So I’m brand new to this forum…thanks in advance for any feedback.
Our current mattress is 11 years old. I haven’t been sleeping great lately and I think it may have to do with the mattress.
Early research has led me to Sleep Number. Most feedback i’ve seen have been very positive on the actual product with most of the issues coming from customer service issues.
My wife and I went to a Sleep Number store tonight and browsed…but I think it’s hard for her to browse because she has a mind block with what the prices are.
Tonight I priced out a P6 mattress along with the FlexFit 3 base (the nicest of the 3 bases)…which is more than the actual mattress itself. Total with mattress, base, delivery an tax- was just shy of $7900. That. Is. Insane.!!
But…and I asked my wife this earlier…can you really put a price on sleep? If this bed is a good as what others say it is, can we really say it’s too expensive considering we spend 7-8 hours on it each night?
Curious what the thoughts from the community are…I would really appreciate any feedback…and of course if you know of any ways to save some money on a Sleep Number that would be great.
Thanks!
Hi CrazyTown,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
The first place I would 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 PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) 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, durability, and value.
You can see my thoughts about airbeds in general this article. While any mattress can be a good match for a specific person because each person’s needs and preferences or the criteria that are most important to them can be very different … in general terms I would tend to avoid them unless there is a very compelling reason that an airbed would be a better choice for you in “real life” (outside of the many “marketing stories” that you will hear about them) than the many other options or types of mattresses that are available to you.
If for some reason you are committed to an airbed and you are convinced that there are no other types of mattresses that will meet your criteria then there are some other airbed options available to you that are listed in post #3 here that may be in a much better quality/value range than the Sleep Number you are considering.
I would treat the purchase of an adjustable bed and a mattress as two separate purchases so you can choose which one of each you prefer and make apples to apples comparisons with each of them instead of being locked in to a combination where you may prefer either the mattress or the adjustable but not both (unless of course you would purchase the same mattress and adjustable from the same store if you were buying them separately anyway or you are receiving a discount for buying both that would make purchasing the combination purchase worthwhile for you). The same mattress will “work” just as well on any adjustable bed.
There is more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research. I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you call the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at websites.
I would also be very cautious about using other people’s reviews or experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you or the durability of a mattress 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 either in terms of suitability and PPP or in terms of durability (see post #13 here). Reviews about the knowledge or service at a particular store can certainly be helpful but when it comes to the specifics of a mattress they won’t provide you with the type of reliable information you will need to make an informed choice about how well you will sleep on a mattress, how long you will sleep well, or the “value” of a mattress purchase compared to all the other options that are available to you either in your area or online.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
Phoenix
Wow.
My wife made fun of me last night for posting on “another” forum…I have a tendency to do that when I’m looking for advice on a particular subject. Clearly I came to the right spot. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
I’ll preface all my comments below by saying that I just read your response and have not looked at the many articles you suggested. (yet)
The mattress industry has always been a bit of a mystery to me. It’s one of those things you don’t need very often and when you do need it there is a lot of information. Companies like Mattress Discounters, Sleepy’s etc- while they may be legitimate, just come across as not very trustworthy at all. It’s also very difficult to do apples to apples comparisons.
I am not set on a airbed or adjustable bed by any means…but I will say that the concept of each is appealing to me. Again this comment comes without having read any of the articles you sent me.
I’m open to anything…like everyone, I just want a good nights sleep!
I live just outside Washington DC in Northern Virginia. Zip code is 20152.
I’ll take some time to read through the articles you sent me today.
Thank you again- I really do appreciate the help!
Hi CrazayTown,
These are usually the types of stores that I would generally avoid because in most cases they won’t be able to provide you with the information you need to make an informed choice about the quality and durability of the materials in the mattresses they sell and in most cases replace fact based information that is meant to educate you with “marketing stories” that are meant to “sell” you anything they can convince you to buy before you leave their store and look at other options.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Washington, DC area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked in my last reply) are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Make sure to do some research about latex as an option. You can customize each side. Sleepez.com is where i just purchased but there are many choices. Savvy rest is a big name brand and likely have a local dealer where you and your wife could give an app latex mattress a try. But they are more than double the price of the companies found via this forum. Savvy rest has a nice website and YouTube videos that are helpful to learn what latex is all about.
Thank you for this site. At first, I found all the information provided overwhelming. It was like learning a new subject in school without any background knowledge or vocabulary. With time things have become clearer. We currently sleep on a pretty basic unit of the Sleep Number air mattress (Select Comfort). I sleep pretty well, but recently my wife’s sleep/nonsleep has become more and more miserable, regardless of how she adjusts the firmness. We NEED a new mattress. Reading this site has helped me realize that we have been basically sleeping on just a support layer and no amount of adjustment was going to improve comfort.
We’re now starting to look for a non-air mattress. Somewhere on this site, there were a couple of retailers in the Sugarcreek, OH area mentioned. Do you have any recommendations near zip 44657?
At this point, it looks like our most likely option is an online purchase, which my wife is not wild about. Again, thank you for The Mattress Underground.
Hi cthom3,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so your questions wouldn’t get mixed in with another members questions (which makes it easier for me to keep track).
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of that are reasonably close to you (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton list here and in the Youngstown list here.
Phoenix