Allergy Bedding Buying Guide

Allergy Bedding Buying Guide
Allergy Bedding

If you suffer from allergies and want to sleep in a healthier and more comfortable environment, then you've come to the right place! Here at AchooAllergy.com, you will find innovative and high quality allergy relief products to help you get the good night's sleep of your dreams.

Shopping for allergy bedding, however, can be complicated and confusing, especially if you are not familiar with the vast array of products. We created this buying guide to help you learn more about the different types of allergy bedding.

What is Allergy Bedding?

Allergy bedding, also referred to as dust mite bedding, is specifically designed to prevent dust mites, pet dander, pollen, mold spores and other allergens from infesting your bed by acting a physical barrier between where dust mites live and their food source.

The average bed houses between one and ten million dust mites. Dust mites love the warm, moist environment provided by your bed, and they feed off flakes of your dead skin. Humans don't actually inhale whole dust mites; rather, we breathe in their allergenic waste particles and decomposing body parts, and it is specific proteins in these particles that cause our allergy symptoms. The only way to eliminate dust mites is to cut off their source of food by setting up a barrier between yourself and the dust mites. Allergy bedding provides that necessary physical barrier while keeping allergens already produced, trapped inside the mattress and out of the air you breath.

Crafted from unique fabric blends, our Allergy Armor allergy bedding is specifically designed to block out dust mites and other allergens, and unlike a normal sheet or pillow case, it zips up tightly to encase your entire mattress, pillow, box spring, or comforter. Used in conjunction with your pre-existing bedding, allergy relief encasings silently and invisibly protect you from dust mites and other allergens.

Also, available are Allergy Armor pillows constructed with our premium fabric blend that keeps dust mites out of your pillows in the first place. In addition, using washable allergy blankets like the Allergy Armor Fleece Blanket is key to maintaining dust-mite free bedding.
Allergy Bedding How does Allergy Relief Bedding Work?

Dust mites and other common household allergens are so tiny that they can easily slip through the pores between the thread of normal bedding fabrics. Allergy relief bedding, on the other hand, is woven tightly so that the pores are too small for dust mites to penetrateand once their food supply is cut off, the dust mites will soon die. Best of all, you can continue to use all your favorite decorative sheets and pillow cases; simply wash them on a weekly basis to keep them free of dust mites.

Why do I need Allergy Bedding?

Allergy bedding is ideal for you if . . .
  • You are allergic to dust mites, animal dander, or down.
  • You wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sore throat, or other allergy symptoms.
  • You are tired of waking up with congestion and suffering from nighttime allergy or asthma attacks.
  • You would like to allergy-proof your bedroom.
  • You want a soft and comfortable mattress cover that can easily be cleaned.
  • You want to live in a healthier and cleaner environment.
  • You want to sleep comfortably and allergy-free.
What are the advantages of Allergy Bedding?

The main advantage of allergy bedding is that it encases your entire bed, creating an impenetrable barrier that prevents dust mites and other allergens from infesting your bed. Over 60 million people in the United States alone suffer from allergies, and of those 60 million people, 80% are allergic to dust mites. So, reducing dust mites in your bedroom (the place where you spend the most time each day) is a big first step reducing allergy symptoms.

Allergy bedding is the first line of defense against allergies. A Johns Hopkins University study showed that "mite population and allergen levels decreased by 90% or more within a month of placing mattress and pillow covers and treating bedding."

If you decrease your exposure to allergens, then you will breathe easier, sleep more soundly, and feel better. It's that simple! Even if you don't have allergies, you'll be able to rest easier knowing that you're not living in a miniature ecosystem of microscopic organisms. Furthermore, a recent medical study suggests that decreased exposure to allergens in infancy may prevent the development of allergic disease. If you're not allergic to dust mites now, you could develop an allergy if you continue allowing them to live in your bed.

Allergy bedding will also protect your mattress and add years to its lifespan.

Important Factors to consider before buying Allergy Bedding

Quality Allergy Bedding Quality: There are two main questions to ask yourself when evaluating the quality of allergy bedding: (1) How effective is it as an allergen barrier? & (2) How comfortable is it to sleep on? Keep these questions in mind as we explore the importance of pore size and fabric type.
Pore Size of Allergy Bedding Pore Size: The pore size tells us how much open air space exists between the threads in bedding fabric. Pore size is the most important factor in determining how effectively allergens are blocked. Remember, humans don't actually inhale whole dust mites; rather, we breathe in their allergenic waste particles and decomposed body parts, and this is what causes allergy symptoms. Dust mite fecal particles average around 10 microns in diameter. (One micron is 1/25,000 of an inch. To give you an idea of how small this is, dust mites are around 300 microns, and a grain of sand can be over 800 microns!) Therefore, in order to effectively block dust mite allergens, the pore size of allergy relief bedding must be smaller than 10 microns. Medical research recommends encasings with an average pore size of less than 10 microns to block dust mite allergen below detectable limits. But pet dander and mold particles may be as small as 3 microns. Allergy Armor Ultra, with an average pore size of 2.8 microns, effectively blocks the smallest allergens like cat dander.
Types of Allergy Bedding Fabric Fabric Types:
  • Membrane fabrics like Allergy Armor Classic are often referred to as "traditional" allergy bedding because they have been around for many years. The outer fabric is a breathable blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, but the inner membrane is laminated urethane, which makes the fabric somewhat noisy and a bit warm for some people. Allergy Armor Classic membrane is not recommended for hot sleepers, but because of its waterproof membrane, it is often recommended for younger children and those who suffer from incontinence. Allergy Armor Classic fabric is very tough and durable and is our least expensive type of allergy bedding. Our Sleep Fresh Vinyl allergy bedding is a waterproof membrane fabric, but it lacks the outer cotton/poly blend and is only recommended for encasing box springs.

  • Membrane-free fabrics like Allergy Armor Cotton represent a vast improvement in the technology of allergy bedding. Allergy Armor Cotton blend fabric has only one thing in common with membrane fabric: they both block out allergens effectively. Membrane-free fabrics, as the name suggests, do not have an inner urethane membrane, and therefore they are much cooler and quieter than membrane fabrics. Allergy Armor Cotton allergy bedding consists of cotton/poly blended fabric that is woven very tightly and treated post-weaving to ensure an average pore size of 3.9 microns. Allergy Armor Cotton membrane-free fabric is much more comfortable than any membrane fabric, and it will last much longer.

  • Microfiber fabrics, like Allergy Armor Advanced and Allergy Armor Ultra, take dust mite protection to the next level. They're membrane-free, but because of their microfiber construction, Allergy Armor Advanced and Allergy Armor Ultra are the softest, coolest, and most breathable allergy bedding fabrics. They feel just like regular sheets, and they're recommended for hot sleepers. Fabricated using a sophisticated weaving technology and a unique finishing process, these densely woven microfiber fabrics provide complete protection against household allergens without the unwanted heat or noise and their antimicrobial finish provides long-term protection against mold, mildew, soling agents, stains, and deterioration. Allergy Armor Advanced has an average pore size of 6 microns. Our highest quality allergy relief bedding, Allergy Armor Ultra, goes through an extra finishing process known as calendaring, in which extreme heat shrinks the average pore size down to 2.8 microns. Allergy Armor Advanced and Allergy Armor Ultra both come with a lifetime warranty.
     
  • Organic Fabrics like Allergy Armor Organic are made from tightly woven certified organic cotton. The fabric is non-dyed, non-treated, and chemical free. Allergy Armor Organic has an average pore size of 6 microns and a white color (from peroxide). It is not as durable as the synthetic fabrics, and it's pricier; however, if you suffer from chemical sensitivities, this is the best dust mite bedding for you. As an added bonus you help support organic and sustainable farming.
Care Care: Caring for allergy relief mattress and pillow covers is simple. Most encasings can be machine washed on warm or hot and gently tumble dried. Others can be wiped with a wet wash cloth. Do not use bleach. Pillow covers can be washed every couple of weeks. Mattress covers need to be washed only 3 or 4 times per year. Other bedding should be washed in hot water every one to two weeks. For specific are instructions, you can check the sewn in tag or visit the Allergy Armor Care section of our website.
Durability Durability: The Allergy Armor Vinyl box spring covers and the urethane membrane of Allergy Armor Classic are both thick and tough, but can break down after many years of use. Allergy Armor Cotton is made with double-needle stitching for increased durability, can withstand high washing and drying temperatures, and comes with a five-year warranty. Allergy Armor Ultra has an antimicrobial finish that protects against deterioration, and all of the Ultra covers and Allergy Armor Advanced come with a lifetime warranty.
Ease of Use Ease of Use: Allergy pillow covers are extremely easy to put on your pillows. Simply slip your pillow into the encasing, zip it up, and then put your normal decorative pillow case over your dust mite pillow encasing. Mattress covers can be more cumbersome to put on, especially with larger mattress sizes. Fortunately, you only have to take them off for cleaning a few times a year. The fitting process is easier if two people work together: one person holds the mattress up, while the other person pulls on the encasing. It's kind of like slipping on a sock. To see how simple it is, please refer to our guide on how to put on your new allergy mattress cover.
Measure Allergy Bedding Measurement: It is very important to measure the depth of your mattress when ordering allergy relief bedding. Simply measure your mattress from the bottom to top, seam to seam. Don't worry if your mattress is thicker in the middle, as our fabrics are cut to accommodate center bulges. Though sizes are specific to which brand of Allergy Armor you choose, in general, we have 9", 12", 15" and 18" encasings available for mattresses. If your depth is a little less than the offered size, that's ok! The leftover fabric can be easily tucked between the mattress and box spring. As a rule, if your mattress is deeper than 15", or if you have any questions, please call us, and we can design and build an Allergy Armor allergy mattress cover specially for you.
Cost of Allergy Bedding Price: Allergy bedding ranges from extremely affordable to quite expensive for full protection with our highest quality products. At AchooAllergy.com, we strive to make our products more affordable than those offered by our competitors but will never offer an inferior product to compete with big box stores. Allergy Armor is and will always be OUR exclusive brand of allergy bedding.
Allergy Bedding Warranty Warranty: Allergy bedding is extremely durable. Most products come with a 5-year, 25-year, or lifetime warranty. 
AchooAllergy.com Return Policy Return Policy: AchooAllergy.com offers a 60-day money back guarantee on all allergy bedding products. Compare this to the policies of competitors, who often charge restocking fees or do not allow returns if the package has been opened.

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