Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mattress

Looking for information on PAYG cell phone (NY state), inflatable mattress, All-In-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer

zaxour — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:22:56 -0800

Moved to NY (NOT NYC) from Sweden, need information on PAYG cell phone, inflatable mattress, All-in-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer. I moved to NY state from Sweden and my job will involve moving from one place to the other every 3 months or so. Hence, would like to maintain as little belongings as possible.

Since I haven't got my SSN yet, I have to go with PAYG phone. I am checking all cellphone carriers I am aware of but feel like very little information is offered on the web. Going to the stores isn't helping either. I am curious which carrier has best coverage in NY state? Also, do I have to use carrier's phone to be able to use their SIM?
I considered delaying buying PAYG phone and use cellswapper later but I am not too sure how good is this idea.

I am looking for king/queen size inflatable mattress, which brand is good to go with? A previous thread on me-fi directs me to Aerobed. Any other recommendation? (or if you didn't like Aerobed, why?)

I am also interested in All-In-One Scanner, Photocopier, Fax and Printer. I checked cnet.com reviews but there is a conflict between editor's ratings and user's ratings so not too sure how much I should rely on them. I wonder if its a good idea to have such All-In-One equipment and if yes, any recommendation?

How do you open a childproof zipper?

TurkeyMustard — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:14:37 -0800

How do you open a childproof zipper on an Ikea children's mattress cover? We want to take off the cloth mattress cover on my son's Ikea mattress. It has a zipper on one end that appears to be childproof. See photos. But we'll be jiggered if we can figure out how to release it. I've tried pulling it with needle-nose pliers, I've tried twisting, prying, bending, pushing, bumping, jerking, snapping, wrenching, and doing the Mashed Potato. You can see the marks in the photo where my needle-nosed pliers have soiled it a bit. I've tried a paper clip. I've also googled this question to great frustration, with this story about a product from a different company sounding tantalizingly close but still insufficient to solving our problem.

Can you help? How do we release that zipper without simply destroying it?

Looking for a keep-feet-warm in bed device (to keep on the bed, not just socks)

lrodman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:44:05 -0800

I want something to put at the foot of my bed to keep feet warm - a throw would work, but something more designed for the purpose perhaps- like a giant "sock" that slips over the end of the comforter that you slip your feet into or something like that. down or equivalent preferable, but post whatever you have!

$ for Zzzzs.

ttyn — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:34:44 -0800

Buying my first king sized mattress. What should I know? I need to buy a mattress and boxsprings. I decided to upgrade from my old queen sized mattress to a king sized one.

What should I know? What should I avoid? Recommend me a mattress. What price range is reasonable? Is it worth investing a few extra hundreds in a few inches memory foam?

I've never purchased a good mattress, or any other mattress. Please be gentle.

What is the best way to adjust to a new mattress?

miasma — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:59:03 -0800

MattressHackingFilter: I recently upgraded from a fairly firm queen sized mattress to a king-sized soft pillow-top (Simmons Beautyrest). While laying down feels noticeably different (and pretty damn comfy), I do wake up with some back pain, most notable a tightness in my upper back and in the shoulders towards the neck. Are there any quick-and-cheap solutions (besides returning it) that can alleviate the pain? Is this just my body adjusting or am I S.O.L.?

Mattress conundrum.

halogen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:23:25 -0800

Just bought a new mattress from Sleep Country USA in Seattle, but there is no record of that model anywhere online. What's going on here? The reason I am asking is because the invoice mentions a "100-Night Price Guarantee": if you find a comparable product on sale for less than you paid, Sleep Country will beat that price and issue a refund for that difference. So, out of curiosity and greed, I tried looking up the model online only to find that there is nothing out there with that name.

The mattress is a Simmons Natural Care (the collection does exist online here), but the name of the model that is listed both on the invoice and on the tags, Sunset Valley EuroTop, isn't mentioned anywhere online – and the closest I could find to what we bought based on looks is this one, on sale for more than twice what we paid at the store. That can't be right, no?

What's going on here? Do stores purposefully obscure model names in order to prevent customers from taking advantage of the above-mentioned price guarantee?

Bear-proof Mattress-like Object.

VioletU — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:03:13 -0800

Mattressfilter: How am I supposed to fall asleep while my husband is intent on practicing his bear wrestling during the nighttime? Our problem is that my husband vigorously tosses and turns in his sleep - I call it "wrestling bears" - waking me repeatedly through the night if I'm not already in a deep slumber. I am unpleasant to be around when I'm deprived of sleep.

My husband's method of turning to one side while sleeping is to literally sit (sometimes) bolt upright, shift his hips, and drop his body. Yes, this is while he's asleep. No, he's not graceful while doing this.

Once I'm awakened and begin to drift again, he "flails" and I'm wide awake. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. He does not have any indications of a sleep disorder - he just moves quickly and with force in his sleep and I'm apparently a light sleeper.

My husband (6'1" ~200 lbs) and myself (5'5") currently sleep on a queen-sized mattress, sans boxspring, on the floor. The mattress is a little over 3 years old and is in good shape and is also of good quality. It is not ideal for bear-wrestling.

We want to continue sleeping next to each other. My husband is adverse to pushing two single mattresses together (and I suspect that it would transmit the "shock" from his to mine if we had them touching). My husband briefly slept (alone) on two mattresses tied together while in college and also had the problem of falling in between the mattresses. While that would be less of a problem with two people sleeping, that could pose annoyances during recreational activities in bed.

With the ridiculous markup cost of a new one, we'd like to avoid buying another multi-thousand dollar mattress - especially as this one is *supposed* to have good isolation between sleepers.

Other details:
We prefer a medium firmness.
I have neck/shoulder issues.
We need queen-sized at minimum
We sleep in the basement and had difficulty getting our mostly
non-folding queen size mattress into our room.

Our first thought was to buy a thick, good quality futon mattress. I slept on one as a university student and loved it and I understand some now come in foam instead of cotton-filled (thus less-likely to compress and become rock hard). As they fold easily, we could even get a king into our room.

Are there any other options?

We're in Ontario, Canada.

European split beds?

anjiro — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:09:11 -0800

Mattress-filter: I recently took a trip to Germany with my wife and was fascinated by some of the hotel beds there. Unlike some other parts of Europe, there were not two single-person beds, but seemed to be two combined. It was like two mattresses stuck together somehow; they had separate sheets (both bottom and top), but didn't shift away from each other in the slightest. You could lie right on the crack and not notice a thing! I noticed that we slept a lot better, possibly since the two halves didn't influence each other as much.

How does it work, and can I get something similar in the US?

How do I best store a memory foam mattress topper

Nelson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:05:08 -0800

How do I best store a memory foam mattress topper? Can I keep it folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed? I bought an inexpensive memory foam mattress topper for our foldout couch, for when guests come. (King size, 2 inch thick, 2.5 pounds / cubic foot density). I only need to use it every few months, so I want to store it in my garage. However, it's huge. Also it is a magnet for dirt. How do I store it out of the way?

I'd like to store it relatively tightly rolled up, or maybe folded. I don't have any place to store it flat and laid out. Is it OK to store memory foam compressed, or after a month of sitting folded / tightly rolled will it now remember that new shape?

Should we keep the waterbed?

angiep — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:58:29 -0800

Have you ever switched from a waterbed to a more conventional mattress? What kind of mattress (innerspring, foam, etc.) did you switch to and are you happy about it? Conversely, would you never switch? Mr. A and I have been sleeping on a hard-sided waterbed for about 30 years. We've replaced the mattress a couple of times and have to do so again as the current one has a pinhole leak. We'll patch it for now, but will replace it in the near future.

But we've been thinking about switching to a conventional mattress. We want to change our bedroom furniture and waterbed headboards, etc. haven't changed much from the cheesier part of the 1970s style which didn't appeal to me then, let alone now. On the other hand, we've never slept well on a conventional mattress when travelling.

Have you made the switch? What was your experience?

If we keep with a waterbed, we were thinking of the top end mattress which supposedly has a lumbar support. Have you tried a waterbed mattress with one? (The shops around here don't have any set up for display because about 2 people a year buy one.)

Foam top mattress way too hot

Majorita — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:09:45 -0800

How can I make my foam-topped mattress less hot? It was fine in the winter, but now I find myself sweltering in bed. I hate it. Just now at 6 pm: Sitting on my sofa? Not sweating. Lying immobile in bed? Sweating.

I already sleep with my feet sticking out from under the sheets but it's still too hot. I use high thread count, cotton sheets. Would a wool mattress pad help? Maybe a featherbed between me and the mattress? I searched the archives and found this thread which mentions a wool mattress pad. This Google search result suggested using a poly mattress pad, but I'm currently using one and it's not much help.

I'd like something that I can launder regularly because I don't have access to a clothesline or any other way of airing it out/exposing it to direct sunlight.

PLEASE help us get a better nights sleep!

tomcochrane — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:15:50 -0800

How can we make our mattress firmer and give us a better night's sleep? My SO and I just moved into a furnished apartment. Everything is great, but the mattress sucks. There is little support, and we both need better back/hip/neck support. There is no box spring and there are slats supporting the mattress on the bed frame.

Short of buying a new mattress, what can I do to make the mattress firmer? Would getting some sort of memory foam help or just make matters worse?

How can I determine the mattresses I'm looking at are real TempurPedics?

stewiethegreat — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:51:13 -0800

I'm trying to buy a used TempurPedic mattress on craigslist as a gift for a family member who wants one. I know next to nothing about mattresses- how do I make sure I actually get a genuine TempurPedic? My Grandma wants a TempurPedic mattress. She knows we're looking at used, and she is ok with that, but she wants a genuine TempurPedic mattress. Beyond looking at tags, is there any way to tell if I am looking at the real deal when I go to see mattresses from craigslist? How much should a genuine Full/Twin in good condition be?

Thank you!

What can I do with my mattresses?

unceman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:48:46 -0800

What can I do with extra mattresses? I have heard that mattresses are one of the worst things that can be put into landfills since they can't be compressed due to the springs. I want to be responsible and dispose of my mattresses properly. What is the easiest way to get rid of a couple mattresses if I want to avoid putting them in the landfill?

Manic Mattresses, Crazy Canopies, and Loony Linens

hellogoodbye — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:13:38 -0800

I'm buying my first bed and first mattress, and I need help understanding mattress height, as well as where/how to find canopy linens. My primary bed for the last 20 years is a twin daybed (which I just realized is the same as Olive’s bed in Little Miss Sunshine). The mattress is that old as well, but I guess I haven’t been too picky about mattresses, because I hadn’t really thought about getting a new one until I thought about getting a new bed.

I already ordered this bed in queen size, but I don't know how to go about putting fabric/curtains/linens/drapery/whatever-you-want-to-call-it on the bed when I set it up. Inspired by HBO's John Adams, I bought the canopy bed specifically so I could create a cozy space for myself (a room within a room). I'd like something very slightly transparent so that I'm not blocking all light, but so that someone peeking couldn't see much of what I'm doing. Also, I'd like the fabric to work like a shower curtain instead of a window curtain; opening the bed up to the outside should be easy, and I don't want to disassemble the canopy part to change/wash the fabric. There are some decent looking shower curtain hooks out there, but how do I purchase fabric with the right top hem/holes to work with those? ..and what dimensions should the fabric be? What else should I consider?

I read this, which has helped me start looking for mattresses, but I wonder how mattress height works with/without a pillowtop when buying sheets. I want a traditional coil mattress and box spring, no foam, latex or what-have-you. I don’t know if I want a pillowtop or not, but it seems that while the height of mattresses varies, the height of fitted sheets doesn’t. I’m not interested in getting into a wrestling match with these items when the time comes.

Another request coming out of my desire for the least hassle possible, I’d be grateful if anyone has any more tips for choosing a mattress. In my ideal world, I’d name a price under $1,000 (and preferably under $800) and someone would name a mattress set that I should buy. I have no idea what I want in terms of comfort, except that I run way hot, so I don’t want anything to make that worse.

I don’t really want to go to mattress stores and take trial naps, but I suppose I will. On that note, are there reputable mattress stores in the Northern VA area?
Thanks for reading my partially informed, sort of picky, bed specifications.

It's a hard question...

Bardolph — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:08:18 -0800

So many great pads available to soften hard mattresses, but nothing seems to go the other direction. What are some creative ways to make our cushy pillowtop mattress firm enough for safe cosleeping with a new baby? The mattress is queen-sized, and while it's not ultra-squishy, it is soft enough that I suspect it wouldn't meet current standards for safe baby bedding. We're planning on using a cosleeper or Amby for most of the night, but I'd like to be able to nurse in bed without stressing over what might happen if I drowse off and let the baby fall asleep next to me. Sadly, a new mattress is not an option. Any ideas for pads or DIY fixes I could use to give this one a firmer surface?

While padded, the baby butt is not sufficient for full body spine comfort.

cavalier — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:11:42 -0800

[NewBabyFilter] Baby Incoming! Before the stork arrives I have furnished the Nursery(tm) with, er, furniture. Crib, chair, what have you. Baby Mattresses vex me, and I need help in buying one. Will you be my baby mattress daddy? Seriously; I know full well that mattress sales is a shell game. It almost makes used car sales look more moral. Change the model name between stores, change the coil count, change the name of the coil technology, whatever.

Bottom line, though, when I want to buy a new mattress -- er, I just shop around and well, sleep on one, till I find one that I like.

I doubt my newborn baby is going to be able to evaluate effectively if the crib mattress fits his needs -- thus my distress. Guides all say buy firm, firm mattress! With a wedge! Firm mattress! Yet I visit the local Babies R Us / Target stores and they have a wide line of "soft, cozy" mattresses. Most are Sealy by way of Kolcraft. Prices range from $80 to $200 on average. Yes there are $625 mattresses made with "Mohair." I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a good, safe, proper mattress for cavalier jr.

Can you help?

I want to sleep on a board

sully75 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:37:19 -0800

I'm wondering about getting rid of my mattress (old, not flat, hand me down) and getting some sort of sleeping pad, and making a sleeping platform out of plywood. Any suggestions? I camped a lot this summer, more than I ever have before. 30 days straight or something like that. I slept great every night and really loved sleeping on my thermarest pad and in my sleeping bag.

I've been living the permanent bachelor lifestyle for a while, currently on a twin mattress friends found in their basement. It's not terrible but kind of lumpy and has a good ol' body dip right in the middle.

I'm moving back to Boston (now the bedbug capital of the world, I hear) for school and wondering about what kind of furniture I might have. I was thinking I'd much rather sleep on some hard flat surface with something soft over it. Basically the indoor equivalent of a thermarest pad.

The only mix up is that I'd like to have something about the size of a queen size mattress. Because I might not want to sleep alone. I don't see any thermarests large enough for two people. I'd like to have something that was comfortable for someone who was not a total ascetic.

So any suggestions about what to do for a sleeping pad? I was thinking about building a box with a plywood top and 2x4s as a frame. Ideally I'd put it up off the ground a bit but haven't figured out a design for it. Any ideas?

Help me buy a foam mattress on a budget

fermion — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:12:16 -0800

How can I find the best foam mattress on a limited (<$400) budget? I'm in the market for an inexpensive mattress--$400 is about my upper limit, but I'd be happy if I could find something workable for less. The extra money could go toward a fancy mattress topper.

Ideally I'd like to get a foam mattress--not memory foam, just plain old foam--but I'm having a lot of difficulty figuring out how to comparison shop effectively. I went to a local foam supplier, and they offered to sell me a full-XL-mattress-sized slab of foam for $330; they tell me foam of that particular grade will last 5-7 years. But then I find something like this foam-based futon mattress that seems like a much fancier product for a similar price. Is it really a better buy? Are there other places where a basic polyurethane foam mattress can be had for less? How can I figure out which mattresses are worth the money?

I don't mind lumps in my mashed potatoes, but none in my bed please.

Advocate, I — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:27:07 -0800

How can I get the lumps out of my goose down mattress pad? I've had a goose down mattress pad on my bed for a while, and it has provided me with tons of comfy night's sleep. Today, while changing sheets, I decided to shake out the pad to get rid of some dust, in doing so I shifted the down in the pad and now the pad is lumpy. Does anyone know how to get rid of the lumps and redistribute the down in the pad to make it even and comfy again? Did I just ruin my pad!? Help!

Help me pick a latex mattress!

threeturtles — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:02:19 -0800

Mattressfilter: What are your experiences with latex mattresses, particularly with IKEA latex mattresses? For someone with back problems, details inside. Looked at the past threads on the topic, but would like some up-to-date opinions.

My husband and I went mattress shopping today at a local store. We were looking at Sealy's and decided we definitely preferred the Springfree latex mattresses to the ones with springs. We nearly bought a model called Tranquil Sea today for $1300. We decided to do some comparison shopping first and I'm glad I did because through some googling I've discovered that model only has a 1 inch core of Latex and is mostly poly foam. Which is apparently bad. If I'm going to shell out that kind of money for a mattress, I want to know it's worth it and that it will last. FYI, I've done my share of laying on memory foam beds and don't like the constant sinking feeling.

It looks like the next step up for Sealy latex mattresses (with 8 inches of latex) go for around $2000. I'm looking at the Ikea mattresses that contain 7 inches of latex for $700-800. We're planning on going to Ikea in Houston next weekend to try them out. What have people's experiences with any of these mattresses or similar been?

I have some pretty serious back problems, with three degenerating discs in my lower back and very severe pain at times. I'm usually a side sleeper unless my back just won't allow it. I liked the mattress I tried today because I felt like it allowed me to lay on my side without pressing back up on my hips, which is where I get a lot of pain. Thoughts?

[Consumer Filter] Memory Foam mattress recommendations?

gnash — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:31:23 -0800

What are your memory foam mattress recommendations and experiences? Considering purchasing a memory foam mattress (Tempurpedic in particular). Like Tempurpedic (at least the pillows) but a little hesitant to drop almost 2k on a mattress.

I'd like to have anyone's thoughts re: their experience w/ Tempurpedic (or other) memory foam mattresses. Are there any Tempurpedic like alternatives that are almost as good but cheaper?

How to use ratchet tie down?

secretsecret — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:47:15 -0800

I'm using 2 ratchet tie downs to move a queen boxspring and mattress on the roof of my 4 door car. I think I understand how to thread and tighten the ratchet, but what do I attach the hooks to? Wanted to tie the ratchet to itself but the hooks make it too hard. What am I supposed to attach them to?

And in that sleep of death what dreams may come

NekulturnY — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:09:42 -0800

Help me choose a bed. Currently my SO and I sleep in a bed with a wooded-slatted frame with a latex mattress on it. Some vendors warned us, back in the day, that latex is bad for perspiration during sleep (it's basically rubber, so it doesn't breathe). Turns out they were right. On top of this, I suspect that, due to the sometimes high humidity in the bedroom, the wooden frame of the bed is mildewed. I occasionally smell it at night and I don't like it much.

So I want to buy a bed that
a) will not develop mildew in a relatively high humidity bedroom (can't do anything about this - caused by the house and the climate)
b) will not cause the sometimes considerable perspiration that latex beds do.

Should we look for a boxspring? A wooded-slatted bed with a so called pocket spring mattress? Should we shell out 12k for a Hastens bed with horse hair? Tell me your bedtime stories, AskMefi.

Please help me find a proper sleep position.

Vandal — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:02:34 -0800

I need a proper sleep position! I don't know which one I sleep to, because I keep tossing and turning till sleep overtakes and I fall asleep. It's really weird. I get to bed, my mattress is a good comfortable one. I think my pillows need changing, but other than that I'm a frequent tosser and turner. Right when I get in bed, I toss and turn to find a good position, and I don't.. I keep going at it till somehow I fall asleep.
Again, around 3am or so.. all the way upto 6am or so, the TnT begins.

This has been happening on and off for months. Somebody please help! Please don't say there is no proper way of sleeping.. but some suggestions wouldn't hurt.