School me on mattresses

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,250
We've had our mattress for over a decade and its time to get a new one. There is so much information out there that I'm overwhelmed. We are looking at natural latex but its wicked expensive for a king size. We also live in an area where there aren't really any of the independent mattress companies that make their own.

I'm 300 lbs and hear that memory foam is hot but latex a little cooler. I have a very bad hip but otherwise, mostly we don't have specific back or neck problems. We are both side sleepers mainly.

I am probably uncomfortable with the idea of buying sight unseen off the internet, even though it seems to be cheaper.

Any ideas?
 
I'm a big guy too. We looked at the same stuff you are, but I didn't want the extra expected heat.... add that to the cost and we went looking back at conventional mattresses. I can't remember the brand, but I think we ordered it from Sam's Club (Sealy maybe?). We ended up with a Euro-top on a firm mattress. This gave us support while having some plush to support our limbs.

We sleep really well on it. Turns out our old mattres was just that worn out and it really makes a big difference.
 
I'm a delivery Guy and deliver TONS of mattresses from any and all manufacturers. I cannot say that I have tried alot of them out, but the direct feedback from customers and the amount of returns on some of the things we deliver. #1 numero uno for returns BY FAR are Tempurpedics. There are people who say they love them, but to be honest, I think they trick themselves into thinking so. I've picked up tons of tempurpedics with body imprints in them, or they just sag in the middle after anywhere from 1 year to 5 years. I have not had much expierience with latex and all I can gather from delivering them is that they are REDICULOUSLY heavy and do not hold their shape...and overpriced.
My suggestion is similar to the above response- go with a well known standard mattress such as a Serta perfect sleeper or really any major brand that has a pillow top. I think a lot of people are distracted by sales pitches and false praises of such mattresses such as Tempurpedics. Its a huge block of foam with a cover on it.
Oh, and if you get it delivered, make sure to tip your delivery guys! ;)
 
The best bed I ever slept on was a water bed! I had horrible back pain as a young man. The warm water bed seems to sooth the aches and pains. The only reason I don't have one now is my wife hates them. Sometimes you have to do what you have to get good cookin and lovin :-)
 
dont get the hard firm mattresse. I did because that is what a friend told me to get for my back pain. I think about getting another one that moves to you back shape.
 
I have a Temperpedic luxe model. It is the best bed I have ever slept on.

The only downside is that I sleep so deep, I have crazy dreams..

It's an expensive purchase, but to me worth it!
 
I've used a Simmons Beautyrest pillow top/no flip (Firm) for years and it's a very comfortable bed. I too need to replace it soon. It's not good waking up with pain in your lower back

Tempurpedic beds have been highly recommended by many folks, they conform to your body and spine. Thus relieving hot spots and spinal misalignment related aches. The only downside I've heard relating to the "memory foam" mattress is that it degrades quickly over time, and it can retain moisture from sweating, etc.
 
I will say this. A friend of mine bought a memory foam mattress and said he loved to sleep on it but...to put this in a delicate way, being intimate on it does not go well since there is no spring to it.
 
I got the King, I think it was just north of 7,000.

I know it's a ton.. But if you figure out you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping its worth it to me.

My kid got one too.. He loves his.. But my dreams I am telling you are crazy..

I feel more rested in the morning,most times I awake in the same position I fell asleep in. I would always wake up in the middle of the night for a pee break. That doesn't happen now. I sleep thru the night. There is no chance of me hearing a burglar, or if the house starts on fire.. I am screwed:)

I do have a neck problem from my years on a bike.. That's not an issue any longer..

Another big plus to the Temperpedic is this.. If your wife, girlfriend is with you and you or her roll around or gets out if bed, there is no movement to wake the other person.

25 year warranty.. Which will outlive me:)

Takes me about 1 minute to fall asleep and stay asleep..

My last $ 1,000 bed last 7 painful years..

There's different price points for these beds.. I would go lay on each one to decide which is best for you..

I think their cheapest models are better than any spring mattress on the market. Select comfort is another bed to consider.
 
For $20 for a pillow at one of the big box membership clubs you can try the Tempurpedic style of mattress out. I really like the pillows which help with some whip lash related pain at night.

For spring mattresses, it's hard to argue against the big box membership places. Spring mattresses are a rip off at most stores. Lots of marketing and hype over very minor and insignificant differences in many cases.
 
Sid Post said:
For $20 for a pillow at one of the big box membership clubs you can try the Tempurpedic style of mattress out. I really like the pillows which help with some whip lash related pain at night.

For spring mattresses, it's hard to argue against the big box membership places. Spring mattresses are a rip off at most stores. Lots of marketing and hype over very minor and insignificant differences in many cases.
Click to expand...

My wife and I got the pillows for neck pain. They work great!!
 
I have had a Tempurpedic since 2004. I sleep like a baby. I have had no issues with imprints or sagging. My lower back problems have disappeared. The foam is open cell, so there is no problem with moisture build up. The undercarriage is set up like a hospital bed, with adjustments, so I use a knitted fitted (Jersey) bottom sheet. I am a heavy guy, but I see no evidence of mattress wear or degeneration. I use a Tempurpedic pillow with a down pillow on top. My down quilt is a 900 fill JacksRBetter summer weight extra long. It weighs 1 lb. I am always looking for for better stuff, but the present equipment hasn't gotten me working very hard on an upgrade.
 
Personally, I'll never ever give another dollar to any mattress store - generally, they're horribly over-priced. The sales tactic of "we'll beat any price by 5%" basically a ploy to wear you out. Yes, you could go back and forth between two mattress stores all day long and drive the price down until they cry uncle, but the number of dollars that each 5% discount takes off keeps getting smaller. Your time is, hopefully, worth more than that.

Anyway, I'd go to the mattress shop and figure out what kind of mattress you like, then buy one mail-order from CostCo. It will cost you about half of what a retail store will charge.

Also, we bought a Stearns & Foster pillow top mattress a bit over 4 years ago, and it has a horrible sag in it now. I'm a big guy - 260 lbs - but it shouldn't break down like that, IMHO. We were told it was a premium brand, but I don't think the quality lives up to that.

My wife wants to get a mattress that is not treated with a fire retardant. Apparently, the chemicals in fire retardant get into your system.

-- One last thing -- to the guys that say they get crazy dreams... if you also snore, that's a good sign that you may have sleep apena. I did a sleep study a couple years ago, and got a CPAP machine, and it really changed my life for the better. I used to have very disturbing dreams -- I figure that my subconscious was reacting to the fact that I was only breathing 30% of the time while I was asleep.
 
what about these mattress that you lay on top of your regular mattress and it turns it into one like that?? I think they are 4 inches in hight.
 
sleep number beds are the best and dont wear out. I put a memory foam topper on mine. I couldnt be happier.
 
Roadracer_Al said:
-- One last thing -- to the guys that say they get crazy dreams... if you also snore, that's a good sign that you may have sleep apena. I did a sleep study a couple years ago, and got a CPAP machine, and it really changed my life for the better. I used to have very disturbing dreams -- I figure that my subconscious was reacting to the fact that I was only breathing 30% of the time while I was asleep.
Click to expand...

Sleep Apnea is something the suffer really doesn't realize they have in most cases. It gets worse gradually and slowly so, the suffer doesn't notice the small changes each night.

Unusual dreams you remember, high blood pressure and other health effects, etc. are all things that can be caused by sleep apnea. If you snore when you sleep and don't wake up rested and refreshed, you should consider sleep apnea with your personal physician.
 
FWIW - very happy with a tempur which we've had for 9 years. I spend a few nights a week at our apartment and am going to get one for the bed there - quality of my sleep is much better on the tempur, aching hips on other beds.
One thing, if you're doing anything that involves kneeling on the bed your knees will dig right in and you can get a bit unstable :-) only negative I've found.
 
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