I know that mattresses have been discussed many times but my wife and I were shopping today for a king mattress and the prices surprised me a little.  I was not expecting 2-3K+ for a mattress.  Anyone have any tips or advice on mattress shopping?  Any brands to avoid?  We tried out a Simmons that we sort of liked.

I like the temperpudic.

FPNI.  /Thread.

I'd like to hear more about how you've been getting by without a mattress until now.  Do you sleep standing up?

http://www.bedinabox.com/

My wife and I bought a queen sized Serta iComfort. I think it was around a couple thousand, but it was well worth it. At the time, I was going to the chiropractor pretty regularly, but the new mattress was all that I really needed.

Rule #1.

Always be willing to spend top dollar on a good mattress that feels good to you. You'll spend a third of your life on that thing.

Mattress shopping

It is a process.

DON'T try out more than 5 or 6 in a trip... They'll start feeling the same.

DO lay in one and do some rolling around for like 5-10 minutes. Pressure points will start to show by then.

Buying a mattress is like buying a car: the salesmen are putting tremendous pressure on you to buy right the fuck now. Slow down and don't give in.

We recently bought ours from US Mattress. Simmons Beautyrest Black, extra firm.

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Current bedding is maybe 20 years old.

Tempurpedic sucks

The ARFCOM of mattresses!

http://www.themattressunderground.com/

Lots of good info there...

Tag

Know someone who sells them so, you get 50% off.  Sorry that's all I got.

See if there is an "original mattress factory" near you.   We heard about it from the consumer adviser radio guy here in town, went to see them, saw how they were made in comparison to other brands, and bought one.  We are very pleased with it, and it was far less money than you are talking about.

Is this his office?

Any decent mattress is going to feel good when you lay on it in the store.  Most are padded with foam which WILL break down over time.  I went thru this over 10 years ago and lucked out and found a local mattress company that has been in business since 1914.  He recommended an old fashioned cotton mattress and a real box springs (most beds now come with slatted foundations).  My mattress consists of the coil unit - wrapped in burlap - padded with 70lbs of cotton batting - a thin layer of foam (like 2mm) on each side - and then the mattress cover sewn around it.  The queen mattress and box spring cost me about $550 back then.  Maybe $650-700 now?  Both the mattress and the box springs were hand made right there in his store.  I suspect any major city is going to have at least one old mattress shop like this.  

I weigh 400 lbs and my wife weighs about 160.  The mattress is as comfortable today as it was when I bought it.  Cotton just settles and becomes more firm.  It doesn't break down like foam.

Craigslist usually has some nice ones

Id rather go used car shopping then buy a mattress again. We jumped on every type of bed you could and in the end we went with the I Comfort and still it did not make both of us happy. After a couple of the typical mid level pillow top types that just plain suck , we dove into the memory crap.

So the good

Less hip pain for me
I sleep pretty good on it
Stays very warm in cold temps


The bad

Wife does not life it as much , she wants a firmer bed
Stays hot in the summer time
Sucks for having sex on
We put additional plywood on her side to try and firm it up and it worked , but not great.


Good luck

Pretty much anything is going to be a huge step up for you.

First, we need to determine your sleep number.

Memory foam type mattresses are much warmer than traditional mattresses. If you like to be cool at night please consider this. I recently purchased a new high end mattress that the wife liked.  It is more or less comfortable but it is a damned heat sink.  It's hard not to wake up sweating.

Memory foam type mattresses are much warmer than traditional mattresses. If you like to be cool at night please consider this. I recently purchased a new high end mattress that the wife liked.  It is more or less comfortable but it is a damned heat sink.  It's hard not to wake up sweating.

I ordered a Saatva and I'm really happy with it. I got the King soft/plush. $1299 for the mattress and $300 for the box springs (actually a platform box). Delivery is $99 and there was no sales tax. They'll haul away your old mattress for $35. If you don't like it, you have 45 days to have them pick it up. The only money you forfeit if you return it is the $99 delivery fee. I tried a bunch of mattresses locally and I think the Saatva compares or is better than many of the $2000 to $2500 mattresses I tried in local stores.

http://www.saatvamattress.com/

Sterns and Foster

A picture of wife would help determine how she will look on the new mattress.

blasphemers both of you.

Sleep number

/Thread

Winner

Foam toppers.have the same effect.

Most mattress stores have salesmen that are on commission.  You can usually negotiate with them.  If you are like me and hate dealing with that then go to a big box store.  I just went to Sears and scored a Serta iComfort memory foam california king size bed, with box springs, delivered for just over $1100.  The salesman was super nice and found like 2 different discounts to throw at it without even being asked.

As for the mattress, so far I'm happy.

 
TempurPedic (and memory foam mattresses in general) are a love/hate thing. You will either like them or not. I worked in that business for ~10 years and never met a single person who was indifferent to them.


TempurPedic has a 90 day "no questions asked" return policy. You do have to pay return shipping - $200? - and you have to keep the bed for at least 30 days. But between days 31-90 you can call them up and tell then you don't like it and they'll send a truck to you house to pick it up.


Regardless of what brand you buy, the important thing is the warranty and comfort exchange policy of both the maker and the retailer.


Ask specifically about both.


Comfort Exchange:

If you get the mattress home and 3 nights later you hate it, what happens? Some retailers/manufacturers will allow you to return the mattress for a full exchange - you will generally not be refunded if you select a less expensive mattress but of course you will be charged the difference if you choose a more expensive model. If the retailer/manufacturer will not allow you at least 7 days to exchange the mattress if you don't like it, shop elsewhere.


Manufacturer Warranty:

Some manufacturers offer a return for service warranty. Broken spring, send it in for repair and sleep on the floor/sofa/guest bed while it's fixed. IMO this is bullshit and should be avoided.


Other makers offer a pro-rated credit toward a replacement mattress. You would probably have to deal with the original retailer. You select the new mattress, they deliver & take away defective unit (broken spring, foam bunching up, lasting body impression of greater than 1-2", etc.)


Some makers offer a non-pro-rated credit. You get every dollar of your original purchase price as a credit toward a replacement.


Again, if you choose a less expensive model you will not get a refund. The warranty on the replacement is valid from the original purchase date, so you can't get a new 10-year warranty mattress every 9 years for the rest of time.



Try to choose a reputable dealer that has been in business for a while. Try to choose a national brand or at least one that has been in business for a few decades.


Buy a good mattress pad. Most warranties are void if the mattress is stained or dirty. Do not remove the law tag, or if you do file it away with your other warranty paperwork. The law tag contains date of mfr. and other info that is critical to your warranty.

READ THIS

Mattress advertising is designed to confuse you and should be illegal in civilized countries. These are the rules for not getting royally screwed.

• Shop brands and specifications, not mattress names. Specifications are coil counts, comfort layer thickness, memory foam thickness, etc....


• IF you need a new mattress, ALL mattresses will feel awesome. The salesman knows that and is way ahead of you on the curve.


• Some mattresses feel better than others.


• ASK - DEMAND the spec sheet for any bed you are interested in.


• Find 4-6 mattresses that you like and are comparably spec'ed. Buy the one you want.


• They will screw you on the box spring. A good deal will have one tossed in for free.


• You CANNOT compare mattress sales at one store to the next store BY DESIGN. All stores have specialty lines that are just rebadged Sealey's etc.....


• ALL MATRESSES are on sale ALWAYS AT EVERY STORE -- You are looking for the best deal of the matresses with the specs you want.


• ALL STORES will guarantee they have the lowest prices always. (this is because no two mattresses are alike, they are technically not lying)


• ALL STORES will offer to take away your old one. ALL STORES will deliver for free.


• subnote: If a store doesn't, they really suck or really rock, there is no in-between. If you have a truck, and they are priced lower due to low overhead, they rock. If they charge the same as others, then they suck.

Sources of info: sleep like the dead

Google is your friend.


Addendum:

Youtube has a lot of good videos about how to shop for mattresses.  Spend some time watching.

If you have a lot of money, the latex ones felt real nice.

This is all you need to know. Buy once cry once.

This. Stay away from the "bargains". Ask me how I know... Now I have to buy another one less than a year later.



 

I didn't like mine



 

Costco.

BTW....if you still do some pushin', stay away from the memory foam stuff.  Traditional styles have some push back, which you'll enjoy much better.  Just my 02.

Aloha, Mark

This is what I have and I love it.

I hope you put on a good show for the sales staff and other customers.  Did the two of you do any "50 Shades" stuff?

And pics next time!

Get a sleep number bed. One of the best things I have ever bought.  Your wife can have a different firmness. We have had ours about 7 yrs or so and it is still like brand new. We have a California King and it is big...the only thing California I would want, except for my California born wife.

Are you a member of SAMs or Costco? They have Simmons, Sealey and Sterns and Foster beds at great pricing; downside is you can't try them out before buying but returns, (at least at Costco,) is easy.

Original Mattress Factory is a good option if you have one local.

Bought some kind of memory foam mattress maybe about four years ago.  Wife was tired of our waterbed said she was uncomfortable and hurt all the time.  It is the hottest son of bitch I've ever had the displeasure of sleeping in it is uncomfortable and I hate it.  I will replace it shortly and I don't if cost me $2000 to get something better.  I will try to remember the name of it and update later.

Pay no more than 60% of retail price. You don't need a friend to get that price, that should be everyone's haggling price. If they say no, buy one from Amazon.

When you get the mattress delivered, and isn't just like the one you tried out.....don't fall for the "give it time to break in" shit.

TELL THEM TO COME GET IT AND SHOVE IT UP THEIR ASS.





RE: Art Van and their bullshit King's Down mattresses and that fuckwad computer analysis.

Go down to Marianne's hammocks.



I have tempurpedic cloud lux. I love it, wife hates it. It was $$$$, it stays.

Buy once and be done:

http://www.hastens.com/en-us/?gclid=COvkqLT9isQCFYVqfgodCk0Aag

Sleep number.

Wife was uncomfortable on one brand.

I hated the next.

Between us, 10 yrs of not so great sleep.

We reallyreallyreally like our Sleep number.

I wish Speed was still around. He lived for these threads.

Nowadays, 2-3K is basement bargain.  I looked at one for 10k but rather put up with a bad back and get more toys

Any cons with the sleep number?  Is it very heavy and bulky to move?  I need to buy a mattress in the next 6 months and was thinking sleep number.  

Sleep number.....the best. I have a king that is 12 years old and put it in my guest room. Put a new one in my room. The only difference between the least expensive and most expensive is the thickness of the comforter that covers the air mattresses. 10 year warranty. The air is free. Hate the temperpedic...too hot...you sink in.