Hard Side Soft Side:

Waterbeds primarily consist of three types, hard-sided mattresses, soft-sided mattresses and conversional mattresses.

Hard Side Mattress- When you think of a typical waterbed you think of the hard side mattress. Hard side mattresses are vinyl water-containing mattresses. These hard side beds also generally come with a wave reduction system housed within one of its two bladders. Hard side mattresses must be placed within a wooden frame because they lack built in edge reinforcement. The bed is then placed inside a waterbed deck which helps evenly distribute the weight of the waterbed over the entire surface.

Soft Side Mattress- A soft side waterbed has foam sides which help retain the shape of the mattress, instead if having to house it in a wooden frame. Consequently sift side waterbeds are easier to enter and exit. Soft side waterbeds are also able to be placed on a standard box spring, and can also use regular linens. Due to these features the soft side waterbed is the more popular of the models.