The Mattress Expert

Sleep Number Bed

Diana of Vero Beach, writes:
I know the water bed is considered taboo. I had a 6"foam water bed California King. for 16 years . The best sleep I have ever had in my entire life. I now have a sleep numberbed California King. I have yet to find an air position, that is comfoortable. I even purchased a Trillion baffle woven topper to put on top of the cashmere sleeper.I still am still not sleeping well. Is there any thing you can suggest?
Diana S

Hi Diana. Air mattresses don't have the same feel as a waterbed. My wife had both, prior to our getting married. She too, loved her waterbed and didn't much care for the air mattress. She is enjoying the latex mattress we have. It provides better support than a waterbed, but has a similar feel. The Sealy SpringFree Beachside is what all of us, here, sleep on at home.

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Sleep Number bed

Karen of Chelsea, writes:
Reading through various blogs I need to ask you opinion on a mattress option for us. We purchase a Sleep Number i9 3 weeks ago. Since then my back pain has increased tremendously. Both my husband and I are post polio and sleep in a variety of positions throughout the night. We both have sleep apnea and use a machine. I have degenerated disc and arthritis. He is sleeping on 30 and I have tried 45-60. My husband is able to now sleep on his right side which he had been unable to do for years. The lower numbers seem to make my back pain worse. My husband has circulation problems and is usually cold while I am very warm in this i9 bed. We are ready to send this back and now looking for other options. I have read your info on latex versus box springs. In NY, I stayed at a Hilton and woke each morning with no back pain. Could you please help direct us to what options we should consider. Thank you.
 
Hi Karen. Air mattresses, like water beds, don't provide any upward support. Instead, they rely on displacement...not proper support for disc problems.
You, however, have conflicting problems. Your back requires firm support and your arthritis needs a softer surface. The problem with beds that come with a soft top is, that soft top easily compresses and doesn't maintain its original comfort for very long. Consider the combination of a firm mattress and soft latex topper. Latex doesn't compress or wear out nearly as quickly as the padding used in a soft topped mattress, and yet, provides and extremely comfortable feel. Start with a basic mattress, like a Sealy Posturepedic Reserve in a cushion firm tight top. Add to that a 2" soft latex topper. You'll have soft and resilient surface feel, with the firm underlying support your back requires.

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SelectComfort Sleep Number Bed

Andrea of Aurora, writes:
Hi Peter,
Thank you in advance for your honesty and for taking time to reading "another discontented sleeper".
I spent a few hours reading the many questions & answers about mattress on this blog and was laughing to tears in relief that I wasn't the only one complaining about SelectComfort Sleep Number Bed; the product and customer service.
I had bought the expensive full-sized bed in 2000 and had on-going problems 3 months after the purchase.
A string of complaints followed this purchase from the first year the led-light stopped working on the handpiece remote that connected to the air pump; the mattress leaking air around the seal of the white cap "nipple" and lastly the air pump wasn't working consistantly before the 2 year of purchase of the bed.
The calls I've made to customer service reps. to complain the air pump not working consistantly, their responses were said  of posting the complaint and their disconnect the call.
I couldn't get a satifaction response to the problem. 
Into the same month of these previous calls, I called again and was told by a customer service rep. that the waranty of 2 yrs. covering the air pump had just expired and it would cost $211.53 to replace the pump. That was the end of it.
I filled up the mattress with the hand held electric air pump from a camping mattress and it works fine without knowing the
"number" it doesn't matter.
Admiting I was duped by this company along with many other honest people that fell for the "select number" gimmick.
I am still without a bed of comfort and good sleep.
I live in Colorado and went searching for a "regular" mattress at Mattress King Company and Denver Mattress Company and was told that by law they don't make mattresses anymore that can be flipped.
Is a Sealy Latex Mattress flipable?
What other kind can you recommend to me for firm and comfort for back and side sleeping?
Can you tell me the pros and cons to a horsehair mattress?
I slept in a full size horsehair mattress in the 1980's for a week and had a very restful sleep. 
I hadn't thought about them till a week ago and can't find much information about them, the pros and cons and where to buy them in the United States at a reasonable cost for a twin or full size.
A bonus question;
Would the size of a twin mattress vs a full size mattress  make a difference in the latex, horsehair and spring mattress?
Thank you again for taking time to read this epistle and for your response.
Andrea

Hi Andrea. Economics has caused the change from two sided to one sided mattresses. There's no law requiring that.
The Sealy latex in one sided.
A twin will feel a little firmer than a full.
The horse hair question is posted separately.

www.ccmattress.com

Replacing a Select Comfort mattress

Karen of Northboro, writes:
We have been sleeping on a select comfort mattress for the last 10 years and recently I have developed a lot of lower back pain. I am looking for softer mattress while my husband prefers something firmer( thats how we settled on a selcet comfort in the first place). He is 6 ft 225 and I am 5.4 and 125. I have arthritis and scoliosis in my back/neck.We were looking at the Simmons NxG575 and NXG 400 as well as the Kingsdown 400. I was looking for a S&F but was told that there are problems with the current line and the new line is having manufacturing issues and will not be available until fall. Any comments on how the 3 beds we are looking at compare for comfort and longevity? Kingsdown is supposed to have a 20 year warranty
 
Hi Karen. The new S&F line is available almost everywhere. And this is the first I'm hearing of any manufacturing issues. I think you must have been told this by someone who wants you to buy what they want you to buy.
Warranties protect you against defects in workmanship and materials. It has nothing to do with how long a mattress will last or protect you against normal wear. Quite often, a mattress of inferior quality will offer a longer warranty as the "hook" to get you to buy. The implication being that it will last twice as long, given that the warranty is twice as long. In this case, as in most cases, the bed will last half as long...if you're lucky. But even luck won't help you with a warranty that no one is willing to stand behind.
Off brands are pushed for the high profit margins. The Simmons NxG is a memory foam mattress, which has to be one of the worst products ever produced in this industry.
Salesmen get paid to sell....not look out for your interest, or even care if you're comfortable...or how long the mattress lasts. If you have a complaint, that's another department...someone else has to deal with that.
Try finding a smaller independent store to shop in. There are still plenty of places that care, that what you buy is right for you. You won't find that at a large chain...only the pretence.
www.ccmattress.com

Sleep Comfort 700 Series

Fran of New York, NY, writes:
A year ago a bought an expensive Sleep Comfort 700 Series & adjustable frame. After 2 weeks on my new bed, I started waking up with lower back pain and now I can't sleep through the night. If I make the mattress firm enough to "reduce" my lower back pain, the rest of my body aches all over. I've added a 2 inch memory foam topper, which helps somewhat, but not enough. I'm eager to get a mattress that isn't a torture instrument. I recently tried "Sleep for Life" mattress (green) which felt wonderful in the store, but I'm concerned that I've never heard of them and also concerned that they said I couldn't use it on my adjustable frame. I just found your blog a read with interest your comments recommending latex mattresses for adjustable frames. However, since I only raise my adjustable frame about three inches to reduce my problem with acid reflux (this is in addition to my having raised the front legs of the bed a couple of inches) 1) do you think I could use the mattress on the adjustable frame? Also, 2) what do you think of "Sleep to live" mattresses? Finally, 3) do you have a store in Manhattan where I could try whatever you recommend? Thanks so much!

Hi Fran. Air mattresses don't provide any upward support, but rely only on displacement...not good. What you're looking at is made by Kingsdown and there are loads of bad reviews about them. Also, you're shopping at one of the most expensive stores out there....contrary to all their advertising...which you'd be paying for. Most innerspring mattresses don't work on an adjustable bed.

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Select Comfort bed

Becki of Manteca, writes:
Hi Peter: I know this is a bit of a complex problem, but as I can see from the blog, you can handle it! I thought I had written you before, but I don't see the answer here, so I'll try again. I have had multiple back surgeries & I need another one, as well as a complete fusion of my neck..I also have hyperhidrosis, so I don't want to get a mattress that makes me too warm at night. I HAVE a queen-sized Select Comfort bed that I am NOT comfortable in (even though I put it on the 100 setting, which is the most firm), but I bought one w/an adjustable frame, which was pretty expensive, so I'd like to salvage the frame if possible. What type of mattress can I get that will be great for my back, and fit in the adjustable frame, AND not be too warm for me? I don't know if adj. frames are different from one type of bed to another. I also have sleep apnea, but that doesn't really seem to enter into my mattress problems...at least I don't think it does. CAN YOU HELP ME...PLEASE??? Thanks SO MUCH!
 
Hi Becky. An air mattress doesn't provide any upward support. Air, simply displaces wherever you're heaviest. I'm not surprised that you find it uncomfortable.
Foam mattresses work best with adjustable bed bases. I have an adjustable bed at home with a Sealy latex mattress on it. It's quite comfortable...still looks and feels like new, after 5 years and under 240 lbs. Mine is an ultra plush....a little too soft, I think, for all your problems. The "plush", Beachside model has more of a medium feel, which I think would suit you better. Not being as soft will also help make it cooler...although mine doesn't sleep warm at all.
Memory foam mattresses sleep very hot.
 
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Select Comfort 5000 mattress

Lisa D of Austin, writes:
I am so-o-o-o happy to have stumbled on this blog feeling really lost in the mission to find the right mattress. I started with a Sealy that felt great in the store but was too firm and smelled awful when it was delivered. Airing it out for two weeks in a separate bedroom with the door closed and windows open did not help. I am sensitive to chemicals and smells but never realized the new beds would have such lingering odor. My next step was a Select Comfort 5000. It does not have the odor but I have had significant shoulder and some back pain. Changing settings and pillows has not eased this much. I am 5'2, 135 lbs. I folded up a comforter and put it on top of the mattress and the added cushion has helped. From trying out more beds, I know memory foam is not for me and latex is the next step. I am considering a natural latex topper with either a 22-24 ILD or a 28-32 ILD. Of course what is frustrating is paying $2300 for a bed then spending several hundred more for a topper. I am still in the time frame to return the bed but the question comes up, then what??? I appreciate your help sorting this out.

Hi Lisa. All beds have something of a "new" odor. Usually this is slight. Strong odors seem to be more prevailent with memory foam, but can also happen with poly foam. Natural latex is will have a stronger "rubber". Synthetic latex doesn't have an odor. The air mattress relies on displacement for support. But, it's not like a waterbed, which also relies on displacement. The water chambers move easily to give with you. The air mattress just becomes hard when you put your weight on it. That's why you're getting those pressure points at the hip and shoulder. The Sealy SpringFree River Crest ultra plush latex mattress will give you the comfort and pressure point relief you're looking for...and without having to add the expense of an additional latex topper. 

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Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
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Select Comfort mattress

Roseann of Benson, writes:
What do you think of Sleep by Numbers, Select Comfort. My husband is 260lbs. and I am 170lbs. We have learned not to ever buy a pillow top again, but what to buy? We're tired of creators in our mattress.

Hi Roseann. Air mattresses use a soft foam to make the top comfortable. But once that compresses, the air bag underneath is quite stiff. Also, the sides stretch on an air mattress...as a matter of normal wear. The more weight you put on top, the greater the pressure to the side of the bed.
You're right to steer clear of pillowtops, as the tend to develop the deepest impressions.
Latex is the most durable material. Try the Sealy SpringFree Beachside or River Crest. These provide a greater degree of comfort, and will hold their shape well under your weight.
 
Delivery available everywhere in the continental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Toll Free phone number: 1-888-732-5923
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
Philadelphia Inquirer's "Neighbor's Choice Award"
 
Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads

Select Comfort Pillow Top

jamie of Los Angeles, writes:
I have a select comfort pillow top bed and would like to replace the pillowtop that zips in. Are they sold anywhere????

Hi Jamie. You'll have to contact Sleep Number directly. I'm not aware of any retailers that carry them.

Delivery available everywhere in the continental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Toll Free phone number: 1-888-732-5923
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
Philadelphia Inquirer's "Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads
Very High quality sheets and comforters

Sleep Number Bed

Michelle J of Atlanta, writes:
Hi, we purchased the sleep number bed about 2yrs ago. Worst purchase of our lives. The bed sunk toward the center and their customer service is the worst. We had problems after the first 30 days and they kept sending us foam pieces to rebuild the bed (we spent 3k on the purchase of the bed). Now we still need a decent mattress for a budget... my hubby tosses and turns and keeps me up all night. I like pillow tops but not memory foam. Any ideas on a decent mattress for couples? We are looking for a king this go round.

Hi Michelle. The best is latex. Specifically, the Sealy SpringFree Fairway Dunes...if you want a pillowtop. The best, on a budget, is the Sealy Posturepedic Reserve...for about half the price.

Delivery available everywhere in the continental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Toll Free phone number: 1-888-732-5923
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
Philadelphia Inquirer's "Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads
Very High quality sheets and comforters