As some of you may know, I participated in various Reddit communities under the username “batmannorm”, especially in mattress-related subreddits. After years of contributing helpful advice and engaging with people trying to make better sleep decisions, I was banned, without warning and with no clear explanation.
The only reason given was a vague reference to violating Reddit’s Terms of Service. From what I understand, and based on conversations with others, I believe this reasoning is not accurate.
What’s most disappointing is the loss of everything I shared, the time, effort, and honest advice that’s now been wiped from the platform. I’ve always tried to offer thoughtful, fact-based guidance and have even consulted with other experts when needed to ensure accuracy. I won’t pretend to be without bias, everyone has some, but I’ve always been transparent about who I am and what I represent.
Transparency Has Always Been My Approach
From day one, I made it clear I was part of The Mattress Underground (TMU) and a moderator on its forum. My Reddit flair displayed “Mattress Underground,” and I never tried to hide my affiliation.
Did I recommend brands affiliated with TMU? Yes, when I thought they were a good fit. But I also recommended non-members when I believed they were more appropriate for a particular situation or person.
Some Background: What Changed
Roughly a year ago, a major mattress subreddit removed its long-time moderator, Duende, someone I had a good working relationship with. He’d even said that he learned a lot from our founder, Onno, and from the information on TMU.
From what we later learned, the moderators who removed him were reportedly tied to a mattress company or marketing agency and were allegedly using deceptive practices, such as posting fake user comments to promote certain brands under the guise of organic recommendations.
Eventually, they were caught, and Duende was reinstated.
Around that same time, before Duende returned, I was banned. Despite my open identity and clear flair, I was removed without warning or specific reason. Duende believes I may have been caught in the crossfire, likely due to an automated Reddit system rather than a manual moderator action.
The Double Standard on Reddit
Trying to get a real answer from Reddit has been, frankly, impossible. It’s a massive platform with no clear way to contest or clarify bans. Meanwhile, many accounts remain active while openly promoting brands through affiliate links or paid relationships, all without disclosing who they are or what they’re doing.
That kind of behavior does violate Reddit’s Terms of Service. Yet, somehow, I was the one removed, even though I was open and upfront about my identity and affiliations.
My Mattress Recommendations: Fully Transparent
Let me be crystal clear-crystal:
Yes, I’ve recommended specific brands over the years.
No, I have never received direct compensation for doing so.
To avoid any confusion, let me lay it out for everyone:
I recommended Brooklyn Bedding long before I ever became part of TMU. I sleep on one of their mattresses, which I paid for myself. It wasn’t given to me by the company or by TMU.
I purchased that mattress through Yawnder, whose team I later got to know and now consider friends. I’ve recommended them because they’re good people doing good work, not because of any financial tie. I have no ownership or stake in the business.
I also bought my mother-in-law an adjustable base from Yawnder, no freebie there either.
I’ve also recommended DLX. I bought one of their mattresses with my own money for my mother-in-law, who was dealing with serious sleep issues. It made a meaningful difference in her quality of life, and I’ve mentioned it often because it’s personal, and it worked.
I recently purchased another DLX mattress for my daughter’s guest room, so I can sleep comfortably when I visit. I paid for that, too.
One of my other daughters, who lives in California, will soon be purchasing a mattress from European Sleep Works for her new home. I’ll be paying for that as well, out of pocket, as Dad.
I also own a Glacier Sleep mattress in a guest room. My other daughter will be using that one when the time comes, and Dad will be purchasing that mattress too.
These are real purchases, made for myself and my family, based on trust and experience. They weren’t promotional giveaways. I recommend brands I believe in, whether or not they are part of TMU.
About The Mattress Underground
Yes, The Mattress Underground is a business, and like any business, it needs to earn revenue to stay operational. But if we were only in it for the money, we’d accept any company that came our way. We don’t.
We have a vetting process, led by our CEO, Phoenix, who follows the original vision laid out by our founder, Onno. We don’t just take on brands because they’re willing to pay. In fact, we’ve turned down major companies offering more money than we make in a year, because they didn’t meet our quality or transparency standards.
We’ve also removed brands that failed to maintain those standards. That’s not something a purely profit-driven platform would do.
The Mattress UnderGround has stayed true to it’s original mission to be:
the most accurate and unbias source of information regarding mattresses and the mattress selection process
What’s Next
I’d still like to see my Reddit account reinstated, but I’m not holding my breath. In the meantime, I’ll continue doing what I’ve always done, sharing what I know and helping people make better mattress decisions.
If you found value in the advice I shared on Reddit, I invite you to connect with me here at The Mattress Underground. I’m happy to continue offering guidance based on real experience, real purchases, and a genuine desire to help.
Thanks to everyone who supported me on Reddit. I hope to see you here.
Norm (aka batmannorm) (aka Maverick)