Recommend a mattress.

[TNDemo]

Mr. TNDemo and I have had it with our lumpy cheap old mattress and the aches and pains we wake up with and have decided to get a good one. Any recommendations? I think I have heard Sealy Posturepedic and Serta Perfect Sleeper recommended before but can't remember. Anybody know a great mattress that won't totally break the bank?

[GOPisEvil]

1. I've got a Serta that I bought 7-8 months ago.

It's one of the deeper, thicker mattresses. I paid around $650 on sale. I'm very happy with it so far.

[ZenLefty]

2. I wouldn't sleep on your mattress

You're just not my type. :shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

3. Not even if I wash the sheets?

:D

[ZenLefty]

6. Okay. Maybe.

Do you have a flat-panel TV affixed to the ceiling over the bed. That'd be kewl!

[GOPisEvil]

7. No, but that is a good idea.

:think:

[HamstersFromHell]

8. Mirrors are cheaper

[onebigbadwulf]

4. Anythjing but Sit N' Sleep

their commercials are so goddamn annoying.

[HamstersFromHell]

5. I'll ask first...

I'll ask rather than assuming by your name you're at least somewhat local to me (Tennessee?).

Haven't bought one, but I hear good things about the locally produced Fluffo matresses. Supposedly inexpensive (as opposed to cheap), but good quality.

[tnlefty]

9. Welcome to DU

I've never heard of Fluffo - where are they made?

[Lars39]

10. Fluffo.........

"Factory Direct Store at 900 Main Street across the river from downtown Nashville.

http://www.fluffo.com/faq.htm

[tnlefty]

14. Thanks - I learn something new every day

n/t

[HamstersFromHell]

12. Thanks for the welcome!

They're made in Nashville by Capitol City Mattress Co.

www.fluffo.com

[wryter2000]

11. Air mattress

My dh and I got an air mattress. It's actually two mattresses with separate firmness/softness controls. You can push a button to control the firmness on your side. We've had it for over 5 years, and it's a dream.

[stimbox]

13. I love my Serta Perfect Sleeper Anniversary

Get something with a high coil count.
Be sure to test drive a number of mattresses.
Spend some time on each one.

[RC]

16. But don't do anything

to get yourself kicked out of the store. :evilgrin:

[flamingyouth]

15. Try to get one with a pillow top

I can't believe the difference it's made for our sleep.

[cmd]

17. Serta pillow top

There are many models of Serta to choose from. Go for a high coil count. I just feel sorry for those counting sheep.

[tarkus]

18. You mean dog kennels?

[midnight armadillo]

19. Samina

http://www.samina.com/system.html

no toxic chemicals or outgassing.

[LTR]

20. And now...a word from a furniture/mattress salesman

Namely me (gee...nice to have one on board here at DU)!

Serta is a great brand. Of course, I'm partial, since the store I work for sells them. Sealy is also good (I sleep on a Crown Jewel pillowtop).

Some words of advice when shopping for a mattress:

1. If your mattress is ten years old or more, is lumpy and funny shaped, or was a cheapie to begin with, GET A NEW ONE!! Most backaches and fatigue are caused by bad mattresses. Sounds like you're ready to do this.

2. Plan to spend AT LEAST $500-600 or more (likely) for a queen set. Don't be afraid to spend a little more money for a good product. After all, you will likely spend 1/3 of your life on the thing. You can get a great night's sleep on a $1000-2000 or higher unit, but you may feel more comfortable on a $700 set. Buy the whole set, including the box spring (foundation). If you have a platform bed or are using it in a waterbed frame, you can skip the box spring. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go cheap and put the new mattress on the old box spring. Would you build a new house on an old foundation? Probably not.

3. Be aware that there are three general types of mattresses on the market - firm, plush and pillowtop (eurotop). All three of the same level tend to have identical coil constructions. Firm mattresses have a dense fiberpad layer on top of the springs, which gives it a stiffer feel. Plush has softer foams across the springs, and pillowtops (or the more modern eurotops) have even more foam. These are comfort choices, and each should give the same amount of support. Don't fall for the old fable of firm mattresses being better for your back. That's B.S. I've slept on the floor before and it wasn't very good on my back.

4. When going out shopping, wear loose, comfortable clothes. You will be laying down a lot. You don't necessarily have to hit every store in town. Mattress pricing is very competitive. But you might like to try the major brands (Serta, Sealy, Simmons, Stearns & Foster (owned by Sealy). Also, try some alternative products such as Tempur-Pedic, made primarily from the very dense visco-elastic foam (I'd say Select Comfort, but they advertise heavily on right-wing radio shows - El Rushbo sleeps on one himself!). All make great mattresses, and likely all of them will be more comfortable than your current one).

5. Look for a long warranty. Ten or more years should suffice. Any less is a promotional-level (cheap) mattress, and it won't give you optimal support.

6. Coil counts mean little. Some mattress shops push the importance of this, but gauge and style of coil are also important. For example, Stearns and Foster makes a higher-end mattress that has a thicker gauge coil and a lower count than most, but it's still a great mattress. Also, most premium bedding has similar counts, within a 50-100 count range, which means little.

7. Above all, go with the model that gives you the best suport and the most comfort. This is most important. It doesn't have to be the most expensive in the store, but it has to suit you the best.

I could go on and on, but if anyone has questions, post them here.

Good luck, and sleep well.

[LTR]

21. Some links to help you

Remember, dont' get too hung up on specs (coil counts, gauge of steel, jargon, etc.) This could get confusing. Just get the most comfortable mattress for the most comfortable price.

Simmons Sleep Research Center:
http://208.254.4.19/src/default.cfm

The Better Sleep Council
http://www.bettersleep.org/

Serta
http://www.serta.com/

(gotta love the sheep!)



Sealy
http://www.sealy.com/

Tempur-Pedic
http://www.tempurpedic.com

[TNDemo]

22. Wow - thanks for all the great info!

Good to have a mattress guy on the board.

[nuxvomica]

23. nothing like an air mattress

I like the Aero bed. Cheap, portable, and firm. On a traditional mattress, I sleep face down in a fetal position and wake up feeling like people came in during the night and beat me with pillow cases filled with brass doorknobs. On an air bed, I sleep on my back, arms and legs stretched out, with my rib cage fully expanded. Downside, I'm on my fifth one. Damn cat!

[BiggJawn]

24. I have a "Swan" soft-sider waterbed. Had it 8 years now.

Pillow top, reduced motion, cost me $900...

I have slept on NOTHING but a waterbed since 1978.
I don't buy the myth about them being "bad for your back" I spent a week recently on a harder-than-blood-blue-hammered-hell hotel mattress, and by the third night I was having back spasms. A hard bed is great to screw on, but worthless for sleeping.

[geniph]

27. I loved my waterbed when I lived alone

but had to give it up when I got married. See, my husband weighs more than double what I do, and if he laid down suddenly, I was liable to fly out of bed like the little girl when the monster sits on the see-saw in Young Frankenstein.

I think waterbeds are great for solo sleepers, but for a person who weighs much less than their bed partner, well, you end up clutching the side of the bed to keep from rolling downhill.

[geniph]

25. It's hard to give advice without knowing some things

like, what size bed do you have now? do you prefer firmer or plusher? what size are the two of you? do you toss and turn?

We just went through this ourselves; our expensive, 4-year-old bed was causing us severe back pain and lost sleep. We noticed this especially after returning from vacation; in the hotel beds, we were fine, but started suffering again as soon as we got home to our own bed. I did a ton of research, and found this helpful:
http://www.epinions.com/content_2324406404

But the best thing I did was to go to a decent store and talk at length to a woman who's been selling beds for 20 years. She looked at the size of the two of us, asked about our sleeping habits, talked us out of some of the more expensive beds, and we ended up buying a Sealy Posturepedic Palade. So far, we're sleeping much better and with much less pain and stiffness in the morning.

It's hard to do a head-to-head comparison, because many models are exclusive to certain retailers. You really need to spend some time talking to a good salesperson and spend a LOT of time lying on the various beds - both of you. Don't get sucked into the old wives' tale about firmer being more supportive, either - that's no longer true.

One of the best things we did was to go to a king-size. The extra room really helps both of us sleep better. Plus now there's room for the 3 giant cats without me waking up feeling I've been buried alive.

[virgdem]

26. I would recommend a Tempur-Pedic -

Very pricey, but an excellent mattress - foam developed by NASA and used in space shuttle seats. I have had mine since 1999 and I love it. I don't have a sore back when I wake up in the morning. Air beds may be good, but when compared to the Tempur-Pedic, are not even in the same league.