Um, did you say $13,350?

Hi, I think this is a great idea, and I'm so jealous that you get to test drive these beds. I'm eager if you can do a Hi/Med/Lo value/comfort comparison after you are done. I can't see me affording a Hastens but it looks amazing and I'd love to find out if there is a similar manufacturer who compares in comfort and perhaps also in the construction materials, at a lower price point. That foam (and its smell) is not for me!

ooooh! that looks like my dream bed.

where do the mattresses go after you've slept on them?

You should try a Charles Beckley bed- I am an interior designer and the firm I work for has used them for clients for years. They are made by hand locally in the Bronx and are a fraction of the price (Around $1000 for a Queen Mattress). They also do custom sizes. www.chbeckley.com

So you had back pain from the Sonno, too??

I bought a Sonno due, in no small part, to your glowing reviews here on AT awhile back. It was fine at first, but then I also started having serious back pain. I knew it was from the Sonno, because I didn't have pain when I slept elsewhere, like a hotel. Even a friend's pullout sofa bed provided a more comfortable sleep than the blasted Sonno!

I'm just curious if you used a bed board with your Sonno? I noticed that the slats on my Room and Board platform bed are more than a few inches apart. The guy at the mattress store said this could have been the problem because after time the foam mattress essentially sinks between the slats.

Anyway, I have a "W Hotel" mattress now and I am completely satisfied with it.

Have you thought of trying a Hollandia International bed? At that price point, you should be getting more than a glorified flat mattress. I've tried the bed that you are using and I found that it restricted my movement and made me feel trapped in bed. Hollandia has adjustable beds that take care of your back don't swallow you whole.

I haven't slept on a Hastens for a whole night, but when I tried them in the store, they did feel too much like I was sinking into a bowl of whipped cream (albeit supported).

I prefer to have a firmer top, and have found both Savoir (bed no. 2) and Vi-Spring more to my liking. I tried the Savoir with a pillow-top mattress (an optional feature), and it did not feel like I was being swallowed, which is the sensation I get with the Hastens.

I tried the Hasten at ABC Carpet & Home. It is exactly like sleeping on a cumulonimbus cloud. The big puffy kind you see out your window during a flight. I have never been soooo comfortable. If I had the money, I would pay anything for it!!!

$13,350

Wow, that amount of money would get you an entry level car.

Hey, if you are looking to give away any of these mattresses after your month with them, just holler. :)

I get the soft on top but with support.

It is a little hard to convince a firm bed lover, but I switched to a European Sleepworks (Berkeley, CA) 9 years ago and never looked back ... as my eyes are comfortably closed. They educated me on this concept of the soft but supportive mattress, and being a side sleeper, this also supposedly supports the shoulder and hips in a body healthier way.

The model I have is the Nordic II which costs around $2000 for the queen.

As for the partnering differences, something that European Sleepworks offers is having the two sides of the mattress be two different models ... so if partners have different comfort needs ... they can customize their side accordingly.

They also have the adjustable slat suspension instead of a box spring ... which is also customized to the sleeper ... each side accordingly.

I don't know if European Sleepworks is on your list, but I hope so.

it's also important how comfortable a bed is in the long run. Some just don't stay comfy over time.

i am envious - it looks so soft and comfortable and inviting. the price though - prohibitive!!!

"Wow, that amount of money would get you an entry level car."

Folks who purchase $13,000 beds don't drive $13,000 cars....
...they drive $130,000 cars.

I am thin and I sleep on a firm (Ikea) mattress with a thin memory foam and a plush mattress cover on the foam. It took some experimentation, but this combo totally works for me.
I was wondering if Maxwell and Sara are going to try the 'Sleep Number' bed (ha), since they obviously have different needs.

FYI - my Ikea mattress is a nicer mid price point Sultan with springs (and a Sultan storage base).

When not twisted up on a airport bench, I sleep on a Cranesfurt Begginworth ne plus ultra.

Sure, some see it as a $120 rock hard mattress with 3" of super dense memory foam on top - but only after they've gushed about what a great sleep they had and demanded to know where I got such a wonderful thing.

I've also given the Hastens a "test drive" at ABC, and it's fabulous. If I had the money I would not hesitate. The softer the better in my opinion. We currently have a memory foam pad on top of our regular mattress and it's ok, but a little sweaty.

It's funny that people think nothing of spending $13,000 on a car, but baulk at the thought of spending it on a bed where they spend 30% of their life, and which has such an impact on our well-being.
I'm no exception to this by the way... why are our priorities so mixed up?

A few years ago, someone told me about the Hastens bed, and the Hastens price tag. I thought it was a joke. Then I looked it up. After a little research I determined that it's probably pretty fabulous. Anyway, long story short, I force myself to avert my eyes whenever I pass by the Hastens store. I vow to NEVER even sit on one. I'm afraid I might like it!!!! What I don't know can't hurt me.

AnastasiaBeaverhausen, you are absolutely right! But I'd still never spend $13,000 on a bed.

Oooh...you DEFINITELY need to try the Duxiana bed then...it has 3 sections within the mid level mattress that you can move around depending on where you prefer support - my husband and I use a slightly different setup (for my hips)...I looked at the Hastens which was slightly more expensive but couldn't justify the horsehair, though, I am curious how they would stack up! :-) The top end Hastens definitely seemed more comfortable in the store...

BTW - our car cost 600 euros. Yeah - I chose to spend the money on our bed! :-)

It's sad to say, but we would rather spend money on wants (a car) than needs (a mattress). A couple may not think twice about spending $10k-$15k on their bedroom suite and decor but want a $699 mattress!! Messed up priorities. I'm also afraid that we like to spend money on what other people see (vanity). No one sees our mattress but they may really think highly of us if I'm driving a high end car!

Your sleep leads to your health. Only in deep sleep can your body restore itself. If a Hastens lasts 25 years, that's only $534 per year! What's that? 5 nights in a 3 1/2 star hotel???

Carpe Diem has many of the same components as a Hastens (built by the same manufacturers) but costs less (and looks way nicer)!

www.carpediembeds.com

I'd much rather have a comfortable bed than a fancy car.

I'd like a comfortable bed and a fancy car.

I'm with emmelemm. All sorts of research shows how important proper sleep is to your health, and if I had the income to support spending $13k on a mattress that happened to be the best night's sleep I'd ever had, I wouldn't hesitate.

Mattress tester? My DREAM job! You get paid to sleep! Haha! I want a topper like that! It looks cozy, and I'm all about my bed being cozy!

"Hand-made" or not, Hastens has obviously added a GIGANTIC profit over and above their production cost!

Well, gee.  I wonder if they have to throw on such a huge profit margin because of people who take 30-day trials of mattresses with basically no intention to buy them. After all, they aren't allowed to re-package them.  And brick-and-mortar stores do kind of have to maintain showcases, and then when ppl go test out the beds in person and proceed to buy the product from an online retailer... I begin to have more and more sympathy for the markups.

I have to admit I'm disturbed by the fact that Maxwell's giving all these mattresses a 30-day test and then just sending them back to the manufacturer. I know that's a consumer's right and the makers know he's doing it, but it just seems so wasteful. I'm with Lepi on this issue.

I'm currently sleeping on a mattress my late bf cadged from a friend whose bought a furnished manufactured home, and it's visibly sagging on both sides. Two years ago I bought myself a foam topper to cope with back and hip pain. I've chosen a replacement, a Winndom mattress made here in Virginia, but it costs more than $1K, and right now I'm barely making ends meet.

Can you also speak to whether the foam/rubber beds you try leave you sleeping hot? I spent hours researching and decided on a "green" environmentally-sound mattress and I am going mental because I sleep HOT! It was a $1,700 purchase and thoug incredibly comfortable, I am not sleeping well because I tend to sleep warm anyway.

Cute video produced by the Hastons store of Beverly Hills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ck7yt6_AK4

Cute video produced by the Hastons store of Beverly Hills:

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Most people who rent apartments cannot afford a $13,000 bed!

NO-DON'T TAKE THE TOPPER OFF!!!

What happens is the topper over time, squishes down and honestly, the bed gets better over time! It's so weird I know, but keep the topper on, I promise it really is the cherry on top.

I have had my HASTENS bed now for 5 years?! and it gets better with age, wrap your brain around that!!!

@ MarshallO

I know you can't understand, but honestly, you can't knock it until you try it!

@ bepsf

I drive a 2002 VW wagon and my Hastens bed is worth more than my car. Again, priorities is what is important in life. I spent most of the year recovering from cancer and this bed really helped me get to sleep and stay asleep, so what is it worth to me? my health is priceless so the bed justifies itself when you get sick I promise you that!

@MarshallO

Well, I personally would never buy a mattress/sofa/etc that cost more than {arbitrary number} myself, but kind of statement tends to get a negative reaction here (and admittedly, adds little to the discussion....)

I do wonder about the markup, though.  Let's pretend it cost $5000 to make, and they "need" to mark it up 100% to basically cover costs/waste.  Given the individual willing to buy a $10k mattress, is there all that much difference between spending $14k vs. $10k on a mattress?  If it cost "only" $10k, how many more ppl would really buy it?  Would it be worth it/make sense to Hastens to sell it for $10k when it's not going to make them more money?  As for the $55k mattress, er, well, given how few ppl would buy a $13k mattress, let's pretend somehow that the cost of making this $55k mattress is $10k, and they "need" to sell it at least at $20k.  Are there that many more ppl who would buy a $20k vs. $55k mattress?

Being a poor grad student, I don't know what the cutoff for a decent mattress is for most ppl, but by any measure Hastens is not marketing its products to "most ppl".  So I can't work up the outrage at it costing a LOT more than I can afford vs. merely a lot more than I can afford, you know?  It's hardly a secret that certain goods are marketed solely towards the v v v rich; this is just more of the same.  And I can't really believe that a $55k mattress can be 27.5X more comfortable than a $2k tempurpedic or whatever, especially when mattress preference is so individual, so I kind of feel like the $2k tempurpedic is a much better deal than what these v v v wealthy ppl are getting for these luxury mattresses.  (Yes, pity for the super-rich is not really a sustainable sentiment.... XD)

@madampince

Well, I asked in the intro thread, but I'm assuming that they will all actually be volunteered by mattress companies willing to sacrifice a mattress for the exposure a review on AT might get them for their product.  Though I wonder how many AT readers would drop $13k on a mattress—could Hastens possibly be getting their money worth, here?  Just a perk of the job, though.

(Although, that reminds me of something that made me somewhat cranky from one of the house tours—I think it was the home owner proclaiming that one should always buy authentic original pieces rather than knockoffs.  However, this person was a stylist/interior decorator or something, and presumably can acquire really nice products at massive discounts compared to us mere mortals, i.e. at knockoff prices.  I just though that was a bit rich....)

@harnagel

That vid is great, though. XD;;

I'm really interested in this he said/she said aspect. My boyfriend and I have completely different builds -- I'm short and slight, he's gigantically tall and fairly robust -- and we find different beds comfortable. We've found a compromise for now, a decent mattress that's a little too soft for me and a little too firm for him. But it would be nice to find something that really suits us both...

I'M DYING FOR A NEW MATTRESS! this is perfect. i can't make up my mind between organic and non-organic, etc. can't wait to read and finally buy a new one.

I had no idea people put this much thought into their mattresses! What about 30 years ago, when there weren't these options? I don't remember my parents 'not sleeping well' because of their mattress. Just thinking about all this...

I hope you can find an eco bed to try in a more affordable price range.

paying $13,000.00 for a mattress is a sign of serious personal issues.

I have a $16k car and I would spend $13k on a mattress if it helped with my sleep and health. I have a lot of joint pain so I've been researching beds. I spend so much of my life in bed, it might as well be a good one. They last for years so it really isn't that much when you think about it.

I would never spend that much for something like a couch, wedding dress, etc.

I would be interested to know if there's a warranty and for how many years for that amount. If it gets saggy would Hastens re-stuff it for free or a nominal price?

Just a few words. Dust mites. Bed bugs. Allergy mattress cover ( keeps critters out ) = good investment for ANY mattress. And vacuum your bed when you wash your mattress pad.

Public Service Announcement from we here at the Convent of Our Lady of Perpetual Scowling, Sans Merci.

Maxwell, what a brilliant blog! As for the comments, I think the idea is (like any luxury product) it will be the last bed you'll own, so the investment is in quality of life.

I was in sooo much pain with arthritis, fibromyalgia, and bursa in my left hip. I was only sleeping about 4 - 6 hrs. sleep.
Then, I got a Tempurpedic, l0 years ago. Wow, what a difference it has made for me. I also, on my dr's advice, started sleeping on the side opposite from the bursa. I didn't think I could do it but I did. Now I sleep like a baby.The mattress is still in great shape. I also got a temperpedic pillow and it too is great.
I am still interested in my experiences with different mattresses

oops sorry, I meant your experiences with different mattresses. I think it woulld be really difficult to adjust to another mattress. and there was absolutely wonderful supported, yet melt into the mattress feeling.

@ bepsf

Not true, I have a Hastens. My car is paid off and worth about $4,000. I have my bed and a dining table and chairs in my apartment for the last year. My bed is the most important thing to me. I had cancer earlier this year and my bed played an essential role in my recovery. I don't have much of anything at all, but I have my Hastens bed!

I have had my Hastens bed for 3 years now. I bought the 2000T Medium. I won't lie...it cost me some money. But I saved up for it, and it cost me about the same as it cost to buy my Honda Civic. I was looking for something reliable, as I had been having back pain. I am young, so the thought of kicking off my 30's with back aches was not worth it suffering the next 2/3 of my life in a crappy bed. Mind you, I hadn't been in the worst beds, just not the beds for me. When I moved to Seattle, and didn't have AC for the first time ever I felt the clammy feeling of sleeping in a latex/chemical vat along with the back pain I had been feeling for a couple years. Wow, was that a disgusting feeling. I had visited a Hastens Store once on a trip to the Netherlands, and my did I start craving that bed. Low and behold a Hastens store is in Seattle...I visited, and visited again. I fell in love. With my bed. I can say I don't own a lot of things, and I am still paying on my car, but the fact that I wake up rested and rejuvinated is worth the money I spent. To everyone who complains about the price, you just don't get it, and you will never know the gloriousness of waking up in a bed like this. My boyfriend is now converted as well and he is now saving for his own bed. Initially he told me this type of bed was not for him. He didn't like the looks of it, and said he would NEVER spend that kind of money on a bed. After a couple months of spending 1/2 his time at my place he realized his back was actually feeling much better in the morning after sleeping on my bed. He works a very labor intesive job, so the relief is really important. :-) Good luck to everyone on their bed search. Maybe it isn't for everyone...but this certainly isn't a luxury that is only afforded to the rich. It is a luxury that is available to those who want it, and value their sleep as the most important contribution to their day.

Investing in a Hastens is not only extremely comfortable but also very good for your health and well-being. To sleep soundly in a perfectly balanced bed, along with the fact that you are in 100% natural filling materials, far away from toxic out-gassing foams and synthetic fillers, is something we all deserve but seldom think about.

We spend 2/3 of our life making and spending money, yet the other 1/3 is often overlooked. Think about it,... the past ten years you spent an average of 3 1/2 years in bed. If when you lie down in your bed it's not with a smile and a great big "Ahhhh", something is horribly wrong.

Another fact that is often not known, true Hastens is the manufacturer of one of the most expensive beds in the world -The Hastens Vividus- , this however is just one of Hastens models. Hastens have many different models in many different price classes. All Hastens models come in different firmness, size and color. When it is time for you to invest in a new bed or mattress, come to a Hastens showroom first and learn what a real bed should feel like. After that, it will be easier for you to compare. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have regarding Hastens or beds in general. http://www.best-rest.blogspot.com
Peter Tornell