I can tell you first-hand – if you are looking at the Sonata – if there is verbiage on their site referring to it as “medium-firm”, I suggest you take a look at the graphical dot display they have shown for firmness. You will see that the Sonata is pegged at the most firm.
One of the mattresses we tried ahead of time was the Genius - and felt comfortable with it… It is by no means as firm as a Sonata though (which is what we ended up purchasing). We also demo’d Novosbed’s reference mattress for the Sonata, which is the Optimum Destiny – and while more firm than the Genius, is still not as firm as the Sonata.
Two weeks in with the mattress and we’re discovering that as its starting to break in, it will not be appropriate for us as side-sleepers. If you are a back or stomach sleeper, its probably much better suited (and their website accurately depicts that the Sonata is idea for back/stomach sleepers - not so much for side sleepers)
Unfortunately, we are likely to exchange our Sonata for the Aria once we are able to do so with Novosbed… We’re both experiencing quite a bit of hip pain from it – and it is no fault of Novosbed or the quality of the mattress – but just an improper selection on our part. As I have stated before - so far our customer service experience with the company has been excellent.
Rick, JUST the guy I was looking for. I do plan to sleep on my back with a contour pillow. However, I’m still amazed that you report it as being way firmer than the Genius because I really thought the Genius was incredibly firm since I mostly tested Tempurpedics and no Tempurpedic was as firm as the Genius in my opinion.
Does the bed not contour or have any give or sink? A bit confused as to how firm it can possibly be. I guess I need to try the Destiny–just have to find who carries it. Secondly what in the world must the Classic feel like if the Sonata is already that much firmer than the Genius?
You know, something tells me the mattress just needs to break in or something? How can the Sonata be that firm when there’s still a firmer mattress–the Classic. At one point wasn’t the Classic the only mattress they made? If it’s really THAT firm this company would’ve gone out of business I would think. The Classic is indeed pegged FURTHER towards the firm side than the Sonata and the representatives do say that it is the firmest bed.
The Aria seems to be loved by everyone but I’m very turned off from it because they compare it to the Cloud Supreme and I don’t like any bed in the Cloud Series of Tempurpedic. After trying the Genius I realize I want a firmer mattress. Please keep updated on how the bed transforms over time if it does.
I have a memory foam mattress now–albeit a cheapo one from China-- and it definitely has changed over time. I just rotated it today for the first time and this new side is markedly more firm and feels less memory foam-ish than the side we had been sleeping on and broke in. There is still hope for you that the Sonata will soften up and you guys will like it more. It took about 1 month or so for this cheap mattress to break down to the point that it was comfortable… so a higher end mattress might take even more.
[quote=“EZ4HZ” post=44979]Does the bed not contour or have any give or sink? A bit confused as to how firm it can possibly be. I guess I need to try the Destiny–just have to find who carries it. Secondly what in the world must the Classic feel like if the Sonata is already that much firmer than the Genius?
You know, something tells me the mattress just needs to break in or something? How can the Sonata be that firm when there’s still a firmer mattress–the Classic. [/quote]
EZ4HZ,
Keep in mind that firmness is highly subjective… Yes, the bed has some contour when laying in it. Yes, it does sink as a mattress should… The mattress definitely has more of an innerspring feel than a memory foam feel to it (It does not behave like a memory foam at all – it is quick responding, so when you get up, it bounces back in less than half a second). We have had the mattress for just over 2 weeks - so there is still some break-in that has to take place. In regards to the Genius – the Genius has a thin layer of SOMETHING (they don’t define what it is, other than using their trade name for it – “EverFeel Technology”) on top of the memory foam, which appeared to give it a more plush feel when we tested it.
The other thing is – at least for us - its difficult to compare firmness levels of a memory foam versus a gel foam – mostly because they have a different overall feel to them.
When we looked around – we found that Sears was the only place nearby that had the Destiny (as well as the Inspiration, the mattress that Novosbed compares to the Harmony - which we found was much too soft)
Just so I am clear – we’re both primarily side sleepers, so our choice of the Sonata was a poor one on our part.
I would say if you wanted something firmer than a Genius, then the Sonata is the way to go as far as Novosbed’s offerings are concerned. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The bed sleeps very cool (no different than our previous innerspring), and there was absolutely no outgassing odor… Additionally, the manufacture date of our mattress was late September, and we received it the 3rd week of October – so we did get fresh stock.
Does not behave like memory foam? That is not good…
I still dont understand why they went with a really low density gel foam. I asked them and have not gotten an answer both in chat and in email but I just emailed them last night so still waiting.
When are you shipping it back? They ask you keep it for, what is it, 3 months before returning? I’m hoping you will report that it starts to feel more like memory foam and just over all more comfortable but who knows. Even if it does, it’s probably the wrong bed for you.
When I say “does not behave like memory foam” – what I mean is, unlike a TempurPedic, the Sonata does not mold to your body when you lay in it… This may be due to the firmness, but I’m not sure…
I’ve also asked them why they have such a limited range in their gel line – you either have “Soft/Medium-Soft” or “Firm” – I suggested they add another gel mattress thats somewhere in the middle, and they let me know to “stay tuned” (why, after just purchasing a mattress, I would continue to watch what is newly released is beyond me, but OK)
I’ll be exchanging it as soon as they will let me… I’ve been given a time frame off the record that I won’t repeat here (because their official policy is 60 days) - but it is definitely going back because the two of us wake up in a lot of pain that we did not previously experience with an old Sleepy’s Series 200.
I’ve explained to them that I am more than willing to allow applicable time for break-in before making a decision - but I can tell you off the bat - we simply chose the wrong firmness level for our style of sleeping, and it has nothing to do with Novosbed themselves.
We’re more than willing to allows the prescribed time to pass before initiating the exchange. In the worst case scenario, we do still have the old mattress unused in a guest room if the pain becomes too great - but I don’t see that happening.
Just like Novosbed will play fair (more than fair, actually) with their exchange process – we plan on doing the same – causing them to incur additional expenses that may not be warranted or be premature - will just end up raising prices in the long run for future customers… I would hate to see that happen with a company that is spot-on with their customer service. We went to Sleepys. Our experience was horrible. We went to Sears - our experience was non-existent due to no staff in that department. The only department store we went to where we dealt with a good customer service experience was Macys (where I happened to purchase my previous mattress)
One of the most common “complaints” about memory foam over the years (outside of temperature) is that its slow response can feel like you are “sleeping in sand” and make movement on a mattress more difficult. Many of the newer generations of memory foam have a faster response than they used to which can help with the motion restriction on a memory foam mattress.
There are many manufacturers that use 4 lb memory foam in their mattress (Tempurpedic being one of them) because they can be more breathable and have different properties than many higher density memory foams and these types of design choices are just part of the “art and science” of mattress theory and design and how different mattresses are designed to have a different “feel” as well as fit inside different budget ranges. There is more about the different properties that can be formulated into different types of memory foam in post #9 here and in post #8 here. Many people prefer faster response memory foams while other prefer the more “traditional” memory foams that have a slower response.
So Rick, so what I’m understanding is that the 3.7lb density of Novosbed doesn’t really feel like memory foam and bounces back too fast. I’m assuming this was NOT the case with the Genius and the Destiny or it was similar too those or those actually felt like memory foam to you?
If it bounces back fast…then it’s not behaving like memory foam in my opinion. The whole point of memory foam is that it “remembers” your shap and contours to you.
Anyway I guess Sonata is out of the question thus far. Maybe the Classic.
Phoenix would probably be better able to answer this question for you in regards to density and bounce back. Novosbed’s gel foam has a quicker response to bouncing back than their non-gel memory foam offerings. I could be wrong (and Phoenix can help me out here) but I believe the lower density the foam is, the less likely it is to retain a memory effect - hence the quicker response to bounce back. Novosbed specifically addresses this in the descriptions for both their traditional memory foam products as well as their gel products.(i.e. response time)
There is more information about the different properties that can be formulated into memory foam in the previous posts I linked but all memory foam has a slower response and is less resilient than fast response foams such as polyfoam or latex. Having said that … there is a very wide range of memory foams that have very different properties from each other and some of them have a much longer “memory” than others or a wider range of temperature sensitivity that makes it softer or firmer as well. There are many memory foam options available in the current market so that people have a much wider range of choices that will match their preferences.
RickNY is also right that lower density memory foams generally tend to be more breathable and faster responding than higher density memory foams and gel memory foams also tend to be faster responding than non gel memory foams but these are only generic comments because the different chemical formulations and manufacturing methods that are used to make memory foam can produce a very wide range of different properties with any density or type of memory foam.
I instant messaged you as well. Do you find it is a fast responding memory foam or is it traditionally slower like Tempurpedic. I like the Tempurpedic feel so hopefully it’s similar and hopefully it contours well. I don’t like fast responding memory foam because that to me, defeats the purpose of memory foam. Why not just get latex or coil spring if you don’t want your memory foam to actually “remember” the contours of your body. I don’t like “memory foam” mattresses that are just soft and smooshy and sink where my butt is. I like the Tempurpedic Conour line (with less sink). I maybe looking at the Classic from Novosbed or the Astoria from Christeli. I purchased the Aria from Dreamfoam Bedding, and although it’s pretty nice, I don’t think it warrants the 599 price tag… it feels only slightly better and slightly higher quality than the $330 Signature Sleep 12" mattress I got from Wayfair that was made in China. I really thought the Dreamfoam would have a feel similar to Tempurpedic and have been pretty disappointed that it doesn’t adapt nearly as well. What are your thoughts on the Aria from Novosbed in these regards so far?
Just for the sake of clarity and for others that read this … the “feel” of a mattress (which is very subjective) has nothing to do with it’s price or the quality of the materials inside it.
While “feel” is strictly a matter of preference, it does of course play a significant role in which mattresses or which types of materials someone tends to like better than others with a different “feel” or whether a mattress is worth buying for a particular person regardless of the price.
I figured I would post an update on our Novosbed experience… In the end, the Sonata was/is just too firm for us, and really wasn’t a great choice for side sleepers like us. We jumped the gun, so to speak, on Novosbed’s trial period and ordered a new Aria from them… The Sonata is currently being stored in a bag until Novosbed is willing to accept it back… Initially, they said they would allow 30-45 days to set up an exchange – but after ordering the Aria, it looks like they are going to wait the full 60 days (as they are entitled to – thats their policy).
After 10 nights of sleeping on the Aria, we are very pleased with it… As a non-gel memory foam mattress, we found that it definitely is more prone to sleeping warm than the Sonata (which is one gel comfort layer). We were using a Tencel-based mattress protector on the Sonata, and when we moved it to the Aria, we both found that it slept much warmer. We switched to a terry-based mattress protector, and that improved the warmth issue quite a bit. I suspect as it breaks in, the foam cells will open up a bit and breathe more, so we don’t consider the heat retention a problem at all.
Like our first order from Novosbed, the service was excellent. Since the ship from PA and we are in NY, we received the Aria the next day. It was packaged the same way the Sonata was, but being higher desnity foam, it took a little longer for it to reach its full size. Unlike the Sonata, there was a noticeable hiss of air rushing in once we cut the bag.
One thing to note – and Novosbed discloses this on their comfort guarantee terms – by us purchasing the Aria and subsequently planning on returning the Sonata – that counts as our one permitted return (even though we still have both mattresses, and they were both purchased separately). We were a bit nervous about the Aria if it didn’t work out, but we are glad we did that,
I’m sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with your Aria. We’re in business to make 100% of our customers happy, whether or not they keep their Novosbeds. Usually people return their Novosbeds for a full refund within the 4 month trial period. If you are 12 months out and not enjoying your sleep the way the vast majority of our customers do, that is not acceptable to us.
We will try to find your purchase record and contact you based on the information you have provided in this post. In the meantime, you can email us at [email protected]. You can also call us at 1-877 496 3626. or on live chat during business hours (Mon. to Sat., 8-5pm Mountain Time).
I will track the progress on your case personally. We’ll make this right for you.
Sincerely,
Sam
CEO, Novosbed[/i]
Wow. Thanks for helping me finally make up my mind. I’ll be purchasing one of your beds very soon!
If you’re asking about mine, we are both extremely pleased with the Aria… It got even better once it started to break in… Novosbed’s customer service has been, hands down, second to none. Excellent company to deal with, everyone I have had to speak to there when we first made our purchase and subsequent exchange has been extremely kind and helpful. Best of all - in the end, we are on a mattress that we don’t want to get out of in the morning.
I am considering the purchase of a NovosBed Aria or harmony. We are side sleepers.
We were also considering Bed in a Box… anyone tried them?
Any advice?
I switched your post into a new topic of it’s own so our conversation wouldn’t get mixed in with a different topic.
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
You can see my comments about Bedinabox in post #2 here. I would be very cautious with any mattress that uses 3 lb memory foam which is a lower quality and less durable material and I would consider this to be a weak link in their mattresses.
Novosbed is one of the better quality/value online memory foam providers I’m aware of (which is why they are included in the online memory foam list here) and Aria and Harmony both use good quality materials and there are no lower quality/density materials or obvious weak links in either of them.
The Aria is designed to be closely comparable to the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme and the Harmony is designed to be closely comparable to the Sealy Optimum Elation Gold so you can test both of these mattresses locally to get a better sense of how each of them will feel and perform for you and of course Novosbed will also be able to provide you with good guidance on the phone 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.
A forum search on Novosbed Aria and on Novosbed harmony (you can just click the links) will bring up all the forum posts that mention both of them but I would be very cautious about using other people’s experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress or any specific material may be for you and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).
Hopefully you’ve also had the chance to read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice.
I visited Bed In a Box and tested their mattresses and ended up buying a Novosbed Harmony. I will give you my opinions on both, which are only my opinions.
Bed in a Box manufactures their mattresses in a different way than most I have seen. By that I mean that
other manufacturers have one or two layers of different densities and types of memory foam on top of different densities of support foam. Biab uses the same memory foam and same support foam in all their styles of mattresses, though the thickness of the support layer varies. They differentiate the mattresses by putting different toppers and covers on the same memory foam. This in my opinion, limits or slows down the transfer of body heat to the memory foam so you do not get the memory foam effect to the extent as others’
Novosbed uses different densities like most manufactures. They suggest you visit stores to compare a
similar mattress to select the one you want, along with their guidance. The problem I found with this is
that the same mattresses will feel different in the same store in different seasons due to a different
ambient temperature. Most stores will turn off their HVAC at night and in the summer the room and the
mattresses will heat up. They turn the HVAC back on in the day, but mattresses retain heat longer than the
air so they will seem softer in the summer and firmer in the winter. For that reason I suggest you visit the
store to test mattresses in two or more seasons.
I first bought a Sonata from NB in July and after a break in it felt fine. In the fall when my home temperature
was somewhat lower than in the summer it seemed too firm. I returned the Sonata got a refund and tested
mattresses in stores in the winter. I ended up buying a Harmony from them which feels fine.
I am a side sleeper and the softness of the harmony works well. I considered the Aria but because it was
not gel foam, I was concerned it would be too warm. I will never know for sure but the free pillows that
come with NB mattresses are not gel foam and they can get warm.
