Time to light my Tempurpedic on fire (just kidding - throwing it out is fine)

B)

First off, Phoenix, I know you’ve heard this a thousand times, but thanks. You know why already.

My tempurpedic is probably approaching 6 or 7 years. I cannot recall the specific model, but it was #2 from the top back then with a zippered top to it (grand bed?? Celebrity) something like that.

Well it’s been a while now that I’ve been living with a sag in the middle, right under my hips, and I wake up with some pretty terrible low back pain, and today was the worst ever. I could barely move!

I’m 5 10 at like 175 lbs, and my wife and sleep pretty close together, and I think the sag has gotten even worse. I can literally feel that my head and feet are higher than my midsection, so I’m done with it!

First thing out of bed this morning was to research the issue, and I landed here, and I’ve been here now for the past 4 hours, and I might be more confused than when I started, but I know that what I’m looking for is here!

OH I was wondering if you had anything about the Texas area? We are in Houston and I searched for the forum for Houston and Texas with no results.

Hi plasma800,

You may have read this already but the tutorial post here has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you the most and help simplify your search.

You may have used the wrong search engine (see the help tab here) but the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Houston area are listed in post #2 here :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Just found that post via all in site google, and was just coming back here to tell you that I had found it… :whistle:

I found texas mattress makers online today in a separate search, and thought about visiting them today or tomorrow.

After seeing the VI Beds (online) I’m drooling over them, but they are expensive.

I would like to check out a coiled and see what that feels like after so much time on a foam bed. But i gotta do something cause this stinks hurting every day.

I have a second bed in our bus, that is a tempupedic knock off, and it hurts my back too, not as bad, but still hurts. I have no idea who made it.

and something like the sleepez is on my list. I was JUST out there too!! Could have visited in person. I might drive back out there just to do that.

Hi plasma800,

That would be one VERY long drive (17 hours of driving?) :slight_smile:

Phoenix

No big deal, we just hop in the bus and go. We just did a show in Phoenix, took 2 to 3 days of dilly dallying to get out there. But is too bad I can’t see some here in Houston.

Here’s a question though… at texas mattress makers, they talk about beds that have 460 coils, or 580 coils… but at VI they talk about beds that have something in the thousands of coils???

Thats a big difference… so what’s the difference?

Hi plasma800,

There are so many different types and designs of innerspring mattresses it would depend entirely on the specifics of the mattress and the type of coils and on how many coil layers were in the mattress (many mattresses that have thousands of coils have two or three coil layers). I certainly wouldn’t assume that a mattress with thousands of coils is better than one that only has a few hundred.

There is more about the different types of innersprings in this article and in post #10 here.

If you are looking at the same type of innerspring where all the other specs are the same then depending on the specific materials above the coils a higher coil count would generally mean more steel and result in both a firmer support system (each coil has less weight to support) and/or a greater ability to adapt to the shape of the body (there are more points of compression).

If a mattress uses coils in the comfort layers (microcoils) that is replacing other foam materials or has multiple layers of coils on top of each other in the support layers then adding these together can result in some misleading numbers.

In the end the difference between them that means the most is what you feel on each mattress in terms of PPP.

Phoenix

Thanks for the info.

Those guys out at Texas Mattress Makers are pretty serious about their beds.

I met with a guy named Lax, who was really very nice and a lot of fun to deal with. They shoot it straight it appears.

Their showroom is deep inside their warehouse, it’s a very different experience than someplace like a big store, at first maybe even a little weird. The showroom is surrounded by mattresses piled to the ceiling (looks like they are all bagged awaiting shipping)

You can also tell they make A LOT of mattresses when they have their own white 18 wheel’rs out back with a very nondescript “noahs mfg” on them

I ended up buying a model called the Barcelona, which is two layer pocketed micro coil with coils made by Legget & Platt? This model is not on their website, but from what I understand is the same as the “rome” but without the thinner, upper HD layer on top, making it slightly firmer.

He explained it an interesting way. That if you buy a bed that is firm, you can make it cradle more by topping it yourself. But if you buy one too soft already, it’s hard to make firmer if you want.

Construction looked to my eye to be similar to the VI Statesman, two layers of coils, padding on top, but with a foam bottom if I remember correctly (an no wool of course).

I fell asleep on the thing while I was waiting for Lax to make his way back to me, and it was amazing. Delivery on Thursday.

I’m really interested in trying a wool topper, like the one made by flobeds.

So all in all, I think that texas mattress makers is a hidden Houston gem! You’re basically looking at huge manufacturer of hotel and private label beds that dislikes the way big super stores treat people, so thereby opened their own showroom just for kicks. My experience was very good. It was interesting to me that there were a lot of people in the showroom that I feel like probably couldn’t appreciate just what they were looking at in terms of craftsman ship and quality, unfortunate.

He might have been bs’ing me a little, but he said a bed such as this would retail in the 10k range if in a major store. Dunno if that’s true or not.

One day, I would like to own a VI Spring, just like you said, it’s a work of art, but today was not that day :whistle:

And for fellow researchers, here is an interesting PDF from Legget & Platt about their coils.

Also, I will report back with I get the bed, maybe post some photos.

But I have one last question.

WHY did you create this site? It’s amazing.

Hi plasma800,

Like you … I think highly of the people at Texas Mattress Makers and I have spent some time talking with the owner there (Youval) and he certainly tells it like it is and is what I call “mattress people”.

I completely agree with this and it’s why I often suggest that if all else seems to be equal that going with slightly firmer is usually a better choice than going with something slightly softer. The only effective way to make a mattress that is too soft any firmer is by removing and replacing the foam layers that have softened rather than adding a firmer layer on top which will just follow any soft spots or sagging in the layers underneath them.

Most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress … I think you made a great choice :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your feedback (and pictures would be great as well) when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

There’s really two answers to this.

One of them is here

The “alternative” version … for those with more conspiratorial leanings … is here :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Time to give a report!

First things first. I was very pleased that they called me the day before delivery.

I was very pleased that they called me the day of delivery, AND they were on time. Early even!

I was pleased they took my old mattress. Ok, so that was great on them.

Onto the mattress itself.

The first night was a BIG adjustment, this a firm bed man… not a rock, but not a sagging temurpedic either! I’m used to sleeping on my shoulder, so the bed was hard on my shoulder that first night.

Over the next 6 or whatever nights though, it’s been like a dream!! The top is nice, the edges are nice, it’s an amazing work of art they have there.

The only thing I’ve just done, is I ordered a flo beds wool topper, just cause I really love that hotel feel and I would like a little more caressing on top. But like Lax said, you can make a firm bed softer, but not the other way around.

I’ll give ya another update in a few weeks. Overall, I’m 100% in love with this mattress. What a find!

Hi plasma800,

Thanks for taking the time to share your update and feedback … I appreciate it.

It generally takes some time to adjust to a new sleeping surface and for any new mattress to break in but it sounds like that is happening very quickly and that you and your new mattress are becoming good friends :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to any further updates in a few weeks and/or after you add your wool topper.

Thanks again.

Phoenix

Hi, we too live in the Houston area. If you can please let us know how your mattress has been working for you, we would really appreciate it. Our main concern is with it possibly being a little too firm. Also, would you be able to let us know about how much it cost. Thanks in advance.

Hi Britchap,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Just as a word of caution I would be aware that firmness/softness is very subjective and depends on many factors (such as each person’s body type, sleeping positions, and individual preferences and sensitivities). A mattress that is too firm for one person may be too soft for the next so I would always test a mattress in person (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) which will be a much more reliable way to assess how firm or soft a mattress feels or you regardless of how firm or soft it may feel for someone else.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks so much for your help. I will definitely try to take your advice when trying out various mattresses. My wife and I had been thinking it would be a safe bet to shop at Costco. Now we are rethinking this and plan to visit Texas Mattress Makers next weekend. We are understanding that we should ask ourselves how comfortable and relaxed we feel after several minutes of lying on the mattresses. Is this a fairly accurate statement? In any case, I will go back and read your suggestions and steps more closely . Thanks again for the great advice.

Hi Britchap,

Testing for more subjective perceptions of “comfort” can be very misleading and in many cases can have a lower chance of success than random chance alone (see this study). I would test more specifically and objectively (and longer than just a few minutes) for pressure relief and support/alignment using the testing guidelines that are linked in the tutorial post.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I wanted to ask for your thoughts regarding pricing mattresses. Consumer reports suggests asking for significant discounts when purchasing a mattress from a big box store. They suggest that these mattresses are so overpriced that you could easily ask for half price and still be paying too much. Do you think that these types of requests are likely to be successful with the smaller manufacturers? I definitely would like to follow your suggestions for selecting the right bed and realize that this is the most important thing. However, I would also like to be sure not to overpay. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.