I've now decided to go with the Medallion Air Bed by Innomax. I've decided this for a number of reasons.
First, This bed is the most versatile bed around. It is an air bed, and by its nature you can adjust the amount of support you need on any given day. Also, with the I-beam construction of the 6 inch air chambers, you get uniform support all across the bed.
Second, This bed is customizeable. With the Dual Zippered Top, you can unzip the pillow top and have it dry-cleaned and refreshed as needed or even replaced over time, and the internal elements (1 inch of Talalay Latex and 2 inches of Memory Cell foam) can be flipped or even removed and later on I could add in 3 inches of all Talalay Latex if I so desired. Doing so makes this a bed that I can reconfigure any way I want in the future.
Third, Price. I can get this bed set, including foundation and Adjust-A-Rest pump (The equivalent to the i10 at Sleep Number for $5,600) for less than $2,300!!!
Fourth, Retailers & Reviews. I've seen this bed sold by four different retailers. Innomax (Medallion), Select Air (i1000), Sam's Club (Dual Digital Sleep 9), and Air Beds Unlimited (Series 9 Diamond Air Bed). There may be even more than that, but that's what I've found so far in my research. The last three beds are all Medallion beds, just rebranded. And from the reviews I've read from each of these sites, at least 95% of them are rated 5 stars. With that many retailers selling the same bed and that many great reviews, the bed speaks for itself.
Now as for who I will be buying this bed from... There are a few options.
1 - Innomax - I've spoken with them and they say they will price match, however, they refuse to ship anything for free. So even at the lowest price that I've found (bestbeds.biz), they are still over $200 more just in shipping charges. I can buy a new end-table for that much!!!
2 - Bestbeds.biz - Has been doing business for 11 years and are an approved retailer of Innomax. They do not have a storefront, so they don't jack up their prices like the other retailers do. They are based in Seattle, WA. They offer a 30-day return policy and the same Warranty as Innomax offers (5 yr Full on Mattress, 3 yr Full on pump and chamber). Also they provide free shipping. They will price match any other retailer. This is who I'm purchasing my Medallion bed from. Contact Jim, who is the owner and he'll help you out with any questions you might have. Very friendly and willing to talk anytime.
3 - Select Air - They show on their website that their i1000 bed comes with 2 inches of Talalay Latex and 2 inches of Memory Cell. However, this is incorrect. Their bed is the Medallion, which as I stated above has only 1 inch of Talalay Latex, not 2. I'm not sure why I, the average Joe consumer, is the one that found this misinformation on their own website, but it is incorrect and misleading. I told their VP this on the phone a few days ago, which he agreed is wrong, but nothing has changed on their site. False Advertising??? Not sure, but who knows how long this misinformation has been on their site before I pointed it out to them, and who knows how long it will stay there. All I know is, if you do buy from them, and you see only 1 inch of Talalay Latex, under federal law, a retailer has to abide by their advertising, so a consumer would be well within their legal rights to request that additional 1 inch of Talalay Latex as advertised on their website, just take a screenprint first showing the 2 inch claim.
4 - Sam's Club. They also have a great price on their Dual Digital 9 Sleep bed for both the bed and foundation (Foundation is only $198, and mattress is $1,988). However, that does not come with the Adjust-A-Rest pump and I'd have to pay sales tax on it, since they are located in my state. They do ship for free though.
5 - MattressAlternative.com - John seems like a nice guy and very passionate about the Medallion bed by Innomax (as can be viewed on his YouTube videos). He has a storefront in Florida. The price for the Medallion includes the Adjust-A-Rest pump automatically. He doesn't even offer the other pumps that Innomax sells. I like this principle. He offers free shipping as well. He also has very low pricing on the Medallion ($2,274 for Mattress, pump, and foundation).
I hope my research and this information helps anyone else who is looking into getting a Sleep Number bed or any airbed. For the price, you can't beat the functionality or flexibility of this bed!
