Any feedback on Sleep Number or Tempurpedic mattresses?

[one l michele]

Are they really worth the extra money?

[GVA]

I frankly would be fine with a regular mattress, but DH is disabled and battles chronic pain. For him, a Sleep Number bed is the ONLY bed he's truly comfortable on. We tried a Tepurpedic, and he didn't like it because he "trapped" him and he jerks and moves all night (we sleep in separate beds for this reason -- two full size Sleep Number beds).

[Claire]

It depends. We tried out a sleep number bed. I liked it, but my dh couldn't stand it. He packed it all up (no mean feat!) and returned it in a truck to the store. I'm not sure what all he didn't like about it, but he was adamant about it going back.

My favorite mattress was a Stearns & Foster top-of-the-line during its heydey. Last time I looked, I think it was considered their second best, having been pre-empted by a pillowtop. I *hate* pillowtop mattresses. I prefer a regular mattress and then add my own egg-crate topper, because then I can change out the topper when it gets compressed. In my experience, all pillowtops compress sooner rather than later in a mattress' life.

[Karenciavo]

I love my Tempur-Pedic mattress, but I don't have any back issues.

[Elinor Everywhere]

Are they really worth the extra money?

We love our sleep number bed. I prefer a firm bed, and my dh likes one with more give. This way, we each get the perfect bed for us. There's no ridge or anything in between--it doesn't feel like 2 separate mattresses.

I used to wake up with lower back pain, but once we got the sleep number bed it vanished. Love it!

[Tutor]

We have a generic foam mattress (a Tempur-Pedic knockoff), and we really like it. I don't know what a TP mattress generally costs, but our foam mattress cost us about $175 (I think that included shipping, I can ask dh) for a queen-size.

[one l michele]

decided to go with a traditional interspring without pillow top and add a foam pad to it.

[Rachel]

We are considering after researching TP and Sleep# but not wanting to shell out the big bucks right now..........is two twin mattresses (I need firm for back issues, hubby prefers soft) with our feather bed topper and a device that straps the two mattresses together so they don't slip apart (even if they really could in our frame)..........that way we don't feel the separation of the mattresses, but we each get the mattress we need and twins are a heck of a lot cheaper than a king that we have........

[Montana Peach]

You can also get memory foam pads to put on top of your mattress. That is my next thing I think - sort of an intermediate step between traditional mattresses and the foam ones. I figure if I don't like the feel of it I have not spent tons of money on it.

[strider]

You can also get memory foam pads to put on top of your mattress. That is my next thing I think - sort of an intermediate step between traditional mattresses and the foam ones. I figure if I don't like the feel of it I have not spent tons of money on it.

I have not personally had any experience with any of the options mentioned here, though we are currently trying to decided about our next mattress as well.

A dear friend, though, RAVES about the memory foam topper she put on her mattress. Her daughter, who suffers with MS, likes to go nap on her mother's bed because she finds the topper so comfortable.

[Jenstet]

My mom works for Brookstone and gets a huge discount on Temperpedic. I tried but hated it. I felt like I was laying on play-doh.

We do have a sleep number now and we love it. My husband is a big guy and we have had a ridge problem with our traditional mattresses. This one we just puff up a bit and he is fine. I got it during my second pregnancy and it was bliss. I could create almost a hammock feel with it which was very comfortable for me at the time but now I like it a bit firmer. We also didn't buy the base for it which is basically just a plastic platform. We just put a sheet of plywood over our old boxspring and put a bed skirt over that. You can't see the plywood and it was MUCH cheaper.

[BMC]

because of severe back pain issues. We have a pillow top mattress. However, when we purchased the mattress, the saleslady suggested that I might not like a tempurpedic mattress because it retained heat. She is right, it was a while before I got used to not needing a blanket, ever. However DH loves it because it DOES retain heat.

Anyway, keep the heat thing in mind when you consider a tempurpedic top or mattress. (BTW - my friends LOVE theirs, but they are constantly cold types).

[KH_]

We have a 2" memory foam topper (higher density stuff) and I love it! I'd purchased one for our guest room (my mom visits every few months and I thought it would be nice for her), but I slept on it enough to decide that I wanted one for my bed. I sleep so much better with it, and it has helped to to warm up and stay warm this winter (I don't know how it will be during the summer - that remains to be seen).

[Montana Peach]

A friend of mine bought a memory foam topper, 3" I think. We were just talking ab out this yesterday as I mentioned this thread and she raves about hers too - swears she does not want to get out of bed now :)

[ThelmaLou]

We absolutely love our sleep numbers bed. We've had it for about 9 years and will never go back. We've convinced several family members to buy it. Love it, love it, love it!

[Valerie(TX)]

that we purchased this past fall, because ds has a compressed disc. He sleeps so much better now, although it took me awhile to get used to it. We have not yet spent a summer in it, and I'll be interested to see how he does, as he is *very* not natured, and I warned him that many people think it sleeps hotter....???

Several things you should know:

1) in many states, if you get a Tempurpedic due to back issues with a signed note from your doctor, you can have the tax on it waived, as it is then categorized as "durable medical goods."

2) There is a 90 trial period with Tempurpedic. If you don't care for it, you can get a full refund less some kind of a return/recycling (?) fee, which amounted to about 10% of the cost.

3) One of the other mattress stores we visited, which carried neither Sleep Number nor Tempurpedic brand names so they did not have a vested interest, said that the longevity of Sleep Number and other adjustable/inflatable beds is very poor, and that the warranty is short, so you may get the short end of the stick with that choice.

We had already been burned with a warranty issue within less than two years on what should have been a top-of-the-line Sealy -- very saggy, but not enough to meet "warranty standards" -- so we weren't going there again. YMMV on the Sleep Number and longevity. Dh is a big man, so odds would not have been in our favor.

4) Last item: what they say about not waking your partner with a T. is very true. Dh is no longer awakened when I come to bed late, something I always dreaded with our old mattress. I love the freedom! :)

Hope something here helps!

Val