John and Yoko famously had their bed-in, in which they spent two weeks in bed as a way to promote peace. Fast forward to 2010 and our own Maxwell Ryan spent a year in bed to promote better sleep. OK, he didn't actually spend an entire year in bed — but he did spend a year testing a new mattress in his own home every month. Let's look back at his findings...
As Maxwell pointed out at the beginning of this series of posts, "Bed shopping rarely leaves room for much testing, and too often we buy beds after reading the promotional literature, getting carried away by the marketing (TRUMP bed anyone?) and, perhaps, lying on the bed for a few minutes, but how many of you actually get to really TEST a bed over a good period of time before buying it?" With that, he set about testing mattresses in his own home.
Maxwell's Top Ten Mattresses:
- Danny Seo Natural Care Mattress by Simmons As a friend of Danny's Maxwell was initially reticent about reviewing his mattress. What if he didn't like it? What if it got a bad review? All that worry over nothing! It turns out that this was the top ranking mattress, getting high marks for its sleep experience, construction and price. It doesn't look like Danny Seo-branded mattress is available today but Simmons still produces a Natural Care line.
- NaturaLatex Tranquil by Natura This mattress actually tied for first place in Maxwell's ranking. While he didn't initially have a positive experience with foam mattresses, this one proved to be just right. Maxwell rated it as "excellent" for sleep and "very good" for construction and price.
- The Hastens Excelsior II While this mattress reviewed well, at just over $13,000 it's an investment piece.
- Savoir No. 2 Bed - "The Savoy" What's it like to sleep on a $15,000 bespoke mattress? Excellent - but not at first. Maxwell reports, "You have to get used to this bed. For a $15k bed, we were both amazed at what a lumpy first impression it made. The horsehair topper settled big-time over our thirty days."
- The Royal Sovereign "Concerto LS" Maxwell reported an excellent sleep experience and very good construction but the $5,000 price tag kept this mattress from ranking higher.
- The Keetsa Pillow Plus Maxwell was impressed with this eco-friendly mattress from a small, family-owned company. The sleep experience was excellent, construction was very good and, at about $700, the pricing is pretty reasonable.
- The Biltmore Bed by Charles P. Rogers While this mattress provided a good night's sleep, its coil, foam and cotton/polyester didn't win Maxwell over for sustainability or naturalness. At just under $800, however, the pricing is very good for a traditional mattress.
- TEMPUR-Cloud Supreme w/ Adjustable Base Although not a fan of memory foam mattresses in general, Maxwell did report that he had a good sleep experience on this one. The true selling point of this bed might be the adjustable base, especially if you work/watch TV in bed. While Maxwell didn't use it much, his young daughter loved the feature.
- Embody Memory Foam by Sealy Maxwell initially found the squishiness of this memory foam mattress quite comforting — although he had spent the previous month on a very firm mattress — but he quickly noticed that he overheated due to lack of air circulation.
- IKEA Sultan Erfjord After sleeping on a $15,000 mattress, how does it feel to sleep on an affordable option from IKEA? Not bad. But not great either. This mattress felt a little too firm to Maxwell. Once he added a pillow topper, his sleep experience improved considerably.
So, what do you sleep on? Give us your opinion in the comments below and let's all help each other get a better night's sleep.
(Images: Maxwell Ryan)
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Memory foam. Coils and springs kill me, and there's no going back.
Vi-Spring Classic Supreme (Superb?).
It's all-natural -- horsehair, cotton, wool -- and coil springs. Best sleep I have ever had in my life -- floating and yet supported.
Unlike the Hastens, VI-Spring mattresses (as well as Savoir) were not designed to use a top mattress. Since it has become a trend, they are an option here as well, but not needed. I'm sorry that the top mattress of the Savoir affected your rating of the mattress -- you should have just taken it off, because they just a trend (personally, I don't like them).
My only beef with the VI-Spring is that the edges are not supported, so you are not supposed to sit on the edge of your bed. For that reason, I might look eventually towards a Savoir, but the price point is much higher.
I bought one of the Novaform foam mattresses from Costco. Rolled it home in its handy wheeled box. Popped it open, threw it on a platform bed and haven't looked back. So. Ridiculously. Comfortable.
Admittedly it is a teeny bit warm in summer (I run hot anyhow) but for $400 I haven't had one second of regret in the last 2 years.
http://www.amazon.com/Novaform-Gel-Memory-Queen-Mattress/dp/B004NZ7JGG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
The Sleep Number Bed. Best bed EVER. You can skip buying the thing that tells you your sleep number and save over $200. Reviews say it ratchets up and down and isn't really accurate. It comes in boxes delivered by UPS instead of swarmy deliverymen. Easy to put together. I would never sleep on anything else.
Also we've stayed in two cabins that had Laura Ashley mattresses. They were great sleeps, too.
After spending a great night at one of the coastal Marriott Hotels, I asked about their beds and ordered through Marriott a Jamison mattress. It's from their TLC collection. It's not cheap but sleeping like a baby is priceless.
My husband and I mistakingly purchased two Simmons Natural Care mattresses. DO NOT BUY ONE. Our "Willow River Plush" model began to sag within months, maybe weeks, the $1400 investment was a total loss. They are probably okay for one person, but not for two. We are average sized people. I did purchase a Novafoam topper from Costco for our other Simmons Natural Care, I highly recommend it as did the user above. Buy your next bed from COSTCO, they have a no-hassle return policy at any time, even without a receipt as long as you have the same membership.
I should add that Simmons customer service was terrible. And their warranty means nothing after my experience.
Additionally, Costco delivers for free and you can return at any time, even after a year.
We have a Carrington model natural latex mattress from Basset. Best mattress I have ever owned. The latex does run warm but with the addition of a terry cloth mattress cover the problem was solved. Managed to get a floor model at half price. My only complaint would be its weight - very heavy.
After tons of research (including reading Maxwell's posts like a million times) my husband and I went with a Saatva luxury firm. It was around $1200 for a queen including the box spring and delivery. It is really scary to buy something so expensive without trying it, but I realized that when I went in to "try" mattresses at stores, I wasn't really forming a useful opinion, I was just laying there. Saatva also has a good return policy (I think it's money back within 30 days) so we felt ok taking the plunge. We are really really happy with it. It's like sleeping in a fancy hotel every night.
I was interested in purchasing/trying the Danny Seo Simmons that Maxwell rated #1, but I couldn't find it anywhere.
Keetsa is not a family owned business, nor is it eco-friendly. It is owned by Zinus Mattress and they manufacture in China. They are a huge corporation that sells to Walmart, Sam's Club, Ashleys and tons of companies. Their foams are petroleum made and they ship on cargo ships from China. Anything from Sleepy's is just as eco-friendly and is made here in the USA
We bought a Keetsa for our son and he seems to like it and I think it's comfortable too. And while Keetsa may not be made in the USA, we bought it because the materials they use are much safer for my child to sleep on than a conventional mattress (we bought the pillow plus).
I won't lie I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend on her tempur-pedic bed and I like it but I will always be a fan of my queen sized water bed. Those things rock!
we've had a few mattresses including a mcroskey airflex, a hand-made mattress from de la espada (both were stupid expensive, but were resold at near cost) ...and a short stay with a mass market S+F (thank goodness for macy's return policy). the best we've had has been from ikea. granted they last about 5-7 years before they wear out (we've had two sets), most mattresses, regardless of warranty, don't actually last 25 years and most shops suggest replacement in 1/2 that time. and given the affordability, we're still $ ahead. the model reviewed by maxwell above is a solid foam one. we've gone for their higher-end innerspring models without a built-in topper and have purchased a separate topper which allows for greater flexibility with flipping and turning. i'm a side sleeper with wide shoulders and need a soft, forgiving bed that's still resilient in the right places. i'd love to find an all-natural made-in-US model that sleeps as well, but we haven't found one. in their current line-up, the closest to our set is the holmsta with the tafjord topper.
sorry Tiffany, Keetsa is not safer. Look at the tag on your son's bed. It says 100 percent polyurethane. How is that safer?
How is it safer? Read the tag on the bed.
I would not consider buying anything other than latex. I've had mine for 17 years (it was about £1,000 even then), and it is still as comfortable as when it was new. No problems with much heavier/lighter bedmates, either; my partner is 100kg+, whilst I'm 45kg, and there is no rolling or sliding. We've gradually had to replace all of the mattresses in the house with latex - sprung mattresses don't last long, even for children.
We bought the Natura mattress based largely on Maxwell's experience. Our first night on it will be later this week. I'll report back. I will say that the customer service and purchase process was one of the least satisfying experiences I've had recently for such a large purchase. Hope the product is better.
straybongo, did you get a pillow top? I highly advise against that mattress/bed, I have a duty to protect you from being ripped off because my husband and I were. The pillow top sagged within a couple months, our other Natural Care is holding up but its not slept in too often. And you should expect to have a great experience when you throw down so much money for something you may own for more than five years! Also read the white law label, it will tell you how much of the bed is actually latex. They are made of "latex hybrids" which can outgas like poly materials. There are better beds from better companies, good luck and please do report back.
Tested 2 at Sleepy's in 2011. Got one brand developed for Marriott. The idea that there is extra firmness on the sides made sense to me. Always sleep well on their mattresses and could recycle the pillow topper I had been using on the mattress from 1996. Also always buy a new box spring with the mattress. Otherwise your consumer rights might be less too. It makes all the difference when you think it's your back, it might be as simple as a new box spring.
We've had a Sleep Number bed for 12 years, and have loved every minute. As you get older, the ability to change your mattress firmness is priceless. Also, a bed that can be taken apart for thorough cleaning saves you from the dreaded "dust mites." In addition, when my husband's side developed a leak last year, we were able to order a new air bag, it arrived in a few days, we installed it, and were back in business. This might very well be a lifetime sleep system.
We ordered a latex mattress from a place in California and could not tolerate the heat. Latex also has a smell that some may enjoy but that I found unpleasant. We were able to return the mattress but had to pay a heavy fee and shipping. We will never order a mattress without being able to try it out and return it locally within a time limit.
I have a Tempur Delux which sits on a very ordinary slat based wooden bed frame. I also have a back with 2 titanium rods running from my chest to my hips and 26 screws attached. I LOVE my bed. Unlike Maxwell, I spent a good 6 months in my bed recovering from this massive surgery. I can't recommend it highly enough. 3 years later and I haven't got a single complaint. I wake up rested and restored. I can sleep on my back (as I had to for those six months) or my side and my back is fully supported. I live in a sub-tropic climate in Australia and never have any issues through the hot & humid summer. Always happy to go to bed!
I sleep on a crappy free secondhand mattress with a three inch thick, $100 foam topper. It's really amazing.
Why didn't Maxwell sleep on a Schifman (sp)? Didn't he recently do a tour there? I'd love to know how those held up.
I'm currently sleeping on a set purchased at Dial-A-Mattress in the mid 1990s, which I chose at their Chelsea showroom after trying lots of beds at Macy's, Sleepy's and D-A-M. It's an almost top-of-line Serta, I believe (maybe a Seeley) with cotton, wool, horsehair and cashmere. It was wonderful for at least 15 years, and if I don't replacement before then, I believe it will still be serviceable at 20. The mattress is starting to show some sagging, and my cat managed to use a corner of the box spring as a scratching post for some time before I noticed and put an end to it.
In my twenties I slept on a futon on tatami and loved it. Twenty years on, having slept or tried to sleep on all sorts of mattresses, I would only bother with a traditional mattress or possibly a sleep number (love the mobility, and my sleeps have been good). Foam and latex are uncomfortable and unhealthy.
I went in search of a mattress a few months ago, full of dread. Really, it's worse than buying a car. After reading Maxwell's posts (and the comments), I really wanted one of those $15K horsehair/made-for-you/never-have-another-nightmare/better-than-you've ever-slept numbers. Back in the real world, this stomach sleeper headed to IKEA and Macy's, not wanting to "negotiate" with other mattress sellers.
I struck gold at the third Macy's I visited when I encountered a hilarious salesman and a great deal. I'd tried full and queen mattresses I could afford, then foolishly laid down on a $2,400 Stearns & Foster. It was lovely and on clearance, down to $700 for the mattress and box spring. The salesman said he'd call the manager and I should call him back on Monday (it was a Friday). I ended up getting it for $399! It's extra-firm, so I added a memory foam topper and it's now officially awesome. Take that, horse hair!
Another Waterbed lover here. I"ve slept on a waterbed for at least 30 years. The. Best.
Sleep number. Best bed in the world.
Thanks for such a informative post.
If you have a wooden bed frame, the kind with head board, foot board, and cross slats, do yourself a favor and replace those wooden cross slats with a metal support that adds an additional line of legs down the middle of the bed.
There are several different kinds. Here's one example from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/X-Support-GS-3XS-Bedding-Support-System/dp/B004OT0S2I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1363005733&sr=8-3&keywords=mattress+support
It stops potential sagging in the middle of the bed.
Just goes to show...different strokes for different folks. We swear by our Savvy Rest latex mattress. We were sold on the different layering abilities for each side of the bed.
http://www.savvyrest.com
Sleep Number is the greatest! Change the number if you want, but we found our two numbers and stay with them. Nice to have the option to change. Such a restful sleep every night!
We had a memory foam mattress for a few years before my husband couldn't live with it any longer (I loved it, he hated it). A family friend was getting rid of her top of the line king-sized sleep number bed around the same time so we bought it off of her. He loves it, I HATE it. If you like sleeping on anything below 50, it's like sleeping on a glorified air mattress. I can't wait to get rid of it and get something better.
We've been sleeping on a $500 Sealy queen size from Costco (Chatham?) since May 2012, and we love it. It's not too plush, and not too firm. With the $50 mattress pad Costco sells also, it couldn't be more perfect (he's 6'3" with occasional back problems, I'm 5'6"). It wasn't too hot this past summer, which was crazy here in Chicago.
Our only surprise was how high off the ground it is with the frame, but that seems to be the nature of beds these days.
I have had a simmons beauty rest, one of the "bowling ball" mattresses for almost ten years now and I still love it. I think I paid about $1800 for an olympic queen set.
Bought a Stearns and Foster (can't believe they don't get a mention) Newgate set around 7 years ago and have never regretted spending the 7 grand on it. Love sleeping on it and when travelling I can't wait to return to it....zzzzzzzzz.
thank you so much for this. picking a mattress is one of the stupidest experiences possible. how can you possibly lay on a one for 5 minutes and figure it out. i had the experience of sleeping on a sterns and foster pillow top at a resort. i thought i'd died and gone to heaven and began to strip my bed.