My New Novosbed Mattress: My experience versus Tempurpedic

I just received my new Novosbed Aria mattress (queen-sized) today.

I will not set it up until tomorrow, so tonight is my last night sleeping on my Tempurpedic Contour Rhapsody Luxe.

The Novisbed mattress is still in its box (the box is bulging at the sides!).

Here is my initial experience:

I needed FedEx’s help to get the heavy box up and across a small 6-inch doorway threshold/step. The box is very heavy and very bulky. I managed to push it down the hall and get the box into the bedroom. Tomorrow my Tempurpedic mattress is being taken away by a big box mattress seller. I hope maybe they might help me lift this heavy, bulky box onto my bed.

I have concerns as to how I am going to get the box open and the bed set up by myself.

At the moment, the box looks very expanded and round for lack of a better word. The box looks more like a circular column then a square box. There appear to be some punctures to the box and I hope they do not extend to the mattress. I called Novosbed and they said the mattress is wrapped in layers of plastic so I hope it will be okay. If the plastic sealing the mattress is punctured (Novosbed said I will know this if the mattress begins to immediately expand when I unbox it), I will call them and we will make some sort of arrangement for them to swap it.

The box’s shipping dimensions were given to me as 44" x 19" x 19". Upon receipt of the box, measurements at its widest points, given that the box has seemed to expand, are more like 44" x 21" x 24". I measured this similarly to the way one would measure a pillowtop mattress when the top of the pillowtop is higher than the edge of the mattress.

There were a couple of minor miscommunications in the order process but in the end everything was fine. Overall they have been great to work with. The package shipped promptly on Friday and arrived today (Tuesday). It has FedEx tracking so I was able to know the expected delivery date.

I will keep everyone apprised and will also be doing comparisons to the Tempurpedic mattress.

A few thoughts about the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe:

On the whole, I love the Rhapsody Luxe. I do not love the price. Also, the bed sleeps hot about 40-50 percent of the time despite the SmartClimate technology. I am a hot sleeper, so that should be taken into account. When I first got the Rhapsody Luxe, I noticed for about the first 30 days, it did not sleep hot or at least not as hot in the initial days. I might wake up with the sensation of a bit of heat under me, but if I let the spot air for a minute or two the heat would dissipate and I would go back to sleep. The longer I had it, the more it slept hot. I wonder if this was from the memory foam closed cells slowly opening over time; however, I do not know the reason. Also it is very hot in July where I live! I use air conditioning but it is definitely super hot right now. The percentage of nights sleeping hot seem to have increased the longer I have had it. Now when the Rhapsody Luxe mattress sleeps hot, I have to change to the opposite side of the bed as it will not cool off in a couple of minutes as it did initially.

I have slept on the Tempurpedic Rhapsody 84 nights (if I include the last night, tonight) so I feel that is a fair trial. The last 30 days I slept on it, I have had the most nights of sleeping hot. From my experience with Tempurpedic I will give the Novosbed some time before I know whether it sleeps hot, The Aria has some cooling technology built in, so I hope that helps. The Rhapsody Luxe has some cooling technology as well. To my knowledge neither the Rhapsody Luxe nor the Novosbed Aria use phase change material.

I did sleep really soundly on the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe. I felt like I was floating. I would go for hours or all night without waking up. If I did wake up it was generally due to feeling hot. The bed gave me a great night’s sleep as far as comfort and support, Also, my arm no longer went to sleep as it did on my old innerspring mattress. I also do not feel that I toss and turn nearly as much on my Tempurpedic. Often when I wake up, I have not moved from my side position to my other side or my back. That to me speaks of a restful sleep!

I also love the feel of the Rhapsody Luxe, I love to sink in a little into the mattress. The Luxe does that for me. I do not like the feeling of sleeping on top of a mattress. The Luxe is also the right combination of medium firm for me. I did find that the surface layers softened a bit over time and that the bed was still comfortable.

For me, there was no initial break-in period of getting used to the Rhapsody Luxe. I slept great from the first night I had it. If I could change anything about the mattress, I would make it not as expensive and not sleep hot.

About me: I am a side sleeper who occasionally will sleep for a bit on my back. I weigh approximately 150 lbs and am 5’5".

I am looking forward to how the Novosbed Aria will compare. :slight_smile:

Hi missy_

Thanks for the update and feedback so far … and I’m looking forward to hearing about your experience when you have the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Sometimes it seem like couriers have a unique ability to damage mattress shipping boxes (probably because they are so heavy) but the compressed mattress is almost always fine inside the thick layers of plastic.

It can be very interesting to watch your mattress “come alive” when you cut the plastic and it starts to decompress and expand :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thank you, Phoenix. :slight_smile:

I am either dreading or looking forward to seeing the mattress expand! :smiley: I cannot decide! :smiley: I would feel better if I had help unpacking it. I hope to preserve the plastic in the event that I need it. I have a feeling the biggest challenges will be (a) getting it onto the foundation (I will be using the Tempurpedic foundation) and (b) getting it out of the box!

Hopefully it will be easy or at least manageable. :slight_smile:

Hi missy_

On the whole, I love the Rhapsody Luxe. I do not love the price. [quote=“missy_” post=40269]Also, the bed sleeps hot about 40-50 percent of the time despite the SmartClimate technology. I am a hot sleeper, so that should be taken into account. When I first got the Rhapsody Luxe, I noticed for about the first 30 days, it did not sleep hot or at least not as hot in the initial days. I might wake up with the sensation of a bit of heat under me, but if I let the spot air for a minute or two the heat would dissipate and I would go back to sleep. The longer I had it, the more it slept hot. I wonder if this was from the memory foam closed cells slowly opening over time; however, I do not know the reason. Also it is very hot in July where I live! I use air conditioning but it is definitely super hot right now. The percentage of nights sleeping hot seem to have increased the longer I have had it. Now when the Rhapsody Luxe mattress sleeps hot, I have to change to the opposite side of the bed as it will not cool off in a couple of minutes as it did initially.
[/quote]

Can anyone explain how these cooling technologies are supposed to work?

Hi MFC Memory Foam Comfort,

There’s more about the different ways that many manufacturers are using to help cool down memory foam in post #6 here and more about all the many variables that can affect temperature regulation in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for the links!
I was trying to understand, how these air flow technologies inside the mattress, are supposed to keep cool you while you are lying on top of the mattress.
post #6 here

Now I understand!

[quote=“MFC Memory Foam Comfort” post=40273]

Can anyone explain how these cooling technologies are supposed to work?[/quote]

Hi MFC,

ETA: Nevermind, after I posted this, I see that Phoenix already answered you! :slight_smile: Off to do some reading myself!

Original post:

I am not a mattress expert like Phoenix is :slight_smile: so I can only provide a bit of information about the two mattresses. I will leave it to Phoenix to explain the different types of cooling technologies and how they work.

A lot of mattress retailers/manufacturers use their own language to describe their cooling technologies, which I have found can make shopping challenging. I would prefer if they would all use the same language so I could compare apples to apples. :slight_smile:

According to Tempurpedic, the Rhapsody Luxe does not have the same cooling technology as the Tempurpedic Breeze line, such as the Rhapsody Breeze. The Breeze line uses something that, according to a local mattress retailer, is supposed to help regulate body temperature. I was also considering a mattress by Brooklyn Bedding which uses " phase changing memory foam" as described to me by Brooklyn Bedding to help regulate body temperature.

The Rhapsody Luxe uses something called SmartClimate (see Tempurpedic’s website) which in my experience is cool to the touch when you first touch it (one can easily unzip the cover of a Rhapsody Luxe with the orange side zippers and feel it); however, as my body heat warmed it, it lost its cooling abilities within minutes. Of course in the store, it felt cool! :wink: As to how it works, I am not sure. According to Tempurpedic, the SmartClimate used by the Rhapsody Luxe is not as cool as the cooling technology in the Rhapsody Breeze.

A photo of the Rhapsody Luxe’s SmartClimate from the Tempurpedic website:

The Novosbed Arias uses a different cooling technology called Novosflow.

The Aria has dual Novosflow or two of these layers of venting: (Photos from Novosbed’s website)

This did not answer your question, but it did give me an excuse to write down some comparisons between Tempurpedic and Novosbed so that hopefully I can learn more from Phoenix about the differences in cooling technology in memory foam mattresses. :slight_smile:

Dont worry about the mattress expanding, it is really quite simple. For me I laid it out on the floor then dragged it onto the bed. Once expanded it was much easier to move then when it was compressed with all the weight in one location.

Thanks for the tip, sozzeled! Luckily the guys who took away my Tempurpedic today were able to help me get the box onto the bed. It is a heavy box.

They also helped me get the mattress out of the box and in taking off the plastic. I am not that strong and it would have been difficult without assistance.

When the mattress emerged, it was 10" high. It will be interesting to see how long it will take to reach 11" high. Novosbed stated that it should be within 24 hours. I can sleep on it after 8 hours.

There is a slight odor, but not as strong as the Tempurpedic was initially.

Some items I found of interest:

  • The newer mattresses of this type have fire-resistant covers, although the mattresses themselves are not fire-proof. Tempurpedic uses a similar process. They meet the open flame mattress flammability standard.

  • The cover is spot-clean only and not removable. The Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe cover zips off and can be machine washed.

I am excited to have my new mattress set up! :slight_smile:

Hi missy_

Just for reference … all mattresses sold in the US meet the same open flame standard (and the cigarette smoldering test as well) and most of them use either a “sock” that is made of an inherent fire resistant material that acts as a flame barrier and surrounds the materials and components in the mattress or a similar material that is quilted to the mattress cover. If a mattress doesn’t pass CFR 16 part 1632 and 1633 (the smoldering and open flame tests) it can’t be sold without a prescription from a health professional.

I’m glad you were able to set up your mattress successfully :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thank you, Phoenix. :slight_smile:

And thanks for elaborating on the open flame and smouldering tests.

Could you clarify whether or not flame retardants are still being used? Are flame retardants no longer being used since 2007? If so, things have changed a lot since I last bought a mattress. :slight_smile:

Hi missy_

The issue of flame retardants in mattress is a very complex one and there isn’t enough transparency in the industry to really know all the specifics of the flame retardants that are used in many mattresses.

In most cases … mattresses use barrier systems and foams that use flame retardant chemicals are much more common in the furniture industry than in mattresses. Some of the barrier systems though also use various chemicals in their manufacturing that some people consider to be questionable at best and harmful at worst.

There is a great deal of misinformation on both sides of the discussion but although it’s far from complete because of the lack of transparency in the industry … there is more information about mattresses and flame retardant methods that may be “safer” in post #2 here and post #4 here.

Phoenix

Thank you, Phoenix. :slight_smile:

Off to do more reading! So much knowledgeable and useful information on this site.

Hi missy_

Here is an good article by CBC, on the Canadian side of flame retardants found in foams sold in stores across Canada

I have not had a lot of sleep :side: but I am going to post my initial impressions of the mattress.

If this doesn’t make sense, well, it is because I haven’t had a lot of sleep!

This is not as smooth an adjustment as the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe was for me.

Before I give my initial impressions:

I would like to preface this by stating that I owned a Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe, and the Novosbed Aria is comparable to a different Tempurpedic model, the Tempur Cloud Supreme.[sup]1[/sup]

The models in question have the following specs:[sup]2[/sup]

Rhapsody Luxe:

Comfort Layers
2" TEMPUR-HD 7.1LB
2" TEMPUR Material 5.3LB

Support System
Dual Airflow Base
4 3/4" Airflow Base layer 2.0LB
4 3/4" Airflow Base Layer 2.0LB

Novosbed Aria:

Comfort Layers
2" Premium Plush Memory Foam (4.1 lb)
2" of Premium Memory Foam (5.2 lb)

Support Layers
7" of Premium Support Foam (2 lb)
Dual Novosflow promotes air circulation throughout the mattress

Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme:

Comfort Layers
1.2" TEMPUR-ES 4.1LB
2.75" TEMPUR Material 5.3LB

Support Layers
3" Poly foam Base 2.0LB
5" Poly foam Base 2.0LB

Phoenix has stated that foams with the same densities from different manufacturers can feel differently.[sup]3[/sup]

The Rhapsody Luxe is somewhat difficult to move across. Some people dislike this about the Tempurpedics. I do not mind this sensation. It is a function of “Tempur Adapt” according to Tempurpedic: the higher the “Tempur Adapt” (how it shapes and conforms to your body) level, the more conforming the Tempur foam. The Tempur HD is the most conforming of their foams. I seem to like highly conforming foam. In the case of Tempurpedic it appears to be 7.1 lb density.[sup]4[/sup]

The Novosbed Aria is not difficult to move across. The foams are 4.1 lb and 5.2 lb similar to the Tempur Cloud Supreme, which does not contain Tempur HD and is not considered by Tempurpedic to be a highly conforming foam (the Tempur Adapt level on the Cloud Supreme is much less than the Rhapsody Luxe).

I mention all of this because I may need a higher level of conforming foam than a 4.1 lb top layer [sup]5[/sup]. And I am not even sure that a 5 lb foam would be enough for me.


[sup]1[/sup] I tried the Cloud Supreme out in the store, and it seemed fine. Although sleeping on a mattress all night is different than laying on one in a store. 

[sup]2[/sup] These were the last known specs for Tempurpedic, which may or may not still apply.

[sup]3[/sup] I hope I paraphrased that correctly.

[sup]4[/sup] This is my best guess based on the last known specs for Tempur-HD.

[sup]5[/sup] Or somewhere in the comfort layers.

My initial impressions of the Novosbed Aria mattress:

How I slept:

I am noting these early impressions of the mattress because I did not experience any break-in period with the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe. With the Rhapsody Luxe I slept well from the first night (sans heat issues).

Night One:

I tossed and turned. Woke up several times during the night. Felt warm once.

I did not toss and turn on the Tempurpedic. I would generally wake up lying in the same spot I went to sleep in. Some people do not like this, but I do.

Night Two:

Night two was, frankly, awful.

Woke up hot after about 4 hours. I tossed and turned but could not find a comfortable position. I was unable to get back to sleep. I ended up getting out of bed and waking up. Four hours of sleep is not a restful night’s sleep for me!

The Novosbed Aria feels like I am not sinking into it like I did with the Rhapsody Luxe. It feels like I am sleeping on top of the mattress instead of being cradled in the memory foam.

I would not describe this as “highly contouring foam.”

So far, to me, this mattress which is supposed to be softer than the Rhapsody Luxe actually feels firmer. My lower arm feels like it is crushing into my shoulder when I sleep on my side. The mattress feels too firm and like I am not sinking in. It is described as “soft” but I am not finding it soft. The Rhapsody Luxe is described as medium firm and yet for me it felt softer and more conforming.

I do know from experience that memory foam has a break-in period. And yes, the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe did change over time and become softer. But even when it was in its firmest, new state, I slept like a rock except for when I would wake up hot; then I would move to another part of the bed and fall back asleep. This is because even when the Rhapsody Luxe was new, the Tempur-HD foam was highly conforming in my opinion and I did not feel any pressure points.

I hope I get used to it and that this sorts itself out.

Hi missy_

Thanks for the update and feedback … I appreciate it :).

As you mentioned your mattress is different from the mattress you are used to sleeping on and it can take a few weeks for any new mattress to break in and for you to adjust to a different sleeping surface as well (see post #2 here) so it will be interesting to see how things progress and your sleeping experience changes over the course of the next few weeks.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks. I hope it gets better. :slight_smile:

I will answer a few of your points from the above link so that I have both for easy reference.

I use 100 percent cotton sheets of approximately 220 thread count. I like a low thread count in sheets, as for me it is more breathable, plus I like the way 220-thread-count cotton sheets feel.

This mattress is thinner than the Rhapsody Luxe by 2 1/2 inches or more, so the sheets fit well on this mattress.

I use a Protect-A-Bed luxury mattress protector with Eucalyptus that you mention here. It is thin and breathable, as far as I know. It is not too tight, as it is 18" deep, which is plenty deep for this mattress. I hope per your guidelines I picked one of the better mattress protectors which should have minimal impact on mattress feel.

The Novosbed website states “Ultra-soft velour microfiber cover.”

I have pillows of varying thicknesses and materials that I can try, although I love my new Tempurpedic pillows which I got when I had the Rhapsody Luxe. They are super heavy and dense memory foam. They seem to keep my head and shoulders better aligned. Will do some experimenting if need be.

I am using the low-profile foundation from the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe set. The Rhapsody Luxe was a heavier mattress, so the Tempurpedic foundation should work.

I keep the temperature around 72 degrees at night. Not certain of humidity level, but the house is air conditioned. I live in a warm climate, not a cold one. I have read of people in cold climates with very firm memory foam beds due to not enough heat, but that shouldn’t be a factor. Hopefully my temperature setting is okay.

I found the Tempurpedic did change over time, although I liked it on Day 1 and Day 80 as far as the degree of firmness/softness. I have heard of the idea of walking on a mattress, although it wouldn’t work well in my home as I have a low ceiling and a high bed.

Thank you for the ideas. I will let you know how it goes.