Also pull up my thread "Do you love your mattress and boxspring" or something like that for reading about others experiences. We also need a new bed and I really like those big thick pillowtops and almost bought one a few weekends ago...but after reading about the deep, permanent indents that happen in the first 6 months...and the problems buyers have had trying to get these mattress companies to stand behind these 20 year warranties - 6 months into buying it...well, lets say we are re-thinking this whole EXPENSIVE pillowtop thing.

I'd like to caution you on thinking that your back pain will be reduced by a softer mattress. I doubt that it will. That being said, I never would have thought I could purchase a mattress that was too firm ( I sleep well on the floor--scoliosis, etc.), but the Stearns and Foster Everham is too firm--it induces a rib-cage pain (back feels good), so we need to purchase a foam topper, but it will be a thin latex topper, not memory foam.

Another issue with the Everham--a very high-quality, expensive mattress--is that it is too heavy, making it a challenge to change sheets.

Having gone through this last fall, I now wish we had purchased a very firm latex mattress ( I assume there is such a thing)--again, not memory foam, for the reason you suggest. We could have saved a lot of money and bought a mattress that is easier to use and more comfortable. I would not resent replacing it every few years.

Your husband's too-warm experience--you might have to approach his comfort differently--my guess is that your mattress choice will not address it. Good luck.

i am waiting anxiously to buy a nature's rest mattress. they are latex with pillow top ...there are different models, but i don't believe they have memory foam toppers.

First of all I would urge everyone who is considering the purchase of a new mattress to go to the site below and read some of the back posts, and mattress reviews. The forum is not as active lately as it once was, but still contains a wealth of information. Latex has lots of fans there, but all mattresses are discussed. I would also suggest purchasing a kit mattress from one of the several vendors mentioned on that site. Whether you choose memoryfoam or latex for the top layer, you will have the option to experiment and return layers if necessary. Not that this is a cheap or easy task, but it's better than getting stuck with a very expensive, uncomfortable mattress. For the OP, it does sound like memoryfoam will not work for your husband. Latex is supposed to sleep much cooler, but I haven't tried it. I would beware of buying any mattress unless you know that there is no polyurathane (PU) foam in the top layer. That's what causes body depressions. Even some of the so-called latex mattresses use it. PU in the base layers is a diffent story. It will eventually degrade sooner than latex, but as far as I know, it will not cause the body impressions that make mattresses uncomfortable. I'm not an expert, but have done a lot of reading on the other forum. Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Whats the Best Mattress

We're very happy with our Latex mattress that replaced our pillowtop.

We have a select comfort which is the best money we ever spent. My husband also sweats profusely (it has to do with his metabolic rate and it is genetic) and he hasn't had a problem with this bed. I love the fact that I can have my bed at a different firmness than he has his side. Plus I often change the firmness depending on how I feel. No more back problems and I sleep way better.

We love our king-size Nature's Rest latex mattress. It cost us a pretty penny but we've never slept so well.

Didn't someone here or on some forum say that latex was a no-no for back problems?

I just purchased a handmade Shifman king size mattress set. It cost much more than I ever thought I would spend on a mattress set, but so far we love it. The manufacturer instructs purchasers to flip the mattress 1x per mo. for the first 6 mos to prevent the body impressions on the pillow top. It's a super heavy mattress so I may break my back doing it - yikes! But, so far, so good.

We have a Spring Wall mattress and love it. I am the hotflash queen these days and I've never noticed that the mattress had that much to do with my discomfort. However, I just read an ad from Wamsutta over the weekend that said they have a new line of linens (sheets, blankets, comforters) that are temperature-sensitive and will allow partners that sleep together and have different warmth needs to all be comfortable. Not sure how it all works, but I was intrigued. It might be worth checking out.

Instead of the mattresses with the attached pillow tops, I would recommend purchasing a good quality latex mattress and then using a down/feather topper beneath your mattress pad. I also have a problem with over heating during the night, but a good quality down/feather topper provides the soft comfort of a pillow top and the breathability that the attached pillow tops cannot offer. In addition, it can be cleaned.

I happened to meet a fellow who goes out on calls for mattress complaints, and the number one problem mentioned is the depressions in the pillow top mattresses which are exempted in the warranties supplied by the companies.

We have had the Select Comfort 5000 series for 18 months. My wife hates it, and I tolerate it. I am on the warm side when sleeping and feel the heat retention with this product, feel it is due to the foam. If I sleep on my kids standard mattress, I am much cooler. Had we not paid so much for it ( yes a good mattress is in the same price range), I would dump it. Moving this fall, if the money is there, we will be putting the S/C in the guest room and purchase a standard bed.

I also feel the 30 night guarantee is not enough. Plus you are stuck with repacking everything, which isn't an easy task. Somewhat of a puppydog close deal. We viewed the choose your setting as the final deciding factor. Guess we made a mistake.

A little late for a reply, but we are getting one of the mattresses they have at Hilton Hotels (not sure if it's at their lower end chains but is found in their resort quality locations). I absolutely loved it when we stayed there and was very surprised that it wasn't out of our price range. Below is a comment from a hotel article...

"As part of the new Hilton Serenity Collection, the Hilton Suite Dreams bedding program features a plush-top mattress that outperforms a pillow-top, designed in conjunction with Serta to provide support and luxury. The mattress is posturized, meaning it is custom-designed with added coil support, particularly in the center of the bed, where most weight is concentrated. In addition, the innovative patented quilt design reduces tossing and turning and helps to improve circulation while sleeping. The Hilton Suite Dreams Mattress also has an extra-strong, broader internal rod that provides extra edge support to help prevent edge breakdown. Offering a special proprietary design, the box spring, including added coils, is 7 1/2 inches high, while the mattress measures 12 1/2 inches. The entire bed is situated 7 1/2 inches off the floor, which means the new Hilton beds are 4 inches higher than the previous version."

Here is a link that might be useful: Shop Hilton

Bought a queen Sterns and Foster heavy quilted top. Best mattress ever. Not too thick for old contour sheets and easy to turn, not too heavy. Able to sleep with husband who tosses and turns and am not aware of it as with old mattress. Hotels that feature new mattress options are great as they allow for a trial run. What a good idea and fabulous pr approach. Good luck in your quest.

Like Alutz, we purchased a mattress we'd slept on in a hotel. In our case, it was a Jamison Mattress with a down topper in a Mariott.

I believe we paid about $1K for a King, delivered (ordered directly from manufacturer). We LOVE the mattress. It's foam (looks like a normal mattress though) and we flip it every 6 months. We haven't bought the featherbed yet -- figured at the time that we'd wait to buy it since the mattress was a large expense -- and the plain mattress is so comfy that we never bought the topper. It's not hot at all -- feels just like a regular mattress, only there's no "bounce" from another person on the bed.

We've had guests (my parents, DH's parents) sleep on it and they've all raved about it too.

I think the higher-end hotel mattresses are the way to go -- they're truly built to last.

I sell mattresses for a living and would be happy to give some advice. First of all, a hard bed is not good for your back or your comfort. A mattress that conforms to the shape of your spine is going to keep you in a healthier posture and provide more comfort. Another important reason to get a conforming mattress is to eliminate pressure points that impeed the blood supply. Pressure points will cause you to toss and turn and not sleep as deeply as you should. They can also cause your arm to go numb or your back to hurt.
Tempurpedic does a great job of conforming to the shape of your body but some people do complain that it is not breathable enough. I sell some memory foam mattresses that have air channels on the surface so that you stay nice and cool. I also sell what I would consider the best bed in the world, Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden (www.carpediembeds.com) These beds not only conform to your body even better than Tempurpedic, but they are more breathable and a lot more durable. They do cost more, $3500 to $10,000, but they are more than worth the extra comfort they provide. They will also last about 50 years so in the long run they are a great value and in the meantime you are getting a better, more restorative nights sleep.
Feel free to email with with any mattress questions, I'll give you my unbiased opinion on anything that you might be looking at.
Jeff Klein
jklein8@optonline.net

Please put the word "mattress" in the subject so that I don't think it's junk mail.

My husband and I purchased a king size Shifman Mattress set a few months ago and we love it! The mattress and box spring are hand made. I recommend that you check out the site.

http://www.shifmanmattresses.com/

There are quite a few pros and cons with Tempur-Pedic mattresses. For some info and comparisons with other sleep systems try http://kwikken.com/

James

Here is a link that might be useful: healthy lifestyles

Not quite ANYTHING BUT but Tempur-Pedic! We purchased a Dreamline Reliablility mattress manufactured in Cabot, AR and within 6 months of use had severe pocket depressions where we sleep. There is a 10 yr. factory warranty. Neither my wife nor I are overweight. The store and the factory do not deny there is a problem. I spoke to the store mgrs countless times whom say they have talked to the factory and a new mattress will come when they can get a truck coming up from AR to WI. I spoke with customer service at Dreamline and was told I would have to deal through the store or pay shipping (a new mattress has to be shipped here and the faulty one returned). What a run-around. This has been going on for 9 months while trying to recover from bi-lateral knee replacements. I guess we wouldn't complain if they had said they were selling it to us as a hammock-nor would we have bought it. I question Dreamline's "Reliability"-a true misnomer at best-and why I won't drop it.

Dreamline has attempted to replace this mattress at no charge; however under the warranty, the customer must return the mattress to the nearest dealer for the exchange, which they were unwilling to do.

Dreamline guy ...

"the customer must return the mattress to the nearest dealer for the exchange"

Are you KIDDING me??

How are they supposed to transport a mattress?? In their own personal delivery truck?

Get real.

Stephen Tipton at Dreamline,

I assume you have something to back your reply.

I have talked to the store countless times about getting a mattress replacement over a nine month period. The store has my home phone number and that number has caller ID and an answering machine. They also have my cell number which has missed call menu and voice mail. Not once have I been advised that a mattress replacement is en route. Your customer service department is of no help either.

So, Stephen Tipton at Dreamline, I challenge you to document "unwilling" on this forum. Unless your information is better that your mattress, I don't believe you can.

What ever happened to your mattress replacement?

Shifman and Royal-Pedic are the finest domestic (USA) made bedding products one can buy. Good stuff. And approximately 2x the lifespan of regular bedding.

In RE to what happened to my Dreamline mattress replacement:
Well it has been four years into the 10 year warranty and Dreamline has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Well, except for Stephen Tipton fibbing. At the time of the original posting, Stephen Tipton, who, according to state records, is heading Dreamline, had made absolutely no overtures to replace this mattress. He was challenged on this after his post and made no reply. The stock answer from where it was purchased was that I would be notified when "Dreamline gets a truck up this way". See the above postings.

After making my original posting, I made a complaint to the Arkansas Attorney General's Office, Mr Tipton advised the investigator that the mattress could be delivered to an unnamed dealer in Iowa for warranty. Apparently Arkansas was happy with that. That is well over 300 miles round trip from here to Iowa. Dreamline ceased doing business in Wisconsin and Minnesota, be it by choice or invitation to leave.

And so, without a business name of a dealer, no way to get it there, and having two knee replacements, there will be no closure except to give Dreamline all of the Internet advertising I have time for. Stephen Tipton is aware of my condition , but has that "oh well" attitude.To read Dreamline's web pages, you would think that they have olympic gold medals for customer service!

This Dreamline mattress is soooo bad that when we got into bed, we had to slip into the pockets. Even then, it was miserable trying to get a night's rest. Imagine trying to recover from major surgery with this kind of nearly new bed.

And they dubbed this one "Reliablity". They didn't even have the pride of workmanship to put their company name on the product! Dreamline now has all of these Dream names for their mattresses. If you want to believe it, "dream on". Our Dreamline mattress has become a 3-dimension wall mural in a few months. Ain't worth anything else, except maybe the dump. But for the next several years, it will be used for free DREAMLINE advertising! Who knows, maybe someone will want to buy it. At least it will not be falsely advertised.

I have owned a Carpe Diem for two years, I purchased one from Jeff Klein at Sleep Etc., in Norwalk, CT. Not only is this bed fantastic (no issues with sheets not fitting), it's been the best sleep EVER, I'm talking EVER in my life, and it's extremely stylish.
That being said, Jeff and his team were INCREDIBLE. They did not pressure us to purchase anything, and they were magnificent, even months after purchasing from them. When we went to move, Jeff and his team gave me advice and help in moving the bed to storage and how to move it internationally. If you are not ready to make an investment in this fantastic bed, definitely make an effort to purchase from this man, he and his team are some of the few honest, hardworking, small business owners left in our country!
Best,
Sarah