Any advice in choosing new Mattress?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I bought a pretty decent and expensive pillowtop mattress about 10 years ago. It indented but since I turned and flipped it ever few months it wasnt that bad until the last year or so.

I put a memory foam topper on it. That was hotter but made it more comfortable. I went back and forth for a while trying to get the tradeoff between somewhat warmer than comfortable sleeping and somewhat less than comfortable sleeping surface. Decided the foam option was better. I see Costco now has a topper thats half memory foam and half wicking microfiber fill. I'd try one of those if I needed one right now.

 

[Martha]

I remember reading a Consumer Reports article on mattresses a while back. The said do not buy a pillowtop because of the reasons people here have cited. Also, they suggested trying out any mattress for at least 15 minutes/half hour. I can't recall if I read this in Consumer Reports or elsewhere, but most people are happiest with medium firmness mattresses. Not too firm. Not too soft.

My latest irritant is sheets. I have old cotton double bed sheets that probably came from the mid1900s. They are soft and in very nice shape. But we don't use a double bed. We have king size sheets I bought maybe 4 years ago. Supposedly good quality high thread count. They just wore right through. (No, it wasn't too many turns under the sheets ). Those super high thread count sheets seem to have finer threads and thus wear out too fast.

 

[happy2bretired]

I am interested in the bamboo sheets. I have no idea how long they would last but the idea of bamboo is interesting.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Those super high thread count sheets seem to have finer threads and thus wear out too fast.

It depends on how they count "threads". Some company's twist threads in a manner that lets them double the thread count. Counts over the mid 300's are pretty much BS.

And heres the other curveball. Much like higher octane gas doesnt give you any direct mileage or power benefit (in fact, the opposite), higher thread count sheets probably wear out faster because the threads are thinner.

Plus the quality and type of thread used is pretty critical. A 300 thread count sheet made with some crappy fabric weakly spun just wont last, which a nice 180 tc sheet made from high quality cotton threads might last a long time.

High thread count natural fabric sheets may also be quite a bit cooler to sleep on than low thread count synthetic fabric sheets.

High thread count usually produces softer sheets that tear more easily. Older low thread count sheets have sometimes been softened by years of wear and washing. Those may be the most comfortable and durable of all.

Top load washers with an agitator also beat the crap out of larger queen and king size sheets.

 

[Martha]

My thought is the best probably is 300 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

We are still using pillowcases from the early 1900s, belonging to my grandparents. All cotton, who knows the thread count, but as you say years of washing have made them super soft and nice.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Some killer deals on some sheets I bought last year, if you're a costco member.

Go to the web site, search for '500 tc pima' and you'll get taken to the page for a closeout on kirkland signature sheets. Nice, soft, taken laundering very well, my wife loves them.

$63 for a queen set, including shipping, $75 for king/cal king. Fits extra thick mattresses up to 17".

Interesting fatwallet thread
Emattress.com Memory foam mattress similar to Tempur-Pedic for a lot less

 

[TexasGal]

Hmm, let's see.. choosing a new mistress, eh?

Well, first make sure the old one doesn't work well. Try it out. Sagging? Unfamiliar lumps? Time to replace.

Try jumping on the new one. Can you feel the bounce? Soft, with pleasing feel and shape? Those are good signs.

Finally, if you can't rotate and flip periodically, it may be more than you can handle. Choose a smaller and less challenging model.

Hope that helps.

Oh.. mattress. Sorry. Never mind.

Rich, it took me a while to notice . . . after 2nd cup of coffee for today I read your post again . . .

Thanks for the laugh!

 

[Bigritchie]

I am looking for input on what type of mattress to purchase. I've been looking around at the memory foam types as well as other pillow top models. Costco has a pretty good deal on a memory foam model that is pretty inexpensive (compared to the Temperpedics and others). As one who experiences lower back problems from time-to-time I would like to make a careful choice.

Opinions welcome.

Thanks

Temper-pedic. period.

They are expensive, and being the cheap bastard that I am, I must say it is some of the better money I have ever spent in my life. The pillow is well worth it too.

 

[WM]

I've had great luck with Select Comfort (sleep number) beds. I had consistent back aches before purchasing this bed and after, they are gone. The nice thing is that since it fills up with air, it will never sag, you never have to flip it, and you can adjust it to the firmness at which you desire.

I was totally skeptical, ok downright negative about the Sleep Number Select Comfort thingy. I supported DW's choice to try one, and I tell you, I'll never go back. Combined with a nice feather bed topper, it is just glorious. They really do hold up and keep their pressure setting. I check it now and then, and it just doesn't change, a real suprise. She and I use totally different settings and are both very happy with the total effect. We sleep better with much more comfort. I add that we didn't find it particularly expensive purchased thru a mail order discount house. Some assembly required, but maybe 20 min. one time total effort.

We have a Select Comfort bed also, and I agree, I'd never go back. We've had it for about seven years and it is good as new. Rarely have to adjust the firmness. We got a knock-off air bed for our guest room and that's been fine as well, although it doesn't get used that often.

 

[ERD50]

Temper-pedic. period.

They are expensive, and being the cheap bastard that I am, I must say it is some of the better money I have ever spent in my life. The pillow is well worth it too.

BR, I'm curious if you ever compared the Temper-pedic with the more generic brands.

I ended up buying something for about 60% (IIRC) the cost of a the name brand stuff. I'm happy with it, but maybe I would have been happier with the name-brand, I don't really know? The reviews at the time were very positive on some of the off-brand foam mattresses, and the general feeling was you were paying extra for the name.

So, maybe no one would go wrong with a name-brand foam mattress, but are they worth the extra money?

-ERD50

 

[tightasadrum]

BIL had the same problem - they sent him a replacement part - a little piece where the air line goes into the mattress.

Thanks spncity. I've wanted to do this, just haven't had the time to do it. Good to know it works.

 

[RetireeRobert]

I am looking for input on what type of mattress to purchase. I've been looking around at the memory foam types as well as other pillow top models. Costco has a pretty good deal on a memory foam model that is pretty inexpensive (compared to the Temperpedics and others). As one who experiences lower back problems from time-to-time I would like to make a careful choice.

Opinions welcome.

Thanks

1) First, are you single, or is there another sleeper going to be on this mattress with you?

If two people on one matress, then Beautyrest provides the best "motion dampening" via the individually pocketed coil springs. Tossing and turning "undampened" of the other partner can make one lose a lot of sleep. Wife and I purchased a Beautyrest Worldclass last year after she was complaining of sore backs from our old mattress. We both sleep deeply now, and no more sore backs! And no more one of us waking up the other tossing or turning.

2) Second, if you don't like to sleep "hot", or feel "molded" into one spot, then perhaps memory foam is not for you. Both complaints have been made about memory foam by unsatisfied purchasers--when it was too late. If you go with queen for two people, some say that is not large enough for a person to change position and get out of the "molded" spot when you want to.

3) Third, it used to be "very firm" was the recommendation fo sore backs, but much study and research has belied that old advice. Now, the advice is personal preference as to degree of firmness.

4) Fourth, since you will live with this purchase for a longtime, try as many ways to "test" matresses as you can----find motels with mattress type you are interested in. Lay on matresses for no less than 15 or 20 minutes at matresses stores. See if relatives or friends have a mattress type you might be interested in and will let you sleep over a night on it. Do whatever it takes to actually "test" for a good long while the mattresses.

5)Good luck.

 

[RetireeRobert]

go to a mattress store and lay down on the foam ones to see if you like it. i didn't when i tried it out.

we got the simmons beautyrest for the individual coils that are not connected by a top spring layer - this does reduce the residual bouncing if your mate is jostly around, you don't feel it on your side.

i also think a lot of mattresses have gone nuts with the pillow top layer. if it is too fluffy, it will eventually make a dent, so i avoided the 5 inch pillow top ones!

We also got a Beautyrest Worldclass queen. Besides the advantages you mention, several of the Beautyrest also, in fact have 3 or 4 layers of foam (both latex and memory) inside as layers beaneath and above the innerspring coils. We like it very much.

 

[RetireeRobert]

From the FAQ on the tempurpedic web site ( TEMPUR Retail# )


"Will the Tempur-Pedic mattress make me hot?
No. The cells themselves are open and breathable, so the material is self-ventilating. Unlike innerspring mattresses which cause pressure points, the TEMPUR® material relieves pressure resulting in better circulation. Due to the increase in circulation throughout your body, you may discover you need fewer blankets to sleep comfortably. "

You expected maybe the Tempur-Pedic website to say "yes, our product does make you hot. Just deal with it."?

 

[Achiever51]

quote: "...Due to the increase in circulation throughout your body, you may discover you need fewer blankets to sleep comfortably. "

Uh, huh. That could also describe any woman going through menopause!

 

[jblack]

We also got a Beautyrest Worldclass queen. Besides the advantages you mention, several of the Beautyrest also, in fact have 3 or 4 layers of foam (both latex and memory) inside as layers beaneath and above the innerspring coils. We like it very much.

Funny timing. Didn't even think to check this board but DW has been harassing me to replace our mattress for months and we did the tour of showrooms today as well as other online research before finally buying. We, too, settled on a Simmons Beautyrest WorldClass with the combo of memory and latex foam. She is waiting outside right now for it to be delivered

For anyone considering a Beautyrest, found this online thread (1800 replies) that has a ton of info and the authors give prompt responses if you have questions on recommendations, name translations between stores, etc. Just a little challenging to navigate since you can't search.

BeautyRest Q&A: Ask the Expert

 

[James5v]

We have a Number's bed and while kind of expensive my wife and I love it.

 

[Bigritchie]

BR, I'm curious if you ever compared the Temper-pedic with the more generic brands.

I ended up buying something for about 60% (IIRC) the cost of a the name brand stuff. I'm happy with it, but maybe I would have been happier with the name-brand, I don't really know? The reviews at the time were very positive on some of the off-brand foam mattresses, and the general feeling was you were paying extra for the name.

So, maybe no one would go wrong with a name-brand foam mattress, but are they worth the extra money?

-ERD50

I never tried the cheaper ones. When I had my store though, I had a Temper-pedic place close to my place, and being on my feet all day just utterly killed my back (broke my back in several places in the Marines), and I would go over to visit and just lay on their beds for show, and it would really help my back pain after a few minutes.

I would figure though that if the generics were as good as the original, there might be more of a price war with TP lowering their prices. But like I said, I never tried the cheaper ones.

It is such a good bed though, I feel like I ripped Temper off hehe.

 

[spncity]

Tried several mattress toppers. And the Tempurpedic reflected too much heat back.

Serta Blissful Dream II. Glad I waited for it.

An update on this bed - which I loved. After 18 months, it was sagging on both sides (or making a "well" on each side as some describe it).

This led to trying a different more expensive S & F mattress which I hated. So, am on the hunt again for the right bed / mattress.

I've read lots of stuff online, but it comes down to how sensitive you are to your sleeping surface, and what one person likes can be the opposite of what someone else likes.

Tempur-pedic is too hot for me. Looking for something "breathable" to combat hot spots of reflected heat in a soft or "luxurious" type of feel.

 

[harley]

We've got Tempurpedic at one house, and the Sleep Number bed at the other. Both are extremely comfortable, although as you say, the Tempurpedic one can run a little hot. DW, who is the difficult sleeper, probably prefers the Sleep Number. We put a feather mattress topper on the Tempurpedic, which helps a lot with the temp. However, she needs a stool to climb in and out of bed now.

 

[bbbamI]

We've got Tempurpedic at one house, and the Sleep Number bed at the other. Both are extremely comfortable, although as you say, the Tempurpedic one can run a little hot. DW, who is the difficult sleeper, probably prefers the Sleep Number. We put a feather mattress topper on the Tempurpedic, which helps a lot with the temp. However, she needs a stool to climb in and out of bed now.

We've got a Tempur-pedic and it is a little hot for me as well.

Doesn't the feather mattress topper cancel out the firmness and body molding of the Tempur mattress?

 

[samclem]

Tempur-pedic is too hot for me. Looking for something "breathable" to combat hot spots of reflected heat in a soft or "luxurious" type of feel.

This mattress (The "Ultimate Mattress") is available with a breathable wool top layer (said to be warm in winter cool in summer, and allows transiration of water vapor). Under that is a layer of viscoelastic foam (like a Tempurpedic bed). Under that are the air chambers--choose the firmness you want, each side is independent like the Sleep Number bed. This is the mattress we've had for over ten years, and we like it a lot. They've been making them the same way for a long time, it is a small family business, and mattresses cost quite a bit less than either a Sleep Number or a Tempurpedic mattresswhen I priced them out.

They also make a neat platform that is available separately. The mattress sits on it and underneath there are a LOT of drawers. It's not mch to look at, but for people looking for a lot of storage in a small space, it is a solution.

 

[harley]

We've got a Tempur-pedic and it is a little hot for me as well.

Doesn't the feather mattress topper cancel out the firmness and body molding of the Tempur mattress?

A little, but we don't toss and turn too much, so the feathers tend to mold to our bodies too. It's not a perfect solution. I prefer the Sleep Number. Actually, when we stay in hotels we tend to carry a twin size memory foam topper for her. She's got a bad back, and beds tend to be a big problem. I personally, can still sleep on the couch if I need to (which I do, occasionally).

 

[FinanceDude]

I personally, can still sleep on the couch if I need to (which I do, occasionally).

I think ALL MARRIED men need to have the ability to sleep on the couch........