Mattress Recommendations

John's picture
Posted April 6th, 2007 by John
in

Hey all,

I think I need to change my mattress. I wake up every morning with a slight lower back pain that gets better during the day. The mattress is currently a medium spring mattress.

I wanted to pick up one of those memory foam mattresses, however, they seem to be very snug and therefore uncomfortable in warm weather. Additionally, I have read in some reviews that they go bad and sag after 6-9 months and that those sags are explicitly excluded from warranty.

Anyways, can anyone make recommendations on what type to get next? also, any recommendations of firmness?

Thanks in advance

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maverick's picture
On April 9th, 2007 maverick said:

Hi John,

A mattress is a very personal thing. I think different solutions suit different people.

However, several people recommended a latex mattress to me. I tried to find one, but did not have much success at the mattress stores in my area. If you've been shopping for a mattress, you must know how maddening it is that you cannot shop by a particular manufacturer and model. It's not like every Toyota dealership sells a Camry. Every mattress store will carry a given model by a different name.

A bit of research led me to find that Bloomingdales carried latex mattresses with a variety of finishing touches - ranging from beds that were more firm to less firm. I went and tried them out and found one that I liked.

This is an important part. Plan on spending an evening or several evenings trying beds out. Really try them out. If you think you found something you like, lay on it for 10-15 minutes. Take a t-shirt or something to lay under your head / face if you like. But really lay on it and see how you like it. You are going to spend a thousand or a few thousand dollars. Kick the tires and make sure you like it before you take it home. Also ask about the return policy if you end up being completely dissatisfied.

A word about Bloomingdales: I went to a couple of mattress stores, and the experience was on par with some of the less savory car dealerships I have visited. Bloomingdales was a little different. The salesperson was polite, not pushy. They had a sale - 55% off - and that was the time to shop. On top of that, I got them to take off another 5%. They will bargain, they will throw in mattress pads, and they will deliver for free.

I had a similarly positive experience at Hecht's (now Macy's) several years back.

A word about latex mattresses. This was my second mattress purchase. I really like the first mattress that I had purchased - it was firm and comfortable. I always got a good night's sleep. But I seemed to feel more well rested with the latex mattress for some reason.

Good luck, and let us know what works for you.

Maverick

aeroaero's picture
On May 2nd, 2007 aeroaero said:

Two thumbs on latex mattresses. I've been using one for many years now and highly recommend one. I purchased mine in the Washington, DC area at a store called Hardwood Artisans (formerly the Loftbed Store). Here's a link to their website and their price list:

 

 http://www.loftbed.com/pdfs/bedsMattress07.pdf

John's picture
On May 2nd, 2007 John said:

maverick and aeroaero,

Thanks for your recommendations.  I think I am going to try a firm latex mattress after reading your comments.

woluwe5's picture
On May 3rd, 2007 woluwe5 said:

I had the same problem with my back and knew it was from my mattress.   Yes, Bloomingdales was the ticket.   The sales person was knowledgeable, patient, let me decide and gave us an awesome deal.  We went when they had one of those crazy sales and supposedly got a $5,000+ matress for $1,600, delivery free [negotiated] and a free metal frame.   I thought I wanted the most firm non-pillowtop, but after trying them out felt very comfortable with a "Pretty Bed" pillowtop.   The pillowtop added the feeling of "floating" for me, but kept the extra-firm back-soothing feeling as well.   So, my back no longer hurts, I no longer wake up during the night.   Well worth the investment.    

rickster81's picture
On May 11th, 2007 rickster81 said:

i was in a major car accident 5 years ago and suffered serious back pain and lingering problems to this day.  i changed mattresses and continued the back stretches/exercises that i learned in physical therapy.  not my back pain is manageable.

this is the mattress we got, it's awesome... firm but has pillow top.  main reason i liked it is b/c it has individual coil pockets.

http://www.simmons.com/products/brands/beautyrest/worldClass.html

i've also heard good things about latex + topper.