Adjustable base and mattress shopping frustration in Jacksonville, FL

[KayT]

Phoenix, thank you for your reply.

@"Phoenix" post=60171

If you are referring to having two separate mattresses (such as two twin XL mattresses to make up a king size) then there are some comments in post #8 here and in this topic about the pros and cons of a split king mattress.

That’s exactly what I’m referring to, two twin XL mattresses to make up a king size. I appreciate those links - my search terms didn’t bring them up.

The foam layers in the Sleep Number mattresses are fairly low quality and aren’t particularly durable so it’s possible or even likely that after 5 - 8 years they have softened or broken down to a point that you are outside the comfort/support range that is suitable for you. Of course if you have changed your sleeping positions then it’s also possible that your needs and preferences have changed as well and that could also change the firmness of a mattress that is suitable for you. Since stomach sleepers tend to need firmer mattresses than back or especially side sleepers … if your mattress is still in good condition and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then it’s possible that adding a suitable topper would provide any additional “comfort” and pressure relief that you may need (although again after 5 - 8 years I would guess that the top foam layers in your Sleep Number may no longer be in good condition and may need to be replaced as well).

My Sleep Number bed’s “innards” - all foam plus the bladders - were replaced at 9 years, 10 months (right before the warranty expired) due to the mold issue. I had been checking for it several times a year, and just when I thought we wouldn’t have the issue, there it was.

I have to say that our experience with Sleep Number customer service was excellent. Our remote stopped working at year 8, and it was replaced at no charge. When I reported the mold issue, they not only sent all replacement parts at no charge, but when I pointed out that I paid for “White Glove” service at time of purchase, they sent a team to disassemble and reassemble the bed with the new components and remove all old parts and packaging at no charge. That said, if I was looking for an air bed now, I wouldn’t buy that brand because the value is not there. Plus, I stopped in the local Sleep Number store and tried their i8 mattress, and within 30 seconds felt the painful pressure point in my hip. My “repeat customer” price for that mattress in a split king, with their FlexFit 2 adjustable base (no wall hugging, no massage) was $6700!

[quote]This would depend on the specifics of the foam layers in the mattress, on how close together you sleep, and on the amount of differences in your body types (someone that is much heavier can compress the layers more deeply and create a valley that the other person can roll into if they are close together. If the comfort layers are soft enough to provide good pressure relief in all your sleeping positions and the transition (middle) layers and support (deeper) layers are firm enough for both of you then “roll together” in the middle of the mattress shouldn’t be a significant issue (although it’s a little bit more likely with a split mattress because the edge of a mattress without edge support will generally “act” a little bit softer than the rest of the mattress because of the “edge effect”.

Most foam mattresses don’t have or really need edge support for most people if it has a suitable design but there are always exceptions to every rule based on the individual factors that I just mentioned. There is more about edge support with foam mattresses in post #33 here and post #3 here but the only way to know for certain whether you will experience “roll together” in the middle of a mattress or “roll off” at the edge of a mattress will be based on your own careful testing (with both of you on the mattress in the sleeping positions that you normally sleep in) or your own personal experience.[/quote]

Part of my frustration is not being able to test the split king beds! The showrooms I’ve visited so far have only had king beds on their split king frames.

Thank you for the other links. Looks like I’ll be spending another day researching, and perhaps a visit to Fox Mattress - difficult because it’s a three-hour round trip, and that doesn’t leave me much time to shop because I have two small dogs with small bladders.