Help me with mattresses/beds

I went mattress shopping today. The salesman initially narrowed down the process by having me lie down on three different firmness levels (a Tempurpedic thrown in as a fourth) before proceeding. While I liked the cradling of the Tempurpedic, I didn't like how it basically damped out all movement so it was on to the box springs. What I ended up liking was a moderately firm mattress with a pillow top (I hated plush and I didn't like the firm with no pillow top because I sleep on my side). In particular, I liked this one: http://www.mattressfirm.com/Stearns-...w-Top-P11.aspx and this one: http://www.mattressfirm.com/Sealy-Po...-Top-P209.aspx The Stearns and Foster Estate series seemed to feel a bit better (I didn't look at the prices before lying down on any of the mattresses). My question is what should I be looking for in a mattress that will last me 10 years? Are pillow tops good or bad, warranty, etc. There is no coherent resource on the internet for this. My budget is $2000 for a queen mattress/base set.

I have a W Hotel Bed and its been awesome. Same ones as in the hotels. You can get them online at significant discounts. If you do go for it, get the plush and not the pillow top. Several people have reported problems with the pillow tops.

Originally Posted by Rambo

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I have a W Hotel Bed and its been awesome. Same ones as in the hotels. You can get them online at significant discounts. If you do go for it, get the plush and not the pillow top. Several people have reported problems with the pillow tops.
I've seen that deal for awhile on Fatwallet - it's apparently a Simmons Beautyrest. The price is a plus, but I'm reluctant to get a plush top given how I didn't like any in the store and the fact that I can't return it if I don't like it. So is the W bed the one you christened this morning?

Originally Posted by ramuman

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I've seen that deal for awhile on Fatwallet - it's apparently a Simmons Beautyrest. The price is a plus, but I'm reluctant to get a plush top given how I didn't like any in the store and the fact that I can't return it if I don't like it. So is the W bed the one you christened this morning?

Si senor. Its gotten compliments in the time before time. I know from my previous research that coil count is a double edged sword. Higher coils generally mean higher quality, but higher coils can also turn the mattress hard and springy. If you need one on the cheap, the Sealy's at Costco are generally regarded to be excellent for the price. Stearns & Foster is owned by one of the big 2 now and their quality has gone down hill since then. If you want me to check Consumer Reports just let me know.

i think the biggest concern for pillow tops is that they get kinda hot during the summer.

Originally Posted by Rambo

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Si senor. Its gotten compliments in the time before time.

I know from my previous research that coil count is a double edged sword. Higher coils generally mean higher quality, but higher coils can also turn the mattress hard and springy.

If you need one on the cheap, the Sealy's at Costco are generally regarded to be excellent for the price.

Stearns & Foster is owned by one of the big 2 now and their quality has gone down hill since then.

If you want me to check Consumer Reports just let me know.

S&F is owned by Sealy now.

Would you mind checking CR just for a quick summary of the quality between the mid/higher-end Sealy Posturepedics and Simmon Beautyrests and the entry/mid-end S&Fs? I don't have access to CR.

Alternatively, you could buy 3 pairs of Vass and sleep on the floor

Pro-tip for bed shopping:
Find an employee and glom onto his discount. I am sleeping on a mattress and boxspring that "retails" at almost $2000. I used RubeBabeII™'s boyfriend's discount and bought it for $286.

Originally Posted by forex

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Alternatively, you could buy 3 pairs of Vass and sleep on the floor

Don't put ideas in my head

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

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Pro-tip for bed shopping: Find an employee and glom onto his discount. I am sleeping on a mattress and boxspring that "retails" at almost $2000. I used RubeBabeII™'s boyfriend's discount and bought it for $286.
Do you mean MSRP or retail in a mattress store? MSRP is about twice mattress store retail from what I saw today. Also, I don't think I know anyone remotely close to the furniture industry

I mean store retail. I think the MSRP of my bed is over $3000! (Like anyone, ever, even pays retail!)

The employee discount is definitely worth looking for. I think RB's bf can buy one set per year per brand.

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

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I mean store retail. I think the MSRP of my bed is over $3000! (Like anyone, ever, even pays retail!)

The employee discount is definitely worth looking for. I think RB's bf can buy one set per year per brand.

That's quite awesome actually. Sadly, I can't even think of six Kevin Baconish degrees of separation to someone that works at a mattress store, but I'll try to. I got rid of my old bed when I moved and I'm sleeping on a foam Ikea twin size mattress on the floor now. It's been a rough few days.

8 mattress mysteries Last reviewed: May 2010 This article appeared in May 2010 Consumer Reports Magazine. Latest on Mattresses Overview Ratings Buying Advice Consumer Reports gets hundreds of mattress questions from readers each year. We put some of the most frequent ones to our in-house experts and our consultant on this project, who has worked in research and development, manufacturing, and product design for several major mattress companies. 1. Why do mattresses cost so much? Because they carry hefty markups. In a furniture store, for example, the margins are usually higher for mattresses than any other product. Mainstream innerspring mattress sets from major labels carry gross profit margins of 30 to 40 percent each for wholesalers and retailers. More luxurious models are even bigger moneymakers, with margins for the retailer of around 50 percent. 2. What's the difference between a $2,000 mattress and a $1,000 one? Less than you might think. Generally speaking, you get more of the same, maybe six inches of cushioning instead of four, more coils, heavier wire, fancier fabric, and extra support around the edge or lumbar region. A lot of the niceties are overkill for many people. A queen-size mattress set from a major manufacturer with a list price of $1,000 is a satisfactory product that should last most people eight to 10 years, the same as a pricier model. 3. Are those really cheap mattresses advertised in store ads worth considering? Probably not for everyday use. They often skimp on support and comfort, even durability. The padding might be so thin that you can feel the springs. Often, the foams and fabrics are of an inferior quality. The spring systems are usually just enough to get by. Stores use promotional or subpremium mattresses to draw customers in and upsell them to a fancier model. 4. What's most likely to go wrong with a mattress? Most of the time it's the cushioning materials. Plush pillow-tops and euro tops, which add layers of foam and other soft padding to the top, are usually more prone to sagging and indentations. Also, king-size mattresses can get a ridge down the center (head to foot) because their foundations come in two pieces. 5. How can someone return a defective mattress? Call the retailer where you bought it or the mattress manufacturer. But bear in mind that aside from obvious flaws such as a broken spring or ripped seam, a mattress has to sag at least 1½ inches before it's considered defective and eligible for replacement. If you file a claim, the manufacturer will send a representative to your home to measure the indentation. An estimated 5 percent to 8 percent of new big-brand mattresses are returned either because the mattress was defective, damaged in delivery, or just plain uncomfortable. 6. Will pairing an old foundation with a new mattress void the warranty? Not necessarily, but check with the store or manufacturer. As long as it's in good shape-no cracks, rips, warps, or dips-the old foundation ought to provide adequate mattress support and perform as it's supposed to. But when in doubt, replace it. 7. What's the difference between the warranty and comfort guarantee? A warranty covers manufacturing defects, while a comfort guarantee allows dissatisfied consumers the opportunity to exchange a mattress if it doesn't live up to expectations, typically within 21 to 100 days. But note that most comfort guarantees carry a penalty of as much as $400 or 15 percent of the purchase price, and there could also be a redelivery charge. So be sure to ask. The models we tested from Sealy, Serta, and Simmons offered a non-prorated 10-year warranty; the Select Comfort and Tempur-Pedic warranties were for 20 years. The Select Comfort warranty was prorated after a few years, and the Tempur-Pedic was prorated after 10. Prorating refers to a warranty that covers less and less of the original purchase price the longer you've owned the mattress. If your mattress is stained, that could also void the warranty. 8. Are all mattresses flame-marsupialant? They should be. On July 1, 2007, the first new federal flammability regulation for mattresses in more than 30 years took effect, requiring all mattresses to have a much slower burn rate if they're ignited by a lighter, match, or candle. That's supposed to allow you more time to discover a mattress fire and escape from it.

Getting started - mattress guide You should think about buying a new mattress if you wake up tired or achy, you tend to sleep better at hotels than at home, your mattress looks saggy or lumpy, you're over 40, or your mattress is five to seven years old. Use this mattress guide to help with your purchase. Choose a size Most sleepers shift positions during the night, and cramped quarters can keep them from moving freely. Standard mattress dimensions are king, 76x80 inches; California king, 72x84 inches; queen, 60x80 inches; full, or double, 53x75 inches, and twin, 38x75 inches. Consider an innerspring first A conventional innerspring mattress is the most common choice and often the least expensive. Memory foam, which was developed to protect astronauts against g-forces, is heat-sensitive and conforms to your body. Tempur-Pedic is the big name, but there are other brands. Not all memory foam feels the same, and it can take time to get used to. Another option is an inflatable mattress; with this kind you can choose a different firmness for each half of the bed. Select Comfort is the major brand. Decide where to shop Buy at a store, not online or over the phone, unless you've already tried the identical mattress in a store. A product manager for Tempur-Pedic told us that more online customers return their mattresses than shoppers who buy in a store. Department stores have frequent sales and lots of brands, but can be crowded, cluttered, and short on sales help. Bedding stores such as Sleepy's and 1-800-Mattress, and furniture stores such as Seaman's, offer plenty of variety and are often less crowded. We found the salespeople at these stores more attentive and sometimes more willing to bargain. Company stores selling only Duxiana or Select Comfort provided especially good service, because employees can afford to take time with customers. Queen-size sets cost about $4,000 to $7,000 at Duxiana (there's no bargaining) and about $900 to $3,800 at Select Comfort (there are occasional sales). One specialty bed we tested, Tempur-Pedic, is sold at a variety of stores, but we found that discounts were few and far between. Understand the name game Manufacturers usually modify innerspring mattresses for different sellers, changing the color, padding, quilting pattern, and so forth. Then each seller can call the mattress by a different name. Consumers are the losers. Because such mattresses are at least somewhat different, and the names vary, you can't comparison-shop. (A big chain such as Sears or Bloomingdale's has the same model names for the same beds at all of its stores, usually at the same price.) Some mattress makers provide helpful information on their websites. Go to www.simmons.com, for example, and you'll find basic information about the company's flagship Beautyrest lines, the Classic, World Class, and Exceptionale. You'll see those names wherever you find Beautyrest, and all beds in each line share attributes. Choose the right firmness Don't rely on names. One company's ultraplush might be another's supersoft. Orthopedists once recommended sleeping on an extremely firm mattress, but there's little evidence to support that view. The best surface is purely subjective, says Clete Kushida, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research. A study published in 2003 in the British medical journal Lancet suggested that people who suffer from lower back pain would benefit from a medium-firm mattress. That made sense to several experts we interviewed. If a mattress is too firm, it won't support the body evenly and may cause discomfort at the heaviest points (hips and shoulders). If it's too soft, a sleeper could sink into the surface and have a hard time moving, which could cause tingling, numbness, or aches. Alan Hedge Ph.D., professor of ergonomics at Cornell University, noted that the best mattress supports the spine at all points while allowing it to maintain its natural curve. By 40, Hedge said, skin loses elasticity and becomes more sensitive to pressure points, so a softer, more cushiony surface is more comfortable. "Slightly softer works better because there's less compression on the skin," he said. Do the 15-minute, in-store test Don't be embarrassed to lie down on lots of mattresses in the store. Salespeople expect it. Wear loose clothes and shoes that you can slip off. Spend at least 5 minutes on each side and on your back (your stomach too, if that's a preferred position). Panelists who took beds home for a month-long trial rarely changed the opinion they formed after the first night. On the whole, their opinions were the same as those of our in-store testers. Assess your need for a new box spring Foundations can sell for as much as the mattress, even though they're generally just a wood frame enclosing stiff wire and covered with fabric to match the mattress. We found that companies frequently pair the same foundation with mattresses in different price ranges. You can save by buying a higher-priced mattress and a lower-priced foundation. Once the bed is made, no one will know. If your current foundation is only a few years old, with no rips, warps, creaks, or "give," consider using it with a new mattress. If the old box has bouncy springs instead of stiff wire, it should be replaced. If your new mattress is ultrathick, consider pairing it with a "low profile" foundation, 4 to 6 inches thick. Be wary of `comparables' If you like a mattress at one store and ask elsewhere for something similar, you're likely to be steered toward a same-brand mattress that's supposed to have the same construction, components, and firmness. It's unlikely. Manufacturers don't publish a directory of comparables. Retailers that claim to sell them, insiders say, generally snoop in competing stores and compile a list of beds that appear equivalent. But when we went to three bedding chains and asked for mattresses similar to those we'd bought at three department stores, five of the six mattresses were way off the mark. A two-sided mattress, for example, was said to be comparable to a one-sided bed. Look for a comfort guarantee Some retailers give you two weeks to several months to return or exchange a mattress or box spring you don't like. Everyone plays by different rules, and a return usually costs you. At Bloomingdale's, you're encouraged to keep a bed for 30 days; then you have seven days to return or exchange it, but you'll pay for delivery plus 10 percent of the price up to $250. Sears doesn't charge for returns or exchanges within 90 days. Don't count on warranties They cover defects in materials and workmanship, not comfort or normal wear. They're usually in effect for 10 years; Duxiana's, Select Comfort's, and Tempur-Pedic's are in effect for 20. Some warranties don't cover full replacement value; instead an annual usage charge is deducted from the current retail price. When you make a claim, the store or manufacturer sends an inspector to your house. You'll need to show a receipt. If you say the mattress has sagged, the inspector checks whether the dip is below the allowable limit, 1 1/2 inches. A company will void a warranty if you remove the "do not remove" tag, if the mattress is soiled, or if it has uneven support from a box spring or frame--a common reason for sagging, says Stan Steinreich, a Simmons spokesman. Wait for a sale, and bargain Specialty mattresses usually have a set price, but you can save at least 50 percent off list price for an innerspring. Ads for "blowout" sales make such events seem rare. They aren't. If the price is good, buy; if not, wait. Our shopper spent $1,300 more for a Serta Perfect Sleeper set at one Sears store than for the same set at another Sears a week later. An advertised "bargain" may not be all it seems, so read the fine print. A Bloomingdale's flyer we saw touted 75 percent savings on mattresses, but a footnote revealed that the list price from which the discount was calculated "may not be based on actual sales." Have options at several stores If you're ready to shop elsewhere, you may be able to get a discount. When our reporter asked a salesman at a 1-800-Mattress showroom whether there was a better deal at the company's website, the salesman said he'd double the value of a $100 Internet coupon if the bed was bought at the store. Seal the deal Ask about disposal of your old mattress (some deliverers will take it to the curb, others charge to cart it away). Insist on a no-substitutions clause in the sales agreement, in case the bed you ordered is out of stock. When it's delivered, look for damage, and request a replacement if necessary. Leave the tag on In case you have to file a warranty claim, you'll need that do-not-remove-under-penalty-of-law label that's sewn onto the mattress. While the stern warning is aimed at retailers and manufacturers, not consumers, lopping off the tag could come back to haunt you if you can't resolve a warranty problem with the retailer and you need to plead your case to the manufacturer. The tags are important because they contain identifying information, a description of the filling (for example, polyester, goose down, feathers, or cotton) and the percentage of each, whether--and how much of--the materials are new or used, and details about flame marsupialancy. Other labeling requirements include country of origin (for example, "Made in the U.S.A. of imported materials" or "Shell made in China, filled and finished in the U.S.A."), and the name of the manufacturer, importer, distributor, or vendor. We checked the policies of three of the largest mattress makers, Sealy, Serta, and Simmons, and all agreed that you must have the law tag in order to have your claim processed. What's not 100 percent clear is whether the tag must be permanently attached to the mattress or whether it's adequate simply to possess a tag that's been cut off. We suggest you play it safe and leave the tag alone.

mattress brands You'll probably recognize some of these brands of mattresses, but because model names differ from store to store, it is difficult to compare mattresses by brand. But here are the big names in the business. Sealy | Select Comfort | Serta | Simmons | Tempur-Pedic Sealy Sealy leads the pack with over $1 billion in sales from its Sealy, Stearns & Foster, and Bassett brands of mattresses. Sealy has effectively marketed itself as maker of orthopedic, back-friendly mattresses with its Posturepedic line. The national brand is available in mass-market chains like Sears, sleep specialty stores, and furniture retailers. Sealy makes models at a wide range of prices, from $500 for a queen to more than $4,000 for a foam mattress. A plush pillow-top (queen mattress only) can range from $800 to $3,000. Sealy has recently expanded its offerings, and now makes latex (SpringFree by Sealy Posturepedic) and foam (TrueForm by Sealy Posturepedic) mattresses. Select Comfort Select Comfort, a specialty sleep brand, has grown significantly over the last few years and has moved into the top five. Select Comfort is most known for its Sleep Number beds, endorsed by the Bionic Woman, Lindsay Wagner. It claims the Sleep Number system allows the user to set the degree of firmness on each side of the bed. Select Comfort’s prices range from $1,000 for an entry-level 3000 queen set to $4,700 for the 9000 model which has memory foam and a digital remote. The brand is sold nationally in 450 Select Comfort retail stores and at the company’s Web site. Serta Serta is the No. 3 brand of mattresses, and its slogan is “We Make the World’s Best Mattress.” Serta relies on the very recognizable “counting sheep” ads to convey its comfort message to consumers. Serta is a national brand available at mass market chains like Sears, sleep specialty chains, and furniture stores. Prices range from $200 for an entry-level, firm queen mattress (only) to $3,000 for a KoolComfort memory-foam model. Serta has joined forces with designer Vera Wang to create the Signature Bridal Bed (queen set, $1,600), which was featured in an episode of “The Celebrity Apprentice” with Donald Trump. Simmons Simmons is No. 2 in the market, and is best known for its bowling-ball ads showcasing its “unsurpassed motion separation”— which means your partner won’t wake you up when he or she rolls over. Simmons’ Beautyrest line ranges in price from $500 for a basic queen mattress to $6,000 for a latex plush super pillow-top queen mattress. Simmons is available nationwide through mass-market chains like Sears, sleep specialty chains, and furniture stores. Like the other brand leaders, Simmons has its own line of latex and advanced memory-foam mattresses. Simmons also makes the Heavenly Bed used by the Westin hotel chain and the W Bed at W hotels. Consumers can purchase these mattress sets at each hotel’s shop-at-home Web site; each sells for around $1,600. Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Pedic revolutionized the bedding market with its introduction of memory foam a decade ago. Tempur-Pedic is the top specialty sleep brand and ranks No. 4 among the market leaders. Its expensive line of proprietary foam bedding ranges in price from $1,200 for the OriginalBed (queen) to $6,000 for the GrandBed. Tempur-pedic’s popularity has generated a loyal following as well as a number of knockoffs from the mattress brand leaders. Tempur-Pedic is a national brand available at sleep specialty stores and at its own Web site.