Need new mattress advice!

[mckryan]

Had a sleep number bed - hated it. Couldn't wait to get rid of it after just 5 years. Tempurpedic was never an option for us because of the heat issues and concerns that the foam would break down. DH and I had Tempurpedic pillows, and after just one year, the foam in them was all mushy and no longer firm.

We went to Macy's one weekend and started trying out different mattresses. We ended up with this one.

I no longer have back pain that I was having to take medication to help me get through the day. My husband no longer has back pain either. I actually look forward to going to bed each night because I get such a restful night's sleep. Sleeping on the sleep number was like sleeping on a cheap air mattress with some foam on top of it. We had a 7000, and the top of the line was the 9000, so it's not like we had an entry level sleep number bed.

 

[arminnie]

I have bought 8 mattresses in the past 6 years. Six of those were twin beds - had to get 4 of them after Katrina as there was no delivery and twin mattresses were the only ones that would fit in the tiny, tiny elevator.

I personally like an extremely firm bed. After I bought one mattress my sister laid on it and said "do the nails come extra with this bed". I've never had backaches, but I can't stand a mushy bed. The salesmen always want me to try a little softer bed as they can't believe I really want one that firm.

I think the temperpedic and sleep number beds are SO overpriced. I didn't like the sleep number beds that I tried and got negative feedback from others.

The mattress we like the most now of all things is a temperpedic knock off that I got from overstock for less than $400. It is like a brick (not really), but there is no getting stuck in it. It's in New Orleans (replaced two of those twins) where it is hot and humid, but I never get hot in it.

Just decide how much you want to spend and then go try out those in that price range. You don't need to spend $2500 to get a good mattress.

 

[Aisling]

Sleep number, hands down. I haven't had a single nights bad sleep since we got it over a year ago. I have back problems and fibro and that bed is heaven for me.

I heard the sleep number beds feel like you're sleeping on an air mattress. Any truth to that? I'm kind of in the looking-for-a-mattress mode myself.

 

[cepmom]

I don't think the sleep number feels anything like an air mattress. It feels like a regular matress to me, except that it doesn't hurt my back like my old regular mattress did! No issues with the seperator in the middle on our bed. I think the only time you may notice it is if one side had it's number set very, very high, and the other side was set very, very low. DH and I keep our numbers set somewhat near each other (me 75-80 and him 65)

As far as trying them at the Raddison, it took me a couple weeks to find my right number; I thought I was going to send it back actually, because it didn't feel right. I tried several number settings until I found what was good for me, and I've slept well on it ever since. So one night on a sleep number at the Raddison may not be a good enough "test drive"

 

[wdwmom2]

We have a Sleep Number and love it!!!!

DH and I are "spooners" and have never had issues with the middle of the bed. The only thing you may notice is if both have very different sleep numbers, one very firm, one very soft.

I have lower back issues. I wake up in the morning and it HURTS!!! Once up and moving around I improve. I am a soft bed lover and my number was about 35. DH said I needed a higher number. So I pumped the number up to 60, firmer than what I like, and it worked like a charm!!! I now wake up with little to no back pain. Took me a few nights to get used to a firmer setting, but so glad I have the choice to do so.

 

[phorsenuf]

I heard the sleep number beds feel like you're sleeping on an air mattress. Any truth to that? I'm kind of in the looking-for-a-mattress mode myself.

Not at all. I slept on an air mattress for months (moving issues) and it is nothing like that at all. I don't understand how people can compare the two actually.

As for price, I didn't pay any more then I would have if I bought a nice mattress. We shopped around and for what I needed we were looking at the nice pillowtops. We always had bought cheap mattresses in the past and when we went shopping we decided we were going to get something worth the money so we were prepared to spend accordingly. Like I mentioned earlier we did not buy top of the line, there was no need too for us. I also had a refer a friend coupon that gave us $100 off.

 

[wdwmom2]

Wanted to add, the Sleep Number is throughly endosed by my cat. This is Screech, minutes after the initial setup

 

[Christine]

I think I'm the only person in America who hates the Sleep Number/Select Comfort beds. I had one, top of the line, and returned it within the return period. I could sort of tell that I was on an air mattress. I just didn't like it. I tried to like it and I couldn't get used to it. My husband was fine with it it but he can sleep on cement and be fine. BTW, my nickname is "The Princess and the Pea."

Anyway, OP, I'm not sure what your idea is of a "cheap" mattress. Unless you're very lucky, I find that anything I've purchased under about $1,800 for a queen isn't very good.

Currently I have a 7 year old Stearns and Foster mattress and it is just wonderful. Even my older kids will come in and lay on the mattress and say "Oh man, can I just sleep in here?" They have middle of the road Ikea mattresses that they thought were WONDERFUL in the store. Not so much.

My recommendation is to stay away from pillowtop models and go for something on the firm side. This type will hold its support for many years and not getting the "sinking" areas.

 

[Ranatra]

After 5 years of sleeping on a Swedish Foam Mattress and an aching back, I told DH we needed a new bed. I was very against the Sleep Number bed and didn't even want to look at them. I finally relented just to look and at the store I layed on one for 30 minutes on my side. (Hadn't been able to do any side sleeping AT ALL ever since we bought the Swedish Foam mattress) I couldn't believe my back wasn't hurting. After a lot of discussion with the salesmen and playing with the sleep numbers I finally agreed and we purchased a Queen Sleep number adjustable bed. (You can raise the head and feet, which I love to do when watching TV)

We've had our new bed since spring and I love it! I can now sleep on my side without low back pain. (I believe I sunk down too much in the foam mattress and that was causing the back pain)
From someone that was very skeptical about the sleep number bed, just go try it out, lay on it and see what you think.

 

[golfgal]

DH has back issues, too, but I'm seeing a cheapy looking plastic base the sleep number beds sit on?

Can we use our own frame for the bed? We have a headboard/footboard that the mattress set has to accomodate. If we can't use them with the Sleep Number bed, that's out.

We have regular box springs with ours. When we got our Select Comfort bed, it's old enough that is is a Select Comfort bed , the foundation they had was metal and it squeaked (some friends had one) so we just got regular box springs. We have a king so we have 2 XL twin box springs. Works great, especially for moving.

As far as the Sleep number bed, what about the middle of the mattress? DH and I spoon a lot even when sleeping, so how would that work when we're basically sleeping on two separate air mattresses?

Honestly, I'm not sold on the idea of a sleep number bed. Reviews I've been reading online aren't all that glowing.

Dh has a sleep number of about 65, mine is 25. It isn't too bad in the middle of the bed but with the difference you can feel the center support. If your numbers are closer to each other you won't notice it at all. I like this bed because I like a soft bed and DH likes a firm bed. Our first mattress was ultra firm, Dh loved it, I woke up with a backache every morning. Our bed has the pillow top option and isn't the top line but the next one down from that....and it was only $900. I can't believe how much more expensive they are now then 11 years ago when we got our's.

I know some friends of ours had one of those beds that had the individually wrapped coils-innerspring. They love that. She said you cannot feel the person next to you move, at all. I can't remember what the brand is though, but something to consider.

 

[Monte Cristo]

We have had Tempurpedic and hated it...used it for 3 months while my wife was preganant and once the baby came I went out and bought a Shifman Mattress. Tempurpedic went to our guest room.

Shifman is the best mattress I have ever had. I like a firm mattress and was hesitant because it's a double sided pillow top. Boy was I happy, it's a firm pillow top...if that's even possible. I will never own another mattress brand.

Now that my wife is pregnant again, we're back on the Tempurpedic. It helps with her hips and shoulders but man I hate it. I can't wait to get back to the Shifman.

Mattresses are really a subjective thing....you have to go lay on a bunch. IMO.

Good luck.

 

[SaraJayne]

I think I'm the only person in America who hates the Sleep Number/Select Comfort beds. I had one, top of the line, and returned it within the return period. I could sort of tell that I was on an air mattress. I just didn't like it. I tried to like it and I couldn't get used to it. My husband was fine with it it but he can sleep on cement and be fine. BTW, my nickname is "The Princess and the Pea."

Anyway, OP, I'm not sure what your idea is of a "cheap" mattress. Unless you're very lucky, I find that anything I've purchased under about $1,800 for a queen isn't very good.

Currently I have a 7 year old Stearns and Foster mattress and it is just wonderful. Even my older kids will come in and lay on the mattress and say "Oh man, can I just sleep in here?" They have middle of the road Ikea mattresses that they thought were WONDERFUL in the store. Not so much.

My recommendation is to stay away from pillowtop models and go for something on the firm side. This type will hold its support for many years and not getting the "sinking" areas.

We currently have a pillowtop and I HATE it. The sheets and mattress pad never fit right and it's a constant battle keeping them on the bed (no matter the size I buy and quality). The Macy's sheets don't fit any better than the Target sheets.

So no more pillowtop for us.

Keep the suggestions/opinions coming!

 

[SaraJayne]

Wanted to add, the Sleep Number is throughly endosed by my cat. This is Screech, minutes after the initial setup

Awww, that looks just like my Tess we lost last year.

Adorable picture.

 

[SaraJayne]

We have had Tempurpedic and hated it...used it for 3 months while my wife was preganant and once the baby came I went out and bought a Shifman Mattress. Tempurpedic went to our guest room.

Shifman is the best mattress I have ever had. I like a firm mattress and was hesitant because it's a double sided pillow top. Boy was I happy, it's a firm pillow top...if that's even possible. I will never own another mattress brand.

Now that my wife is pregnant again, we're back on the Tempurpedic. It helps with her hips and shoulders but man I hate it. I can't wait to get back to the Shifman.

Mattresses are really a subjective thing....you have to go lay on a bunch. IMO.

Good luck.

Shifman is a brand I've never heard of. Is that going to cost us $10,000?

Tempurepedic seems to be a bed that people either love or they hate.

 

[SaraJayne]

Shifman must be a brand only available on the East Coast. There is no where around here to buy one.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Love my temperpedic (sp?) my hip and back no longer hurt in the morning. I didn't find it any hotter than my other bed and I went thru hot flashes in that bed, lol. We put a mattress cover on it and it really seems to help. I don't feel like I'm stuck in it or anything either. But it's all subjective. I loved my other bed for the first 3 years, then it became REALLY uncomfortable.

 

[golfgal]

We currently have a pillowtop and I HATE it. The sheets and mattress pad never fit right and it's a constant battle keeping them on the bed (no matter the size I buy and quality). The Macy's sheets don't fit any better than the Target sheets.

So no more pillowtop for us.

Keep the suggestions/opinions coming!

The pillowtop on our Select Comfort isn't all that deep. The base mattress isn't as thick as regular mattresses and the pillowtop isn't as fluffy I guess. I haven't had problems with sheets at all but I did on our old mattress.

 

[mckryan]

I heard the sleep number beds feel like you're sleeping on an air mattress. Any truth to that? I'm kind of in the looking-for-a-mattress mode myself.

It felt that way for me, no matter how much padding/pillowtop was on top of it. If I didn't have enough air in it, each time I moved, my head and my feet would lift up.

 

[bfrosty]

Hey all....we were just at BCV and previously Kindani....I slept soooo good on those King Sized mattresses...I just don't know what kind they are.

Someone mentioned that they are Sealy Posterpedic or something to that affect....does anyone really know?

I have back issues and my 4yr old bed is giving me issues now...when I go to Disney...I sleep like a bear in Winter. The Disney beds really do make a huge difference for my sleep issues.

Thanks,
Bfrosty