One bed was too hard, one was too soft, one was just right. But finding the right mattress today takes a little more searching. Firm or pillowtop innerspring? Latex? Memory foam? Air mattress? With options that can get overwhelming, it’s tempting to just buy something quickly and cheaply.

Bad move, said Ron Trzcinski, founder and president of Cleveland-based Original Mattress Factory.

“Not taking enough time shopping for a mattress is the most common mistake people make,” Trzcinski said. People who rush into buying a mattress can end up with an uncomfortable one.

People are paying more attention to the quality of sleep, said Charles Bae, a staff neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s sleep disorders center that deals with everything from insomnia to sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome.

“If a mattress isn’t comfortable or supportive, you’re spending eight hours being uncomfortable,” he said. “How good are you going to sleep if you’re uncomfortable?”

Ignore the sales tactics and the dizzying options, Trzcinski said, and focus on four simple things: Support, comfort, price and durability.

“Once you’ve lived with a low-quality mattress, you learn the difference between value and cheap,” he said.

The right mattress for you may not be the right mattress for someone else.

Sometimes preferences can be shaped by what you slept on when you were young, Trzcinski said. Older people who grew up with hard mattresses tend to prefer extra-firm mattresses without a lot of padding, which makes it easier for them to get up from, Trzcinski said.

Today’s trend is toward softer beds. Twenty years ago, 80 percent of the mattresses sold were firm, Trzcinski said, adding that when Sealy tried to introduce a pillowtop mattress in the early 1970s, it tanked. “People weren’t ready for them back then,” he said.

By the late 1980s, people were looking for something more comfortable and luxurious. Today, he said, the majority of mattresses are softer.

Other factors can affect your mattress preference, said Pete Bils, chairman of the medical advisory board for Select Comfort, maker of high-end air mattresses.

“Weight gain or loss, pregnancy, injuries, aging – all of those can change what you want in a mattress,” he said.

That individual preference is the major selling point for Select Comfort’s Sleep Number line of adjustable air mattresses inside a foam border. Larger beds can have a single air bladder or two; you can adjust the firmness of the bed by inflating or deflating the mattress.

Once upon a time, most stores carried only innerspring mattresses, which have a network of springs held together by rods on the outside and wire spirals, or helicals, connecting the springs. Now there are plenty of choices for a good night’s sleep. Some popular options are:

– Air chamber mattresses, which use inflatable air bladders around padding and a frame to create a custom sleep surface. Some, such as Select Comfort, have air chambers on two sides, so each person can adjust the amount of air to create the proper firmness.

– Visco-elastic foam, which was originally developed for use in space. Also known as memory foam, it responds to body heat to conform to contours, creating what some describe as a weightless feeling. There are no springs poking a sleeper, and no sagging. Some buyers complain that the foam heats up as it reacts to body heat, making the mattress uncomfortable.

– Natural latex foam, which is popular with buyers who have allergies or asthma because it’s hypoallergenic and doesn’t harbor dust mites or mildew. It is not good, however, for those allergic to latex. It offers very firm support, without the movement often found in innerspring mattresses, so if one sleeping partner tosses and turns, the other won’t feel it.

Specialty mattresses are a growing part of the $7.6 billion mattress industry in the United States, according to market research publisher SBI.

Firmness can be subjective: What feels firm to you may be rock-hard to someone else, Bae said. Too-firm beds create pressure points that push on the hip and back, which can make you stiff and sore in the morning. Too-soft beds don’t have enough support, which can lead to a lot of tossing and turning.

Trzcinski is not a fan of newer one-sided innerspring mattresses. “Let’s say I told you, “I’m going to give you less mattress and charge you the same or more for it,’ ” he said. “What would you say? But if I say, ‘I’m going to give you a mattress you don’t have to flip,’ then it sounds better.”

Be prepared for some sticker shock at the store. New federal regulations regarding fireproofing of mattresses took effect in July. Trzcinski said the requirements will add between $40 and $80 for a mattress set.

Whatever you spend, spread it out over the eight to 10 years of an average mattress’ life span, Trzcinski said. “It makes you realize that if you can spend just a little more for better quality, it’s worth it,” he said.

Here are some more tips on how to make the hunt for the right mattress a successful quest:

– Don’t be afraid to challenge any sales claims, Trzcinski said. Anyone trying to rush you into a purchase should be suspect.

– Spend at least 15 minutes lying on a mattress, advised Bae. Wear shoes that are easy to take off and lie on the mattress as you do at home. If you’re a side sleeper, spend time on each side. Bring a pillow.

– Bring a small notebook to jot down observations.

– Go back a second time if you’re not sure, Trzcinski said.