Hi,
I donāt think I have a ton of insight for you but we just went to the Nest store this past Saturday and tried out all their mattresses - we decided to go for the regular Alexander, not the hybrid, because dh and I are both motion transfer sensitive - we donāt want to be woken up when the other comes to bed late or tosses and turns. We both found the hybrid relatively bouncier, possibly due to the coils.
I donāt think we tried the Honest Coil with Latex - the one we tried was the one with memory foam.
I actually thought I really wanted to have a mattress with Latex, but IRL that wasnāt my thing at all. I also thought I wanted relatively soft because our current, worn out mattress is like a pillow top on steroids, but nope - we were clearly in the medium heading toward somewhat firm camp for all their mattresses (the shop assistant who helped us also pointed out that relatively few people go for the soft mattresses, at least in the store we were (Albany, CA). So - sometimes what we think we like is totally not what we like IRL, unfortunatelyā¦
You probably already know that, but Nest bedding has a little chart on their website listing all their mattresses in terms of soft to firm, and I think for the most part, this was spot on.
Also, their FB site has reviews on it as well and you may find more mixed reviews there, or by checking out the local yelp sites for their stores - those may also be more unbiased.
Lastly, I believe the sleep Sherpa site is a good place to find out how the Nest mattresses may compare to big brand name mattresses which you could try out in a store somewhere near you for more insight - if itās not on the sleep Sherpaās site, I believe you could email her/him (?) and ask if thereās a big brand comparison.
Good luck!
I totally understand what youāre saying, and Iāve read many a post where you say the same thing to others. I suppose my response to that is that I canāt even rely on trying out a bed in a showroom. I chose my current bed based on what it felt like at the store, and 4 years later, it beats me up every night! That was before I knew how to research materials, etc. as you have thoroughly explained here, and I wonāt be making that mistake again. But even trying a bed out in the showroom and lying on it for a couple minutes doesnāt do much to inform you of what it will feel like to sleep on it for a whole night, much less every night for months or years.
My approach this time around has been to thoroughly research materials, read all the reviews I can find, and test it out if possible (not usually possible). Even then, I know that I can only know if the mattress is right for me after using it consistently for a few weeks. Since in most cases, I canāt try out my options in person, I have to try to rely on other information, and thatās why I look for other peopleās reviews. I take them with a grain of salt always, but it is helpful to get a full picture, since the in-person testing is not really possible.
Anyway, I look forward to reading anything that anyone might want to share here about any of the Nest beds, really. As far as Iām concerned, any information is helpful. Thanks again!
Melanie
Hi elke,
I certainly agree with you here.
On this point I couldnāt disagree with you more. Most of the āso calledā review sites such as Sleep Sherpa (and many others) are just revenue sites that will say or repeat anything that they need to in order to earn referral fees. They know very little about mattress materials or mattresses in general and much of the information and guidance on their sites is very misleading (and often incorrect). You can read more about this in post #11 here and in post #1 here (and the video it links to) in the simplified choice mattress topic.
There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can āmatchā or āapproximateā another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting materials) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress āas a wholeā so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isnāt a reliable way to match one mattress to another one in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP based on the specifications of the mattresses (even assuming that you can find out all the specifications you would need for both mattresses you are comparing in the first place).
Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and donāt normally try to āmatchā another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to āmatchā or āapproximateā another one in terms of firmness or āfeelā and PPP and/or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the āaveragesā of a larger group of people that have compared them (different people may have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare) ā¦ the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses would compare for you in terms of how they āfeelā or in terms of firmness or PPP (regardless of anyone elseās opinions of how they compare which may be different from your own) would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.
There are also no āstandardā definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like āmediumā for someone else or even āsoftā for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they ārateā a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
In other words ā¦ if two mattresses have different designs and materials then your own careful testing or personal experience is the only reliable way to compare two mattresses in terms of ācomfortā firmness, and PPP.
Comparing two mattresses in terms of durability is much more simple and more objective once you know the specifications of all the materials and layers in two mattresses you are comparing (see this article) because making durability comparisons is just a matter of comparing the quality and durability of the materials and components inside it and making sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that would be a reason for concern. If for any reason a retailer or manufacturer you are dealing with either isnāt willing or able to provide you with the specifics of the materials and components in their mattresses then I would avoid it completely. Again though I would always keep in mind that the quality and durability of the materials has little to nothing to do with how a mattress will feel or compare to any other mattress in terms of comfort, firmness, or PPP.
Phoenix
Thanks, elke! Iām so jealous you were able to go to the store in person! I had to laugh at your description of thinking you like one thing and finding that youāre wrong. That is exactly what I fear I would do! I have also considered the medium version of the Alexander Sig. Select, but when Nest came out with the hybrid, I thought it might be cooler-sleeping (because of the coils). My husband is actually a HUGE toss-and-turn sleeper, and Iāve been assuming that pocketed coils would mean at least a decent decrease in motion transfer (not as good as all foam, I know), but maybe Iām wrong?
Thanks for the tip about the Facebook page; I actually discovered it earlier today and read a bunch of the posts. Also, thanks for the sleepsherpa tip! Iām not totally sure Iāve looked at that site yet, so Iāll check it out. I would love to hear about your experience with the Alexander Signature Select after you receive it! Thanks so much for all your input! I really want to make the right choice this time.
Melanie
Hi Melanie_KE,
Your best chance of making the best possible choice is to follow all the steps in the mattress shopping tutorial here one at a time which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ā¦ 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 youāve 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā 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.
Phoenix
Hi Hi Melanie_KE,
I was writing my own reply when you posted this comment so I didnāt reply to it in my last post.
With a local purchase for the majority of people ā¦ careful testing using the guidelines in the tutorial rather than just testing for the more subjective ācomfortā of a mattress (which often wonāt predict how well you will sleep on a mattress or how it will āfeelā when you sleep on it at home) and some good guidance from a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer will usually result in a mattress choice that is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and will generally be āclose enoughā so that if any fine tuning is necessary it would be relatively minor and involve different mattress pads, sheets, mattress protectors, or perhaps even a topper if a mattress is too firm (see post #4 here and post #10 here).
Of course if you canāt test a mattress in person or if for any reason you arenāt confident that a mattress you are considering would be a suitable choice then the options you have after a purchase including the the exchange/return policy (and any costs involved) would be a more important part of the āvalueā of an online purchase just in case (and in spite of the ābest judgementā of everyone involved) the choice you make doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for.
At the end of the day you will either need to rely on your own careful and more āobjectiveā testing or a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable retailer in combination with a good trial period and exchange/return policy. Anything else would lower your chance of success.
Phoenix
I bot the Alexander Hybrid and the Easy Breather Pillow in Jan 2016. I did my research and thought this would be an incremental upgrade from my previous mattress. I could not find any critical reviews of Nest, the Alexander series or any sites that did not recommend them for any reason. This was sort of a flag to me, but I decided to go through with it.
It has been a rough 2 months. I am really trying to make this purchase work, but I have not had a good nights sleep on the hybrid so far. I am still testing it out, but I believe this could be due to the memory foam pillow not being a fit for my normal sleeping position. I have shoulder pain, wake up lethargic and generally feel tired all day. I feel better not using the pillow and just sleeping on the mattress with a ānormalā pillow. I tried sleeping on the floor, couch and old mattress and I have felt better the next day.
Can someone suggest what my possible options are in this situation? I am considering either getting a mattress topper to make the Alexander Hybrid firmer and then testing it for another week or so.
Additionally, I can return the product and consider alternative brands. Any ideas there (tufts and needle, brooklyn bedding, spindle)? I am torn as I realize the internet is almost all marketing/advertising and it is difficult to make an informed decision.
Help.
[quote=āMelanie_KEā post=61986]Scoaste, I am waiting for your thoughts on your new Alexander Hybrid with bated breath! I think I have decided on this mattress, but I really wish there were more objective reviews out there. I REALLY wish Nest as a company would post more balanced reviews on their website, but since they donāt, Iām having to rely on other outlets, like this fabulous website.
If the Alexander Hybrid offered a latex option instead of the memory foam, I probably wouldāve bought it already. Anyway, I am super interested to know how you like it, how soft you find it to be, how the edge support is, whether it sleeps cool, etc.
Please let us know how you like it soon! I know you only received it a few days ago, but initial impressions would be so, so helpful. Hope youāre loving it! (Phoenix, please donāt fuss at me for seeking out other peopleās impressions. I need all the help I can get! Thank you for this invaluable website; I think Iām now a mattress expert because of it.)
Melanie[/quote]
If it helps I own the Alexander Hybrid myself although I am likely going to return it as itās simply too soft for my tastes. The Hybrid may have memory foam in it but doesnāt feel anything like a memory foam mattress to me. It feels like a traditional soft pillowtop mattress. Now a lot of people might be looking for something like this and if you are and donāt mind something a bit softer then this a great mattress for you. It doesnāt sleep hot and has great edge support which are my two favorites things about the mattress. I was unfortunately hoping for something more like the Tempurpedic Flex line and this is nothing like those. Anyway hope this helps.
I am in the same camp - likely going to return the Alexander Hybrid.
If you can suggest any medium firm mattresses under $1500 for a queen, please let me know. I am also going to try to return the pillow I got from them as well.
Any ones you think of that can narrow down the searchā¦ Might just buy a tempur pedic and call it a day.
Well this just proves that you cannot rely on individual reviews (consensus reviews might be another matter).
I personally find the mattress to be too firm for my tastes and that it sleeps too hot. Nest is sending me a wool pad to see if it helps with these. As for edge support, itās sufficient; obviously not as much as my old traditional mattress, but probably better than all foam (idk because Iāve never had one).
I also think soft is a relative term and can mean something different to each person. My problem with it is that I feel I am literally sinking all the way into the coils creating pressure points. I know they say it has 6" of memory foam but just feeling the side of the bed where the coils stop and foam begins I get nowhere near 6" foam. I am only 140lbs so if I feel that way I can only imagine for someone heavier sleeps on their side on this mattress.
I will say the mattress slept hot to me for the first week or so, I assumed my body had to adjust to it and I was just getting over a cold. After the first week or so the issue went away and I never thought it was hot again.
Hi karl235,
While itās not possible to ādiagnoseā mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any āsymptomsā they experience ā¦ there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here that may be helpful.
If your mattress is too soft then some of the suggestions in post #4 here may be helpful. While adding a softer topper can be an effective solution for a mattress that is too firm ā¦ itās much more difficult to āfirm upā a mattress that is too soft without removing and replacing the foam layers that are too soft or too thick,
See my reply in your other topic in post #3 here.
Phoenix
Scoaste, that is totally not what I expected to hear! Hopefully itās a breaking-in type of issue. Iāll be interested to hear your opinions after having slept on it for a while longer, in addition to the difference the wool pad might make. Very interesting.
Zexpress, I saw your thread about the bed being too soft (the same experience it seems Loiloi had) which is where some of my softness concerns come from. I guess it is such subjective and undefined terminology (soft/firm, etc.) that it really isnāt very helpful, as Phoenix says.
Who knew mattress selection could ever be this complicated?? Thank you guys so much for responding, regardless!
I wanted to make this thread as useful as possible, so Iām going to add all my stats and details here.
I am a 5ā tall female and usually weigh between 115-125lbs (right now Iām pregnant, so itās obviously a bit more). Iām petite and have a somewhat curvy body type; small shoulders with bigger hips. I used to be an every way sleeper - stomach, back, and sides, but after having our first child, I canāt sleep on my stomach anymore. Mostly I go to sleep on one of sides and wake up on my back. I prefer a plush, luxe comfort feel.
My husband is 5ā10; I donāt know how much he weighs but I think itās around 150 lbs. (heās slim, does that sound right?). He has wider shoulders and narrow hips, and similar sleep positions to me. He says he prefers a more firm mattress, but Iām not sure what thatās based on besides assumption.
Our mattress story: we mostly slept on hand-me-down traditional innerspring mattresses from our parents until I got pregnant the first time. At that point, we were sleeping on a hand-me-down mattress from my mom that was ok but got increasingly more uncomfortable as I got further along in pregnancy. I decided to bite the bullet and buy the Tempurpedic I had always dreamed of (this was in 2012). I honestly donāt even remember which one we ended up with, maybe one of the Rhapsody line? All I remember was the horrible and potent yeast, mildew, and inflatable pool toy plastic smell that filled our entire house for weeks. Being pregnant, it REALLY freaked me out and I couldnāt deal with it. I also found the mattress to be not very comfortable and too firm, though husband really liked the comfort level (hated the smell too, though). In a panic, I returned the Tempurpedic and got the most comfortable pillowtop mattress at the same store, a Sealy Posturepedic. 4 years later, Iām in exactly the same situation! Incidentally, so are my in-laws; they bought the same mattress set we did a few months after us and are finding it to be super uncomfortable already, though they are much heavier than we are.
So here I am, in pain every morning again - all-over back, shoulder, and neck pain when I wake up, and persistent back and shoulder stiffness/achiness throughout the day. I wake up many times in the night from back pain, I think because my hips are being pushed too far upwards, causing my spine to be totally misaligned while I sleep. I suspect I also need new pillows; whenever I decide on a mattress, I will decide between Nestās easy breather latex pillow and a DIY shredded latex pillow kit from DIYnaturalbedding.com. My husband has been sleeping on our sofa mostly (our toddler likes to sneak into our bed at night and he wiggles a lot), but he claims our current bed, though much less comfortable than it once was, is not unbearable for him like it is for me. He thinks I am just more picky, but I think our body types are just different. When he was sleeping in our bed more regularly, he did complain of feeling tired a lot and waking up during the night. I think he just didnāt believe me that it was the mattress.
As far as mattress requirements, here are my requirements in order of importance:
Comfort - must feel luxuriously comfortable, which I interpret to mean soft/plush.
Durablity - must be comfortable for more than 4 years!
Price - Ideally less than $1500 shipped
Support - must be supportive enough that I donāt wake up in pain
Edge support - we canāt go bigger than a queen size, which means sometimes there will be more than 2 people in the bed, which means we need to be able to sleep right up to the edge without children rolling off.
Cool - canāt sleep hot
Off-gassing - must be minimal
Motion Transfer - I would love to feel my husband/children toss and turn less, but compared to the other factors, this one is towards the bottom of the importance list.
Natural materials - This is not a deal-breaker, but I would prefer all natural materials with minimal chemicals, and made in USA
So thatās all my pertinent info! Taking all that into consideration, I have thought the Nest Alexander Signature Select medium or one of the Nest Honest Beds would be our best choice, but then they released the Al. Hybrid, and I was nearly sold on it because of the pocketed coils (durable support and better air flow). Hearing that it is so soft, though, has me hesitating because of my husband. I also didnāt realize until recently that the Love Bed featured latex foam, which has me considering it as well. Ideally, I would love to test them out in person, but thatās just not an option. I think itās time for me to take Phoenixās advice and call Nest to speak to someone. Maybe I will do that today.
If anyone has any input they would like to share, Iām all ears. Thank you to everyone who has tried to help, and a BIG thank you to Phoenix for being such a wealth of information and assistance.
Melanie
Hi Melanie_KE,
I can make a few comments about each of your criteria that may be helpful.
There are also no āstandardā definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like āmediumā for someone else or even āsoftā for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they ārateā a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
In other words ā¦ if two mattresses have different designs and materials then your own careful testing or personal experience is the only reliable way to compare two mattresses in terms of ācomfortā firmness, and PPP.
While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person ā¦ if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isnāt close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional ābonus timeā would be higher as well.
While itās not possible to be too specific because there would be thousands of mattresses in your budget range ā¦ there are some very general guidelines about what to expect in different budget ranges in this article that may be helpful. You certainly have many great quality/value choices in your budget range.
If you are looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options Iām aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may also be well worth considering.
āSupportā is often misunderstood because the goal of a āsupportiveā mattress is to keep the spine and joints in good alignment and this requires the type of contouring support that allows some parts of the body to sink in more (softer) and some parts of the body to sink in less (firmer) and this will vary on an individual basis. There is more about primary or ādeepā support and secondary or āsurfaceā support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the ārolesā of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between āsupport/alignmentā and ācomfort/pressure reliefā and āfeelā and how they interact together.
You can see my thoughts about edge support for innersprings in post #2 here and for polyfoam and memory foam mattresses in post #33 here and for latex mattresses in post #3 here.
Innerspring mattresses with an edge support system will generally have firmer edge support than foam mattresses (memory foam, polyfoam, latex foam).
While itās not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the āoven to icebergā range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials ā¦ there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
The only reliable way to to assess the āsafetyā of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable āsafetyā certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable āsafetyā certification then for most people they would certainly be āsafe enoughā ā¦ regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label and any initial smell.
All foam materials will have some initial smell (which is the same thing as offgassing) but if they have a reliable certification then they will generally dissipate quickly to levels where they wonāt be noticeable for most people.
There is more about motion transfer relative to different types of materials and components in post #18 here.
The most natural materials would be 100% natural latex (see post #18 here) and natural fibers (such as wool, cotton, flax linen, silk etc) and depending on how you are defining natural ā¦ perhaps steel innersprings as well (steel isnāt natural but most people would consider it to be ānatural enoughā).
While it may be more information than you are looking for ā¦ there is also a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, āchemical freeā, and āgreenā mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer āhow safe is safe enough for meā or āhow natural is natural enough for meā and that can help you decide on the type of materials and components you are most comfortable having in your mattress or on the certifications that may be important to you. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I believe that this is one of the most important parts of deciding on any online mattress purchase.
Phoenix
Melanie, Iām new here, but I can offer my initial impressions on the Alexander Hybrid. Mine just arrived last week and tonight will be my 4th night sleeping on it.
I bought this mattress to replace a Tempurpedic I bought back in 2006. Back then the Tempurpedic only came in one of two options: original or soft. None of the crazy model variety they have today! I had the original, which I remember a lot of people complaining was ātoo firm,ā but I loved it, despite being a side sleeper. But I recently moved into a new house, which has a guest room. And when shopping for a guest bed, I realized I was going to be really bummed out if there was a brand new bed in the guest room and I was still sleeping on a 10 year old mattress, which at this point had the beginnings of a perma-dent in the side where I sleep. So I decided Iād go all out and treat myself to brand new mattress and move the old one to the guest room!
When I started shopping for this bed, I did a lot of research and was attracted by some of the positive blog reviews Iād read about the Alexander Hybrid. I really like the feel of foam, but was intrigued by the idea of the hybrid because it sounded like it would be better for non-sleeping bed activities. And if Iām being honest with myself, I love new manufacturing processes and technology, whether itās in the form of a gadget or in the form ofā¦wellā¦a bed.
So, back to my first impressions:
The first night I slept on it, I enjoyed it but I was afraid it was going to be too soft. It was significantly softer than my old mattress. It also feels very different than the Tempurpedic ā I donāt have the feeling of being āinā the mattress with the Hybrid the way I did on the Tempur (although I did actually like the in-the-mattress feeling). Being on the Hybrid the first night felt to me like I was laying on a marshmallow!
I donāt have any issues with chronic pain, with the exception of a nerve on my right hip that would sometimes feel uncomfortable when I slept on that side in my old bed. And despite my fortunate lack of back issues, I still had this idea in my head that a bed needed to be pretty firm to give me great support.
However, over the past few nights, Iāve actually felt remarkably supported despite my initial concerns about a softer bed. Additionally, I found that by night 3, the bed had firmed up a bit. Itās still softer than my old mattress, but not as soft as it was in those first couple of days. Itās pretty close to Goldilocks perfect for me, actually. Now that Iām going on my 4th night, Iām really liking the Hybrid a lot! I like that I sink in just slightly for a tiny bit of body hug, but nothing presses on that nerve in my hip like my old mattress did. It didnāt even occur to me that my old mattress was the problem until I slept in this bed and stopped having it.
So far my first impressions are positive. I still need a while before I reach my final conclusion about it, but I like it a lot so far! Iām interested to see how the feel of it changes for me over the next few weeks as I break it in and as my body adjusts.
Also worth noting: I bought 2 new pillows when I purchased the mattress (replacing my Tempurpedic pillows). Theyāre the Easy Breather Natural pillows, and I did have to take some of the stuffing out for them to be right for me. The first night I slept on them as they came and I thought they were uncomfortable. Now that Iāve reduced the amount of filling in them, theyāre just right.
I wanted to add my 2 cents here as well - mostly because i also found it difficult to find reviews of the alexander hybrid even though the mattress review sites have all been favorable. Perhaps because itās more of a traditional bed the on-line community is not into that as much as they are memory foam or whatever the purple bed is. Iāve never had a memory foam bed before and my husband is very sensitive to smell, so I suppose we were open to the more traditional options.
I was initially interested in Alexander because i liked the story of Nestbedding - somehow knowing they were brick and mortar was a plus to me even though Iām not near a store. I also liked that they were not overly invested in sales and marketing (as evidenced by their website). I was leaning toward the Alexander, but after some emails with Joe about being a side sleeper, low back pain, occasionally having my arm fall asleep, and my husbandās concern over overheating, he recommended the hybrid. If you have not emailed Joe i definitely recommend it.
Weāve been sleeping on it just over 2 weeks and i find the top to be soft but cushy/pillowy soft. I tried out another hybrid at a dept. store and found the top to be squishy soft - which i didnāt like. I feel like iām sinking in a little, but that iām still well supported. Part of me worries it will start to feel too soft but I think thatās because iām used to a firmer mattress (with or without a pillow top). But part of my worry is because i have never had memory foam before and i donāt have personal experience on how it holds up. As a female side sleeper in my mid 40s, i realize i need that top softness to better accommodate my body.
I typically roll around at night, but i do that less on this bed. I find myself sleeping longer periods, and waking in the same position. We have 2 little kids and a senior dog, so thereās no sleeping through the night regardless of the mattress. It has not relieved my numb arm entirely, but iām trying to modify my sleep position by holding a pillow and that seems to help. I probably could do with a new pillow to help this too. I had hoped the mattress would entirely relieve my low back pain, and this hasnāt happened, but i am much less sore and stiff when i get out of bed. I still have pain- particularly when i roll. Obviously a lot of this is on me because thereās no bed thatās going to strengthen my core muscles for me.
Side support is pretty decent - just slightly less supportive than our traditional mattress. However, I also noticed the coils come up higher than expected - past the line on the mattress where you think the memory foam startsā¦ I wondered if this was only on the edge to increase edge support and would be interested in seeing an inside view of the bed.
We have not noticed the bed being hot at allā¦ Since we purchased a king, i needed new bedding. Anticipating that it might sleep hotter, I purchased a quilt and fleece blanket rather than a fluffy duvet and weāve had no heat retention issues. Someone else commented that the stitching on the bed was distracting. My husband did comment on this, but we use a mattress protector under our sheets, which adds an extra layer against the irregular surface we donāt find it bothersome.
All in all weāre really happy. We have a couple months left to make a final decision and I hope we donāt have to, because I have spent a lot of time doing research and donāt want to have to start from scratch again. I do think we will think about the lifespan of this bed differently from our old one - we were probably 5-8 years beyond its lifespan when we got rid of it. Coil beds donāt last 15 years! We used the 200 coupon and that bought our investment down and responsive feedback from Joe helped make the decision.
Heather
Hi onemillionbucks,
Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and experiences in such detail ā¦ I appreciate it.
Itās great to hear that your mattress is working out well for you.
Most importantly ā¦ congratulations on your new mattress
Phoenix
Thanks, onemillionbucks and HeatherinMI, I really appreciate the feedback! Your experiences are closer to what I have been thinking the mattress would be like. This is such a help! Thanks again.
Melanie
Iāve had the Alexander Hybrid about a month now, so Iāll throw in my impressions. This replaced a 10-year-old W Bed spring mattress, The Hybrid does not feel like a foam mattress at all. If I didnāt know it had foam, I would assume its another pillow top spring mattress.
It felt slightly warm, but i blame that on my old polyester mattress protector. I got a St. Dormier wool protector to go with my wool comforter, and I now sleep cool. No heat issues here.
I think my hips sink too much when on my back, but when I turn to my side, everything just feels perfectly supported. Sometimes I wake up with shoulder pain, which my old mattress did not do, but Iām going to try some different pillows to see if I can fix that problem. Iām 5ā10 and 180.
I wish this thing had handles. Its heavy and moving it without them is a wrestling match and bad on your back.
All in all, I sleep soundly on this mattress and feel I wake up with less stiffness than I used to. The best part is, I didnāt have to step into some showroom and deal with a sleazy salesman trying to sell me something inferior for twice the price. Iām going to keep it.