Thoughts & opnions needed for a new bed.

[Simp]

Well it's almost a new year and I think I'm ready for a new bed. My bed or mattress isn't very old maybe 3 or 4 years at the most but thanks to my niece and nephew walking on it.  Plus my constant presence on it has worn it out. It's not horrible but I have some springs that bug me now and again and I notice I'm waking up with a few more aches and pains from it. My dad went threw buying a bed a few months back and so I went to several different stores and laid down on a few. I found I did like some of the new memory foams but I'll never pay $1500 and up for a bed I don't think. I mean thats allot of fishing gear I could buy! ;D I also found I loved some type of older foam bed or something that the salesman said was made out of a petroleum based compound. So I guess I'm asking does anybody have any recommendations on a memory foam style mattress they are happy with that doesn't cost a arm and a leg? The couple I found on Sams Club website seem to good to be true but do have some good customer reviews. Here is the one that I'm particularly interested in http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=401228&pCatg=8381 .

[jeremyt]

I am interested in this thread as well, I am in the market for a new mattress and box spring myself. I have been looking/laying around on some lately and cant say that I have found any that fit the bill for me.

Sorry I am no help though.

[Branuss04]

I can't help you too much, but I'd figure this is a good thread to brag on.

My moms co-worker and her husband bought a brand new CA-King Simmons Beautyrest bed.  It's one of those springless beds.  3 weeks after they bought it, they got a divorce.  He left her the bed, but she didn't want to sleep on it since it reminded her of him.  So she told me I could have it for free if I came and picked it up.  It included all sheets, mattress topper, Comfortor, frame, and box springs.... all for free.  they paid well over 2 grand for it, but I for one, am happy they got a divorce.  I used to wake up with an aching back, but haven't since I got this bed.  And being 6'6" it fits me very well.  

Is it worth 2-3 grand He!! NO!!! But was it worth the $10 in gas.... FOSHIZZLE!!!!!

[Glenn]

The key about mattresses is that it's personal choice. More expensive doesn't necessarily equate to more comfortable.

The one thing you must do when shopping is lay down on the bed for at least 15 mins. If you're still comfortable after that long, you have a contender. Trust me, there's a lot that won't even make it to 5 mins!

Keri and I went through the whole bed shopping thing last year. We narrowed it down to a foam bed by Englander and a Simmons pillow top we found at Costco. We went with the Simmons.

But again, it's personal preference.

[grimlin]

I'm right there with you guys on needing a new bed.My girl is waking up to bad backaches every night.She "knows for sure" it's the bed.I'm not too sure because i really don't have any problems with it.

So $200 of our tax money has to go toward a new bed....It's gotta be queen size as that is our frame size as well. So late January we will be bed hunting.

[Bassn Blvd]

I have a spring mattress that was about 1500.  It's a pillow top and supposedly never needs to be turend around, not upside down.  I hate it. I don't think it's 2 yrs old and already sinks.  Supposedly you want the hire gauge springs and the more springs the better, which this one has.  Like Glenn said, you just have to lay on it for a good while but even then who knows how it will be in a year or two.  

My friend and sister in law have the foam mattress and they LOVE it. Couple yeas old and is the same as when they bought it.  They are expensiv but the good ones come with a good warranty.

You can also buy a foam top for your spring mattress.  My mom has it on her bed and likes it.  Good luck.

[fishfordollars]

We bought the memory foam to go on our beauty rest mattress. For the first two weeks we were sure we had made a mistake. Now we love it. Most stores will give you a 30 day swap if you are unhappy(At least they do in this area)so just go pick out what you think you will like and if not swap it for another.

[Muddy]

I HAAVE AN OLD SIMMONS ,spring that lasted for 15 yearss. I need a new one also, and I agree with Glenn, it is a personal choice, I will probally get another spring type as I have been sleeping on them my whole life .

[burleytog]

Too bad none of the furniture stores will let you test them the way they really need to be tested...

[Muddy]

What happened Burley? Did the salesmen make you keep your hands above the blankets again?

[fathom]

go to overstock.com.

the wife bought a memory foam for our king size bed there for about $100...thicker than the one shown in your ad.

if you get one, get a thin, quilted feather mattress to go on top...the memory foam is hard to beat (we chose it over the sleep number deal)but, they are hot with just a sheet between you and it.

best sleep i've had in years...tho my 58 year-old back may be different than yours.

[bassnleo]

We own a Tempur Pedic memory foam bed that cost just under $2000. When we bought it my wife was having minor back problems from lifting patients (she's an RN).

I loved it for about 2 months......now I really hate it.

I've been having lower back pain and I'm fairly confident that this bed is not right for me and is a contributing factor to my pain. I can sleep in my recliner and have no issue, sleep in the bed and wake up aching.

Like already mentioned, expensive does not mean good for you personally.

I'd really like to try out a "sleep number" bed.

[jax]

Beds are simply once you get the bull crap out of the way. There is one coil maker that makes about 80% of all the coils that go into almost every brand name bad. Same bed just under a different brand name.

More coils is not always better. More coils mean more support but a stiffer bed. Same thing with wire size. Thicker the wire the stiffer the bed. They are now making coil beds that have zones in them. The term escapes me at the moment but the coils are zoned to make some part stiffer. The stiffer the bed the more pressure you feel. The softer the bed the weirder you will lay. To much of either way and you will not sleep very well.

You need to lay on the mattress 25 to 30 minutes. It takes that long for you to get  bored enough to really relax. Anything under 25 minutes won't give you the same feel. You really need to do this at least twice to the mattress that you think you want to buy.

I have bad hips. We went with a memory foam mattress. Everything I said above still applies here. The denser the foam does not make it better. The denser the foam the stiffer it is. The denser the foam is also what makes it more expensive. You don't want the memory foam portion to thick. Then you will sink to far in. To little and you won't get the advantage of memory foam.

You have to watch the foam quaility in any bed. I'm not talking about the memory foam portion. Even on memory foam beds the whole bed is not memory foam. There is an underlying layer of regular foam that is there for support. This is where a lot of manufactures cut corners. This is the foam that will break down first. A good memory foam mattress has about 8" of underlying foam and 3" of memory foam and 2" of what they call the new cooler memory foam.

Alot of time Brand name mattress have the same exact componets. You are just paying for the name. That being said alot of off brand mattress use the cheap materials that will break down in a short time.

You normally want to look in the middle of the pack. You get quality with paying for the name. WHAT to buy is where you need to do your research. Most importantly spend 30 minutes on at least 2 different days trying your mattress out.

It took my wife and I two weeks to decide on our mattress. In my opinion memory foam is worth the money.

[flechero]

What happened Burley? Did the salesmen make you keep your hands above the blankets again?

;D  

muddy - 1

burley - 0

[roadwarrior]

Stearns & Foster offer exceptional mattress sets. This website

also has tips on what to look for when selecting a new bed:

http://www.stearnsandfoster.com/guidance.aspx

8-)

[FishingBuds]

I went thru this last year and after looking at all I could(I made up my mind to get a good one) I settled on getting a sleep number, NICE!

it depends how bad your looken for one to pay the price, now I got a king dual operated air controll pillow top right at $2000, I walked out not getting anything else extra cause thats where they get ya

I already did my homework and knew what I wanted, The salesman tried but, thats all I bought, now I figured what all he was trying to sell me and it would have cost over $5000 if I would have done that :

stay with the bed don't get caught up with extras, go to wally-world for the rest

OH, i'm a 35 ;D

[Simp]

Ok I've been doing a ton of research on the subject of Latex vs Memory Foam and ran across a good basic article that breaks it down.

http://www.memory-foam-buyers-guide.org/latex-mattress.html

"Memory foam mattress products are everywhere these days...tv, radio, newpapers and magazines, but are they really the best choice for a mattress?

Latex has been around for as long as rubber trees...not the latex mattress, but, at least the raw material.

So...what are the differences in the two and how do you know which might be the best suited for your new mattress? The following comparison should be of interest if you're considering either one.

Memory foam mattresses, by nature, are softer and more pliable than latex mattresses.

Memory foam is temperature reactive. In other words, it will become softer, when you lay on it, and your body temperature starts to warm it up.

The reverse is also true. When the memory material gets cold, it will become quite firm.

If your memory foam mattress is made of high quality, dense foam, you will have the best of both worlds. You won't have to buy a "hard" mattress to get the proper support for your body.

To check for support, you should try to slide your hand under the small of your back, when lying on your back in bed. Don't raise up or roll to the side when doing this, you should be lying flat.

If you can easily slide your hand under the small of your back, your mattress isn't supporting you. It needs to be replaced.

Density is directly proportionate to quality. The denser memory foam is much more expensive to make and will last indefinitely.

Cheaper memory foam is made up of a lot of air and can break down in a matter of a 3 to 5 years. (or even sooner)

While it may seem like a "good deal" to find a lower priced mattress, you'll be replacing it in a few years and won't have the good support you need either.

The thickness of the memory foam is also important.

If it's too thin, you can bottom out and actually be laying on the HR (high resiliency) foam base material. The base foam is not meant to be laid on and will be uncomfortable.

If it's too thick, it will be too soft.

Because of the way memory foam "melts" away from the pressure of your body, it will spread your weight out evenly over the entire surface that's touching it.

This even support is what makes the memory foam mattress so comfortable. It also greatly reduces the tossing and turning that so many people have a problem with at night.

On most other mattresses, you develop pressure points. These are places, usually around the hips and shoulders, where the circulation is greatly or completely cutoff.

When your body senses this restriction, it signals your brain that you are dying and the brain reacts by telling you to turn over.

This can happen from 40-60 times in a night so you are constantly moving, which can be very annoying to your sleep partner and cause them to be sleepless night after night. It could be grounds for mattress divorce.

Ideally, the memory foam should be about 3 1/2" to 6" thick.

Latex mattresses have a unique feel, also. Imagine filling a mattress cover with jello. That's about the closest analogy to the feel of a latex mattress.

It's very supportive but also pretty firm. It will transfer a little bit more motion than memory foam.

Many people like latex because they view it as a natural product and, therefore, they reason that it is healthier to sleep on.

There are natural latex mattresses and processed latex mattresses, so you should check carefully on the label to make sure you are really getting a natural latex.

Latex is harvested from rubber trees in about the same way maple syrup is derived from maple trees. They tap into the tree and it oozes out.

The latex is then processed according to the product it will be made into, which can be for anything from tires to mattresses.

Some processes use petroleum or chemicals in manufacturing. Of course, this would produce a mattress that is not natural and, therefore, environmentally unfriendly. Natural latex is biodegradable.

Latex is naturally hypoallergenic and anti-microbial. Dust mites, mold and fungus will have a hard time surviving on a latex mattress, so your allergies won't be irritated when you go to bed each night.

Another unique feature of latex is that it is almost indestructible. It will literally last for a lifetime, under normal circumstances."

I can tell you I personally preferred Latex when I laid on one at the bed store over Memory Foam. With that said I'm probably leaning to a Memory Foam mattress because I've found a AMAZING price on some at Sams Club online. The bed is made by Foamex who is a MAJOR producer of these beds and they supply most of the major brands with there foam. The one linked is a 8 inch but they have a 10 and 12in version as well. You will notice they also have great reviews. The other big factor is Sams Clubs great return policy.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=401228

I've also found a discount Latex producer that is getting good reviews. Here is the link to there Queen Latex Matresses.

http://www.foambymail.com/LatexMQueen.html

Their prices are great compared to other Latex beds at about $475 with free shipping.

I also came across what appears to be the BassResource.com for beds at http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/. I'm sure they can help awnser allot of our questions and I know just reading tons of threads over there has helped me, but don't forget to report your findings and your bed results! Oh and OVerstock seems tp be a no no. Many people don't get what they paid for and Overstock doesn't seem to like returns. Telling one guy that after he figured out his bed should way a certain amount for his denstiy rating (but didn't) that it would weight more once it was opened and expanded to it's full size. ;D