We had a sleep number bed years ago. It was a compromise between H’s water bed (yikes!) and my firm as a board mattress. We liked it at first. But…if you have any tendency to perspire when you sleep I’d think twice about the SN. You are basically on a plastic air mattress. Moisture has no where to go. We noticed mold developing on the fabric covering the mattress portion. Wound up having to soak it in a mild bleach solution every month or so. This was inspire of an additional mattress pad/protector which I would wash regularly.
We’ve also tried a memory foam topper on a conventional mattress. HATED it. You sink into the stuff and have to haul yourself out of a hole in order to change position. It made both of us sweat and again…mold in a few months. Unless you do the European thing…and leave the covers off the mattress during the day so it airs out…I don’t think either the SN or the MF are a good way to go… YMMV.
We now have a customized latex mattress. Fully configurable as far as firmness. It has three sets of independent coil groups which can be changed to accommodate different firmnesses for different body parts. The 100% organic wool mattress cover (which zips into place) can be removed and aired out as needed. The separate layers of latex can be replaced and are also variable as to firmness. Latex is much different than MF. You do not sink into latex. You are kind of suspended. Our mattress is not adjustable.
We got my 90+ year old mom an adjustable latex bed from Costco. She loves it. No sweating, no pain in her two hips and it’s firm enough that she doesn’t have to claw her way out in the morning.
If you are at all interested in latex I suggest ordering a pillow and see what that feels like. It is a different sensation.
We bought our first sleep number bed over 17 years ago it was a King size. Loved it. We then bought each of our kids a twin sleep number when they moved to a big boy bed. All 3 like them. About 3 years ago my husband needed to have a bed that adjusted up for his head. At that time sleep number did not sell a base that adjusted. So we ended up buying two twin long adjustable beds and had them attached to a king headboard. The mattress was a tempurpedic type mattress. We hated the mattress but he needed to be able to keep his head up at night. We moved the old king into the guest room and it still works fine. Last month we bought 2 twin long sleep number mattresses( the cheapest ones they sell) C2. It is so much better we are very happy to be back on a sleep number bed. One thing that I would say is that back when we first bought them they only sold them off the TV. We put ours together by ourselves. This last one we paid the extra I think $39 to have them put it together for us. I watched them do it and while I would have been able to do it myself IMO it was worth it to have them do it for me.
FYI. we have never had the mold issue with any of the beds.
Also with the 4 beds we have had for years we only had one that eventually leaked air. It of course was on my side of the king. lol. and that was after at least 10 years of use. They have a pretty good warranty. I replaced the air bladder for a nominal cost.
Follow-up question: I’ve always had an innerspring mattress but it looks like most of the adjustable ones aren’t innerspring. For those who have switched, do you notice a difference?
I am starting to really feel the springs in my old mattress but I don’t know if I’ve ever even been on anything other than one with springs.
@collage1 It could be returned to a Walmart store, but would be a bear to load in a car. We bought a full-size gel spa sensations for my son for his collage apartment and also the steel frame. He said it was the best bed he had ever slept on! He used it for a year and then sold it when he left for half what we paid. My husband has mild scoliosis (polio survivor) and I have degenative disk disease, which sounds worse than it is. As a result, each of us has different, but severe lower back chronic pain. We tried for over 20 years to find a mattress that would give us a decent night’s sleep. We have spent thousands and were buying new mattresses every 3 or 4 years. These were the least expensive and we tried one as a result of the outstanding reviews. Our entire house is now outfitted with them and my married daughter purchased one as well. It arrives in a box weighting about 60 pounds. You unfold it, while in the wrap, and then cut it open. In about an hour you have a real mattress. It is firm, yet giving. There is no hole in the center sucking you in all night. I could go on, but you get the idea. I sleep. I SLEEP!
We went from a spring where we were sore every night to a Serta gel infused memory foam. I was concerned about being hot in a regular memory foam. For the first 8 months it was fantastic. The soreness stopped and we slept wonderful. The foam started breaking down before a year and you can really tell a difference now. If I had to do it over I would give the temperpedic a try, because evetyone says they last.
Mine had a 120 day return policy…but it was fine until the 8th month. So, stay away from the Serta.
Our Tempurpedic is like new…bought in 2003. We are pretty light weight folks. We had friends who were on the very heavy side, and they said theirs wasn’t so good. But they also said…they didn’t have longevity with any mattress.
I’m wondering how the weight of the people using it affects the mattresses.
Very timely thread for me. My son may be moving from a furnished to unfurnished home soon and I had told him long ago he could take his bedroom furniture from here with him when he needed it. If this all pans out, he will be needing it soon, and I will be searching for a “guest room” mattress. @baseballmom, do you have the 8" or 12" Spa Sensation mattress? I will be needing the frame also, and it says it is 14" from the ground. His current bed is 22" from the ground, but mine is 26".
Also, if it’s any help to Romani, my friend has a sleep number bed. She said the only issue she has with it is that, because both sides adjust separately, it seems to have a hard place in the center where the two sides come together. She called it a baffle. I guess that would be fine if you both stayed on your own side of the bed…
^ yes your friend is correct the middle of a king size that is not split does have a divider type thing in the middle… It can be annoying at certain times. :">
@musicmom1215 We have a one that’s 10" and two that are 12". The 12" is really high, IMO, and it is like climbing up into bed. I like the height of the 10" on the steel frame - I’m 5’7". My son sleeps on the 12" on the same frame, and he is fine with the height, but he is 6 feet tall. It really depends on if you want a lower profile 10" against your wall/headboard. If you go with 12" make sure you have the sheets with extra-deep pockets. It takes up a lot more of the flat sheet, as well.
I would not recommend going with the 8". It’s just too thin and your fitted sheets will be baggy and come loose. There are so many models of the spa sensations, now, and the heights vary quite a bit. We have the regular, basic memory foam, and the Theratouch which has a cooling layer. Both are extremely comfortable. Regular depth sheets work well with the 10", and would probably be fine with 11". I’m like Princess and the Pea, so the bottom sheet must be taut without coming loose or I wind up tearing the bed apart in the middle of the night and re-making it.
I think we’ve ruled out sleep number because of the thing in the middle issue. We’re also looking at queens, not kings, and definitely not the split bed (seems like a pain to put sheets on!)
There are a few at Costco that look promising and I’m going to see if I can try those when I’m feeling a bit more mobile.
I’m also really interested in the ones that have return policies and can deliver/set up as I don’t have the strength and Mr is working crazy, random hours.
Just remember that if you go with a queen then if you want your head raised then your husbands head will be raised too. That’s why we need the split king. I don’t want my head raised and he does…
So went today and I did not like the temper type beds. It just felt really uncomfortable on my joints.
Fell in love with one of the sleep numbers but it’s nearly double what I wanted to pay but I think it’s worth it (and we can realistically swing it without too much trouble). I’m taking Mr tomorrow to see if he likes it too.
DH and I recently bought an organic latex bed. It does have a high price tag but it has been so worth it. DH is much taller than me and I would feel every toss and turn on the old bed. And regarding hot flashes, I’m in the middle of that phase! (Picture a tower fan with a remote next to me.) The latex mattress doesn’t make me feel hot.