has anybody tried both?  maybe got one with a 30 day return and then swapped for the other one?  if you've only tried one, can you give it a thumbs up or thumbs down?

how about that craftmatic bed?

by the way, who is that gal that does the commericals - lindsey wagner?  she starts by saying hi - i'm lindsey wagner - like she expects you to recognize her.  i thought she was the wife in mcmillan & wife, but i think she's a bit young to be her.

Bullwinkle

I think it was Marlo Thomas in McMillan and Wife?? with Rock Hudson??

My daughter has had a Sleep Number bed for about 4 years and is very satisfied.

I have never owned a Sleep Number or Tempurpedic, but have sampled both. Sleep Number beds feel quite similar to a good traditional mattress. Tempurpedic beds feel entirely different--you would have to take them on a leap of faith with a return privilege or have some way of sampling one for weeks.

I seriously considered a Sleep Number, but balked due to the moving parts issue--they are basically an air bag with a pump, both of which are mechanical devices subject to failure. They do offer a return privilege, but as of a couple of years ago the purchaser had to pay return freight, which would be $100 or so. But they are very comfortable for my taste and would seem to be very easy to transport or move around.

Take a look at latex mattresses. A mattress expert on this forum highly recommended them 2 or 3 years ago when I was mattress shopping. They have a lot of advantages, last a long time, and feel great. Not sure, but they might be quite heavy?

I never made a new mattress purchase and am still gritting my teeth on a traditional mattress now over 15 years old. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Lindsay Wagner was the Bionic Woman!  Can't remember her in anything else since, though.

Can't help you with either bed -- for 35 years, it's always been a water bed for me.

 

We have a tempur-pedic mattress and pillows and I wouldn't trade them. I liked it right away, but it took hubby several weeks to adjust to it. The pillows support your neck and head so no more punching the pillow to get it just so so. I no longer have the back pain in the morning from a regular mattress nor neck pain from lack of support.

Never tried the Sleep Number bed, but the moving parts........   Never plan on changing.

Just my .02 cents.

 Ump

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Hi Bulllwinkle, I purchased a sleep number bed 3 years ago and am very pleased with it. I am 66 years old and don't seem to move around in bed at night like I use to with the old bed. I was so impressed my sleep number that I bought a kingsized sleep number bed for my son and daughter in law for a wedding gift. There was a problem with my control not registering a number when I first got the bed. Within 3 days they sent me another one without charge. My sleep number is 45. Happy sleeping, chabroken

We purchased a sleep number bed about a year ago.  One consideration not mentioned yet is that it can be adjusted separately by you and your sleepmate.  My sleep number is 45 and my spouse is 70.  As to the moving parts, the only problem I have seen so far is I have a slow leak and have to check the pressure periodically.

 Carlton

 Mrs. Macmillan was played by Susan St. James.
      I was in the Bedding Business for 10 years.
An adjustable or Craftmatic is very nice and usually trouble free, the mattress used on them is missing a border wire so the mattress can bend freely.

   The sleep number bed is an Air bed and might have the obvious problems but I haven't heard of it.  (could leak air).
   Tempur Pedic and Latex beds have a nasty little characteristic, if you get the dense foam wet, it will not dry without some real persuasion.
  If it's me, I'm shopping for a traditional inner spring mattress and there are 100's to choose from.

You go to Vegas or some resort and what is the first thing you notice when you hit the sack? The pillow is a lump of foam and you can not rest your head in a comfortable manner. A down filled pillow that can be molded to your needs is a must.

 

Then there are the other factors in getting a good nights sleep.

The room has to be dark, noise free, cool, and light covers, such as a down comforter.

I could sleep on the floor given the above.

 

Our set up, mattress and box springs must be 30 years old.

The wife and I rack up all the sleep we need.

A quiet mind and a nip of wine can be a plus.

Rossby

 

 

 

I used to sleep on a futon, but for the last few  months I've been sleeping on air-mattress that I had bought for guests (at Target - about $100). It is really very comfy. I went shopping for a "real" mattress, and tested mattresses ranging from $400 to $1000. I have to admit that my air-mattress was as good as any one of them. I like a firm mattress, so I "top" up the air pressure every couple of weeks.

 Now, I am thinking about buying a platform bed and putting a futon on it...

 vivek

 

Don't anyone buy a sleep number bed. There return policy sucks and the bed does too. Its just a big airmattress and very uncomfortable. I tried every possible number and couldn't get a good nights sleep to save my life. I woke up tried and sore. What a waste of  very hard earned money( $1800.00).

Fishgirl (MT)

 

You really have to try them each and see which you like.  Someone elses opinion where this is concerned isn't relevant.

 I have the Sleep Number and like it.  I felt like the foam bed trapped me.  As I get older, I find the ability to make the bed softer is easier on my hips as I lay on my side.  My wife can sleep on either.

I actually cheated and added a memory foam pad to the Sleep Number.  Don't know why the Sleep Number people don't do it.

Steve

Here's a pretty interesting summary of all types of various mattresses someone else sent me on a similar thread:

MATTRESS GUIDE

My philosophy is that when we calculate "cost per use", buying a good mattress is a very wise purchase, although comfort is very subjective and depends a lot on the type of sleeper you are (side, back, etc), way you and your partner sleep, and other physical characteristics.  Definitely worth finding one you enjoy.

- JavaJoe

 

My wife and I had a waterbed for 25 years, and with a few things showing age, as well as the effort to change the sheets, we decided to go another route. After more than a few weeks of checking things out, we went with the sleepnumber.

It ws a mistake. 

Its not "bad", mind you, I/we just don't seem to be as comfortable as we think we should be. We're now considering going back to a water bed, after ~3 years with the sleep number.

//mjs 

These two sleep systems are very different and perform differently.  The best choice is truly up to the individual sleeper depending on their needs.  The Sleep Number bed, formerly marketed as Select Comfort, has the unique feature of customizing your desired firmness / plushness.  Add to that, you can have your own 'Sleep Number" while your partner can have theirs.  Also, your selections are not set in stone and can be changed at any time.

Tempur-Pedic is a Memory Foam system utilizing visco-elastic foam as a pressure relieving surface.  This system also provides customized comfort that is driven by the sleeper's body weight, shape and body temperature.  The main difference is the Sleep Number Bed is adjustable while the Tempur-Pedic is not.  Another difference is memory foam sleeps hotter than traditional mattresses and air beds.

Choosing between these two is entirely dependent on personal choice.

Bob

Well, I would give a thumbs down to the Sleep Number bed.  We've had it now for several years.

 When you go in to a store, they make a big deal about your number, but as they are counting it down, they shot by so I wound up with a very different number then my day to day life number. Even a mere 15 minutes does not help you recognize this difference or implications.

 What they don't tell you: 

 If one number is very different from another, the firmer number sleeper will wind up sleeping at an angle toward the softer number (read as a distinct feeling as is one is sliding towards the middle). That doesn't go away unless the sides come close to being equal (which sort of defeats the purpose of being able to differentiate  the two sides). 

And although they technically have a return policy, they make a habit of not mentioning it or pointing it out to you on the paper work.  

It has taken my husband years to be able to comment that he no longer likes it - something I figured out the first night.  At that price and in today's financial world, he's stuck with something he insisted he had to have and was thrilled to own.

 I have used the Temperpedic mattress pad toppers and liked them a lot.  I did cut one up for replacement dog beds after the poly stuffing lumped up.
 

The most comfortable bed I have ever had was a regular mattress with a 4 inch foam topper from either Walmart or Sam's Club.  I don't remember where I bought it.

My husband has back problems and nothing would do him but that we buy a tempurpedic.  They come in two thicknesses.  Don't buy the thickest one if you are short.

I love my tempurpedic pillows and the mattress is OK.  It isn't quite as comfortable as what I mentioned above.  It didn't help my husband's back problem either. 

My husband and I both have a problem with the edges of the tempurpedic.  The edges are weaker and if you sleep close to the edge you feel like you will fall off because it slants. I have to scoot over a foot farther than I did in other beds to avoid the edge.