If you own or are thinking of buying a softside bed then a heater may be necessary for you to get the highest comfort levels from your bed. Softsides are a relatively modern take on the waterbed and several manufacturers including Somma, Land and Sky and American National offer ranges of free flow and waveless or motionless soft sided beds.
How do you know whether your bed is a soft side? Well traditional versions have in the past been hardsided or to put it a different way have a hard wooden surround to the bed. Softside beds tend to look very similar to standard beds. The bladder itself is generally enclosed in a zipped foam quilted waterbed liner and surround.
Do you need a heater? Well this depends on a number of factors such as the climate you live in and your own personal preference but when it comes to softside bladders there are generally three types namely deep fill, mid fill and shallow fill and depending on which you own will affect your choice of heater.
Softside deep fill waterbed bladders are generally up to 8″ deep and are very similar to the older design hardside bed. Being 8 inches deep means the body is often in contact with large volumes of water within the mattress. When it comes to a deep fill whether it is a single or kingsize bladder it is generally recommended to use a heater due to the volume of water which if unheated can be very cool if the ambient temperature isn’t tropical. Choosing a heater suitable for a deep fill softsided mattress will depend on the type of deck your bed mattress rests on. If the deck is timber you can generally use a standard waterbed heater running at up to 325 watts without fear of damage, if the deck is foamed or quilted you should avoid high wattage heaters and go for a low watt softside heater running at 120 watt. This will remove any dangers of scorching or fire although low watt heaters tend to be little more expensive on purchase costs due to their components they are obviously cheaper to run in-use long term. Check out this high watt deep fill softside water bed heater : Calesco 325 Watt Deep Fill Soft Side Waterbed Heater
Softside midfill waterbed bladders are generally 6″ deep and are often surrounded by up to two inches of foam, with these bladders as the water isn’t as deep it is up to personal choice whether you use a heater, however if you choose to use a heater your choices are limited. With these bladders you can only use a low watt heater. There simply isn’t enough water in the bladder to disperse the heat a 300 watt heater would give you and consequently the high watt heater would overheat and be a fire hazard. Check out this low watt midfill softside heater :120 watt Softside Waterbed Heater for Water Beds
Soft side shallow fill beds are often tube system beds but can be a traditional bladder design. With these types of mattress a heater is not generally recommended as the water is not of a depth great enough to cause discomfort. The ambient climate and your own body temperature should be provide enough heat to keep the bed comfortable.
In conclusion your choice of softside waterbed heater is really about the depth of your mattress in combination with the climate you live in. Don’t buy a standard 300 watt heater unless you have a deep fill mattress and if you have a shallow fill you probably won’t need a heater. Either type of heater you choose is readily available for purchase on the internet from all sorts of reliable manufactures, stores and suppliers and are small enough to be delivered at low cost where ever you live.
