My (California) Kingdom for a Mattress
October 15, 2017 12:52 PM   Subscribe

Choosing a good mattress is suprisingly hard. Tell me your tips and recommendations.

I've had back pain (upper thoracic and cervical) for about as long as I've had my current mattress. I'm a side sleeper and the model I bought was way too firm, even with a mattress topper, and I end up sinking into my shoulder as I sleep). I don't want to make the same mistake shopping for a new one, so help me do this right.
Without further ado, here are the particulars.
I can go to any showrooms in NYC (or online)
I'm looking for a Full-sized mattress
Without knowing the lingo, I'm probably for a medium firm mattress. Something that you can sink into and will cradle your hips and shoulders and let the spine stay aligned in its natural curves.
I'm a side sleeper, but I toss and turn in my sleep.
I'm a medium height woman and I'm pretty light, if that has anything to do with sinkage and the type of mattress I should be looking for.
Looking online at all of the options I get ads for (Casper,Purple, Naturepedic) just makes everything more confusing. Hopefully that's where you come in! Tell me how you found the mattress of your dreams, lessons you learned the hard way, brands and specific styles.
posted by Champagne Supernova to Shopping (13 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
When overwhelmed with choices, I ask The Sweet Home about it.

I'm a tummy sleeper, but since I've been sleeping on a leesa mattress (one of those latex ones) in conjunction with a memory foam pillow, my neck pain has disappeared, which is pretty nice!
posted by Drosera at 1:17 PM on October 15, 2017


There is a wonderful site called Sleep Like the Dead. Check it out first.
posted by k8t at 1:17 PM on October 15, 2017 [4 favorites]


My solution to this problem was to buy the least expensive model of the sleep number bed and put a soft foam topper on it. This way when the foam wears out it’s a cheap fix, but the ‘base’ of the mattress will stay in good condition for a looooong time. Plus, if the foam topper STILL feels too firm, I can lower the number on the bed. I’ve had this set-up for a couple years now and really like it. I’m pregnant at the moment, so my ‘sleep number’ has been all over the place- it’s great!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 1:38 PM on October 15, 2017


I am somewhat-tall woman of average build, a side sleeper who sometimes tosses and turns, and we got this mattress about two years ago and I could not be happier with it. It seriously looks just like the day we bought it, no lumps at all. The memory foam fits perfectly around my hips and springs back into place when I get up. Plus my husband has terrible restless leg and I practically can't feel it at all. We got ours on eBay for a deep discount. I think the only thing I'd change is I wish we got the 8" or 10" because the 12" needs extra-deep sheets, oops!

I have also heard of people buying a mattress and putting a memory foam topper on it, similar to what PorcineWithMe suggested.

Some people think memory foam gets too hot so if you have any issue with overheating then definitely consider that, but I haven't found mine to be too hot.

Also don't underestimate the support of strategically placed body pillows. An osteopath told me to place one between my elbows to keep me spine aligned. I also usually put one between my knees and it seems to help.

If I had beaucoup bucks I would splurge on this side sleeper pillow which has great reviews, though I haven't tried it yet.

I usually wouldn't give such specific a recommendation but my mattress has been a lifesaver and it sounds like you have a similar sleeping situation and body type as myself. Good luck on your search!
posted by shalom at 2:58 PM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


I should also add that our previous mattress (purchased 10 yrs ago) was a $$$$ Tempurpedic and we hate, hate, hated it. It was so hot, having sexy time is terrible on a Tempurpedic as it absorbs energy and within 4 years there were body divots, even with regular rotation. Yes, there’s a warranty, but the divots became uncomfortable long before they were bad enough to qualify for a warranty claim.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 4:12 PM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


I am a side sleeper and I like a hybrid mattress which is an inner spring mattress with a foam topper. I fin memory foam too confining and too hot. I find innerpsrings hard on my shoulder. This is just right. Mine's a Serta because I wanted one without chemical flame retardants but there are lots of brands that make them.

I tried the Casper and it sucked. Too hard and too thin for side/ belly sleepers and it got really soft really fast.
posted by fshgrl at 4:15 PM on October 15, 2017


Like shalom I bought a Zinus memory foam mattress too and couldn't be happier. I've only had it a few months but I haven't had any issues. When I bought my king size it was around $280 (now listed at $330) and I spent another $130 to get a basic Zinus "wood" frame from Walmart and now get lost in my bed.

Previous spring mattress was over $1000 USD and I hated it.

Someone on another AskMe thread recommended this Bamboo Mattress Pad which I am planning on getting soon. And my only concern is that I won't want to leave my bed.
posted by eatcake at 5:15 PM on October 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


Without knowing the lingo, I'm probably for a medium firm mattress.

Don't guess. Go to a Sleep Number Bed store and find out what your sleep number is. I was blown away to find mine is 35 - very soft. I considered the Sleep Number bed, but in the end bought a Serta iComfort plush. I love it, and I knew going in I wanted a soft mattress.
posted by Dolley at 5:20 PM on October 15, 2017


I sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees or more usually under one knee. I'm getting much better sleeps since switching to a cheap coil spring mattress with minimal foam. I tried a memory foam topper (back when I was trying to get my fancy, multi-layer foam mattress to be comfortable) but found that it always made me feel weirdly unsupported, like a waterbed. So, for me, cheap spring coil.
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:50 PM on October 15, 2017


In addition to Sleep Like The Dead, https://www.themattressunderground.com/ is an amazing mattress resource.

Mattress Underground has a ton of information on how to identify the right types of mattress for you, and how to do a good test in a store. Your weight and body shape do need to be taken into account! And there's ways to do in-store testing that give you a better idea if the mattress will still feel good after a night's sleep. Also, they talk about mattress quality and how to tell if a mattress is well-made. I read through all their guides before I started my hunt, and I'm really pretty happy with my mattress. It's not the best mattress I tested, but it's very nearly the best and it's $$$ less than the nicest one.
posted by Ahniya at 12:49 PM on October 16, 2017


Best thing I ever did in terms of mattresses was spend 20+ minutes on each of several candidates. Yeah, brick and mortar stores are overpriced, but it's a hell of a lot easier than ordering online and returning.

Department stores that carry them often have deals like coupons that stack with credit card bonuses and whatever that will bring the price down to something less rage inducing. For whatever reason they're a lot more hands off about the whole thing, so you don't feel pressured into a decision.
posted by wierdo at 8:20 PM on October 17, 2017


Just to complicate things, if you're looking at mattress review sites, this recent article about some of the shady payoffs behind them is worth reading. I don't think it applies to sites like The Sweet Home, though.
posted by klausness at 9:55 AM on October 18, 2017 [2 favorites]


Just to complicate things, if you're looking at mattress review sites, this recent article about some of the shady payoffs behind them is worth reading. I don't think it applies to sites like The Sweet Home, though.

Wow, thanks for posting this. About two years ago, I was in the market for a mattress and Casper was a top contender - I specifically remembered a Sleepopolis recommendation. Nothing came of that search for me, and I'm back in it now. This makes a huge difference in my choice now.

FWIW, I am leaning towards going with an Amerisleep product. The mattress seems to be a decent balance between my (5'5, 140 lbs) stomach sleeping and my partner's side sleeping habits.
posted by Everydayville at 3:20 PM on March 27, 2018


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