SomniGel Mattresses

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!

Hi Sweet Dreams,

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback … I appreciate it!

As you know … Somnigel is a type of buckling column gel similar to nexgel or intelligel. Post #2 here and post #2 here and some of the posts they link to have more information about buckling column gel as well.

It’s certainly a high quality and durable material with a unique feel and performance but I also hope you also had the chance to find out all the type and quality of all the other layers and materials in your mattress as well (besides the latex) to make sure there are no weak links in the design (see this article).

Congratulations on your new mattress … and thanks again for the feedback :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi, Sweet Dreams. I’m considering buying one of the King Koil Somnigel mattresses at Sleepy’s, but there are very few online reviews. I would appreciate it if you would update your review. Are you still happy with the mattress? Is it sagging or developing any body impressions? Thanks.

Kevin,

I’m still very happy with my King Koil SomniGel Performa mattress. It’s holding up very well under my weight, with NO sign of sagging or body impressions at all. It continues to provide me with excellent support sleeping in any position, on my back, side, or stomach. I find it much more supportive and comfortable than any other mattress I’ve found, and I’ve literally been on dozens of other brands and mattress types. I would definitely give it my highest recommendation, but of course that doesn’t mean it will be equally well suited to you or anyone else. You really need to try it out, as that’s the only way to know whether you’ll like it as much. Good luck in your search and let us know what you find if you try it out.

Hey all, first post here!

I’ve been lurking in the forums for a few days now, and reading up on how to shop for mattresses. This topic is VERY relevant to my interests, since I’m 6’5" and 285 lbs! I’ve stopped at a big-brand store and the local store here, Beloit Mattress company, and I have to say that we’re certainly going to be buying with Beloit; better mattresses period from what we tested.

That said, my wife and I are of two minds about mattresses, and we’re currently stuck between the Somnigel Azure and the Somnigel Sapphire. The only real difference is that the Sapphire has more Somnigel, and as a result seems more supportive, but to me slightly less comfortable.

I know the ‘feel’ of the mattress is 100% subjective, but both of these mattresses seem to be plenty supportive for both of us. My question is this: given that they’re both good mattresses, should we expect any significant ‘softening’ of the mattress after we buy it?

I’ve been told that the talalay latex and Somnigel are in it for the long haul at almost entirely the same strength as they are currently, and there’s only a quarter inch of polyfoam above the springs in each of these. My thought is that if we expect them to soften, it might be worth it to get the Sapphire (which feels firmer) since it to us is bordering on too firm, while the Azure is bordering on too soft.

Hi wolfemi1,

As you know Beloit is one of the members here which means that I think very highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency so you would certainly be making a great choice in purchasing a mattress from them.

[quote]That said, my wife and I are of two minds about mattresses, and we’re currently stuck between the Somnigel Azure and the Somnigel Sapphire. The only real difference is that the Sapphire has more Somnigel, and as a result seems more supportive, but to me slightly less comfortable.

I know the ‘feel’ of the mattress is 100% subjective, but both of these mattresses seem to be plenty supportive for both of us. My question is this: given that they’re both good mattresses, should we expect any significant ‘softening’ of the mattress after we buy it?[/quote]

There will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress.

With a mattress that uses higher quality materials I would characterize the break in period as making more of a “slight” difference rather than making a “significant” difference but Beloit will be a more reliable source of guidance about the effects of the break in period for any of their specific mattresses.

I personally wouldn’t knowingly buy a mattress that was either too firm or too soft and I would keep in mind that the mattresses in their showroom are probably already broken in. If both of the mattresses are clearly inside the comfort/support range that would be suitable for both of you and they are equally “comfortable” for both of you and you have confirmed that both of them are a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) even though they are a different firmness then (and only then) I would tend to choose the firmer of the two but if you have a clear preference for one over the other or if one of them is clearly a better “match” for both of you then I would choose the one that was the most suitable and “comfortable” out of the two.

Phoenix

Hi Sweet Dreams, I hope all is well with your King Koil Somnigel mattress a year and a half in now. Like you I am tall, about 220 pounds, a side sleeper and have shoulder pain with firmer mattresses and back pain with soft mattresses. My only experience is with innerspring and memory foam mattresses. I was looking into trying an all-latex mattress from Spindle Mattress or a poly/latex combo from Brooklyn Bedding. I’m curious what your experience was like with latex mattresses… did they aggravate your back or shoulders? Your post about the King Koil Somnigel has got me thinking I should give Somnigel a try. Thanks.

Hi jcstiltz,

Hopefully Sweet Dreams will see your post and share their comments but I would keep in mind that while other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would be very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range) and reviews in general certainly won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

I also hope that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you 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” and 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 (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you 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).

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).

All the different types and categories of mattresses have a wide range of firmness levels that generally range from very soft to very firm but the best way to know which types of materials or mattresses that you tend to prefer in general will be based on your own testing or personal experience.

Phoenix