Interesting, I feel like that points to defective materials for sure right? Sagging after a month of use by only an 150 lbs person is suspect, maybe contact T&N? Could you post some pictures? That would be helpful.
Hi jfmugen,
I would need to see a picture to see whether there are actual impressions or whether there is just some foam softening which would be more ānormalā as part of the initial break in and adjustment period for polyfoam.
I get the sense that even if it didnāt have any softening that the mattress may not have been a good āfitā for Dave_C anyway.
Phoenix
Youāre correct on both counts, Phoenix. It is primarily softening, but there was also a slight impression as wellā¦about a 1/4" maybe? They both contributed to an uneven feel and a ārolling inā motion when sleeping on my side slightly off-center. I also assume that the impression would increase over time, so I bagged the experiment, but mainly because my back was so sore.
Keep in mind that I also have a 10", which also gave me back issues. However, I only gave that one about a week before I switched it out. I think I am just one of those folks who prefer air, which does seem to result in less back pain of all mattress types. (See below)
Hi Dave_C,
Thanks for the update and the additional information.
A 1/4" impression isnāt significant so you were probably experiencing some uneven initial softening with the mattress breaking in in combination with the effects of a mattress that wasnāt a suitable design for you in terms of PPP.
Whoever designed the chart you posted doesnāt know a great deal about mattresses or mattress design :). The types of āgenericā comparisons they are making are more misleading than helpful.
While there are always some percentage of people who will do best on any specific mattress ā¦ you can see my general thoughts about airbeds here.
If you do decide to go in airbed direction ā¦ I certainly wouldnāt be looking at Select Comfort when there are other airbed options that use better designs and materials that for most people would be much better āvalueā (you can see a list of many airbed manufacturers in post #3 here).
Phoenix
[quote=āPhoenixā post=37648]Hi Dave_C,
Thanks for the update and the additional information.
A 1/4" impression isnāt significant so you were probably experiencing some uneven initial softening with the mattress breaking in in combination with the effects of a mattress that wasnāt a suitable design for you in terms of PPP.
Whoever designed the chart you posted doesnāt know a great deal about mattresses or mattress design :). The types of āgenericā comparisons they are making are more misleading than helpful.
While there are always some percentage of people who will do best on any specific mattress ā¦ you can see my general thoughts about airbeds here.
If you do decide to go in airbed direction ā¦ I certainly wouldnāt be looking at Select Comfort when there are other airbed options that use better designs and materials that for most people would be much better āvalueā (you can see a list of many airbed manufacturers in post #3 here).
Phoenix[/quote]
The chart is from here and is supposedly based on input from thousands of people: Best Mattresses For Back Pain Relief 2018 : Sleeping Position and Firmness : Memory Foam Latex Air : Hip Shoulder Problem
The results seem to correspond almost exactly with my experience. Yes, just a sample of one, but the most important āoneā to me. 
As for Select Comfort (called Sleep Number now), I am sleeping on one now that is over 15 years old and still feels brand new. By nature of its design, it has been impervious to rutting and sagging and getting soft and it has surpassed everything else Iāve owned so far in relief of my back pain, including the 5" and 10" T&N, TWO Habitat latex mattresses and one memory foam mattress.
That all said, I am psyched that you offered alternatives to Sleep Number! Thanks! I will check them out.
Hi Dave_C,
Yes Iāve seen it ā¦ and itās very misleading. Amalgamated mattress reviews based on thousands of people who have little idea of the materials in the mattresses they are sleeping on and know little about mattresses are also very misleading (see post #13 here and post #4 here). You can also read more about the quality of the materials in their highest rated memory foam mattress in post #2 here as an example.
Each person has unique needs and preferences and while very few people tend to ask āwhyā one mattress works better for them than another, if someone at least has the facts and basic information they need to make the best possible quality/value choice based on the parts of their personal value equation that are most important to them then no matter what type of mattress they prefer they will be making an informed choice about the mattress that is ābest for themā regardless of whether it would be the best choice for someone else or even a larger group of people in general ā¦ and thatās the most important goal of the site 
Phoenix
I ordered a 5in. Iāll post update soon after I receive the bed.
Hi Stillmaticbeat,
Congratulations on your new mattress
You certainly made a good value choice and Iām looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.
Phoenix
After about a month of agonizing and searching online resources for my best bet for a mattress for my youngster, including stalking The Mattress Underground forums here, I decided to go with Tuft & Needle too using Kgtuftandneedleās discount code.
While I was originally going for a latex mattress since I care most about what the mattress is made of and itās relative safety for the kids I went with T&N due to the $50 off of an already inexpensive mattress and the points that A) Not a chemical flame retardant, B) Local company to me, less carbon footprint and more readily available contact with them if needed and C) They donate most of their returns to charityā¦
Anywhoo, since I ordered the mattress I also received a discount/referral code from T&N so Iām posting mine too in the event anyone else is planning to order one from them. Apparently for each person who uses your code you get a $50 refund until your mattress is paid for, which is pretty darned cool. I bought their small 5" with $50 off so just a few orders from others with my code scores my daughterās mattress for free - making it a pretty awesome birthday present if she likes it (her father is building her a bunk bed)!
Once the mattress comes in Iāll update you all as to what I think of it, and also if theyāll give TMU discount along with the initial $50 off.
Hi KellySilverWise,
Congratulations on your new mattress ā¦ you certainly made a great choice for a firm mattress in this budget range.
I didnāt realize that there was a ābenefitā attached to the discount codes that they provide and this makes it part of their āmarketing systemā. This means that posting the link violates the rules of the forum which donāt allow for any links that are āpromotionalā or that are used for marketing or advertising reasons so Iāve removed your link (and Kgtuftandneedleās as well).
Iāve left the more non specific information about their discount codes in your post for now (until I give it more thought and decide whether to allow this since itās also āon the edgeā of being self promotional or advertising). It also has the potential for abuse as these types of posts grow in number and ācompeteā for attention.
In any case ā¦ Iām looking forward to your feedback when youāve received it and have had the chance to try it out.
Phoenix
Does anyone have an idea of what the lead time is like for a new order? Looking to take the plunge soon but worried it might not come for a while! :unsure:
This is the message I got upon placing my order:
[i]"Congratulationsāyou just placed your order for a well-crafted, comfortable mattress without having to overpay or haggle with a salesperson. Weāre excited to have you join the Tuft & Needle Family.
You can check your order status, track your package, and leave us a comment at any time on your receipt here: Order #8935-7048-0091-5129
At Tuft & Needle, we handcraft our mattresses to order. Weāll notify you shortly when we put the first stitch into your mattress, and again when your order is on the delivery truck with your tracking number.
Feel free to reply to this email with any questions, comments, or suggestions. You can also follow us on Facebook or tweet us @tuftandneedle.
On behalf of the Tuft & Needle Team,
JT and Daehee"[/i]
Iām about to message them my TMU username for that discount so Iāll ask what their turnaround is like too - I need to know for the bunk bed construction anyway.
And thanks, Phoenix! Your information here has been absolutely fabulous!!
oakridge - Apparently my mattress is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so a quick turnaround time for the basic 5" twin size mattress.
Hi, first off, thanks for the site, and all the good information.
I also just placed an order for their Ten mattress. Canāt wait, sounds like it will take 2 days to make and finish the mattress, then a few business days to ship. Very reasonable.
About the problems the one guy was having, those are common to all memory foam mattresses. My parents have Tempurpedic mattresses, and those also have some breakin. I am not sure what Tuft and Needle recommend for breaking in your mattress evenly, but Tempurpedic tells you to walk on your mattress, every inch of it, every day, for a month. If you just start sleeping on it, it will eventually soften where you sleep, and youāll see an indentation as you described.
So thatās my 2 cents. All memory foam will soften to some extent where it is constantly compressed/expanded, so take measures to break in the mattress evenly.
Hi themusgrat,
Congratulations on your new mattress ā¦ I think you certainly made a great quality/value choice :).
Just for the sake of clarity ā¦ the Tuft & Needle doesnāt have any memory foam in it. Itās a polyfoam mattress and polyfoam is a very different type of foam with a faster response and without the temperature sensitivity of memory foam.
Phoenix
Ah, well you learn something all the time. I should have read more carefully. I would still think that if after a month, there is an indentation, using the mattress evenly, or breaking it in, would help. If something is softer after a month of regular use, the areas not regularly used would obviously not soften.
edit: Iāll get mine in a week or so, and Iāll be experimenting with this. Iāll try to break in all of it except one corner, and report back on the firmness of that corner.
Hi themusgrat,
Youāre certainly correct that all new mattresses will go through an initial break in period and there will also be an adjustment period that is part of sleeping on a new sleeping surface that is different from what you are used to (see point 4 in post #2 here).
Itās also a good idea to rotate the mattress more frequently at the beginning so that the initial foam softening can happen more evenly (see post #2 here)
Iām looking forward to your feedback once youāve slept on the mattress for a while.
Phoenix
Update on our mattress endeavorsā¦
Mattress arrived very promptly within a week or ordering. Honestly itās still in the box since our birthday girlās bed isnāt constructed yet and we donāt want to get the mattress dirty before installing.
Tuft & Needle honored the The Mattress Underground discount in addition to the $50 discount code, which ended up being $13. They were exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Hi KellySilverWise,
Thatās great to hear
Just one more step to go which is when your birthday girl gets to sleep on it.
Thanks for the update.
Phoenix
I just ordered a Tuft and Needle 10" and used a $50 coupon. Waiting to see if I get the mattress underground discount as well.
Appreciate all the great info on this forum and looking forward to getting my mattress. Will probably get a latex or memory foam topper for it as well.