[kenreau]

I noticed a number of threads on sleep issues, but did not notice any mention of mattresses as a potential related issue.  My wife and I have a king size bed with a Sealy PosturePedic mattress set we got at Costco about 8 years ago.  We flip it and rotate it every few months, but it appears to be not rebounding as much and feels like it is time for a replacement. 

Is there any consensus on a healthy mattress type/style to look for?  I skimmed a few websites and it is almost as overwhelming as shopping for a TV or car.  Too many claims and choices.

I notice Innerspring, Memory Foam, Latex, Tempur-Pedic, etc. 

http://www.bestbedguide.com/mattress-forum/

Any solid recommendations out there?  Any revelations discovered that enhanced the sleep experience?  Anything to avoid (e.g. The Sleep Number line got blasted)

Thanks
Kenreau

[scp2]

I am a problem sleeper that has been thru several issues with my back. I have owned everything except a sllep number bed...including Tempur-pedic....I am guessing 7-8 in the last 10 years.
My choice is Simmons Beauty-rest. I like the individual coils. The foam mattress's were hot to sleep on...they say the new ones are not.
 

[fly_fish_nz]

My wife and I tried a few different memory foam mattresses, but ended up with and prefer the natural latex mattress we purchased.  Interestingly, I had always preferred very firm mattresses, but have found I sleep more comfortably on the latex mattress, which is just a little less firm than others we owned.

I'm not a fan of a lot of Ikea furniture, but this is the type of thing we thought they could do well and at a reasonable cost:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80110962

Note that this is more expensive than their other "latex" mattresses because it is 85% natural latex, with little synthetic added.
 

   

[doug s.]

nothing better, imo, then a plain winyl bladder filled w/water.   

doug s.

[owenmd]

We've had a few beds over the years, our king pillow top beauty-rest was very good from what I remember.  We replaced it with a king Temper-Pedic and have suffered from constant achy backs and numb arms.  We've finally fixed most of this problem by using an extra $150 pillow top on the Temper-Pedic.... not perfect, but a lot better and cheaper than a new bed.

We have a few friends with sleep numbers and they all seem to love them.  I think the best bed we ever slept in was a traditional quality coil spring with a feather/down top.... can't remember the make?

[Devil Doc]

My wife and I recently purchased a new bed. I wish you luck. Even Consumer Reports won't recommend one. It's crap shoot with a lot of shady goings on. We ended up with a Simmons Beauty Rest, Firm with a plush pillow top. It's OK, but it's difficult to get any purchase on it. If we had got to try out a beds secondary purpose, we probably wouldn't have bought it.  You're really on your own and at the mercy of mattress salesmen. Once again good luck, cause you're going to need it.

Doc.

[wgscott]

We got this:

http://www.sc41.com/berkeley-ergonomics.shtml

It cost a bundle but was worth it.

[TF1216]

I love the foam stuff.  The Vera Wang Collection from Serta is the bee's knees!  Expensive though. 

I was able to find a sweet deal on a foam mattress but going to a reseller of sorts.  This guy gets mattresses from mattress manufacturers.  It works well for him because he is in Minneapolis which is close to many manufacturers.

I spent $600 for a king size mattress that I love.

[Mike Nomad]

Went with Poly Foam about 6 years ago, and have been completely satisfied. Switching fixed a couple of back problems, and I have never slept better. Going this route means you don't use a box spring. So, you may have to sort out getting more slats for your existing frame, or dropping in some plywood. Also, there may be some headboard considerations...

Plenty of companies making Poly Foam mattresses (I went with is BodyZone). The biggest things to target are foam density of at least 5 lb., and a mattress thickness of at least 8 inches. You'll be spending in the $600-$900 range.

[buckeyefanandy]

I would never, ever consider anything other than an Latex Foam mattress.  Ask the folks at most bed places and they will tell you that they would not sleep on anything else.  I hate going on trips because I miss my bed.

[cornelius]

I just picked up a new mattress.  I had a Shifman - firm mattress on a platform bed (no box spring) for 10 years.  Before that it was Futons, so I was into firm mattresses.  I settled on a latex mattress, and actually went softer than I'm used to.  I got one from OMI, which has a "topper" - a soft 4" mattress on top of an 8" firm mattress.  The foundation under that, is just a frame, no springs.  Although this mattress is plush by my standards, it's really supportive and for the last week my wife and I have been sleeping like logs.  The main mattress is flip-able, and the top mattress is reversible, one side is firmer than the other.

Here's what I discovered about latex:  Go natural vs synthetic - it lasts longer, feels better and no smell.  Latex does not get hot like memory foam.  Latex is more resistant to mold, mildew, mites and bedbugs, than traditional mattress.  Less disruptive to sleeping partners when one moves around. They feel a lot better.  Latex beds are pretty expensive, but I've heard nothing but unhappy reviews from friends and online about typical mattresses that you can get at Sleepys...  Many traditional mattresses are being made more cheaply now - you can't flip them anymore!  It's cheaper to make that way, and is probably planned obsolescence by the companies...

Bying a new mattress is a pain in the a$$.  Another option could be a Hastens - They're supposed to be really nice, but they get up there, price-wise...

[Elizabeth]

I am very unhappy with the current slew of mattresses.
I have one i like that is at least 20 years old, and i wanted to replace it last year. No way.
i despise the fuzzy white covering on ALL mattesses now.
They will last five years max.
(maybe somewhere some companies use other stuff to cover their matresses. But the places i went, that is the ONLY type of covering. like lemmings they all have to be exactly the same?)
So I live with my current mattress. Using a floor carpet cleaner a few years ago did an amazing job of restoring the covering anyway!!
So I have no complaints on my current twenty year old mattress. Maybe i'll use it another twenty years and screw the mattress makers and thier stupidity. (rant over)
And flipping the floor vac up on it also takes care of dust etc.
Your mileage may vary.

[Nick77]

My wife and i are in the same boat, we have been shopping for weeks for a natural alternitive. We are looking to replace our unsupportive waveless waterbed.
After countless visits to our local natural bedding store we have opted for the Eco-Memory foam mattress. The Ecomfort foam isnt hot like other foam matteress but it gives me the most support and comfort for my hips and sholders even over the latex matteress. It is a bit pricy but i see a chiro almost weekly and cannot see getting better without this level of comfort and support. This bed allows me to be pain free.
http://www.eco-mattress-store.com/products/Ecomfort-Pure-7-Series-3-12-Inch-Memory-Foam-Mattress.html

[Larkston Zinaspic]

The best bed I have ever slept on was a round, king size mattress at a resort in the Poconos. It was probably the air too, but I have never slept as well since my stay there.

Now I own a Comforpedic, which is just OK. I have not slept well for as long as I can remember. I think selecting the right mattress is even more difficult than finding the right audio equipment...a very individual thing.

[nonoise]

I have a bad case of shoulder impingement and it wakes me up at night when I roll over on it.
What I got was a Serta foam mattress set from Leeds and viola! no more pain. I fall to sleep faster and wake up sooner feeling a heck of a lot better and am able to almost roll out of bed at will, without deliberation or delay with no back ache or shoulder pain. And I don't seem to roll around as much.
I've heard of the heat build up but have yet to encounter it. Summer is around the corner and hopefully this type will not heat up as much as the older models did.

[kenreau]

... I think selecting the right mattress is even more difficult than finding the right audio equipment...a very individual thing.

It must be very similar.  I'm suprised at the amount of suggestions and general dissatisfaction with most mattresses.  There does appear to be a common recommendation along the lines of the natural / latex beds. 

Thanks to all for the great feedback AC gang!  Keep it coming if you have something to share.

Kenreau.

[Kinger]

I tend to wonder if it has less to do with the mattress and more to do with the amount of stress in the average persons daily life that leads to more tossing and turning filled nights.  Think about it.....as a kid you sleep like a rock which I attribute to both blowing huge amounts of energy playing and not worrying about much as your parents take care of your every need.  Then as you get older and the stresses of the world start to pile on the sleepless nights tend to increase.  I for one sleep MUCH worse now than I ever did and that's because now I'm a dad of two young kids.  On top of that we are in constant contact with others via cells phones and the internet as well as being fed news from around the world.

Doesn't it seem like you usually sleep better and more deeply while you are on a vacation for a week or more?

[Diamond Dog]

+1 for latex. Was going to go that route last time and have been kicking myself for 8-9 years while scrapping with a manufacturer over a  warranty claim on the last bed we bought. Bit the bullet and got a latex bed about 2 months ago. Will never, ever own another coil-spring mattress. Ever.
I hope this works out because I would rather do my own dentistry than shop for a bed. That whole industry is the world's greatest remaining repository of snake oil and treachery. What a racket.

D.D.

[cliffy]

Recently bought a European SleepWorks bed (berkeley, ca)

My wife and I were looking at Temperpedic but were not happy with the chemical outgassing of memory foams.

Our new mattress is a multiple individual pocketed innerspring with thick natural latex layer on top. We also bought the optional latex pillowtop

We love it.
Good luck. Mattress shopping is the worst.

[brj]

I always fall asleep in about 60 seconds and sleep like the dead until the alarm goes off, but I was finally forced to admit that my old coil spring mattress was years past retirement due to an impressive amount of sag, and thus did a ton of research late last year before finally buying a new mattress.

I ended up with a 9" natural Latex mattress made up of 3 layers of 3" thick Latex foam, each with a different firmness level that I can swap around at will.  After a lifetime of sleeping on firm coil-spring mattresses, I was going to order firm/medium/medium layers, but ended up with firm/medium/soft and am glad I did.  (2 of the layers are split down the middle, so I can change the firmness separately on each side of the bed as well.)  I bought it all on sale from a local dealer after testing quite a few brand options and latex firmness combinations in the store, and the deal was good enough that I even sprang for a 3" wool topper, which I hadn't originally planned on.  All ticking is organic cotton.  It took a single night to adjust to the softer bed, but it is incredibly supportive and phenomenally comfortable - it's harder than ever to get out of bed in the morning!  It was definitely more than I intended to spend, but now that I've been sleeping on it for a while, it was absolutely worth it, especially as I'll likely use it the rest of my life.

For what it's worth, all the Latex foam in my bed was processed via the older Dunlop method, rather than the newer Talalay method.  Talalay will generate slightly softer layers that will tend to be more uniform in density, but the difference is minute at best, and very much secondary to the overall density of the given foam layer.  And if you're going to put a topper on it, I see even less reason to pay the premium for Talalay processed Latex foam.  (If you're going to use a Latex layer as the topper, rather than wool, cotton, down or some other material, then it might be worth considering, but I'd still be hard pressed to notice the difference relative to a simple change in foam density.)