DH and I have a Serta something-or-other that we bought just before we were married 5 1/5 years ago. He is a pretty big guy (we're talking pro-linebacker big), but even my side has started to sag quite a bit and I wake up feeling like I've been falling down stairs all night. (I was good about flipping it around at the start, but that gets tiring...)

I have a couple friends that have tempurpedics and love them, but I can't quite stomach the price. Anyone here have one? Or ideas for something else that will last longer than 6 years and actually be comfortable?

You may need a different kind of bed all together.

I'm calling the police !

Don't get the kind that has the memory foam on top. I got one two years ago, and it's already starting to break down. By morning, I've sunk down into it disproportionately and there are painful pressure points. Also, my legs aren't laying straight so my knees aren't supported and they hurt. It felt great when I first bought it though. I weigh 210 lbs.

I'm going to try buying a egg crate foam top for it, but if that doesn't work I'm going to have to buy a new mattress.

So, don't get the memory foam. NASA sucks.

I had a nice, 3" memory foam on top of a very firm mattress before I moved and had to get rid of all my stuff. Haven't had a good night's sleep since. I miss my comfy, supportive, squishy topped bed.

I had one made to order at The Original Mattress Factory several years back. Now I'm 5'8, 270-ish. Cost about $500. It's really good.

Here's a link: http://www.originalmattress.com/

We have a California King Tempurpedic and love it. Yep, it's expensive but DAYYYUMMMM! Love every square inch of it.

Ron

... we spent quite a bit (mail-order) but A LOT less than T.P.

We suffered with the same problem you are experiencing but not any more.

(I couldn't even direct you to the company we used, but I remember the price $1100 for a queen)

One thing to consider about the Tempurpedic, and I'm not speaking with experience, but I know someone who hated it. It took more effort to turn and change position, it hardly felt restful. This is a bigger issue for those who suffer aches and pains. Just something to consider. Go to a bed shop and do some test runs. :) I've also heard they can be really hot.

One thing is the mattress looks super thick. Are sheets that fit more difficult to find and keep attached? We have a California King, and it's hard to find sheets; the ones you like are forever out of stock and you tend to have to go for more expensive sheets, i.e. you can't find 'em at Target. This was just an observation. I'm all for convenience, and would definitely take this into consideration...again, not speaking from personal experience.

I have also heard pretty good things about the Tempurpedic, and for the cost, they last forever. I think if I was in the market for a new mattress, I'd put some serious consideration into one of these personally.

attack when I tried one in a store. I felt trapped.

We bought a 2" foam topper for DH's side of the bed, he loves it.

Best tip - don't pay for box springs. I bought a platform bed 40 years ago and it has paid for itself several times over.

Next tip, when I brought home my last new mattress, I discovered it couldn't be flipped over, it's one sided only. The sellers like that, but I'm not so sure that it is in my best interests. I wish I had known at least.

So far it seems I am taller and heavier than every one else.
I got an adjustable bed with a memory foam topper. Much as I hated the price, it's been very good for me. My only wish is that I could have afforded a double.
I only have to rotate it twice a year now. Had it 3.5 years.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2011 03:00PM by nomilk.

Since the price of the Temperpedic bothers you, I probably shouldn't bring up Select Comfort (Sleep Number). However, there are several different styles and they are having a sale until the end of March. We have a king-sized with separate controls. Absolutely love it!!!! Had it for 10 years so far and no problems.

I read the reviews and compared number of coils and gauge of coils (Lower is thicker) and had one delivered.

I have been so picky all my life about my bed. My friends rediculed me. Worked out great! I got a Sealy Barrymore delivered for $700 (full.) The reviews said don't get the pillow top, buy foam toppers and replace every year.

I got the pillowtop and wish I'd followed reviewers' advice. The pillow top is made of polyester and it bunches.

Still, it is very comfortable.

I bought a Select Comfort bed coming up on 5 years ago now. Its the best bed I have ever slept in, period.

I am linebacker big as well ( 6'2" 250 lbs ) and the mattress does not transfer motion at all.

My DW is a really light sleeper as well as a morning person, where I am a bit of a night owl. In our old bed I would wake her up all the time getting into bed, with the new bed, never.

The secrete is the dual air chambers that separate the two people sleeping on the bed. It does a wonderful job in isolating the two sides of the bed.

I used to have ongoing back problems but once I found my correct number that chronic condition has all but gone away.

Its pricey but all indications are that this bed will live up to its claim of 20 years of comfort. the best part is that the pillow top zips off and you can replace the foam if need be to extend the life of the bed and change the thickness of the pillow top, although that need has not come up as of yet.

best 4k I ever spent.

For you Select Comfort people, we were told by a mattress salesman that his parents had one, and complained about the sound of the air pump coming on multiple times a night to keep the firmness right. Is this true?
DH routinely sleeps through his alarm, but I wake up if the dog sighs...

Never heard of that, unless it's with newer models. You have to select the sleep number by hand. If the pump comes on, that would indicate you had a leak. Sounds like the salesperson was just trying to steer you away.

Make sure you take your husband and test the mattresses before buying. I'm a chubby guy and I hate the memory foam ones. I sink in become immobilized. We have a Sealy Posturepedic with a thin pillow top, and it's very supportive. Bad back? Get a firm mattress.

I've slept on a Tempurpedic for 10 years. I would never go back. Seriously love the thing.

The only weird thing about it is if the mattress gets really cold (like below 60 degrees) it starts to feel like it's a bed of sand. Pretty strange, but not a problem if you don't stick your bed in a freezer every day.

It's a little bit saggy, but not too bad. It's still quite comfortable.

My 6'1" nephew had a futon type mattress which now serves as a guest mattress. It's one of the most comfortable mattresses that I've ever slept on.

I have a linebacker build too. Well, a middle-aged overweight linebacker. I also have huge physical problems from a car accident long ago. I hunted all over the internet, and found a really good selection here.

http://www.us-mattress.com/

but I would suggest that you visit your local MattressMart and try out all the many options that are out there today. Be prepared to resist high-pressure missionary-style sales pitches though. I personally went with this fancy foam Tri-pedic from selectabed. It promises it's much more durable than a tempurpedic, and great for whatever ails you. I've only had it a week, so I can't really tell if it's all they claim yet or not, but I would warn you, it's monstrously expensive (had to take out a bank loan) and customer service fell down on the job multiple times. A standard size mattress is the best, and you will be able to find sheets for it easier. And if your husband is a big guy, at least go with a queen. Double beds are not really big enough for two modern height people, and give you each less width than a crib. I sleep alone (unfortunatlely, Hint Hint Zac Efron) but I could not fit anything wider than a double in my bedroom, but because of my height, I had it custom made to a California king length. Believe it or not, I found reasonably priced custom sized sheets on the internet. Good Luck

I also have a "Sleep Number" bed, and it is 9 years old. By far, it is the best mattress I have ever owned. The pump is noisy, but I only use it to make adjustments every few months (no air leaks). It doesn't transfer motion, and since it is the cheapest one they sell, it does not have a huge layer of foam on top. You might want to check out the "Sleep-like-the -dead" websight.

I ADORE my Temperpedic (guess I really should learn how to spell it if I'm going to endorse it). I have chronic back pain issues that the mattress greatly alleviates. The dog and the cat like it, too!

The mattress salesman told me that people either love the Temperpedic at first sight (feel?) or they hate it.

Like other folks have suggested, I recommend going to a mattress store that sells several brands. Wear comfortable clothes and spend several minutes on each bed, lying in the position in which you sleep. Never mind feeling silly. What mattress brand advertises something about making the right choice because you spend 1/3 of your life in it?

My wife loves it. Thinking about trying sleep number bed.

I suffer with bad back,,,was told a memory foam mattress would benefit me,so i took the plunge and brought one,,very comfy,could never go back to a spring one,,im sure peeps will have different views etc,,also my mate at work paid £900 for his memory foam and i paid £200 so theres a big difference in prices etc,but ive no complaints about mine 2 years down the line.
Memory Foam Mattress

Thanks for the ideas guys. I really need to get DH to just man up and go to one of the stores. He is the one that brought up needing a new mattress first, but he hates shopping, so we've just been suffering.

My biggest problem is that all the shiny new mattresses feel great when you're only laying on them for 10 minutes or so. I think that's why I'm being swayed by the idea of the 90-day trial.

I sleep alone, so that simplifies bed choice. Right now I have four king size pillows (plus the ones under my head) that I arrange in various combinations, not because the mattress is hard, but because I like being propped up here and there or like to feel I'm IN the bed instead of on top of it. I had a foam mattress years ago -- the old kind, not memory foam. I liked it a lot. I'll have to check out what's available these days. My gripe with memory foam is that it holds heat, and I like a cool bed.

I have a TempuPedic and it is like nothing I have ever experienced before. It is the BEST mattress ever. Every single time I lay down on it, I can't get over how heavenly it feels. Also, they last for 20 years so they are totally worth the money. I recommend shelling out the extra money cause then you won't have to worry about a new mattress for decades and you will be super comfy at the same time.

I have a memory foam overlay and it helps. I think it's about 3 inches thick. I got it at Costco. It's not the temperpedic brand, but didn't need to be. The only thing I don't like about is that it kind of slides off a little and I have to go around once or twice a week and pull it over.

Susan

Someone I know hated the TempurPedic. They felt like they had to levitate themselves 3 feet off the bed just to turn over. I am not speaking by experience, just offering something to think about when you're out there shopping. :)

From what I've heard you either love or hate Tempurpedic mattresses. There is not much in between.

I just replaced my bed with an firm mattress for support with a memory foam topper I got at Costco for softness. It works pretty well and if the foam topper wears out I can replace it for a fraction of the cost of getting a new bed.

Also, this solution was a LOT cheaper than getting a high end mattress. Less than $1000 for a queen set.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2012 07:04AM by Mnemonic.

I have chronic back pain and the TempurPedic relieves it somewhat (more than our previous Stearns & Foster innerspring mattress, at least).

As the ads say, you spend 1/3 of your life on the mattress; for me, the cost was worth it. Also, TempurPedic guarantees the mattress AND mattress pad. I was amazed when they replaced my 5-year-old mattress pad at no cost.

Don't know anything about less expensive versions, but the TempurPedic was a worthwhile investment for us.

Have fun shopping - I took along a book and lay on the bed in the store for about half an hour when I was shopping. The TempurPedic definitely takes some getting used to.

Lots of discussion of various types and brands of mattresses on the Consumer Reports forum:

http://forums.consumerreports.org/n/pfx/forum.aspx?folderId=1&listMode=13&nav=messages&webtag=cr-mattresses

I have to have a good mattress. That's a necessity. I found the memory foam ones at IKEA to actually be great and durable (mine was like $800, which is quite pricy for IKEA).

Don't just take my word for it. All, erm, invited guests...? have also raved. I highly recommend a trip there. They deliver cheap or, of course, you can haul it yourself.

I know, I know. IKEA isn't what anyone wants to hear, but their high-end mattresses are worth a look.

Walmart actually has some very nice layered foam mattresses. Firm base with several layers of varying softness on top. So you don't get stuck in 12 inches of memory foam.
Best bed I've ever slept on for only $300, and we went the Costco route first for a lot more.

We've had this one for three years now, and it's just starting to sag, but husband weighs 2x me, so that's sort of inevitable. Happy to replace it for that price.

Cruise Walmart online and pick it up with their free delivery to store option, although we have a truck so even getting the king size was no problem. It came in a box half the length of the bed x 1.5' x 1.5'. Very heavy and very compressed. Needs a full day to expand and air out. Normal sheets fit it just fine.

I promised the Select Comfort/Sleep Number people that I would tell anyone that listened not to ever, EVER make the mistake of buying one of their "beds" again! So here I am, telling you, don't do it!

We took a painstakingly long time deciding on the sleep number bed, and just "knew" it would be the answer to all our sleep problems.

Not so much.

First few nights were good, subsequent weeks were spent moaning every morning about feeling like being hit by a bus. We called customer svc several times, and their answer was "more foam", "zippered compartments".....we'll send them to you for free. All the while, I'm thinking, "I just spent three grand on this plastic, glorified camp mattress, and your answer is 1" foam? Why didn't you just include all those parts to start with, rather than make me suffer, and then call, and then still suffer and call again.......". I was pissed.

We sent that piece of plastic back. But it cost us, dearly. All said and done, we were out over $450 plus another $100 to buy oddly shaped boxes to ship it back in! Worst consumer decision I've ever made.

We ended up buying a Stearns & Foster mattress for HALF of what we had spent, and it is a dream! Not one bad night on that thing!

Take that for what its worth, I know there are plenty of people who love their camper mattresses, and like sleeping in a "taco".....the taco effect is when one person rolls too close to your air "chamber" and you end up pushed to the middle whether u like it or not......fun times!

We knew it was bad when we were going to bed saying, "you're encroaching on my pod......I am not sleeping in the taco tonight!". :)

15 years on a select comfort dual chamber queen. Love it. Foam is showing some wear now, but still comfy.

Might want to check out a soft-side waterbed mattresses. They’ really comfy to sleep on and very cool in the summer. They look like a traditional mattress and most come with a 3 or 4 inch topper. These are NOTHING like the waterbed mattresses from the 60’s and 70’s.

Yes! Check out the soft-sided waterbed mattress.