memory foam bed

our 8 year old spring mattress is killing the backs of me and swmbo.

thinking about going the memory foam mattress route. I cant really justify dropping $3k on a tempurpedic...especially when I really want to get that new brew stand, etc.... but theres lots of other brands that seem like a good deal for much less $. Anyone own the memory foam and feel strongly one way or another? Real life input is valued over the "reviews" on the manufacturers websites.

Pretty sure my fiancee's parents have a memory foam from Ikea. I know they are very happy with it and am 99% sure its from Ikea.

I've never owned a memory foam mattress, but I did have a pillow made of the stuff once.

I like the pillow, but it always felt like it trapped heat and made my head sweat.

Oh... And one night when it was cold, I jumped into bed and got the distinct sensation of being smacked with a baseball bat. That pillow turned into a rock in the cold temps. It warmed up, got soft, and made my head sweat eventually, but... MAN... That thing was hard when I first landed on it.

We have a Tempurpedic and love it. I've had back problems for 30 years and that bed is great to sleep on. It can trap some heat which is nice in the winter, not so good in the summer but with a good mattress pad it's not really an issue.

Now when I have to sleep on a spring mattress, it feels hard and lumpy and I always wake up with a back ache.

I have a non tempurpedic california king memory foam mattress that I paid 900 for, 6 years ago. I love it.

One thing, don't be talked into getting the pillow top. It really is a waste. Mine is so thick it kind of defeats the purpose of the foam. I've been tempted to cut it off. But I flipped the mattress for a year and slept on the pure foam, then flipped it back and it had compressed the top.

Love the mattress. If I had to do it again I would, just without the top.

I've been sleeping on a foam topper for over a year now and plan on upgrading to an Ikea memory foam mattress when the budget allows. I seem to fall asleep much faster on the memory foam compared to the tossing and turning I used to do with the conventional mattress and boxspring.

I bought the thicker of the two temperpedic matresses and ended up returning it after 2 weeks of hell. Neither me nor my wife could sleep on it. I sleep on my side and as the matress heated, would allow my a$$ to sink deeper into the matress than the rest of my body--kinked the heck out of me.

Also, when you get out of bed at night, you have to climb out of a hole where you have lain, and it was very hot--held your body heat and made you sweat. The return cost ~ $100 IIRC--for re-packaging. Getting rid of that thing was worth every penny.

RCCOLA said:

Also, when you get out of bed at night, you have to climb out of a hole where you have lain, and it was very hot--held your body heat and made you sweat.

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Holiday Inn, Historic District, Charleston, SC - they switched all their mattresses to the memory foam - I was doing work in Chas, and stayed at this hotel for days - I had the same experience as RCCOLA -

I'm thinking more along the lines of replacing my old mattress with the air-filled (sleep number) type...

Hang Glider said:

Holiday Inn, Historic District, Charleston, SC - they switched all their mattresses to the memory foam - I was doing work in Chas, and stayed at this hotel for days - I had the same experience as RCCOLA -

I'm thinking more along the lines of replacing my old mattress with the air-filled (sleep number) type...

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Don't do it! I had a similar experience as you, but with the hotel using the "sleep number" bed. Hated it! Honestly, I couldn't get past the inflatable mattress notion. It was far better than the old camping mattress I used in a tent for years, but still not as supportive as I'd have thought. And yes, I did crank up the number, but hardness does not equal supportiveness (insert sexual innuendo here ). It seemed like a gimmick to me, and an expensive one at that.

We bought our last mattress at Sam's for a decent price, then splurged on a nice topper. It works out.

I got one of those $100 memory foam matress pads for my regular bed and I love it. I did have to put a piece of plywood under it though to keep it from sinking into the sunken spots on the old matress. It was a quick fix while we debated on a new matress. It is about 5-6" thick.

I don't know what you guys are talking about with the heat and cold issues. This material doesn't seem to react to either. I got a pillow of the same material and I lve that too.

+2 on the sleep number. DON"T DO IT! you feel like you are sleeping on a beach ball and about to roll off it.

So.......what did you end of getting? Glad I got a real tempurpedic before I started brewing or I would never have spent that much on a mattress when I could have spent it on brewing gear. SWMBO and I swear it is a lifesaver. Hate when we travel and have to sleep on anything else. It took a good week to get used to the new feel compared to the crappy matresses I was used to though.

Bruin said:

So.......what did you end of getting? Glad I got a real tempurpedic before I started brewing or I would never have spent that much on a mattress when I could have spent it on brewing gear. SWMBO and I swear it is a lifesaver. Hate when we travel and have to sleep on anything else. It took a good week to get used to the new feel compared to the crappy matresses I was used to though.

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We got a Tempurpedic. Best money I've spent in a long time. I sleep better than I ever have. We were originally going to buy an off brand foam mattress, but I found a great deal on the real thing and am glad I did.

strat_thru_marshall said:

We got a Tempurpedic. Best money I've spent in a long time. I sleep better than I ever have. We were originally going to buy an off brand foam mattress, but I found a great deal on the real thing and am glad I did.

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Good to know. Thank you.

Yes it is worth it, glad you got it. I tested some of the no name brands before I got the real deal, and the others don't compare. Had mine for years and it still is as flat as a board, no indentations like my old matresses.

D-Ring said:

+2 on the sleep number. DON"T DO IT! you feel like you are sleeping on a beach ball and about to roll off it.

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Really? What model were you on? Friends of ours have one and love it! Maybe one of the thicker "Pillow-toppers" are needed? The fiance' was looking into getting one for when we get married. I'd love to hear more specifics on why y'all don't like the sleep number beds. Thanks!

I used to love sleeping on the foam mattresses that the Marriott hotels used to have. I checked the brand, it was an Englander. So, we went out and dropped $1500 on a king size memory foam from Englander,,,,,,, Bad Investmant. It started out great, but within 6 months it was starting to get the hammock effect. The store was out of business, gcouln't get anywhere with Englander over the phone.

We bought a Sleep Number Bed in 1999, still have it, we've only replaced the pump, and we love it.