My brother has had back problems for years and RAVES about his.

I thought it was too squooshy, so I went with the Sonno from DWR and I'm very happy with it.

We have the Tempur-Pedic knock-off (the "Bob-O-Pedic") and we love it. It was more than $1000 less and, as far as I can tell, not substantially different. We did have to ditch the box spring when we got our bed/headboard (Bo Concept's Solid and Basic) but I'm very happy with the choice we made.

I've never posted here before, but this prompted me to weigh in...my husband and I bought a Tempurpedic about 2 years ago. We cannot say enough good things about it! We have very different schedules; he works nights and I work a standard 9-6 day. So one of us was always waking the other getting in/out of bed. This bed absolutely saved us! It's amazing. No back problems, better sleep, no waking each other up getting in and out of bed. Awesome.

You might want to do some research on natural latex beds also.

I tried it in the store. I was very excited about it BEFORE so I went to try it. I'm 100lb. It took about 2 min for my body to sick into the mattress (=you lay down, it feels firm, and then slowly it "molds" under your body). After I was done sinking in, it was difficult to turn around, it made me remember the time when I was very pregnant and could not turn over. When sleeping close to the edge, it's easy to roll over and fall off the bed - that's how I got off :-) So, the bottom line for me was: unless you like really firm mattresses AND you sleep like a log (e.g. don't have restless legs syndrom) this is NOT a good bed for you.

I have back problems and can only sleep on my side (with a pillow between my knees). If I sleep on my back I will wake up vurtually unable to move. Except when I sleep on my back on my mother's Tempur Pedic. I don't even need a pillow and I don't move all night. I hope to by myself one soon.

I love my Sonno from DWR. I highly recommend it!

Sleeping on my fiance's Tempurpedic for the last two years has pretty much cured my prior back woes, so I can't say enough good things about it. With that said, we just bought a larger but much more affordable Bergad Isoform for our new pad, and so far I can't say I notice much of a difference.

I've had mine for about 3 years now and am very happy. Minor neck pain I'd been experiencing for years disappeared after my very first night's sleep. Also, I spend a few nights a week on a knock off and I do detect a small difference. The knock off clumps and dips a bit in frequently used areas, but it's still better than a spring mattress IMO.

PS: I have RLS (restless leg syndrome) and I am fine on the Tempur Pedic.

I have scoliosis and I purchased a Tempur-Pedic Rhapsody last year (which is the higher density, firmer one). I will never buy anything other than Tempur-Pedic again. Bye-bye springs, sore backs and stiff necks. I love it! I love it! I love it more and more every day!

We bought the Tempurpedic about a year ago. Our previous mattress was at the end of its life and I was waking up with back and arm cramps (that I don't have during the day). My wife REALLY wanted it because of its motion isolation--I can plop down on my side of the bed and she hardly feels it, and vice versa.

As I recall at the time, the store we bought it at had 3 grades--the basic, the deluxe and the luxurious (with a cashmere top). We bought the middle grade.

It is VERY comfortable for sleeping. I have had NO morning back pain and very little arm pain since we got it, and so far I've noticed no degradation in its shape and comfort. The one thing I can say (how to put this) is that it has taken a little getting used to for certain non-sleeping bed activities.

Get the Sono from DWR---- it is really fantastic. if you go to the Soho store they have samples of the firm and the medium on the floor and they'll let you lie around on it for as long as you want

I liked the Tempurpedic when I slept on it, but I think regular mattresses are fine. My robust ex said it did wonders for his back.

I found the mattress very comfortable in winter but suffocatingly hot in summer. Also, think about the other thing we like do in bed besides sleep. Do you like some bounce? If so, beware Tempur Pedic!

I purchased a memory foam mattress pad to go on top of an uncomfortable mattress at my parents house. It was about $100-150, and is just about 3" thick. It's comfy, but I'm not sure it's what I'd want to sleep on every night forever.

Testing out this type of mattress pad might be a good investment in seeing if you like the foam or not. I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Oh - and I don't know from experience, but I've read that sex on the tempurpedic is a bit different from your traditional spring mattress.

Anyone wanna weigh in on that?

There is a new Sealy version of the Tempur-Pedic which is of the same design/quality but slightly cheaper. Check out this mattress blog:

http://blog.pennlive.com/mattress/

The blogger says the Sealy Beachside is the one to choose:

http://ccmattress.com/MainFrame2.htm

I bought mine 5 months ago, and several overnight guests have said they have never slept better. It truly changed my sleeping habits, and I love it.

I've had the DWR sono for nearly 3 years. I would rate it as the best home purchase I've made. I see they have upgraded the covering on it now and have a couple different levels of softness. All good things.

I love, love, love my Tempur-pedic...but it did take me a week or two to get used to it. During that time I thought I'd made a huge mistake, but once I got used to the different feel, it was fantastic. Can't recommend it more highly.

I absolutely love, love, love my tempur-pedic. It alleviated my back pain and allowed for me to get into bed much later than my partner without illiciting the complaint of waking her up! The only difficult part was finally finding a pillow that worked - in the end, I went with a tempur-pedic pillow but it took some time to get used to.

we have a regular spring matress with a memory foam pillow top, the yin and yang of bedding:) It's great because like a tempurpedic you cannot feel your bed mate rolling around around and yet you can still get up and out of bed without feeling like you're sleeping in a body mold.

I bought a cheap knock off from Costco. The memory foam does make a better sleep surface. I will do the tempur-pedic next time because my cheaper mattress that was compressed for shipping has never really expanded to the right size and shape for my bed and has dips up and down in the middle and has already indented where my body sleeps at night.

I will probably retire this mattress to the guest bedroom and build up the sleep surface on it with a few thick mattress pads and get a tempur pedic that arrives in the right size and condition.

I had read on many websites that people had this problem with cheaper knock-offs but I thought costco would have a higher quality.

don

See http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/022106/good-questions/good-questions-is-memory-foam-good-for-sex-006598

re: sex on foam topper or tempur-pedic.

and this one too:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/beds-mattresses/tempurpedic-mattresses-006469

I just want to vouch for the latex option:
I ordered the 4 layer model from www.sleepez.com and it's really great.

Consumer Reports did an interesting investigation on mattresses. their conclusion was that most people continued to prefer the mattress that they liked best when they tried them at the store, if they were thorough. they recommended that you wear comfortable clothes and no shoes, and lay in your regular sleeping positions with your own or a similar pillow. and give the one you are considering about 15 minutes.

I have to agree with all of the positive reviews of the Sonno. My husband and I both love it. We haven't awakened to a backache since purchasing last summer. We looked at the Tempur Pedic, but the blogs I read said that they off-gas. I don't know if it's true, but it sounded a little scary.

bunny, a "robust ex"? wow. nice. :-)

My husband has had the Tempur-Pedic (a very basic model) for about 8 years now and it is really starting to sag. We're on the verge of upgrading soon (to a queen from a full) and are going to get another Tempur-Pedic, but will go with a firmer model (which I understand is also more expensive).

I bought a knockoff from eBay. Foam is foam as long as you meet the same specs for density. It is undoubtedly THE most comfortable mattress I have ever slept in. If it sags (2 years now with no sagging yet) I will just replace it. I don't get the concept of paying a small fortune to keep a mattress for 10 or 15 years? I'd rather spend less and just buy a new one every 5 years.

I found the experience of sleeping on a tempur-pedic infantile. You squish into this womb like place, it's very very hot, you are totally isolated from your partner. I'm not saying it's not great, but I don't really want all that coddling.

Also, if you sweat at all, from sex, from not using air conditioning in the middle of the summer, or from a fever you will find yourself in a puddle. I'm not someone who sweats more than normal, but having a bed that breathes naturally is a priority for me. Sleeping on plastic doesn't do it. If I could afford it, I'd get a Hastens - amazing beds (that are swedish, just like the tempur-pedics).

Bought a memory foam mattress from R&B about 4 years ago. Loved it at first, but I can't say it stood up very well, and definitely gets VERY hot. Can't say this would necessarily hold true for the Tempur-Pedic brand though. Moved the memory foam to the guest bedroom and replaced it with a Sealy latex mattress, which we love. From what I've heard the latex is much healthier for you too (as far as off-gassing.)

Second the natural latex option. I don't have a latex mattress, but I use a 2" medium natural latex mattress topper over my firm innerspring mattress, and it's really great. There's bounce and a little give - firm but comfortable. Also, I've heard memory foam tends to offgas. Can anyone contribute re. this?

In December we bought a natural latex mattress. It seemed to split the difference between an innerspring mattress and the tempurpedic-- when we tested the tempurpedic, I had a very difficult time turning over, and I tend to roll around and change positions quite a bit when I sleep. It was easier for me to move on the latex. I can hardly feel my husband (or my cats) getting on and off the bed. I would *absolutely* buy another natural latex mattress in the future, assuming this one continues to perform as well as it has initially. My only caveat is that it traps heat, so even in the dead of winter, I only need a very light blanket or else I'm sweating to death (and then getting chills). All in all, I don't think I'd ever go back to a conventional innerspring.

Also, as an aside, I switched to a really soft, fluffy pillow after using firm pillows for my entire life. This has also made a VAST difference for me. I haven't woken up with a crick in my neck once since I went fluffy.

On the issue of being too hot, when we bought the "middle" level of Tempurdedic, the sales guy mentioned that the cheapest models do get hot. We have our mattress on the Tempurpedic foundation. I am very warm natured, but have NOT had any overheating problems at all, even in the summer. I don't know if our experience would be different if we didn't have the matress on the foundation, though.

I agree with the commenter about the Consumer Reports study. Go test several matresses. Do a good test with comfy clothes. If you like it in the store, you will almost certainly like it at home, whatever the matress type.

My husband has minor back problems and wakes up easily
to my movements so decided to focus on the firmness and
movement disturbance when we purchased ours last year.

We did not like Tempurpedic because of the sinking feeling
which makes it hard to move around the bed and less firm, plus the heat factor - bad for people who tend to sweat a lot.

We ended up getting a hybrid - visco memory foam and natural latex (Telluride is the best latex grade) on top,
with pocket coils under for support. We absolutely love it!

It's Simmons Beautyrest Black (luxury line) - Orchid.
It's got the silk, wool and alpaca layer on top which is
very soft, warm in winter and cool in the summer,
true foams right to the edge so it won't sag when you
sit at the edge of your bed (which we do all the time..).
With extra layers of memory foam and natural latex,
advanced pocket coils at the bottom, you don't need
box spring and don't have to flip it at all.

They say if you are on the heavier side this mattress
may sag over time, but otherwise it seems like the best
choice for couples.

I know there are many Tempur-Pedic-fans out there, but
also other options like this hybrid for consideration.
(Sorry, it's not a review about Tempur-Pedic...)

You can find more info at the following:
http://www.beautyrestblack.com/collection.html
http://www.betterbedding.com/select_brands_simmonsbeautyrest.asp
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/simmons-mattresses-reviews.html

Make sure to try them out thoroughly - a big investment
which will last at least 5-10 years. Good luck!!!

I tried one in the store and didn't like it--it felt like I was lying on wet sand.

I had a genuine tempurpedic, loved it. One draw back is that it did get really warm as the foam absorbs body heat. I rarely slept with anything more than just a thin sheet. I heard that the higher end models have features that help with the heat issue though.

We have a memory foam mattress from a company based in Pennsylvania called Bergad. I think it matches the more firm of the Tempurpedics and was about half the price, made in the US, shipped to us with zero hassle and even included some pillows that they threw in. We LOVE it. http://www.bergad.com/

I have been reading that the Tempur-pedic mattress is loaded with chemicals, so many that NASA does not support it due to too much off gassing coming from the mattress. With cancer in epidemic form in our society we do not need to be lying in chemicals all night as we might as well just make our appointment with the oncologist. Reasearchers have found high level of toxins in breastmilk of Tempur-pedic mattresses. Check the OKO Test issues March and September 2004.

Those of you who have the Sonno, have you found that it keeps you cool? One of my main complaints about the Tempur-pedic is that it really holds heat, and I'm a fairly cold person most of the time.

I love my Tempurpedic mattress as well. One thing to note, I have heard of cases that sagging occurs. I am wondering if that might be because of night sweating (water seeping into the foam) over time. So I purchased a thin waterproof cover from Bed Bath Beyond and so far I have not seen any sagging (its been 1.5 years) but will keep folks posted in any future topics similar to this.

I have the Sonno, it does keep me cool since the cover is highly breathable, and the foam has holes so the air can circulate.
I thought it was such an unglamorous purchase at the time, like I'd rather buy a Prouve chair or something, but honestly, three years in and it's still my most favorite thing in the house.

I also have an eBay knockoff. $200 for a queen; had it almost two years. Got it while I was pregnant. Still love it. I figured at that price, I could just buy another in a few more years. ;)

Oh, yes, maplelatte is right, make sure to check out info about PBDE's before buying. Kind of scary..

If you have a bad back/neck, excellent, but otherwise, buying a memory foam mattress is like buying a Viking stove if you don't cook. They're very expensive after all, and the foam can be unbearably hot and sweaty in summer temperatures--this isn't a natural material and it does not breathe. That's worth dealing with if you've got serious back problems, but it's silly otherwise.

You could test out your reaction to memory foam by buying a neck pillow (which even Ikea now carries--plenty of providers who are more reasonable than Tempurpedic).

I also have the Tempur-Pedic Rhapsody (which is higher density~firmer) - amazing! I have never been able to fall asleep on my back before this mattress. I also don't get those sore spots (shoulders/hips) from lying on my side. I have not noticed being hot or sinking in "too deep." My BF weighs more than me and I do notice that the depression he makes does slope my side of the mattress, next time I may get a king!

I've always wanted one of these mattresses. I have a Tempur-pedic pillow, which I like, but which seems to retain a lot of heat. So I worry about the heat issue. I can't stand being hot, particularly when sleeping.

Based on the comments above, I think the Tempur-pedic mattress is not a good choice for me. So, like a previous poster, I would like to hear from some Sonno mattress users about the heat issue.

My boyfriend was set on getting a tempur-pedic mattress when we moved in together and I was a little apprehensive- I like a little firmness to my mattress. However, now that I have one I cannot imagine living without one. It does take a little getting used to but I have never gotten sleep as good as I have with the mattress. I give it a very high reccomendation!

Listen- You canNOT gauge your reaction to anything but the real thing. I've owned the imitations. I now own a tempurpedic. It's the best thing I've done for my life. It sounds extreme, but it's true. I used to be a hardcore futon on the floor guy- why spend money, I had tried everything excluding drugs- I was a hopeless insomniac and my aged skateboard injured body would never let me rest. I could never get comfortable. I tried the sleep number bed- sucks. My first night was amazing, I slept, I enjoyed it, I was in my mother's womb. I look good again, I don't look tired all the time. This has truly changed my life. The great advancement even within the tempurpedic line allows you to select a density. Hang out in the store long enough for the salesperson to get bored and leave you alone. There's been only one problem- I can't take it with me on vacation!

i love my tempur pedic and so does my electrician husband who works 60 plus hours a week and plays hockey and is sore and tired all the time. we wake up feeling so much better every day. you do get warm, but we have the cheaper model and just bought a second set of sheets for summer time (flannel sheets plus tempur pedic plus summer made it a little warm) - apparently if you spend a bit extra you get the not-as-warm model. also get the bigger size pillow - it's an upgrade. i didn't and i love using my husband's upgraded pillow. it supports your neck. the small standard one isn't that great.

I bought a 3" Sealy memory foam topper on Overstock for $135 to put on top of a 15 year old rock hard latex mattress. I love it, as do the 2,000 people who've written overwhelmingly positive reviews. That being said, I don't know that I'd spend a fortune on a Tempurpedic mattress unless it is guaranteed to last at least 10 years without sagging.

BTW, I am so addicted to my Tempurpedic pillow that I bought a travel sized one - and I'm someone who goes away for 3 weeks with a 21" suitcase. I would buy only a Tempurpedic - there really is a difference.

Since I bought all of this, my neck problems VANISHED.

There's a big difference even within the Tempurpedic line. We have the Rhapsody (middle quality) and love it. We had a memory foam topper before and the experience is not the same. I had read a lot about getting too hot, but I actually stay quite cool when I sleep. I think it all depends on the grade of mattress you get. I love the feeling of sinking in to the mattress. As another person mentioned, there's a feeling of being isolated if there's another person in bed, but I prefer that when I sleep. It's very womb-like and I love waking up and feeling like I'm in my own world.

It was a big investment and we considered going with an imitation, but we figured since we were shelling out money anyway, we might as well get the real thing. We were able to save about $500 by getting one on Ebay. It was new and in the box/wrapper and was the exact model we had been looking for. It came from a Tempurpedic dealer out of Chicago.

Also, it did smell at first, but the smell went away quickly.

"Reasearchers have found high level of toxins in breastmilk of Tempur-pedic mattresses. Check the OKO Test issues March and September 2004."

Maplelatte - I opted for the Sonno, but had I known that Tempurpedic mattresses gave breastmilk, I might have reconsidered.

Pilgrim FTW!