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Duxiana Beds / Dux Beds

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2-16-dux.jpgWe first started paying attention to the whole mattress debate three years ago when a good friend chucked their old bed, did a ton of research and then chose the EXPENSIVE Dux Bed. This is the cream of the crop...

2-16-dux3.jpgReaders consistently give these mattresses high quality, high price and high service votes.

A Swedish design (those pesky Swedes....), the Dux Bed claims its fame from the huge multiple of springs in each mattress: 3,600 springs compared to the up to 900 springs found in conventional queen-size mattresses. This allows you just the right amount of firmness and softness so that your spine is straight and not bent.

Dux Beds come in a few different configurations, are extremely well made, have tons of springs and top layers of latex to conform to the body (think memory foam/viscoelastic). A queen size will run you from $6,500, but should last you 20 years..... What's not to like?

(Re-Edited from post on 2006-02-16)

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Comments (23)

What's not to like? How about the $6,500 and up price tag?

It only makes sense if you actually want to keep sleeping on a bed that's been collecting dust mites for 20 years.
Personally I'd much rather pay a lot less and have a new mattress every 5 years.

posted by LBhirise on 2008-02-14 17:13:21
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ew, dust mites.

plus, you can't flip it!

please start reducing the number of posts promoting Expensive (with a capital E) products! this is AT, not AD (Architectural Digest).

posted by *heather leaf* on 2008-02-14 17:21:54
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I may not be able to afford a $6K mattress, but I do believe you should buy the most expensive one you can afford - ours was just under $4K - because quality materials and craftsmanship equal an incredible night's sleep and good posture. To me, a mattress is an investment and should be cared for as such. With proper rotation and regular vaccuum cleaning for dust mites, a high quality mattress should last 15 years. Also, since you subtract 5 years from the manufacturer's warranty to get the actual use life of a mattress, if you're buying a mattress with a 1 or 2 years year warranty, you are wasting your money and killing your back.

posted by ndvheller on 2008-02-14 17:43:26
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I have a mattress I'll sell you for 6k, if you want! 6k is totally unnecessary. There's another brand that's 12-20k for a mattress . . . but really both dux and that other brand are just proof that you can always find something more expensive, if you want. There's nothing that makes it worth that price - just that someone wants to pay it.

European Sleepworks in Berkeley has great mattresses that are made here in the U.S. and are green. They custom make each mattress to your specific needs and they'll adjust it for you after you receive it till you're sure you love it. We have one and love it. It wasn't that expensive - like $1800 for a queen.

http://www.sleepworks.com/philosophy.htm

We also love their pillows. I have the oxygen pillow. I don't know if it really helps with breathing but it definitely helps with sleeping comfortably.

Also, we have their wool duvets - which come in sets of two that snap together so you can have them warmer for the winter and cooler for the summer.

I swear, they're not paying me to say this. I just love a store that does what they do well.

posted by breesf on 2008-02-14 19:39:14
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Now I agree 6K is a bit much, but over 20 years, that's less than a dollar a day. How much do you spend on coffee? Chocolate? Movies? If you have a back that can sleep on anything, that is a blessing indeed!

posted by kibitzknitz on 2008-02-14 19:59:23
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Price aside, what I want to know is how you get a fitted sheet on that thing...

posted by PDX01 on 2008-02-14 21:24:36
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You can't...they don't have fitted sheets in Sweden. Instead you take your flat sheet and put it on top of the bed and tuck it under the top layer. Then you sleep under a year-round duvet which you 'don't' tuck in. Take it from me...my husband is Swedish and I've spent many a night sleeping on a Swedish bed with a flat sheet under me just tucked under the top layer. It sucks! You move and the flat sheet comes right out from under you and the duvet gets pulled up around your neck. So you wake up, drooling on a bare mattress with cold feet and a really hot neck and head. Again, it sucks! :)

posted by fingrrrl on 2008-02-14 22:01:21
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What's the likelihood that someone is actually going to sleep on the same bed for 20 years? Who wants to? That's 20 years of sweat and oils and grossness . . . even if you use a mattress pad that's still yucky. The max anyone is going to keep any mattress is 10 years and most mattresses are warrantied for that long.

posted by breesf on 2008-02-14 23:20:54
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fingrrrl, LOL!

posted by *heather leaf* on 2008-02-14 23:48:56
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My understanding is that expensive mattresses are mostly gimmickry, such as explained in http://www.slate.com/id/93956/ . http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22728644/ claims that the number of coils is really unimportant. Both articles recommend against no-flip and pillow-top mattresses.

Also, people around the world sleep on dirt or thin hard pads and do fine. Personally, I do prefer a mattress, but it's not too hard to get used to something harder if necessary.

posted by erica on 2008-02-15 04:16:51
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Erica, thankyou. I really didn't want to go the "what's wrong with us silly indulgent Americans?" route, but I'm glad you. I just bought a 500 dollar mattress that is perfect and, after six months on an air mattress, I am giddy with thanks every night as I go to bed. I say, if you've got six grand to spend on a mattress, spend one or two and then write a check to a good charity.

posted by a.meyer on 2008-02-15 04:59:44
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I'll stick with my Tempurpedic, thanks! That was enough of an expenditure.

With a viscoelastic layer, springs seem unnecessary.

posted by Valerie on 2008-02-15 10:13:44
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bbsf, that company looks good, which set did you get? They range in price up to $3000. What's the difference between bed only and complete set - what do you have? thanks!

posted by ndvheller on 2008-02-15 10:16:21
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Actually, with the Dux beds you can use a fitted sheet, it goes on the top layer of mattress and stays there just fine.

As for the flipping - I think the issue is that with a higher quality mattress you don't have to worry about flipping. If the mattress is built better it doesn't wear down in certain spots.

posted by Marie on 2008-02-15 11:38:27
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I have back problems, have tried the tempurpedic and after sleeping on it (or shall I say tossing and turning on it) for 4 months, it has now been relegated to the guest bedroom. We have since bought a $3,000 simmons beautyrest which I can sleep comfortably in for about 7 hours a night, after that my lower back starts killing me! I'll try anything, have never heard of these Dux beds but am willing to give it a shot.

posted by foodiegirl on 2008-02-15 12:38:28
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I have slept on a Dux, and I can honestly say that no other bed I have ever slept on even comes close to it in terms of comfort. They're amazing.

posted by gryt on 2008-02-15 13:00:45
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I'm not referring to anyone here (really), but someone that dropped $6,500 on a mattress is unlikely to give it bad reviews. The will either sleep well, sleep well by placebo effect, or they will not like it but keep their mouth shut as to not sound like they wasted money.

posted by Jon_B on 2008-02-15 13:47:27
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When we moved recently, I spent a sh*t-pot of money on a new mattress. (ok, not even close to 6k, but about twice as much as I had originally planned on spending). Our old box spring/coil combo was 10 yrs. old and completely shot.

We did our due diligence via friends, internet research, my orthopedist's recommendations-- granted, he wasn't very forthcoming-- and consumer reports. We went with a latex mattress because it seemed to be the middle ground between traditional coils and tempurpedic. Plus, no dust mites or allergens (hubby is asthmatic), and liquid-repellent (just in case there was ever a pet accident. And I'm a klutz).

It's been six months, but so far I haven't had a moment's regret about it. Sure, I wish it had been cheaper-- and I wish I hadn't told my mother how much I spent because she went apoplectic-- but it is SO COMFORTABLE I can hardly stand to leave it.

My point is, yeah, 6k is probably an absurd amount of money to drop on a bed, but considering how many hours of one's life is spent there, and how critical good sleep is for one's health and well-being, if it gives someone the best night's sleep they've ever had, it's probably worth it. If you are lucky enough to find your perfect night's sleep for $500, more power to ya.

posted by Snappaloosa on 2008-02-15 15:57:39
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Yes, $6500 is a ton of money, no doubt, and everybody should spend what is right for their financial situation, etc. If someone suffers from back pain and can only get a full night's sleep on a $6500 mattress, then it's a valuable purchase.
A friend once said, it's funny how much Americans spend on cars (getting a brandspanking new one every 4-5 years) that easily cost $20K , yet will blanch at spending much less money on a bed that you would spend more time with (unless you're one of those unlucky extreme commuters)... and cars plummet in value, as soon as you drive it from the dealer.
It's all about you value more. Maybe that $6500 bed will save you later from lots of back and neck pain that may set in during your middle age. Would it not be worth it then?

For my part, I actually sleep on a SleepNumber mattress my husband brought to the marriage, and it's pretty damn comfortable. Not that cheap either, $2-3K. Well worth it, compared to the hard-as-a-board Euro mattress I got from my parents before.

posted by lolax on 2008-02-15 16:46:41
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Another comment. If someone is grossed out by the thought of sleeping on an old mattress, then by all means, don't get it. However, it does seem much more environmentally beneficial to replace mattresses every 20 years than ever 5 years.
Our friends, living in Denmark and then Sweden, had Dux mattresses for themselves and their house guests for a couple decades at least, and they were very comfortable to sleep on.

At least, you're not spending $12K on a topline Hastens bed.
http://hastens.com/en-us/.

posted by lolax on 2008-02-15 17:00:59
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I can't believe that I'm (sorta) ignoring the price question, but I still can't get over the fitted sheet issue.

Even if you tuck it into the top layer, the lower section (at least in the big picture) still looks like a mattress. Is one supposed to create a DIY wrap around bed skirt? Only buy blankets that hang to the floor? As a non-Swede, this seems really impractical.

I'm all for paying for quality workmanship, but not being able to use standard bedding is ridiculous. To me this is a function v. form question...

posted by PDX01 on 2008-02-15 20:10:59
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I am surprised that people are new to Duxiana; the line used to be carried at ABC Carpet & Home (now they have the Hastens line).

I've been familiar with them for over a decade; since we are now on the market for a really good mattress to stand the test of time, I've been looking then over again. However, I've come across a number of bad reviews -- not sure of the quality of the reviews though, so was hoping to find some here.

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Duxiana_Mattress?_redir_att_abrtd_=1

We are still leaning towards a VI-Spring or Savoy mattress; still not convinced about the technology behind the Dux. And the sheet on just the mattress topper (like the Hastens) is not appealing, although I have seen people with custom sheets (e.g., Giorgio De Luca of Dean & DeLuca in his Soho loft) that are sewn almost like a slipcover over both the topper and boxspring. Looked better than the bottom showing, no matter how nice the ticking.

Have to say though, I am getting really tired of the moralistic tone of comments about price of late; it is one thing to discuss whether there is quality workmanship and value for money, etc., but quite another to pass judgement on others' choices or act as an arbiter of how much it is okay (or not okay) to spend on an item.

*heather leaf*, if you don't like the posts about items you consider expensive, just don't click on them. There are those of us who appreciate them. AT is not a site about design on a shoestring, it is about good design in (usually) small spaces.

posted by monika1 on 2008-02-17 09:09:43
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Still not as good as the Hastens - put all the springs you want, I will take the Hastens over the DUX series any day. I own the Hastens Superia, which I was actually able to have delivered the same day by Gallery Furniture of Houston, Texas (something I found shocking was that Gallery Furniture is apparently the only store in the United States that can deliver a Hastens bed the same day you buy it) and the DUX cannot come close.

Plus, the Hastens has a 25 year warranty - now what's not to love about THAT!

posted by Gil on 2008-02-22 09:53:13
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