Saatva mattress

Has anyone bought a Saatva mattress? If so, any input?

Hi bettina,

There is more information about Saatva and many of the other “simplified choice” mattresses in post #2 here and the first post in the same topic would be worth reading as well. A forum search on Saatva (you can just click the link) will also bring up many more comments and feedback about them as well.

While Saatva would be a better quality/value choice compared to many of the mainstream mattresses made by the major manufacturers (which are a very low bar to use for a comparison and which I would avoid completely) … some of the materials they are using are also lower quality and less durable than the durability guidelines or that I would be comfortable with and for most people they wouldn’t be in the same “quality/value” range as many of the other options that use higher quality and more durable materials and foam layers that most of the members here would know about as a result of the information on this site. I would be especially cautious about making a Saatva purchase based on their reviews or based on some of “marketing exaggerations” on their site.

Phoenix

Thank you Phoenix. Really appreciate your quick response. Buying a new mattress is quite the chore. I have been reading and looking and still not sure. I am having hip replacement surgery and really need a good mattress. Are you able to recommend a few? I am just so confused. Thank you.

Hi bettina,

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because 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”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable 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).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the 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 if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

If you are considering online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering.

There may also be some good options available to you locally that you can test in person before a purchase and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area as well.

Phoenix

Again, thank you for your quick reply. I knew when I wrote and sent you asking you to recommend, wasn’t fair to you. I live in Grain Valley, 64029 (near Kansas City, MO. I will read everything and try to “take it all in”. I would like to buy locally and actually go and lay on a mattress, although a few minutes on a mattress doesn’t always mean that is the one. I have read a lot of the mattresses come in a box. Are these mattresses of quality to be used everyday?

Hi bettina,

Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Kansas City area are listed in post #2 here.

It would depend on the quality and durability of the materials and components inside it. Some are and some aren’t.

While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

Phoenix

I am soon to return my second Saatva due to the uneven lumbar support region. The first one actually peaked horizontally in the middle. They stated this was a flaw and sent me another which is settling into a less obvious yet serious issue for me. I am 5’4" and 115# and I simply do not have the weight to damp down this region. Why should a lumbar region extend to my knees? My hips are sleeping slightly higher than my shoulders thus creating back pain. My husband at 6’ and 189# is not taking issue with the bed and I am now sleeping on his side which his weight has helped to tame until I find a suitable replacement. FYI, I tried their Loom & Leaf first which was comfy though a little firm for me but is memory foam and I found I could not tolerate the heat retention in the summer. If you sleep hot stay away and know cooling gel is a gimmick.

Hi aneto,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I’m sorry to learn that you’re having a problem with your second Saatva mattress, but it’s good to know that you had the foresight to choose a mattress that you’re able to return.

Quite often a “lumbar support layer” is simply a piece of foam in the middle third of a mattress. Obviously this is not targeted directly at the lumbar region, which is only five vertebrae, and is also in a slightly different location for individuals of various sizes. More appropriately, these should be termed “middle-third layers”. Their primary task would be to provide a bit more foam in the area of the mattress that gets the most use, hopefully enhancing overall durability.

Regarding cooling memory foam claims, you can read more about phase change materials in post #9 here and at the end of post #4 here) and you can read more about the various different types of gel foams in post #2 here. In general terms gel foams will tend to have a temporary effect on temperature while you are first going to sleep until temperatures equalize but have less effect on temperature regulation throughout the course of the night.

The materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin, and softer mattresses, memory foams or foam toppers will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer versions of the same material.

Phoenix