tempur pedic - opinions from people who own one, please!

[GermanDem]

We are shopping for a new mattress right now, and I would like to hear from people who have a tempur pedic mattress. Do you like or not? Why? Can you recommend it? Is it worth the $$$?

[gratuitous]

1. We're considering the TempurPedic

What we have heard, though, is that TempurPedic is sensitive to changes in heat from people's bodies, and they can be quite uncomfortable in warmer weather (in the Pacific Northwest, we need air conditioning about five days out of the year). Depending on where you live, this may be a consideration. There are other brands of memory foam mattresses that are supposed to address this problem.

[Paper Roses]

2. Lots of good info on DU2.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/searchresults.html?q=temperpedic&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com&sa=Search&domains=democraticunderground.com&client=pub-7805397860504090&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en

[GermanDem]

18. Great, thanks for posting!

[Taverner]

3. I have one - and have for 4 years

Cons:
- At first your back will hurt. They take some time getting used to.
- They are very heavy
- They are expensive
- Doing, um, *fun* things on them is harder

Pros:
- When your back adjusts, they hurt less and are very comfortable.
- Partner can get out of bed without waking you
- You never have to rotate your mattress
- Their pillows are awesome

[RobinA]

4. My Sister

and her husband had one, slept on it one night, called the company and demanded that they pick it up that day. They HATED it, and they aren't normally the send-stuff-back type. That's all I know.

[tk2kewl]

5. I have had the same one for 11 years

And love it.

You don't get the same bounce you do from springs, so some bedtime activites require a bit more work, but as for sleeping comfortably you can't beat it.

[davsand]

6. We have a traditional mattress with a memory foam topper.

I love the memory foam topper (4 inches thick) because it really is a nice surface. All the plusses they talk about with a tempurpedic, BUT if you don't regularly rotate a tempurpedic mattress, they will (over time) develop indents or grooves where you sleep. With a topper, you get the benefits of the foam, but if you hate it you can take it off or if it gets too "groovy" you can replace it without having to buy a whole new mattress. Husband and I agree it is the best sleep we've had in a very long time.

One negative to any of the tempurpedic/memory foam beddings is the smell. They do have a funk when they are new, but it does go away after a few days. I am told latex is better about that, and they are suppposed to be better for allergies. Dunno if it is true, but that is how it was explained to me. I do know that in our area latex costs more than the other foam beddings--that may vary in your area.

Good luck, I'd seriously encourage you to buy from someplace that will work with you if you absolutely hate it once you get it home. Nothing messes with you quite like a bad bed...



Laura

[GermanDem]

17. This what we have now, a worn out latex mattress with a memory foam topper.

I really like the memory foam topper!

[cyberpj]

26. I'm with the 4" good memory foam topper clan for reasons stated.

You still have to get a good quality (density) one but you can flip it around all sorts of ways if it starts to get a lasting dent and if you have to replace it it's not as costly. I still use a mattress pad cover as well.

[erinlough]

7. We have both the sleep number and a memory foam mattress

I prefer the memory foam mattress and I bought it from Overstock so I paid a fraction of the Tempur pedic. The cost for a Queen is less than 500, and it is wonderful. The one I bought was a firm, layered mattress and was advertised as low in odor, and it was. I slept on it the first night.

My husband prefers the sleep number.

[The empressof all]

8. I love it

I am also in the PNW and have never had issues with heat. I also have a very thick mattress pad on it.

I will never buy a spring mattress again after experiencing the foam. I do think you should of course go try it out. I have the very thickest one made so I'm not sure if the thinner models are as comfy.

[Moondog]

9. Well, three things -

1. They retain heat, so they sleep "hot." You need to use them in a cold room. So, in northern latitudes they can be OK. In Florida, where I currently live, you really should try one before you buy one. And if you do try before you buy, I'm guessing that you won't buy (if you live in a warmer climate.)

2. If you live, and sleep, alone they are better than if you don't. There is no gracious way to phrase this - there are better platforms for sexual activity . . . .

3. Rolling over in one is like trying to roll out of a ditch. Very hard to do, and more effort than it is probably worth.

None of these things, you will note, have anything to do with the cost of the thing. The cost simply adds injury to insult.

If it were me, I'd get something else. FWIW.

[UTUSN]

19. Excellent observations. "they sleep 'hot.' " n/t

[smoochpooch]

10. I used to deliver them and I'll tell you, people either loved them or hated them.

It's probably worth trying for the 90 day trial or whatever, especially if you have back pain or trouble sleeping, provided you can afford it.

[GermanDem]

16. Great, that is good to know!!!

[REP]

11. We have a TempurPedic Rhapsody (the firm one)

Over 4 years now. We like it.

[Bossy Monkey]

12. I have a memory foam mattress, off brand. Love it except I can't sleep on my left side

without my entire left side getting pins and needles. I actually have two plain foam rubber mattress pads on top of the mattress to defeat this problem.

(I'm not averse to firm mattresses. In fact I've been known to sleep on hardwood floors with only a sheet.)

[quakerboy]

13. Have one

I would recommend it. With a few caveats.

They are heavy and expensive. If you plan to move often often, they might not be a good choice. And if you might want to move up to a larger size bed, or something like that. And if you don't have the money to buy it.

It does feel different than sleeping on a spring mattress. But then so does a new spring mattress as compared to a old spring. And different does not equal bad. It may take an acclimatization period for some people who are more picky about their sleeping surface. Took me a few nights to start feeling really at home again. A good showroom should let you lie on their show models for half an hour or more, or even take a nap. I recommend taking the time to do that before making a decision

I find mine very comfortable, and I noticed a near immediate difference in back pain. I went from regular back pain to rare back pain.

I will admit they are a little harder to get across, if you need to cross longways. I sleep with my bed against 2 walls, so I have to crawl out long way, and that is more effort than on my old spring mattress. As a plus, I am far less likely to disrupt my sleeping wife while doing so.

I do not notice any difficulty with... "bedtime activities". In fact, it makes it that much more comfortable for extended periods of time on ones knees or other pressure points.

Others have mentioned a smell.. newly manufactured items usually have a slight odor. It goes away a lot quicker than new car smell.

I give them high marks on durability. As an overweight American, I find that spring mattresses do not last too long. A few years max. And they always have a technicality to void the warranty. There's always a small smudge or something. The tempurpedic has lasted over twice as long as any spring mattress I have owned, and shows not even a minor sinkage or anything.

If you do chose to get one, I recommend skipping their included box spring, and instead getting a good solid platform.

I did almost a year of research and testing before I was willing to part with the money. I had a job with decent pay at the time, or I would never have even considered it. Several years later, I would sleep on the floor for a year to save money for another one if I needed a new bed.

Any questions?

[GermanDem]

15. I agree with skipping the boxspring and getting a platform bed instead.

We will have to buy a new bed anyway, since our old one is from Germany and is sized differently than any of the American standard size mattresses.

[quakerboy]

20. To go a step further

You can make your own. Its actually really easy, depending on how ornate you want it to be, and you end up with a much higher durability level than anything you can buy within an order of magnitude of what you will pay.

Also, to add a few more details, we also went with the Rhapsody. But your desired firmness may change with changing to a memory-foam bed. I don't find it overly firm.

Also, I did notice, while trying out anything and everything available in local stores, that there is a difference between Tempurpedic and other "memory foam" options and the latex options. We skipped over latex completely, as my wife has an allergy, and didn't care to risk her life on their claims of being allergy neutral.

We also got several Memory foam pillows, Tempurpedic and other brands. You can easily tell the difference, and the tempurpedic just feels better. To me. YMMV

I will strongly re-recomend going into a showroom or 10 and spending as much time as they will allow you lying on and testing beds.

[GermanDem]

14. Thanks everyone for your input!!!

It really helps us with the decision-making process!

[Burma Jones]

21. We have had a Tempurpedic for 8 years

We like it. It still feels the same as when we got it. We do not awaken each other when we move in bed. It is worth the money. My wife especially appreciated it when pregnant with our third kid. I settle into it, go to sleep and usually wake up in the same position in which I fell asleep.

Here's the down side, the bed doesn't have any bounce if you get my drift.......

[laundry_queen]

22. I have a costco version

Got it for free from my brother who HATED it.

My complaints:

- SO HOT! Luckily I live in Canada so most of the time it's not a big deal - plus I have 2 really thick cotton mattress pads so that helps.

- Not easy to get out of if you've had surgery. Or if you're overweight. And if you've had surgery and are fat (btdt) you'll need help or you'll be stuck, lol.

- It gets indendations where you sleep over time.

- It's very very heavy and it makes it REALLY hard to make the bed (ie pick the corners up to put the fitted sheet around). HARD on the back when you're doing that.

- Sheets don't stay on properly. Because the foam shrinks when you sit/sleep on it, the sheet goes down with your butt/body and the corners slip off. I'm always remaking my bed.

-My back hurts worse than the spring mattress set w/memory foam that my ex took. I miss my old mattress...


Good things:

- No pressure points. My arms don't go numb sleeping anymore, no matter what position I'm in.

- Cozy on a cold winter night.

Hope that helps some. I'm actually looking to buy something new this next summer. Either that or invest in a/c, but I think with my electricity rates, the mattress will be cheaper. Either way, not another summer with this mattress and no a/c.

[Brigid]

23. I got one last fall. I like it a lot.

I have an actual tempurpedic. I don't have any trouble with sheets fitting properly or staying in place, and I sleep quite comfortably on it, with no aches or pains in the morning. As for the mattress being too hot in summer, I don't know yet.

[marzipanni]

24. This memory foam mattress sounds good-and less expensive than tempur pedic- check it out!

The first epinions review is written by a man who bought a Isoform viscoelastic foam mattress in Oct. '03 and kept reviewing it each year; the last review was in Oct. 11 and he and his wife still love the mattress. He mentioned that since these are made in the U.S. and you order directly from the manufacturer, they can make a special size, if you want to keep your German bed.

http://www.epinions.com/review/Bergad_Isoform_Mattress/content_115698929284

On this main page where it says "ask" you can order a custom size.-
http://www.isoform.com/?gclid=CJat5qrx7K0CFQdjhwodF35E4Q

[Corgigal]

25. Love mine now

however it felt rock hard for several months. However in time the mattress seems to soften and then it's heavenly. Nothing hurts when you wake up and no other mattress worked like that for us. Pillow top or any other type out there. In fact it was my temperpedic mattress that told me something was wrong with my shoulder. It was the only part that hurt and I finally went to my doctor about it. MRI later and yep shoulder muscle/bone issues.

If you allow the mattress to sit, and give it sometime to soften up you'll love it. I live in the south and it doesn't feel all that hot to me. I also sleep with a hubby, chihuahua and cat. I have no odor (unless the chihuahua is too close, Ha) and the sheets fit fine.
I think it's worth the money and I love not having to purchase a new mattress for over 20 years.

Hope this helped.