Mattress Buying

[Geila]

Since you guys were so awesome in helping me buy my car - which I love! - I'm going to pick the collective brain on mattresses.

I have a 10-yo Beautyrest that I really like, it's still in great shape and is super comfortable. We want to upgrade to a king size and move the queen into the guest room because we get too hot in the queen and I'm hoping the extra width will help. When we stay in hotel kings we like it a lot. Today I went to the local mattress store and tried a bunch though I kept the choices down to a few brands; I might go back and try the other brands they have.

The ones I liked most:
1. Beautyrest Pressure Smart Firm with Innerspring - $2100
2. Beautyrest Hybrid with Memory Foam, no box spring needed - $2000
3. Serta Perfect Sleeper in both the Firm innerspring and the Plush - $1200

I also tested Sealy because Costco has a sale on them right now but I wasn't impressed. I found that in general I don't like the plush memory foam; the above were the exception.

I've never owned a memory foam mattress so don't know how they wear over time. And haven't used a mattress that didn't require a box spring. Not sure how Serta compares to Beautyrest in quality, but the price is much lower!

Many of the mattresses have some gel cooling technology that claims to draw heat away from your body and has built-in venting features to allow the hot air to disperse through the mattress. Wondering if it actually works.

Phew! Ok, please share your experiences and advice!

[Teacher Terry]

We bought a sleep number 15 years ago with a 20 year warranty. Love it!

[catherine]

I regretted having to get rid of our Beautyrest Shakespeare mattress. It was firm, but not too firm for me. DH picked out our Vermont mattress and it's too firm IMO, so I put a mattress topper on my half.

I don't think any one person can give you advice on a mattress--it's such a personal decision! I think you and DH just need to go to mattress stores and lie down in a bunch of beds and make a decision that way. Stay on the bed for a while. And personally, I don't think you need to spend a lot. I think my mattress cost $700 a few years back, with discounts and sales. I know my VT mattress, which we bought 2 years ago, was about 600-700. But since you're buying a king, you'll definitely have to spend more than that!

[bae]

I went with modern mail-order mattresses, I picked Leesa, and have been very happy. There's no real reason to pay a fortune for an old fashioned spring-based mattress these days.

[ToomuchStuff]

On the no box spring needed, look at most of what they try to sell you with the mattresses. Very few actually go you get a box spring; you get just a box, that is covered. (and they are certainly happy to let you think it is a box spring)
You can do the same with the bed frame, plywood, or other stuff.

On the memory foam, I find the mattresses that have a foam topper, I tend to get hotter on. (OK in winter, not so much in summer) I also wonder how well they last, since you can't flip them?

[Yppej]

I got my son a new mattress and box spring, double size, delivered for $600 a year and a half ago. He is very sensitive but has liked it. We went to multiple stores and he lay on numerous mattresses.

Previously in 2013 my BF at the time and I got a queen set for $1200.00 but we only looked at one store as it was hard to get him to go shopping. I still have it and it has lasted well. Comparison shopping is your best friend.

[JaneV2.0]

I went with modern mail-order mattresses, I picked Leesa, and have been very happy. There's no real reason to pay a fortune for an old fashioned spring-based mattress these days.

I agree. I bought a mail-order mattress years ago, topped it with memory foam (any topper will do). It sits on wooden slats on a metal bed frame. Personally, I think mattress coils and box springs are unnecessary and cumbersome, but I also agree that what your going to sleep on for hours every night is an entirely personal decision.

[Gardnr]

For 15y we used Doctor's Best from the Denver chain. Then hubster decided his back needed a Temperpedic. I don't sleep better or worse on it but he sleeps much better with a rare backache. We didn't get a fancy one and it is most definitely warmer in the summer than I would like. But hubster's back matters.

Test driving mattresses is really important IMO. Take your preferred pillows with you. Lay on each for at least 15 minutes to test comfort.

Edited to add: set your budget and spend every penny of it. This is our position on buying mattresses and computers.

[Teacher Terry]

The thing about the sleep number is that each person adjusts their side. I like it much harder than he does. My dog sitter bought one after sleeping on mine. The other thing is it’s impossible to wear out as long as you can still buy the pump since it’s a air bed. My chiropractor said it’s the only bed they buy.

[Rogar]

I have slept on an expensive memory foam as a guest and was not very impressed. I've been happy with my Sleep Number. I bought the low end version and already had a frame with a solid bottom so it cost a little less than a thousand for a queen. It's a personal thing. Previously I had a futon with a memory foam topper. It was old but not so bad for sleeping.

It seems like there is an endless variety of memory foam versions. I mail ordered a less expensive one for my guest room and have had complaints that it's too hard.