feedback wanted any sleep number bed users

[fuzzy96]

hi folks. i was wondering if anyone can give me feedback on the "sleep number" beds.
years ago i had the water bed . after the matress went to hell and i replaced it (with the same make and model) i never could get it right.
my new matress is fine for me but too stiff for the wife. the thought of an adjustable matress sounds alluring but first i thought i'd seek out some expert opinions and user feedback.

bad enough we here suffer apnea issues but in the overall scheme of things how comfortable we are also determines how well we sleep.(i think it's part of the sleep hygene thing) (and not just a shower before bed lol) so feel free to chime in on not only the matress but what does and doesn't work for you....

someone think of a poll we can set up on this issue?

[Froro]

You know what we did? We were looking at them. We decided to spend the night at a Radisson hotel as they have sleep number beds to try it out.

Husband loved it. I hated it. Decision made. Eventually we settled on a very comfortable pillow top mattress. We looked at the tempur ones as well but was told if you get hot at night and sweat alot these will have you sweating even more.

Doesn't answer your question but they were so expensive I could not justify the price tag on the sleep number beds without some kind of proof I would get a good nights sleep. (this was pre apnea diagnosis)

[Gerald]

I have pretty much the same opinion that Froro has. There seems to be a huge amount of hype associated with this bed....and their advertising budget has got to be a large portion of their product costs.

After reading about some people who've experienced big problems with moisture and mildew, I decided to go another way. About a month ago, my honey and I stopped at one of their stores....and got the full sales pitch. There was a lot of pressure in that pitch.....and because my profession has to do with Marketing, I didn't like it.

Also, if one tries to learn about "replacement parts" for these beds, the trail seems to hit a dead-end. Lots of "fog"....not much substance.

Finally, they had a new type of fabric that was supposed to help keep a person cool....but, I could never get a handle on how it worked. I got a lot of "mystical" marketing hype...but no explanation from a Thermodynamics standpoint. The body heat has to go somewhere....and they didn't explain where that "somewhere" actually is.

[Froro]

Wanted to add. We ended up getting our mattress at Sleep Country during a massive sale. They have a 60 day guarantee on comfort (at least here they did). That was reassuring knowing if the mattress we picked didn't work out we could change it out for something else. You may want to look into that if one of those shops is near you. I know they have expanded into the States. . I don't know what they cost but a decent sleep number bed up here with pillowtop runs in and around $4000. That's alot of dollars IMO.

[Uncle_Bob]

One thing you will never see in a sleep number store is a cross section or any display showing the actual inside of the bed or its construction.

I have known people who felt sick when ordering one and having arrive. Its basically a big black airbed with some cheap foam separators and edges, oh and a little pump of course. All that for hundreds of bucks.

As i was tossing and turning on my old spring mattress i purchased a NovaForm memory foam mattress from Costco. I've been mainly back sleeping ever since. And sleeping much better too. These are currently on sale, queen size is $449 inc delivery. I'm going to get one for my spare room as i have to sleep there occasionally for when the wife needs a solid night sleep for her job early the next day.

Unfortunately they are not in store but you can return it at no cost if you do not like it. They cost much less than tempurpedic and have a 10 year warranty.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgro ... lang=en-US

[Catnap]

I recently bought a bed and seriously considered the Sleep Number bed first. However, after googling for some reviews, I found that many people did not like them. The two biggest complaints seemed to be that they weren't worth the money and that they did not hold up well over time (problems with air leaking and adjustment no longer working). I ultimately decided to go with a standard mattress and box spring.

[CorgiGirl]

We have a sleep number bed in our house and in our motorhome. I love them! Much better than anything else I've tried except a multi-tube waterbed. There are a number of different models with differing prices for sleep number beds. We bought one of the cheaper ones. The differences are not in the air bed part, but in the material and how much other padding there is. Also what kind of frame you have - flat or hospital bed type. I highly recommend sleep number beds for comfort. Worth every penny we spent!

[OCNorsk]

I bought a sleep number bed because they were the only people who would wait on me. I was ignored at Tempurpedic.
I stopped by dog tired on the way home from work. The salesperson showed me to a model that had one of those foundations that raises and lowers and vibrates. I thought. Yeah right, like I would ever use those things. Well, I loved it. I have to sleep in at least a semi upright position or I'm sunk. So with the head of the bed raised, I can use just one pillow instead of six. The vibrating factor ain't great, but you certainly don't hear the machine over it. The mattress itself is an air mattress. So my considered opinion is get a great foundation and any mattress that will work with it that you like.

I also have the novo foam mattress from Costco. I moved everything into that room one night just to see if I slept better. I moved everything back about midnight. So most of the comfort factor is a matter of personal preference.

You can also get some bed risers for about $10 and put them under the head legs of your bed. That will raise the bed about six inches if that would be a help.

[GumbyCT]

They say sleeping on air - sounds soft? But it really isn't. They are two bladders filled with air, so when you lay on it, something has to give. Like when you squeeze a ballon - the air moves to another part. So when you compress your bladder, it pushes into hers, or visa versa. Then you have to pump it up hard to get any support.

The most comfortable mattress we found when shopping was called KingsDown. If you are shopping try to lay on one. We couldn't afford their price but it was undoubtedly THE Most comfortable mattress I ever tried. Supposedly hand made in North Carolina. I guess they just don't advertise much.

http://www.kingsdown.com/whybuykd/produ ... ation.aspx

[jweeks]

I have had the top of the line Select Comfort mattress going on about 10 years. It did cost a lot of money. It can be very comfortable. It has worked flawlessly for me over the years, and the adjustments still work fine. One flaw is that the bed retains heat, and the bed gets very warm as I sleep. Since I am sleeping, I don't know to take off covers, so I wake up very warm. The bed is very noisy due to all the plastic parts that move when I move in bed. It has a piece of foam between the two air bladders that collapses over time, and makes a bowl in the middle of the bed if you sleep in the middle. The mattress builds up a huge static charge over time. If you open the bed for any reason, you can pick up some of that charge and get a nasty static shock. Finally, the walls of the mattress are nothing more than foam, so you cannot sit on the edge of the bed without potentially causing damage to the mattress over time. Since going on xPAP, I sleep very near to the edge (due to hose length), which works very well for me. All in all, I am not unhappy with it, but it didn't live up to the expectations that I had for a $2500 item.

-john-

[Bookbear]

They say sleeping on air - sounds soft? But it really isn't. They are two bladders filled with air, so when you lay on it, something has to give. Like when you squeeze a ballon - the air moves to another part. So when you compress your bladder, it pushes into hers, or visa versa. Then you have to pump it up hard to get any support.

We have and like a queen size dual control Sleep Number bed. The key is 'dual control'. That solves the problem Gumby mentions. Each side of the bed is an independent air chamber and is controlled separately. Each air bladder (it really IS a rather fancy air mattress!) sits in its own section, with a high density foam divider/frame keeping it both separate and immobile, thus your adjustment in no way affects your bed partner's.

[JoyD.]

.
Before you decide on a Sleep Number bed or any other bed . . . go into a store that sells TempurPedic (not just any memory foam) and both of you lie on some of them for at least 15 minutes trying various positions . . . for sure try the "Deluxe". Deluxe is one of the firmer ones, but "firmness" takes on a different meaning when you are dealing with TempurPedic foam. Even with "firmness", you have no pressure points! Because of this, you and your wife would more likely agree on a bed that completely satisfies you both.

My mind was COMPLETELY closed to the words "memory foam" . . . until I was forced to consider one after being in pain with a brand new premium pillow-top FIRM "regular foam" mattress which I was able to return . . . and I could find nothing else that seemed more comfortable.

Purchasing my TempurPedic set was without a doubt one of the BEST decisions of my life and I don't exaggerate; not the most economical initially, but certainly saving me lots in grief & doctor bills since then. Now, for the first time in my life, I sleep WITHOUT aches and pains! I could hardly believe it! TempurPedic mattresses ARE truly designed to take away pressure points and facilitate healthy sleep. I also got the "adjustable base" to raise my head (and legs if I want to). That has been invaluable for my GERD and I'm sure it will be more and more helpful as I age. (I have found no feeling like "being in a hole" - because I'm not in one - or "feeling hot" as the Sleep Number salesman warned me about )

Joy
PS -I have no connection to the company . . . just a VERY satisfied customer

[Lindalrc]

We have had our sleep number bed since about 1994 (when it cost $1500). I love it. My husband does too, but sometimes wishes it could be a bit firmer. Only two problems, both manageable. First, we like access to the pump motor, so keep it under but towards the foot of the bed. The way the tubes hitch up, the controller is working the right side when the display is for the right and vice versa. You just have to remember that. Need to re-inflate about every 2 or 4 months. Second, when we first got it, there were some issues with not getting tube connections tight so leaking.

I know the foam seems flimsy, but we still have the original. I sit on the edge all the time and the edge has never broken down the way an innerspring does. Also, if your staircase is narrow, there is no problem with navigating it to get a king size bed up stairs. The whole system is padding, the air bags, covers, and long pieces that are apart until you build the frame. We have moved it twice, ourselves. I would never pay for a vibrator and have not priced the bed recently or looked to see how it has changed in 15 years. I would not pay $4000 for it.

One other point, occasionally I have called the manufacturer - recently because the dog was sick on the bed to ask about cleaning. They knew exactly who we were in spite of the two moves AND were helpful. (I had to take the thing apart and surface wash the stained area. All was fine.)
Linda

[GumbyCT]

To be clear - mine was queen with two bladders separate controls, etc. One bladder pushes into the other when the air tries to move.

[momsworry]

I'm about 3 weeks into my queen dual control model. We purchased one that was a close out model, got it with mattress cover for about $1600. We love it so far. We both have lower back and neck problems, always awakened to pain, but no more. I sleep six solid hours before getting up to pee. That was 2-3 hours before sleep number. I checked those web sites that slammed this product. I would take that with a grain of salt. Who's to say that there are not competitors sitting there making multiple posts in a negative way? I love mine, but I wouldn't pay more money that I did for it. I hear they are having financial problems, like so many are right now. Prices should stabilize for a while if they expect to sell their product. Could be some real deals.