I have read a lot of the posts on this site and its been incredibly informative (including the tutorial and other how to pick a mattress posts). I think it has already stopped me from making a mistake in buying a Tempurpedic or Novaform. I was hoping that if I gave some background on what I was looking for, someone might be able to recommend a mattress or a couple to try (online or in stores).
From having read the posts, I know that mattresses are personal, and that I should go to a store to try them out. I am asking here first because I have a herniated disc in my back and sit in an office chair all day, and so I am willing to spend any amount of money on a bed that will make a meaningful difference. That said, I don’t want to just waste my money - I was about to buy a Tempurpedic before I came across this site. I am in Austin Texas and saw your post suggesting stores to visit. I am just concerned that those stores will push me to buy the most expensive option.
So if you can help: I am about 6", two hundred pounds and a side sleeper. My wife is much smaller and a stomach sleeper. I have a bad back, have never had a memory foam bed and am a little concerned about the heat at night. We both believe that we like firm beds, but I am not convinced that that really means anything given how few beds we have slept on. I think anything will seem firm compared to what we have been sleeping on. Any thoughts you had would be appreciated.
Hi Patuney,
If you’ve read the tutorial and follow the steps one by one then you will likely be fine because you will know the warning signs to watch out for. It will also help to make sure that you don’t buy a mattress on the same day as you test it so that you have a chance to think about any decision you make without feeling any pressure.
There is more about the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here but in essence it really boils down to three steps.
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Test mattresses carefully for PPP using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post to make sure it’s a suitable choice.
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Find out the specifics of all the materials inside your mattress (see here) to make sure there are no weak links in the mattress (see here) and confirm that you are making a durable choice and so you can make more meaningful comparisons to other mattresses.
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Once you have chosen your finalist at each store you choose to visit then take the time to make your final choice between them based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
As you know from your reading here higher quality and higher performance materials and more durable materials cost more than lower quality materials so if the reason for a higher price is higher quality materials that are more durable and work better for you and the mattress compares well to other similar mattresses then higher prices are justifiable. If the reason for a higher price is only based on “marketing” and the materials in the mattress don’t justify them then of course higher prices aren’t worth it.
Better stores will tend to “educate” you more than “sell” you and will tend to explain the “why” behind the “what” that they are telling you. If you feel you are being “pressured” or aren’t sure whether what you are being told is accurate or whether it’s more about “selling you” than “educating you” then you can always post any specific questions you have on the forum as a “fact check” and I’ll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
Phoenix