Waterbeds

While the waterbed is associated with the Californian lifestyle in most people’s minds it actually goes a lot further back in time than this.

The first water-filled beds were goatskins filled with water, used in Persia more then 3,600 years ago. In 1873, Sir James Paget at St Bartholomew's Hospital presented a modern waterbed designed by Neil Arnott as a treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers (bed sores).

Waterbeds allowed mattress pressure to be evenly distributed over the body. By 1895 a few waterbeds were sold via mail order by the British store, Harrod’s. They looked like, and probably were, very large hot water bottles. Due to lack of suitable materials, the waterbed did not gain widespread use until the 1960s, after the invention of vinyl.

The number of stories and jokes regarding ‘the waterbed puncture’ are numerous and are also indicative of the perceived weakness in waterbeds.

Initially beds were of a single compartment. This caused a certain degree of instability as water sloshed around and if you did ever happen to get a puncture you also lost all the water in the mattress and probably had a serious water spillage problem to deal with on top of this.

Modern waterbeds are made of robust synthetic material that is naturally resistant to punctures. On top of this most, these days are of the compartmentalized construction type which divides the mattress into several self-contained chambers.

The division into self-contained chambers aids stability and weight division (of huge importance when transporting the mattress), helps distribute internal pressure more evenly and decreases the likelihood that the mattress will puncture.

Excellent for anyone suffering from long term backpain waterbeds, these days, are recommended for a variety of health reasons.

Whichever way you look at it however waterbeds are still a static body of water you’re sleeping on and all that it entails, so you do need to be aware of the need to either replace the water on a regular basis or add special conditioners which inhibit the growth of algae.

If you’re buying one of the over 40 types of waterbed available you really need to go through a checklist:

• The quality of the seals where you put water in.

• The properties of the lining material inside the mattress.

• The cost of the water conditioner (different waterbed types may require different ones).

• Whether you can completely drain your waterbed and refill it with a waterbed drainage kit.

• The cost of any air extractors required.

• The cost of any consumables required for the external cleaning of your waterbed mattress.

	Name	Price
	Heater & Thermostat , beds, co, righteous, waterbed... Shop: Righteous & Co Limited	£99.00
	Racing Car Deluxe Waterbed , &, £19500, £2700, £9500, **, 10, 190cm, 3Ɔ", 6Ɖ", 90cm, beds, black, blu, blue, box, characters, checkout, co, dark, fitted, flow, green, grey, heater, interior, ivory, letters, liner, maintenance, mattress, navy, numbe... Shop: Righteous & Co Limited	£1175.00
	The Rio Waterbed , £, £19500, £198, £3500, £9500, 10, 180cm, 210cm, 2227mm, 2731mm, 3Ɖ", 7ƌ", 9Ɔ", 90, 404, 990mm, advantage, attractive, beautiful, bed, beds, black, blue, co, corners, dark, design, dual, exterior, eyecatc... Shop: Righteous & Co Limited	£5052.00
	The Rio Waterbed , 180cm, 210cm, 2227mm, 2731mm, advantage, attractive, beautiful, bed, black, co, corners, design, exterior, eyecatcher, frame, framed, front, headboard, high, leather, middle, piping, pure, red, righteous, room, seams, smallest, striking, unbeaten, water... Shop: Righteous & Co Limited	£5052.00