I need a new mattress.  Mine is dead.  No amount of flipping or egg crate can help it.  I need a new mattress set and I'd like to spend less than $1500.  Can anyone recommend a good mattress?

tag...going to be researching this in the near future as well.

Personally I love the Select Comfort bed my wife and I have.  No other bed will ever be in my house again.  I can have my side of the bed firm and my wife can have her side very soft.

I don't remember exactly what we paid for it but you may want to look into it.

11 mattress myths

Although our reporter encountered fewer pitches than when he shopped for our 1997 mattress report, salespeople still disparaged certain products and tried to persuade him to buy a pricier mattress. In our online poll, 19 percent of innerspring-mattress owners complained about pressure to trade up to a costlier bed, and 15 percent said that the salesperson used a hard-sell approach. Below, the myths you may hear--as sales pitches or common wisdom--and the truth behind them.

1. Firmer is better. The best bed is the one that’s most comfortable to you. Medical experts we interviewed say there have been no well-controlled studies to indicate the best firmness overall.

2. Coil count is critical. Any number above 390 in a queen-size mattress should be plenty. Our consultants concluded that coils in all but the cheapest mattresses--less than about $800 list price for a queen-size--are “overdesigned for their function” and ought to provide years of service for most people.

3. Silk, cashmere, and wool make a bed more comfortable. The small amounts usually used in the upper padding only make a bed more expensive. When you cover your mattress with a pad and sheets, you can’t directly feel the surface anyway.

4. A higher price guarantees a better bed. Anything but the cheapest mattresses can be a fine choice. To find out how one $700 twin mattress set compares with a $1,400 set, see Price differences.

5. If you move in your sleep, the bed is to blame. Turning is normal; it’s a problem only if it disrupts your sleep. The mattress may or may not be at fault.

6. A mattress should be used until it sags. Changes in the human body tend to make a mattress less comfortable long before it wears out.

7. You must include a box spring, to save the warranty. Despite sales pressure to buy both mattress and foundation, it’s not always required. Check with the store or company. You may be able to keep your old box spring, if it’s in good shape.

8. Warranties cover a sagging mattress. Manufacturers say a mattress can compress by as much as 1 1/2 inches before it’s considered defective.

9. Stores sell the same mattress under different names. Retailers often claim that their mattress A is comparable to a competitor’s mattress B. Though you may find beds that are truly alike, most “comparables” we bought had little in common.

10. Salespeople are always objective. Manufacturers dangle financial incentives known as SPIFs (for “sales person incentive funds”) to push various brands and models. Commissions can amount to about $100 a bed.

11. All beds are equally fire-resistant. For now, Serta and Tempur-Pedic are the only major brands whose mattresses all comply with California’s fire-safety mattress code, the strictest in the U.S. Other brands make some beds that adhere to the code, but there may be a surcharge of as much as $200. Ask at the store.

We just bought a Simmons Beautyrest and I am sleeping like a baby!

BigDozer66

Select Comfort

WaterBed....

Also...

Duxiana vs. Select Comfort vs. Tempur-Pedic



Many of the estimated 70 million Americans who complain of sleeplessness have turned their backs on conventional innerspring beds and bought alternatives such as Duxiana (springs galore, in layers), Select Comfort (air-filled, with adjustable firmness for each partner), and Tempur-Pedic (polyurethane “memory foam”). The ads are gushing: Sportscaster Pat Summerall calls the Duxiana “the bed your back has been aching for”; Lindsay Wagner, TV’s former Bionic Woman, lauds the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed as “the key to a perfect night’s sleep”; and Tempur-Pedic’s Web site is loaded with testimonials, including one from an owner who says the bed helped him kick pain pills.

To assess these beds, which cost $1,500 and up--way up--in queen size, we asked four couples to spend a month using each at home. The beds come in several versions; testers slept on one. They scored overall comfort, sleep quality, and how likely they were to buy the bed if price weren’t a factor. Another 59 staff members lay down for about 15 minutes on each bed (we hid brand names) in one of our labs, the way you should try mattresses in a store. Finally, we asked visitors to ConsumerReports.org about recent mattress-buying experiences. Results are below. Mattresses are in alphabetical order. Prices are what we paid, before tax, for the set we tested.


Does $1,500+ buy a good night’s sleep?

Our experiment showed that spending more for a specialty mattress doesn’t guarantee a happy sleeper. Panelists’ opinions were all over the place: One person’s “supportive and cushiony” was another’s “feels like sleeping on wet or hard sand.” Every pick or pan came with exceptions. Seven of eight panelists gave the Duxiana high marks for comfort, but none thought it worth the $4,150 nonnegotiable price. Six of eight said they wouldn’t buy the basic version of the Select Comfort Sleep Number 5000 on which they slept, but when they tried a pillowtop version, most liked it better.

Often, opinions formed after the first night on a bed held up over time. But even here, there were exceptions. Half of our sleepers liked the Tempur-Pedic less the longer they slept on it. (After we asked five other people who had liked that mattress in our lab to sleep on it for a month, however, four still liked it enough to consider buying it.)

Our informal online poll indicated that specialty mattresses may be worth a try: Only half of the 500 or so people who owned conventional innerspring mattresses were very or completely satisfied with them; one-third of innerspring owners found their beds less comfortable after they slept on them regularly. Owners of specialty mattresses seemed far happier. By contrast, more than two-thirds of the 231 Select Comfort owners and more than three-fourths of the 154 Tempur-Pedic owners were very or completely satisfied with their purchase. (Few respondents owned the Duxiana.)

Experiences of staff members who tried the beds briefly in our lab largely mirrored those of long-term panelists, with one exception: The short-term testers were more critical of the Duxiana.

The bottom line: For each of these beds, our panelists’ opinions ran the gamut from aah to ick, which just reinforces the need for an in-store tryout.




Duxiana 1001 with Pascal system

 
$4,150

The bed: An innerspring foundation with two layers totaling 1,728 coils (in queen size)--roughly 1,000 more than in a conventional mattress. Upper-layer coils are more flexible than lower. There’s also a top pad, which comes in different configurations. The pad we chose included foam and “Pascal” inserts, extra coils for support at torso, shoulders, and legs. (The current Pascal System is slightly different.) There’s no box spring, so the bed is low (you can buy taller legs). It’s made in Sweden. European labor costs, shipping, and furniture-quality wood help explain the price. So does the fact that the bed is sold only through boutique showrooms (33 across the U.S.). The price is nonnegotiable, and you can’t return the bed if it’s uncomfortable. Twenty-year limited warranty.

The claim: “No gimmicks, no tricks; an unbelievably supportive, comfortable and long-lasting bed, advanced by the most recent technology.”

The comments: Panelists noted no “gimmicks” or “tricks,” and some did praise its support and comfort. “Very comfortable and easy to get in and out of,” one said. “Aches and stiffness got significantly better,” another said. Others disagreed. “Soft, bouncy, squeaky; like a camp or dormitory mattress,” one said.

The bottom line: On the whole, long-term testers liked it but thought it wasn’t worth the price. Buy it only if your budget allows.






select comfort Sleep Number 5000 bed

 
$1,500

The bed: A two-chamber inflatable mattress, plus rigid platform, that lets users adjust firmness via a remote-controlled air pump. The remote’s settings go from 5 to 100; higher numbers indicate a firmer surface. This basic version consists of foam edging and two air bags inside a zippered cover. There’s only quilted ticking above the air chambers. You can test-drive the bed for 30 days. If dissatisfied, you can pay to return it yourself or have the company handle the return for $199. Twenty-year limited warranty.

The claim: “Uniquely designed air chambers to provide a gentle cushion of support which can be easily adjusted to your preference for comfort and firmness. Allows couples to individually adjust each side of the bed to the precise comfort level each partner prefers.”

The comments: Some praised its support, but many criticized the model they tried. “Difficult to find a good comfort setting,” one said, and another noted that different comfort settings could make it feel “as if you’re rolling up- or downhill to get from one side to another.”

The bottom line: Six of eight long-term panelists said they probably wouldn’t buy this model under any circumstances, but most users who tried the plusher pillowtop version ($1,700) called it comfortable.






Tempur-pedic Classic Swedish Sleep System

 
$1,750

The bed: Eight-inch-thick memory foam paired with a box spring. Panelists noted that the mattress had a strong odor, possibly because the foam was packaged too quickly after manufacture, the company says. The odor lessened, but it lingered throughout the four-week trial. A company spokesman called the odor “a normal condition of the product” and said that it would dissipate. He added that Tempur-Pedic will replace the mattress if the odor remains bothersome. Buy directly from Tempur-Pedic and you’ll get a 90- to 120-day trial, but you will pay $159 to send the mattress back if it’s uncomfortable. If you buy elsewhere, the store’s comfort guarantee applies. Twenty-year limited warranty.

The claim: “The material seeks to know exactly how far to let you sink in so that every point on the contour of your body is supported.”

The comments: One of our first set of long-term testers called it “supportive and cushiony,” but most used different language: “not enough cushioning,” “feels like sleeping on wet or hard sand,” “pressure on hips and back.” Most members of a second set of panelists who had liked the bed in our lab still liked it after a month.

The bottom line: It elicited stronger opinions, pro and con, than the other beds.

I just bought a new bed at Rooms to Go.  I tried them all and settled on the Cindy Crawford top of the line mattress.  Of the 50 mattresses I tried at various stores, this is the only one that my back pain dissappeared the moment I layed down.  It was $2000, but I got 2 years, no interest financing.

I hate matress shopping.  BTW, it never needs flipping or turning.

There was a thread last year that had some great info.
Its worth a Search ?

I bought a Kingsdown, LOVE IT

Although I am sleeping on the same mattress I have had since age 6(I'm 20 now)...my dad got a good deal at Sears for his.  

I hear Select Comfort is good but it's pretty expensive.

Select Comfort
I like that I can change the level because sometimes I need it firmer. And the different setting fo rthe spouse is very useful too.

Unlike the commercials, I am the softy and usually set it at 45 and my wife likes it at 60.

Quoted: Personally I love the Select Comfort bed my wife and I have.  No other bed will ever be in my house again.  I can have my side of the bed firm and my wife can have her side very soft. I don't remember exactly what we paid for it but you may want to look into it.

I have a Sealy Posturepedic.  It has been a great mattress, with that being said I will definately buy a Select Comfort bed next time around.

By far the finest bed I have slept on.  
$1400 for a king, not bad.

While staying at a hotel in Waukesha Wisconsin, I slept on a Select Comfort for an entire week. I thought it was a POS. It isn't "soft" when you let the air out - the damn thing simply sags in the middle. It feels exacty like an air mattress, albeit with a much nicer top. Consequently, I was only semi-comfortable when I aired the bed up to 100. It was either too firm, or it sagged. There was no middle ground. I hated it.

It's a good thing I tested it myself for a week, because my wife and I were seriously considering the purchase of one. Perhaps I'll have a look at the Tempur-Pedic next, since the idea intrigues me.

My current mattress is a Simmons Back Care. I paid $1500 for it 6 years ago. It's already shot to hell. They claim you don't need to flip it (the padding is only on one side), which is a lie. The damn thing is visibly sagging in the middle. My back kills me when I wake up in the morning, and I don't have back problems - yet. What a waste of money. It was super comfortable when I first bought it, but it didn't last long.

I hate mattress shopping.

ok here is some good cheap advice. found a discount place that has a good knock off of the tempur pedic. you could be out the door under 1k and have the same quality that you pay 2k for the name and innovation. best sleep ever on this bed I have one now. I sleep less because I am rested faster. Also people kgetting out of the bed at night do not wake you up because you cant feel the movement

My man and I sleep on *plywood* on a bedframe, covered with eggrate and a couple of down comforters beneath the sheets.  I would NEVER trade it for the highest priced fanciest mattress in the world (and I've slept on nice ones in chi-chi hotels).  Good old plywood for me! (not to mention how excellent it is for the back)

My problem is the same as SubNetMask's

Almost any mattress feels good to me when new.

I'm 6'4", 235lbs though and after a year or so any mattress starts to sag and feel like crap to me.

When you couple that with the fact that our labrador sleeps at the foot so you can't really move around much to spread the load we go through mattresses fast.

Does anyone know of a mattress that will actually hold up and not sag over time?? That's one of the things that has intrigued me with the Select Comfort. If it starts to sag, can you just put more air in it??

Ed

got a sterans and foster- fairly firm  Like it.
cant pay 1500 for a piece of fancy foam- sorry

All of you Select Comfort Owners, have you checked your bed for MOLD lately.

I am in the market for a new matress as well.


TAG

I bought a memory foam and latex mattress from:


www.flobeds.com last June.

I'm VERY happy. It's the best $1100 I've spent in a long time.



They were a great company to deal with too.

The mattress comes as four latex cores (two for each side) and a hunk of memory foam for the top. All of that is cased in a nice zip up cover with quilted wool top. It looks just like a regular mattress.

The latex cores are what determine the firmness of the mattress and they sell them ranging from soft to extra firm.

If you don't like the firmness you get, they'll let you exchange any number of the cores out one time to get a right fit. You can also send the mattress back if you don't like it (you'll get screwed on shipping though).


I got one with all extra firm cores and it's just about perfect for me. No signs of sagging yet and I'm a tubby bastard.

Was once advised by a former Army doc that (in/re research on burn victims) perception of 'firmness' was actually based upon blood pressure.  

After trying the Tempurpedic in the store, we tried out the Novafrom pillows at costco.  Liked em more than the down we had used.

We got the Novaform bed, which is shrink-wrapped/vacuum packed. How do they get a queen sized mattress into a TV-sized box?  ;)

It is basically a tempurpedic with less of the fancy foam, but has a 10 or 15 year warranty.  Very nice and about $500 - 600 IIRC.  We like it ;0

Quoted: I need a new mattress.  Mine is dead.  No amount of flipping or egg crate can help it.  I need a new mattress set and I'd like to spend less than $1500.  Can anyone recommend a good mattress?

I would suggest you go to a mattress store, not furniture store. Let the salesperson know whether you like a firm or soft mattress. Then, try them all out. Look at the costs. Ask for some kind of discount, free delivery, or free box spring.

I've never understood the concept of "memory foam".

I know...they show a hand or whatever sticking into it and when they pull away you can see a temporary impression of the body part.

Why would I want a bed to memorize where I was last???? Thats my problem now. It KNOWS where my fat ass has been and sags.

I want a bed that's a virgin everytime I meet it, not one that memorizes where I've been.

Am I missing something here????

Ed

Quoted: I've never understood the concept of "memory foam". I know...they show a hand or whatever sticking into it and when they pull away you can see a temporary impression of the body part. Why would I want a bed to memorize where I was last???? Thats my problem now. It KNOWS where my fat ass has been and sags. I want a bed that's a virgin everytime I meet it, not one that memorizes where I've been. Am I missing something here???? Ed

The "molding" doesn't stick around after you get up. Sit on the bed, and after a few seconds you kind of sink into the foam a little as it conforms to your body. When you get up, after a few seconds the foam expands back to where it was.

On my mattress the quilted top is a little thicker than what the tempur pedic mattresses use so I don't even notice the sinking too much. It just seems like a nice soft top with a good firm foundation underneath from the latex cores.

I sleep on a mat on the floor most of the week.  They don't make a mattress firm enough.

sealy posturepedic pillowtop.

I have a Sealy Crown Royal I.  I bought it after I graduated from school; I was sick of donated flimsy mattresses.  At the time, the Crown Royal line was Sealy's top of the line conventional mattress.  Still got a fairly good deal on it:  $1,100 got me the mattress, low profile box spring, frame, delivery and removal/disposal of my old bed.  

I like my mattresses firm.  However, I find that you still need to flip/rotate a conventional mattress, even a relatively high-end one like my Crown Royal.  After a year or so I started to notice a little lack of support so I flipped it ... and the problem went away.  I am not a heavy guy (155 lbs) and I've always slept alone so perhaps I'm not as hard on bedding as the next guy.  My advice is that if you go with a conventional mattress, always flip/turn it.  Don't assume you don't have to do so just because it's a premium mattress.

Select comfort.  We tried them all, including the memory foam deal and decided on the SC.  Best decision we ever made.  

Quoted: Select comfort.  We tried them all, including the memory foam deal and decided on the SC.  Best decision we ever made.

+eleventybillion

Quoted: Quoted: Personally I love the Select Comfort bed my wife and I have.  No other bed will ever be in my house again.  I can have my side of the bed firm and my wife can have her side very soft. I don't remember exactly what we paid for it but you may want to look into it. I have a Sealy Posturepedic.  It has been a great mattress, with that being said I will definately buy a Select Comfort bed next time around. By far the finest bed I have slept on.   $1400 for a king, not bad.

I have a select comfort in the closet ,I sleep on a serta ,international touch ,I highly recomend.about 1600 bucks

Tempur-pedic is what I got.  I like it.  I am pretty big and and kill most mattresses in a matter of months.

What the real upgrade for me was the pillows....The one I got looks like a regular pillow but weighs like 10 pounds and is stuffed with memory foam.  I love it.

Quoted: I've never understood the concept of "memory foam". I know...they show a hand or whatever sticking into it and when they pull away you can see a temporary impression of the body part. Why would I want a bed to memorize where I was last???? Thats my problem now. It KNOWS where my fat ass has been and sags. I want a bed that's a virgin everytime I meet it, not one that memorizes where I've been. Am I missing something here???? Ed

My problem with memory foam is that it gets in the way of sex.  The missus kind of sinks in or when someone is on their knees one sinks in too far because your weight is concentrated in two little spots.

My wife and I went to the stoer to select a new matteress. Our selection process was simple; we lay upon the matteress and if we liked it we made a note of it. We then went back and layed on all the ones we liked again until we norrowed it down to just one. It was a Serta Perfect Sleeper. I endorse it.