Sleepers, wake!

May 8, 2008 7:17 PM

Has anyone purchased a Simmons Beautyrest Classic within the last three years?

I’m in the market for a new bed and am leaning towards a Simmons Beautyrest Classic Pillowtop. In stores, it feels similar to The Marriott Bed (by Jamison) and the Westin Heavenly Bed (by Simmons). I’ve had great sleeps on both and with a little research, I’m pretty sure I can avoid considerable branding and shipping costs if I purchase the bed from a local retailer under its made-up-mattress-scam-name instead of from a hotel chain.

My problem lies in what the rest of my research uncovered. The Simmons World Class model, one above the Classic, gets supremely crappy reviews all over the internet. Though it’s not the same bed I’m considering, the reviews are unnerving. There are loads of complaints about divots forming in the bed within two to three years (some showing up as early as six months of use) and there are many complaints about the company as well. Specifically, some say the quality of Simmons craftsmanship has declined over the years and the newer beds just don’t hold up.

Has anyone purchased a Simmons Beautyrest Classic within the last three years? I’ve found very few reviews on this particular model.

posted by peacecorn to shopping (10 comments total)

I bought one 10 months ago, absolutely no complaints. Best sleep I've ever had. Of course, it's less than a year old...
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:24 PM on May 8

So I just checked my mattress, which is almost 2 years old, and see that it is a Simmon World Class. And I have to say, I've loved it. I'm surprised that it's gotten bad reviews. It's not the pillowtop though, its a plushtop. My boyfriend and I were after a firm mattress, with no pillowtop, and there weren't many to choose from.

For the first two weeks we were worried that it was too firm. He especially was having a hard time adjusting. But I got a pillow top mattress pad, and that solved the problem. Incredible night's rest. And now we can easily replace the pillow top for wear and tear.

So two years out... it's as good as the day we bought it. No divits, no sagging. What I love is that the edges are reinforced and don't give at all, even when you're lying right on them (which has actually caused me to nearly fall off the bed on a couple of occasions). And I am not a small person. This bed has been supporting 450lbs between two people without an issue.

I should say that we bought the box spring, which I think has helped the longevity of the bed. We also have an Ikea bed frame with a center support, wood slats, and cross braces which I think gives the bed a very firm support.
posted by kimdog at 7:41 PM on May 8

We recently bought a new Simmons World Class plush top (and love it). During the hassles associated with shopping, I learned a few things:

The whole mattress name issue is a real pain. If you go into a mattress store and tell them about a particular model from another store, they can look up their equivalent one. This list is something of a rosetta stone. In general, you can match the materials, coil size and count, and two beds will be equivalent.

W Hotel beds (very similar to Westin Heavenly Beds), and similar to a bunch of the Beautyrest Classic bed are on sale through their store for 35% off with this coupon code.

The BEST place to ask online is Ask the Experts, where a couple that run a mattress store will give you the straight dope on the various beds and their equivalent models. There are a ton of similar questions and answers that probably hit on your issue, or you can ask for yourself.

Unless you love haggling, don't go to any place that has lots of sales. Near us, Sleepy's lists their mattresses at approximately 65% over other stores, then they do the whole used car dealer shtick and pretend that they are giving you a huge discount (and only because you look like a smart consumer).
posted by i love cheese at 8:02 PM on May 8 [6 favorites]

I can't speak to the Simmons, but my wife and I bought one of the Select Comfort Sleep Number beds about a year ago and I will never buy an inner-coil mattress again. I have slept poorly for years, and didn't even realize that I was missing out on getting a good night's rest until we bought the new bed and I figured out my "sleep number".

Additionally, we had our second child about three months ago and throughout her pregnancy my wife was able to adjust the firmness of the bed as her body changed. She slept ten times better during this pregnancy than she did during the first, and says she owes it all to the bed. And let me tell you, a pregnant wife who is sleeping well is a different person than one who is not. ;-)

If you haven't looked at them, I'd suggest you check them out before making a decision. They may not be for everyone, but I think they're at least worth considering.
posted by ElDiabloConQueso at 9:09 PM on May 8

I've only had it about a month, but I'm pretty happy with my Simmons Beautyrest Classic Thompson Bay mattress. Mr. Fairytale doesn't jostle me awake when he gets out of bed in the morning, thanks to the motion separation (although it *will* spring the hinge on my laptop if I toss it on the bed a bit too hard), and it's much easier on my back than our old mattress (a pillowtop) was.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:06 PM on May 8

Our Simmons Beautyrest is not a Classic, and we didn't buy it within the last 3 years (more like 5-6), but I remember finding similar, alarmist reviews back when we did. If I'm remembering right, I then found other sources that said the reviews were planted by those in the mattress sales industry, because Simmons had upset some big players with aggressive, exclusionary policies that kept some chains from being able to carry them. I don't know if that's still the case, but with our mattress, we haven't experienced any of the problems the reviews warned about. Maybe someone else will have more specifics about the reviews and whether they were planted?
posted by daisyace at 4:58 AM on May 9

Honestly, people either love their Simmons beds or they hate them thus the crappy reviews. The way the coils are designed are completely different from other beds thus it is a completely different sleep. Also, because of this construction, you are more likely to have a problem with the bed when speaking relatively to Sealy or Serta. How much more of a problem? Nothing that would dissuade me from buying a Simmons if that is what you like. I had a Simmons bed that I loved.

As far as the company, Simmons was always top notch in customer service. I would much rather deal with them for CS issues then say Sealy. I would say watch the retailer you purchase from. Their customer service people will make the initial decision about any issues you would have, not Simmons unless you buy direct.

Buying furniture isn't the easiest thing, especially when it comes to bedding. Good for you for avoiding the "hotel bed direct" scam.
posted by Silvertree at 5:02 AM on May 9

Thanks for the outstanding feedback, especially that "rosetta stone" of Simmons mattress names. I was able to find a bed equivalent to the Westin Heavenly Bed locally for far less than I thought possible. PLUS it comes with a 30-day “return for any reason” guarantee--something most stores told me was impossible.
posted by peacecorn at 10:43 PM on May 9

I must second ElDiabloConQueso's recommendation for the Select Comfort bed. No other bed even comes close, with a 20-year warranty even. Best sleep we've ever had. Back aches gone. We'll never go back to an inner-coil mattress.
posted by wherever, whatever at 12:02 AM on May 10

I'm actually getting rid of my Select Comfort bed. It bothers my lower back on the those nights I wind up on the dent in the middle (which is pretty often). I've had that bed for eight years and I'm SO tired of that damned dent!
posted by peacecorn at 10:10 AM on May 10