Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Dec 14, 2009 2:17 AM
Joined: Dec 12, 2009
Points: 2
Hello,

I'm a 5"11 235lb side sleeper and I really need a new bed. There's so many choices out there. My budget is around $500-$700 and I need a queen sized bed. I think my only choice price-wise is a inner-spring mattress. Any advice on a brand would be greatly appreciated. I like the bed to be kinda soft, which I believe is recommended for side sleepers.

Thanks.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #1 Dec 14, 2009 10:43 AM
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 464
majax79 wrote:
Any advice on a brand would be greatly appreciated.

At least take the initiative to review a few pages of topic discussions.  Only YOU can determine which mattress configuration suits your personal comfort preferences . . there is NO CONSENSUS.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #2 Dec 14, 2009 11:47 AM
Location: Yosemite area
Joined: Sep 10, 2008
Points: 249
Greetings;
As Sager said, there is no concensus about what is the "best bed" out there, each has his or her own preferences.  There is a  ton of information on this site about beds, what's in them, why they fail, who did what and what individuals found to be the answer for them.  I also invite you to spend the time to read through the site.  It is time well spent, especially if you are on a budget and don't want to throw your money away.  If you don't read anything else on this site, mark my words:  it is very very very very easy to throw your money away on a mattress that won't last three months ESPECIALLY if you go with a soft mattress.
If you really want to just find a site that tells you what to buy, maybe try Consumers Report.  They usually do that.  However, one big factor that is being overlooked in these polls is the longevity of a mattress.  It seems these days that instead of being filled with high quality components they are instead being filled with cheap polyurethane foam that does not last very long.  Since it is inside a mattress, people generally throw out the mattress or give it away or put it in a guest room(I have been lucky....we have four adult children to hand them off to!).  I finally got fed up and cut mine open, as have others on this site, and realized that the springs were in good shape, it was the padding that was compromised and giving me a backache.(btw, there are rarely comfort guarantees with mattresses these days, except Sears).  Not a big surprise.
You mention innersprings as somehow a lower end choice in a mattress which leads me to believe that you are victim of the mattress companies hype about beds.  Actually, with your height and weight, a good spring under the comfort layer would be a good choice and last longer than foam.  I found that innersprings make my back happy and so have other people.  Marketing a product requires two things: making the current product trends obsolete or outdated and creating a problem that only your new product will fix.  Good to remember in everyday life. 
We know what we are comfortable with by experience.  In your experience, what has worked for you in the past?  Instead of going along with the newest trend(believe me, airbeds are not more comfortable than innersprings...they are just better hyped...as are mempoy foam and really expensive latex...it is very personal)listen to what you already know feels comfortable.  Then to save $ and find a better product, perhaps look for a custom bed manufacturer and eliminate all the middlepeople who each add to the cost of your bed ,and buy direct.  Why buy a bed for $800 which has maybe $100 of materials in it and $700 of markup?  Besides which, if you buy direct and have a problem later on, you have someone to go to rather than the last in line of a bunch of resalers who know nothing about your bed.
Kait
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #3 Dec 14, 2009 5:39 PM
Joined: Aug 21, 2009
Points: 486
The only advice I can give is that at that price point, you are probably looking at a mattress with a short lifespan.  Most mattresses these days are made with PU foam on top of the springs, which degrades, compresses, and forms craters in the mattress within a short time.  If you browse the forums, you'll find many people complaining about this, and my daughter's $800 Simmons lasted about 2 years before it formed a giant crater in the middle.

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and these days $800 doesn't buy much mattress.  So, given your budget, I would just go to the mattress store and lie on a bunch of different mattresses.  If you find one that seems comfortable to you, spend a good 15 minutes on it.  If it's still comfortable, it might last a few years.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #4 Dec 15, 2009 3:38 AM
Joined: Dec 15, 2009
Points: 10
KimberlyH wrote:
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and these days $800 doesn't buy much mattress.  So, given your budget, I would just go to the mattress store and lie on a bunch of different mattresses.  If you find one that seems comfortable to you, spend a good 15 minutes on it.  If it's still comfortable, it might last a few years.

I agree with everything you said, except for the part where you get what you pay for... often you pay and don't get what you are promised.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #5 Dec 15, 2009 4:23 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
grimloki wrote:
I agree with everything you said, except for the part where you get what you pay for... often you pay and don't get what you are promised.

For many years now I have slightly rephrased the old quote, "You get what you pay for." To read  "You should get what you pay for!"

Unfortunately, far too many times, you seldom get what you pay for!

Thus, boards like this one. Where everyday consumers have an opportunity to express their opinion about their own purchasing decisions and how they have worked out in actual fact.I know it has been very helpful to me.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #6 Dec 15, 2009 4:55 PM
Joined: Dec 15, 2009
Points: 10
majax79 wrote:
Hello,

I'm a 5"11 235lb side sleeper and I really need a new bed. There's so many choices out there. My budget is around $500-$700 and I need a queen sized bed. I think my only choice price-wise is a inner-spring mattress. Any advice on a brand would be greatly appreciated. I like the bed to be kinda soft, which I believe is recommended for side sleepers.

Thanks.

So Majax, have you looked at jimsocal's excellent posts on mattress surgery? I think this mattress surgery stuff is probably the best and cheapest way to go. Find the springs you want, replace the foam top with something better, and if you buy quality foam, it will last, and can be upgraded and customized.

My present plan is to build a queen bed in this way, for under $400... I'll let you know how it goes. I've priced out and sourced the constituents of a 3in wool topper and what sells for $300-$400 I can put together for less than $100 and I estimate 3 hrs of labor.

Of course, this DIY route isn't for everyone, but you might consider it as an option.
Re: Buying a queen sized bed on a buget
Reply #7 Dec 15, 2009 5:07 PM
Joined: Nov 25, 2009
Points: 93
eagle2 wrote:
For many years now I have slightly rephrased the old quote, "You get what you pay for." To read  "You should get what you pay for!"

Unfortunately, far too many times, you seldom get what you pay for!

Thus, boards like this one. Where everyday consumers have an opportunity to express their opinion about their own purchasing decisions and how they have worked out in actual fact.I know it has been very helpful to me.



& "you rarely get what you pay for, but you almost never get what you don't pay for.