I'm sure I should be diligent and read every post on here, but after a week of doing my research I'm starting to get frustrated. I love forums and this seems to be one of the best for mattresses.

With this topic post I am hoping to get a summary of the mattress types and brands that have been spoken of most highly on this forum. I know this topic is like politics, everyone feels strongly about one thing vs another without an overall concensus and I know the typw of mattress depends on the person, but I feel like someone familiar with these forums could maybe narrow down my search and provide some advice.

Basically I'm 28, living with my fiancee and thinking about consciously purchasing a mattress for the first time. We have a Sealy Posture Premier (somewhat entry level model) from 2003ish. I have never slept soundly and dream of getting consistent good nights of sleep. I have sporadic neck/shoulder and lower back discomfort but it's usually better after sleeping so I don't think the mattress is necessarily the culprit. After going to a few stores I am leaning towards a slightly firmer mattress and my fiancee towards a softer one (she is very small and light if that makes a difference) but generally I think we both just want comfort. I sleep on my back, her on her side and we both toss and turn. I am a naturally hotter person and can't sleep if I'm hot. If I do turn on my side my shoulder feels jacked up within minutes although the postition feels comfortable.

I want to get moving on a new bed but I feel stuck..Everything in the store feels reasonably comfortable, web reviews contradict each other..I just need a starting point, a roadmap. I'm even into an evolutionary approach where I start with something and add on as I go.....I just want a new bed badly and I'm fearful of throwing my money away.

Once again, I apologize for asking such a flat out newbie question. I've read the buying guide here and reviews all over the web and I feel less confident than when I started.

 

Thanks in advance!!

-JT

Thanks Sandman. My fiancee really like the idea of the online latex mattress with their return policies and layer exchanges. We like the ones we've tried in stores....but have never spent a night on one. I wonder if it's worth the hassle of finding a hotel with a latex mattress......

If the return policies are as good as they seem at sleepez and flobeds we could try them out at home and still get our money back (sans shipping) if we decide latex is not for us.

If that is the case then the question is,

Is our ~$1500 budget enough. Seems like we may have to go with sleepez....and the 8500. If that is not reccomended I'll have to think about it......

Most people get the10000, so that is a safer bet.  Not sure if anyone has had problems with the 8500.  It doesnt' have as much depth, which would probably diminish the comfort a bit.  If you like it on the firmer side, then it might not be a problem. What size are you getting?

 p.s.  If you got the 8500, you could always add a topper later if desired.  That kind of defeats the purpose of the wool cover, so not totally optimal.  But still it would be an option.

We are getting a Queen.

 

Does the wool cover keep it cooler? That is still a concern for me (not for her, she would be comfortable in a sauna).

also, I haven't even gotten into the foundation yet. Can I even keep my current bed frame?

jtpoulin wrote:

The wool does help keep help keep it from feeling too hot.  You can create that effect as well with wool in a mattress pad.  Obviously it would be nice to have everything under the wool mattress cover for a nice clean look and temperature moderation.

The latex mattress should go on a pretty firm foundation.   A firm box spring would probably work.  You could put a board over a soft box spring.  Or you can buy a wood slat foundation. 

 

OK, so after talking it over with my fiancee, I think we are going to try a latex mattress. But now we are thinking that if we are going to have this for a while, maybe we should get a king. My costs are obviously going up and now we won't be able to use our current bed frame.

If we go ahead with a king size sleepez 10,000, any suggestions on affordably buying the rest of what we need (frame, foundation, etc)?

 

Thanks everyone for your help

We've had a king size bed and mattress and bought a good bed and frame from Ikea with slats.  The mattress we bought there didn't last but about 3 years so wouldn't recommend it (it wasn't latex).  As far as the mattress, I would consider the ease of moving and setting up two twin XL mattresses which are the same size as a king and will fit into or on a king size bed.

Thanks Sall. Do you find the Ikea bed is sturdy? I've had issues with their quality in the past.

Yes, it is very sturdy and built like a rock.  Very heavy too.

Sall wrote:

 

what is name of the Ikea bed that you have and what is the name of the slats? Did you get slats from Ikea?

How hard was it to put the bed together? Did you needed any tools?

And how long did it take you to put the bed and the slats?

Are slats hard to put together?

Thanks.