I’m 6’5" tall and weigh 280 lbs. I’ve been through what seems like an endless assortment of mattresses, including standard innersprings, air chambers, memory foam with and without gel, latex, foam combinations, and hybrids. I’m primarily a side sleeper and have had problems with firm mattresses causing me shoulder pain, and softer mattresses resulting in back pain. I have also found that many of the foam mattresses sleep very hot which cause me to sweat excessively.
After doing some additional research I found some very favorable reports about a structured gel support product as used by Intellibed, but they are unavailable to try in my area. It is a true gel that is manufactured in columns which buckle under pressure and is supposed to excel at both providing pressure relief and excellent support. I then came across the King Koil Perfect Contour SomniGel mattresses available at Sleepy’s. It appears that they currently have an exclusive on them since there is no mention of any SomniGel mattresses on the King Koil site nor can I find them listed at any other dealers.
Details on SomniGel can be found on the Leggett & Platt website. These mattresses have a bouncy feel similar to latex and do not have that memory foam ‘sinking’ feeling, but I find that they provide much better and more consistent support than any of the other mattress types I’ve experienced. Their support is of the quick response type, conforming instantly as you move around the mattress. The buckling gel that Intellibed uses may not be identical to SomniGel but it is similar in design and structure and are both licensed by the same company. This type of gel is completely different than the more commonly used gel infused memory foams, so don’t let salespeople convince you that they are the same or even similar. I hate the feeling of memory foam mattresses and this is nothing like them at all, you really have to try it to know how it differs in both feel and support.
I ended up purchasing the top of the line Performa model which has the most SomniGel at 1.75" and includes a 1" layer of latex underneath the gel along with a pocketed coil innerspring base. Sleepy’s rates this model as being ultra plush but I don’t agree with their rating. It is very conforming but still extremely supportive. It fills in all of the curves in my back or side with an amazing feeling of support, and does not sag under my weight even if I sleep on my stomach. It also sleeps very cool, which I guess is from the gel structure only contacting 22% of the top surface and 78% being open air columns. It’s not that it’s cold in temperature, but rather that it is temperature neutral in that it doesn’t build up or reflect heat from your body. No more night sweats!
I think that finally after many failed attempts I’ve found my ideal mattress! With Sleepy’s sale pricing and first time customer discounts, the price of this mattress is about half of what the most similar model from Intellibed sells for. I’ve only had this mattress for a couple of months so I cannot yet attest to its long term durability, but so far even under my weight it is showing no body impressions at all. It quickly rebounds to its original shape as soon as I get off the bed.
I hope that this review is helpful to some of this forum’s members, since there isn’t much out there yet about these mattresses. Of course as we know everyone has different needs and desired comfort issues, so YMMV definitely applies. Sweet Dreams to you all!