How to buy a new mattress?

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Time2

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You can buy mattresses from $300 to $6,000. I'm more apt to buy a cheaper one. First look I see a review of cheap mattresses on Wirecutter, it references a Zinus mattress, I find it on Amazon for under $300, it has 12,680 reviews 88% of them are 4 or above. A lot of the negative reviews are because of smell, but then a lot of the positive reviews reference those and say the didn't have any smell... Cosco has one for $600 rated highly in the Wirecutter review. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-cheap-mattress/

So there's my start, anyone have their advice on mattress purchasing?
 
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Consider that you spend 1/4 to 1/3 of EVERY DAY lying in the same ~12 square feet of mattress. I'm a believer in NOT getting the cheapest mattress you can, but rather the most comfortable mattress (by your measure of comfort) that you can afford.

DW & I both sleep warm, so any memory foam or thick pillow-top mattress (they both trap/reflect body heat) leaves us very uncomfortable at night. It was a tough pill to swallow, but we ended up spending something like $3k for a Purple mattress... But it's a HUGE difference, incredibly comfortable for both of us because it's roughly temperature neutral, and honestly worth every cent to us.
 
I sleep better on the inexpensive memory foam mattresses from Amazon than any others I've tried. I have probably purchased a dozen or more as I've moved around -- usually give away/discard when I move and buy new from Amazon for the next place. Have tried a few brands (Zinus, Best Price, etc) but all seem very similar. I do prefer the 8" over thicker mattresses as I have tried the 10" and 12" as well. Had some occasional back pain and sleep issues in the past but not at all since buying these, and I rarely wake up during the night now.
 
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I prefer an actual walk in place. I want to lay on the mattress a good 15-20 minutes before I buy. Our current one is Tempurpedic, have had since 2012, so 10 years old. Still sleeps like new, a little warm, but OK where we live.
Our previous one was a Sterns and Foster spring with memory foam top. It was wonderful also, lasted about 12-15 years.
 
I'm looking too now for queen size. I bought a king from Brooklyn Bedding 5 years ago (12" memory foam) and we like it a lot. Even the dog likes it!

Now there are 17,345 mattress makers so the selection job is more confusing. We are going to buy a queen (foam/hybrid) from BB again.
 
Anyone that has a memory foam mattress, is it difficult to lift up and rotate 180*. ie, move from right side to left side.
 
Time2 said:
Anyone that has a memory foam mattress, is it difficult to lift up and rotate 180*. ie, move from right side to left side.
Click to expand...

Not difficult at all, obviously the thicker mattresses weigh a bit more. I assume you mean to spin around so the head is at the foot. Most memory foam mattresses are not made so they can be flipped over. If you notice on Amazon, the Zinus type mattresses don't weigh very much.
 
Time2 said:
Anyone that has a memory foam mattress, is it difficult to lift up and rotate 180*. ie, move from right side to left side.
Click to expand...


My Brooklyn Bedding King (foam) one weighs about 60 + pounds and is a bit cumbersome. Two of us (my son-in-law and me) can lift and turn it.
 
I bought a reconditioned mattress in 1997, from a feller in the local classifieds. He had a dozen of them stacked up in his garage. Cost me $150 and it has served me well. I guess I got lucky. At some point in the future I will need a new one, but I'm wary about buying something too nice, as my cat likes to scratch on it.
 
Lakedog said:
Not difficult at all, obviously the thicker mattresses weigh a bit more. I assume you mean to spin around so the head is at the foot. Most memory foam mattresses are not made so they can be flipped over. If you notice on Amazon, the Zinus type mattresses don't weigh very much.
Click to expand...


No sorry, I mean roll yourself over, but I don't want to roll and move two feet, I want to raise myself and turn, obviously I will move some, but I don't want to not be able to move because I'm to deep in foam.
I will be checking some out at the store soon.
 
Time2 said:
No sorry, I mean roll yourself over, but I don't want to roll and move two feet, I want to raise myself and turn, obviously I will move some, but I don't want to not be able to move because I'm to deep in foam.
I will be checking some out at the store soon.
Click to expand...

The super plush ones will be difficult to turn in. The firm and medium ones will be OK. Ours is medium firm and it's pretty solid with not much give (sinking).
 
Time2 said:
No sorry, I mean roll yourself over, but I don't want to roll and move two feet, I want to raise myself and turn, obviously I will move some, but I don't want to not be able to move because I'm to deep in foam.
I will be checking some out at the store soon.
Click to expand...

Sorry I misunderstood, but no issues at all related to movement (no sinking into the mattress).
 
Do your research, laying on a mattress in a store for 10-15 minutes (or less) won't tell you how you'll fare for 6-8 hours 24/7. And asking others what they don't/like is hit or miss as well. Firmness depends in part on what you weigh. And more importantly it depends on your sleep position(s) - side, stomach or back is a big factor. Take it from us, we've had four mattresses (SleepNumber, full natural latex, Saatva innerspring, Stearns & Foster extra firm innerspring and two varieties of waterbeds before those) and three of them were uncomfortable - mostly aching shoulders (too firm) or backs (too soft). Too warm, like Memoryfoam, is another thing to watch out for. Best of luck, do your homework in addition to asking around. And like 99% of purchases, cheap is usually a mistake and a waste of money in the long run...

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mattress-quiz
 
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There's a recent issue of Consumer Reports that rates mattresses by how people sleep and their height. For example, a tall person who sleeps on her back. Or a short person who sleeps on his side. That might provide a starting point.
 
Chuckanut said:
There's a recent issue of Consumer Reports that rates mattresses by how people sleep and their height. For example, a tall person who sleeps on her back. Or a short person who sleeps on his side. That might provide a starting point.
Click to expand...
+1. I haven't seen it, but that's the kind of research I'd be looking for if I was in the market right now. Asking others without factoring in your physical dimensions and sleep position is an expensive crapshoot...
 
My wife had to sleep with her head up a little due to a gastro problem. The cheapest Leggett & Platt adjustable bed I found was at BedInABox.com--a great company out of East Tennessee.

Their elastomeric mattresses are also superior--out of foam from BASF. They don't have one bit of Chinese air in them. The price is right.

I was in Lowes this a.m., and they've cut the price drastically on elastomeric beds--good name brands. Looks like they're really wanting to move'em out.
 
One thing I need is a full sized mattress that is extra long. IOW, as long as a queen sized mattress. Some place make them.
 
Chuckanut said:
One thing I need is a full sized mattress that is extra long. IOW, as long as a queen sized mattress. Some place make them.
Click to expand...

Noticed some 80" long full size memory foam mattresses on Amazon, called Full XL.
 
I just bought a mattress a few weeks ago 'hybrid'. I don't love it. My shoulder no longer hurts but now my back does. Frustrating.
 
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