Leesa a very poor fit for me--suggest an alternative?

We had been sleeping on an OLD traditional innerspring mattress with a newer memory foam topper. It was WELL past time for it to go (lots of sag), so we tried the Leesa. The first week was okay, but since then I have been having more and more issues. My lwo back has been in a lot of pain (I have occasional recurring back pain, diagnosed as arthiris even though I am only 42, but this is MUCH worse than usual) and I cannot get comfortable during the night. I wake up on my stomach and I am not and have never been a stomach sleeper. I really hate this bed, and I wanted so much to love it! I think mainly I find it too soft and not supportive enough. It feels mushy and squishy. :frowning: In general, my lumber area feels like it is just sagging/hanging–neither “embraced” my memory foam or firmly supported by an innerspring…?

My husband actually thinks the bed is just fine, even likes it, but I cannot continue with it. I am within my 100-day warranty and plane to return. I would like to try another online “disruptor” bran din approximately the same price range, but am willing to go up to $1000 or so. Note–we have a FULL sized bed, so the mattress is cheaper!

Questions:

–Given my total hate for the Leesa, should I consider something with coils? If so, what?

–Or would I want to look at a foam mattress with a higher firmness rating? In general, I prefer a firm feel…BUT my husband is a slender person (5 ft 10, 135 pounds) and cannot handle a “rock hard” mattress. I am 5 ft 8, 150 lbs.

– I wonder if partly I have gotten used to the feel of memory foam over innerspring and cannot adjust?? If so, is there anything you would recommend?

In the past, we tried going to a real=life retailer and could not agree on a bed other than a Tempurpedic, which we both liked but could not justify paying for.

Hi loraxc,

I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out as well as you hoped for but at least you had the foresight to choose an online mattress that has a great return policy.

I’m not sure why you are only looking at what I call “simplified choice” mattresses (what you are calling “disruptor” mattresses) since there are many other mattresses in your budget range that would be well worth considering as well but there is more about simplified choice mattresses in general in post #1 here and there is more information about many of the specific mattresses in the “simplified choice” category in post #2 here in the same topic.

I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial)or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

There is also more information about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or any exchange/return options that are available to you).

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) would be a personal preference and a budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice.

While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether any mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP or how closely it “matches” another mattress … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

The most common cause for lower back pain is a mattress that is too soft and based on your description it sounds like your mattress may have been too soft for you in which case it may be worth considering a firmer mattress but having said that I can’t feel what you feel and your own experience is a much more reliable way to assess whether a mattress is soft enough or firm enough than any “theory at a distance”. Sleeping on your stomach on a mattress that is more suitable for back or side sleepers can also lead to sleeping in a swayback position with a hyper extended spine which can result in lower back pain and discomfort when you wake up in the morning.

While it’s certainly possible that your body has become used to a particular mattress … most people will adjust to the feel of a sleeping surface that is different from what they are used to over the course of the first few weeks (see post #3 here). If you are still having pain or discomfort after that then it’s more likely that the mattress just isn’t a good match for you in terms of PPP.

There may be some good quality/value options available to you locally that would be suitable for both of you, that can provide you with good guidance, and that you can test in person before a purchase and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d certainly be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

We are looking at online options mainly because we have young children and found it very hard to take off work together to look at mattresses together in a store. We found it impossible to get the job done with them in tow. (And then we could not agree anyway and felt overwhelmed! Our last attempt ended in us putting off the purchase for 3 more years.) So, while it may not be ideal, the onlien purchase option with good return policies seemed attractive. I am surprised to be so unhappy but this is how it goes. As I say, my husband is totally satisfied with the Leesa. This is not surprising in a way since he and I know we have differing preferences for mattresses.

I am now looking at one of the foam mattresses with varying firmness options or alternately, Loom and Leaf, but feel unsure. I am wondering if it is specifically the latex that is not great for me, but it seems like everyone loves latex!

Hi lorax,

That certainly makes sense to me but I would also keep in mind that there are many other online options besides some of the “simplified choice” mattresses (that in some cases are more about marketing than they are about substance) that are also great quality/value choices and the tutorial includes several links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step).

Your Leesa mattress didn’t have any latex in it (just memory foam and polyfoam) so I’m not sure if you have tried any latex mattresses but as I mentioned in my last reply as long as the materials in a mattress are durable enough for your body type (which for me would exclude the Leesa as you probably know) then the type of materials or mattress you choose would be a preference choice not a “better/worse” choice. Just like any type or category of mattress … some people will love latex, some will be “OK” with it, and some won’t like it at all.

You can also see my comments about the Loom & Leaf mattress in the post I linked in my last reply and a forum search on Loom Leaf (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback about it as well. There are certainly other mattresses that use the same or better quality materials (including memory foam mattresses) that for most people would probably be a better value choice.

Phoenix

Thanks, Phoenix–I am trying to absorb all the info. The reason the simplified choice brands were appealing was due to lack of time to shop (but look, now I am taking time), low price, and also desire to be able to exhange painlessly if it did not work. Since I have had such a negative experience with the Leesa, I am obviously concerned that any new purchase I make online have a long trial period (for a bit I was blaming my new back pain on a kayak trip, but it was now obvious that this is not the case) and an easy, preferably free, return policy. I am looking at the list of memory foam mattresses you have here: https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/memory-foam-mattress-help

Could you telll me which off these offer such policies?

Hi loraxc,

I’m not so sure I would characterize your experience with Leesa quite as “negatively” as you have been since it’s always possible that a mattress you choose to purchase “blindly” without ever trying it won’t be a “good enough” match for you in terms of PPP which is the reason that with these types of purchases that a good exchange/return policy can be important so that you can try the mattress in your bedroom instead of a showroom with little or no risk outside of the time you spent sleeping on it or returning/donating it.

Buying an online mattress where there is only one firmness choice would be much like testing a mattress in a showroom and finding out that you didn’t like it and then just moving on to another mattress that was a better “match” for you (although of course you can do this in just a few minutes in a showroom but it takes longer and you can’t test as many mattresses if you are actually purchasing every mattress you decide to “test”). Not liking one mattress and liking others (or deciding which ones you like more than others if you like several mattresses) is just part of the selection process whether you are testing mattresses in a showroom or buying them online. Regardless of the quality or “value” of the mattress if they made the purchase and delivery process easy and the return/refund process just as easy I would focus more on the positives of their service both before and after your purchase than I would on the negatives (for you) of their mattress since any one person’s experience on a mattress can be very different from someone else or even the majority of people (which is why I always suggest avoiding mattress reviews completely whether they are positive or negative).

[quote]I am looking at the list of memory foam mattresses you have here: https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/memory-foam-mattress-help

Could you tell me which off these offer such policies? [/quote]

I don’t know each of their current return policies off the top of my head but they will be listed on their websites in most cases and they will all be happy to provide you with any of the details you need with a quick phone call as well.

The mattress you sleep on is one of the most important purchases you will make over the next 10 years or so and can have a bigger effect on your overall well being both waking and sleeping than almost any other purchase you make and it’s well worth taking the time to make the best possible choice … for you :).

Phoenix

You’re right–I should not characterize my Leesa experience as exactly negative, just a very poor fit. I was surprised by how poorly it sleeps for me. I don’t typically have problems sleeping on mattresses in hotels, other people’s homes, etc. What felt “scary” for me is that I liked the Leesa okay for the first few days. The initial feel did not concern me.

I have not yet returned my Leesa, so I cannot speak to that part of the process.

Hi loraxc,

I would agree with this (and in all fairness it may be worth using less “inflammatory” language in your topic title). Buying a mattress online would be similar to buying a suit online and then finding out that it didn’t quite “fit” as well as you hoped for or that it didn’t just “feel” right when you wore it because of differences in the sizing and design between different manufacturers.

There is also a break in and adjustment period with any new mattress over the course of the first few weeks as the materials lose any of their initial “false firmness” and the cover stretches a little and loses any initial stiffness it may have and your body adjusts to a sleeping surface that is different from what it’s used to so it’s not unusual at all that your experience on a brand new mattress will change over the course of the first few weeks (see post #3 here). Mattresses in a hotel or in a showroom will generally have already gone through the break in process.

This should be very simple and “painless” :slight_smile:

Phoenix

I am now considering a Christeli. I don’t see many reviews on this site for the lower-priced Christelis, though. I was considering The Astoria or Versailles. It seems you can flip one layer of the Astoria to customize feel? This is interesting. One concern I have which may seem silly is whether my current sheets would work. I just recently bought new ones that I like very much.

This review from thier website is a concern for me: "I do have one gripe about the mattress. The mattress has a main base and a smaller top part. With this, you are able to flip it over and get a different firmness setting. The top part of the mattress is hooked onto the lower base to keep it from moving. However, the top part is constantly moving to one side for me. I sleep on one side of the mattress, and not on the edge, The top part will hang off the edge and I am constantly having to get out of bed to readjust the top mattress so that it will align back up with the base. "

This was a problem for us with our topper on our old mattress and it is one thing I have liked about the Leesa! No more sliding.

Hi loraxc,

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would be very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on and reviews in general certainly won’t tell you much if anything about the quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether any mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

Having said that … forum searches on Astoria and on Versailles (you can just click the links) will bring up more comments and feedback about both of them.

As you mentioned the support core on the Astoria is two sided and can be flipped to provide firmer or softer support and “feel”.

This would depend on the pocket depth of your sheets relative to your mattress. If the pocket depth is 2" or so more than the thickness of your mattress you should be fine.

This normally isn’t an issue for most people with a heavier topper (such as memory foam or latex) especially if you have a fitted mattress protector and sheets on top of them which also help to keep them in place (see here for example)

Phoenix

I;m back. :slight_smile: We had time for a brief stop at an in-town mattress store today. I tried out the Tempurpedics for reference. To my surprise, I was happiest on the Cloud Elite or Cloud Supreme. The other mattress I tried that I liked was a firm Dunlopillo latex. I also tried some less expensive coil/foam hybrids. I hated them! I think the take-home is that I dislike memory foam with more “spring.” This is important!! In other words, I did NOT like the Tempur-Flex line. I liked the Contour line “fine,” but I guess when I think of memory foam, for me, I want the sink in feel. It’s either that or a firm mattress of a totally different material.

With this in mind…I am not spending 4K on the Tempurpedic. So I guess now I review which mattresses mentioned here approximate the Cloud Elite or Supreme (both were good to me, though I preferred the Elite slightly). The other question is about the Dunlopillo. I don’t plan to buy that mattress, but since I liked it, what might I consider in that general line? I believe this was the cheapest model–the Harbor. I felt it was “good.”

Hi loraxc,

Now that you have narrowed down which Tempurpedic mattresses are the best “match” for you in terms of PPP you will be in a much better position to decide whether any of the online memory foam options that are designed to be reasonable approximations of the same mattresses would be worth considering.

Memory foam really doesn’t have any “spring” (although some versions of memory foam have a faster response time than others). The Tempur Flex mattresses use a pocket coil support core which would be more “springy” than the polyfoam that they use in the base layers of most of their mattresses but they also have relatively thinner layers of memory foam in the top layer with a layer of more resilient polyfoam underneath the memory foam which is also the reason that even the top layers would feel more resilient or “springy” than a similar mattress that only had memory foam comfort layers.

While I can’t speak to how any of the Dunlopillo Harbor mattresses will “feel” for someone else, there is some information about the Dunlopillo Harbor mattresses in posts #4 here and #5 here (and about the Sherwood Harbor Plush which was likely the same or very similar in post #6 here) and as you can see they all have more than 2" or lower quality/density or “unknown” polyfoam in the comfort layers which I would consider to be a weak link in the mattress and I would be very cautious about choosing any of the Harbor mattresses (or any mattress that uses more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality/density or “unknown” materials in the upper layers of the mattress).
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: sherwoodbedding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/dunlopillo-harbor-series.pdf

It’s very unlikely that you would find another mattress that used the exact same design and materials with the same type of material with the same layer firmnesses and layer thicknesses and a similar cover and it’s also very unlikely that another manufacturer would make a mattress that was specifically designed to approximate any of the Harbor mattresses so the only way to know how another mattress would compare to any of the Harbor line in terms of “feel”, firmness, or PPP (regardless of how it would compare based on the quality and durability of the materials) would be based on your own personal experience and they certainly wouldn’t be useful as a reference point for choosing another mattress.

Phoenix

PS: It still may be worthwhile considering changing the title of your topic to something more “fair” or “neutral” along the lines of “My Leesa mattress didn’t work out for me … suggest an alternative” or " I didn’t like my Leesa Mattress … suggest an alternative" to more accurately reflect your experience.

I guess I understand your concerns, so I changed the title. That said, I do think it is important for others to know that the Leesa will be a very poor fit for some. I got up in the middle of the night and slept on the floor last night because I am so uncomfortable on the Leesa. I did not sleep well on my side that way, but great on my back.

Based on what I felt at the store, I believe the problem is likely not with Leesa per se but with softer polyfoam for me personally. I am not sure why the Dunlopillo (which I woudl not buy for the reasons you mention) felt okay, but perhaps because it is a firm feel. I believe I personally need a softer slow-response memory foam OR, to go another direction, a quite firm latex or coil mattress. For reference, I am 42, 150 lbs, relatively fit, and while I have had minor back issues, nothing serious. I don’t think I am an atypical purchaser (no surgeries or conditions, not elderly, or very heavy or light) and for that reason my experience seems relevant.

All this said, I pulled the trigger tonight and ordered the Novosbed Aria. I am really glad we went into the store.

Hi loraxc,

I completely agree with you and same would apply to any specific mattress design that only has a single firmness choice which would be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of people, a “good match” for a larger percentage of people, and a “good enough” match for a larger percentage yet … and hopefully for those where it’s not a “good enough” match (and there will always be some that fit in this group with any mattress) there is also a good return/exchange policy that can reduce the risk of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as they hoped for.

Having said that I appreciate that you changed the title (and I changed the title for the other posts and replies as well) and I believe that your new title is a more accurate and “fairer” description of your experience with Leesa.

There really isn’t any way to know exactly why any mattress either is or isn’t a good match for any particular person based on the specifications of the layers inside it because there are so many interacting variables involved. There are hundreds if not thousands of mattresses in every mattress category that can “feel” very different from each other and some of them may be a suitable choice and others may not be suitable for the same person to sleep on.

In some cases it may be because a particular mattress design may not fit your specific needs (Posture and alignment and Pressure relief) or it may be that a mattress doesn’t “feel” right and match your particular preferences but assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I think that you certainly made a good quality/value choice and I hope that it’s a better “fit” for you than your Leesa mattress.

I’m looking forward to finding out how you like it once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit … and I also hope that you have the chance to share your experience with returning your Leesa mattress as well.

NOTE ADDED JAN, 2016: They have now introduced their new simplified choice mattress which has replaced their previous models and have also become a member of this site.

Phoenix

I am here to report that my Novosbed arrived today–really fast service! To offer some comparison to the Leesa, it was much faster to arrive, but more difficult to unbox than the Leesa and has more of an odor. It’s not intense, but for some it could be a little offputting. It has already begun to dissipate, though.

Initial impression is that it feels good but isn’t “sinking in” as much as I would like, but I know memory foam takes a little while to break in. I’ll report back soon.

I also have initiated the return process with Leesa, which was easy so far.

Hi loraxc,

Thanks for the initial comments and feedback on your Novosbed mattress … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

You’re right that there will be an initial break in and adjustment period with any new mattress over the first few weeks that can have a noticeable effect on your mattress (see post #3 here).

I’m looking forward to any additional updates you have the chance to share on the forum.

Phoenix

NOTE ADDED JAN, 2016: They have now introduced their new simplified choice mattress which has replaced their previous models and have also become a member of this site.

So far, I am very happy with my Novosbed and sleeping MUCH better than I did on the Leesa. The Leesa was returned today and aside from a small hiccup where they sent info to my phone number instead of my email address, that rpocess has gone okay so far (I don’t think a refund has yet been issued).

Hi loraxc,

Thanks for the update on your Novosbed and on the return process for your Leesa mattress.

It’s good to hear that both of them seem to be “painless” :slight_smile:

Phoenix