possibly the strongest part of the bladder.

Baffles

Baffles are a very important part of a waterbed. It is the baffles that keep the water from moving and that make the surface of the bed stable. Without baffles the water in the bed is described as free flowing, i.e. there are ripples or a wave effect.

Baffles stop water movement by acting as internal barriers that absorb the energy (or movement) of the water and keep it stable. The more baffles that a waterbed has, the more stable it will be.

Frame and safety liner

Just like any other bed type a waterbed needs a frame. The frame holds the mattress or bladder and distributes the weight to the bed frame legs. Most waterbed frames are made from wood.

The safety liner is a precautionary measure found on soft edge water beds and it serves to hold any water that leaks out of the mattress as a result of damage or some kind of puncture. It prevents water from leaving the bed and causing damage.

Hard edge and soft edge waterbeds

There are two constructions of waterbed and they are quite different. They are called hard edge and soft edge.

The original waterbed was a hard edge bed and the expression refers to the fact that the mattress or bladder was supported within the frame. The result of this is that only the top surface of the bladder was visible and the sides of the waterbed comprised the frame, i.e. a hard edge. Hard edge water beds are still available, but there is another option.

The soft edge waterbed has a special bladder design that makes it possible for part (or all) of the bladder to sit on the frame and for the bladder edges to be self supporting. The result is that the edges of the bed (the bladder rather than the frame) are soft, just like the top surface of the mattress. This is generally seen as more desirable.

More pages about waterbeds can be found here waterbeds and waterbed - commonly asked questions.