<p>Hi - I am developing back aches, and I think it is from my lousy mattress. (It can’t possibly be from getting old…). What is a good brand or type of mattress, and what should I look for? I don’t want to ask at the mattress store, because they will promote what they want to sell. Thanks!</p>
<p>Tempurpedic, hands down. We have had ours for eons. Got it when we both realized we were waking up with back aches (and we were still young 
), and before it was really a “known commodity.” We took a chance, based on the x-day money-back guarantee.</p>
<p>Have never looked back. Ours has lasted “forever.”</p>
<p>I believe there may be good knock-off brands, but I don’t know how to distinguish the possibly good ones from the loser imitations. (I’m sure someone else will come on here with that knowledge, though ;)).</p>
<p>My husband has major back problems and we bought a Tempurpedic last May. It took a little getting use to, but I do like it now. It would be hard to go back. When we bought our last mattress my husband did not really try it out. He had been complaining about the mattress for a couple of years. Finally, I told him that if we were to purchase a new mattress he would have to lay on it for at least 15 minutes. We spent almost 2 hours in the store trying out different ones. </p>
<p>We had used a sleep number bed on a trip a couple of years ago, and wasn’t super impressed. We were in the hotel for about 5 nights, so we really got to use it.</p>
<p>I love my tempurpedic, which I bought about five years ago when I had a ruptured disk. It does feel different from a regular mattress, so make sure you check it out before buying. Many people don’t like the original, rather hard variety, but there are now softer options available. I haven’t noticed any change in performance or appearance of the mattress since I bought it in 2007. I also sprang for the weirdly shaped pillow, which looks odd in the pillow case but is great if you are prone to neck pain.</p>
<p>The only disadvantage I’ve found with the tempurpedic–besides the initial cost–is that it tends to retain heat, which is nice and cozy in the winter but can be unpleasant in the summer if you don’t have air conditioning and/or are prone to menopausal hot flashes.</p>
<p>Crossposted with some prior posts- won’t edit for that.</p>
<p>I found that the regular Sealy was of lesser quality than their posturepedic line (durability lesson with first purchase decades ago). The brands and better lines of many brands will work better than their cheap ones. You can research mattress by several brands to get info on shopping for them. Tempurpedic may not be the type you want. You will need to follow the guidelines for trying out mattresses in a store or two. You also can save tons of money by buying when they have 50% off sales, often plus other discounts (maybe in March- there was just the January sale everywhere this month already). Sealy and Beauty Rest are both good brands as is Simmons. Mattresses have changed over the decades, as we found when we looked (actually I did the research and H came along to test them) last year. Do consider the boxspring with less depth so your deep mattress won’t be so far off the floor that you “climb” onto it. One mattress I don’t recommend is the “sleep number” one. We have been at hotels with them- sometimes they are faulty/worn out and you can’t adjust the firmness. </p>
<p>You need to decide size- twin, queen, king (Q and K are nice for taller people even if you sleep alone since they are a bit longer), I wouldn’t bother with full for availablity of bedding. Only you know how firm a mattress you want. You have to test different styles in different brands at the stores. The buying guides from various brands includes good info. In the old days coil numbers and some boxspring factors were important but now the better qualitiy lines are pretty much the same. Depending on your budget you may want the more expensive lines- we didn’t. You do “get what you pay for” but good mattresses can be had without needing the top of the line, better, not best works well for most. You can’t compare prices for the exact same mattress at two (or more) different stores as they put different covers and names on them so you can’t tell the subtle differences (marketing ploys- “exclusively at xyz store”, who knows if one is of a slightly better grade). Go ahead and start the search now so when the best prices come up you can quickly close the deal. Go for free delivery, setup, hauling away of the old mattress/boxspring and possibly a free frqame- apartment management can let them in.</p>
<p>We have cotton/blend sheets for summer, fleece, not flannel for winter here. Also spend your money on a decent pillow- soft/med/firm at stores. You don’t need to spend a fortune, watch for sales.</p>
<p>Another tempurpedic fan here.</p>
<p>Don’t do what I did–bought at Costco, WITHOUT trying to lie down on it. It was too hot for me to lie down on once we brought it home & set it up. I had to put a doubled cotton quilt and beach towel under the mattress pad BEFORE I could sleep comfortably on the mattress. I guess it’s foam or something but it’s too hot for me to sleep on otherwise. H on the other hand is fine with just the mattress pad on his side of the bed.</p>
<p>My folks also bought a mattress without spending much time lying on it. They also found it uncomfortable. Fortunately, they got a feather bed topper & are OK with it now (it was too firm for their tastes prior to getting the topper).</p>
<p>Don’t have a recommendation because wouldn’t buy this bed again, nor would H. 
Don’t plan to replace it in the near future, since it really works OK, with the modification I made for my side of the bed.</p>
<p>Hate, hate, hate our Tempurpedic. My back and neck feel better when we sleep on crummy hotel mattresses or in a tent. Read online reviews before you buy one. I Googled Tempurpedic and neck pain (after buying the stupid thing and having neck pain, unfortunately) and found that neck pain is very common with Tempurpedic mattresses.</p>
<p>My husband loves our Tempurpedic (which we’ve had for about 8 years); I hate it. It retains body heat, and really contributed to my discomfort during menopause. I know several couples where the husband loves the memory foam and the wife hates it. We’re considering replacing our king size mattress with two XL-twin mattresses so we can each get a mattress that we like.</p>
<p>I love my Select Comfort (sleep number) mattress. Have had it for about 15 years and my only problem with it is that I can never sleep when I am away from home. I need my adjustable bed! I keep my side of the bed pretty soft to deal with joint issues and my husband with back problems keeps his side firm. I don’t think we would both be able to be comfortable on a mattress that couldn’t be adjusted.</p>
<p>My favorite mattresses are the ones that they use at Hampton Inns - very firm.</p>
<p>That said, one approach to getting rid of back issues in general is to lose weight and build up the stomach and back muscles. I sleep on the floor about half the time and the back issues declined as I lost weight and increased specific fitness.</p>
<p>We bought a new mattress a couple of years ago, a higher end Stearns & Foster, and we love it. We lay down on a lot of mattresses, and with the help of some online sites even managed to crack some of the codes so we could compare prices. (At one point I could tell you that a S&F Oxford Luxury Plush was the same as…something or other.) At any rate, it really pays to do your research, and try out as many mattresses as you can.</p>
<p>If you go with a traditional mattress, get a tight-top rather than a pillowtop. The latter break down much quicker and eventually get lumpy. You can always add a cushy pad on the tight-top if you want more softness, and replace it when it wears out.</p>
<p>Neither of us cares for memory foam - to us it felt like lying on sand (which some people love, but I’m not a beach person 
). Plus the heat factor, especially for me, nixed it immediately.</p>