We suffered through high end (S&F) pillowtops for years (yeah, I now know, don't buy a pillowtop).
So after reading plenty of reviews on foam and laying on, but deciding not to spend $5K on a King size Tempurpedic or $2500+ on the "S" brand new age foams, we decided to try the NovaForm Gel 12" foam mattress from Costco both due to the price and the liberal return policy. Well, all was good.................. for a while. Purchased King size Novaform Gel Memory about 1 1/2 months ago. Let it air out for 2 days and complaints about the smell were non-existent. I would like to stay with Costco as in my state, mattress returns are not legal (though Costco allows it, probably because they can ship out of state) So now the big question is , where do we go from here? This message was modified Oct 15, 2011 by robertwhite
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Reason I didn't go with the Tempurpedic is the ones we tried "Cloud" and Cloud xxx felt Ok, but there is no way in the world I am willing to take even a $2500 risk on a mattress after years and years of buying "superior" quality such as S&F latex, yada, yada, and getting pure crap. If I put down $2500 for a Tempurpedic, and we decide we don't like, or its not comfortable, etc. then what are we to do? I take ANY store or manufacturer "guarantee" with a grain of salt as they will do whatever they can to back out of any "comfort guarantee". Plus, I have read tons of Tempurpedic reviews that loved them in the store, but they didn't feel like that at home, etc. What does one do after that?
Basically, I don't believe anyones hype anymore. I'm back to the thinking of "buy a $500 mattress and throw it away in 2 yrs when it gets crappy" school of thought. |
So far I've found that both the Tempurpedic and the iComfort feel just about the same at home as at the store. Very close. I don't trust all things people say on internet reviews. I believe some things are legit and accurate and many other things are innacurate and some cases outright lies. Some people lie often. Sounds like Tempurpedic makes one try mattress for 30 days minimum and that's reasonable. They will honor a 90 day return period, but yeah, a $200+ return shipping fee would stink. There are no major retailers near you? Wow, that makes it tough. Our Sleep Trains (big chain) will take a 100 day return with no cost, but cannot purchase another mattress after a return for 6 months. Yeah, it kinda sucks to think about $2500 for a king set. Can't say I like spending $1600 with tax for a twinXL Cloud set. But, it's MUCH better than paying some other amount for a mattress set that's too soft, too firm, feels too firm by the morning, has horroble pressure points on its recommended foundation, etc,etc.... Big Q - Do you or wife feel that you sink into that Novaform mattress quite a bit? This is very important issue in my opinion and something you defintely want to avoid. If your pillow feels abnormally tall, that can be a sign the mattress is too soft. I think on memory foam you want to sink down in the mattress about same amount as you would on a preffered conventional bed. * Too much sinking in will lead to back / neck / spine misalignment / problems. *
As for 'comfort guarantees or exchanges, I would never use that because that means that 2nd mattress is yours for good. If you bought a Tempurpedic shipped or SleepEZ, etc, they will honor their 90 day return policy. You will need to pay some shipping to return though. The Tempurpedic Cloud in our Sleep Train was fully broken in, I could just tell. When mine arrived it was firmer than the store for sure, but it wasn't hard. It started softening up within a night or two. I believe every type of foam breaks in somewhat. I've seen that in 5 new mattresses in 5 months. I was very leery of the claims and complaints about Tempurpedic too. How they sleep hot, or sag after a while, give allergic reactions. So, I held off while trying 4 other mattress brands and going through tons of hassle. Also losing $1300 on a too soft iComfort. But, the knowledge I had was 'Don't go too soft on memory foam'.. In my opinion, good memory foam has an ability to feel good through the night where cheapo batting in quilts and comfort layers just compress and firm up. So, I went leaner with a 5.2" Cloud core with 2.8" memory foam. Support is fine. Comfort is very good. Today marks 5 weeks on it, and all is still well. As I've said before, the only downer I see with this TP is the slight odor. No reaction to it, but it does linger for some weeks. ... from the mattress and foundation. Sure I hope there are no effects over time. One thing about Tempurpedic is they make the mattress exactly as they say. Says 5.2" core foam, 1.2" ES foam, that's what it is, no BS. TP says the foundation is reinforced ..... heck yeah it is. I was able to peer in side of fabric to see the reinforced top board. Wow is it a heavy foundation too. So, in my opinion, TP is building quality beds. Sorry I can't say I've had mine for 7 years and it's like the first week I got it, but I look forward to that. This message was modified Oct 15, 2011 by slpngoc
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One more thing about the Sleep Innovations Novaform gel memory foam topper from Costco I tried for 1 night ..... it did basically nothing the package said it would do * package said it would be supportive - I sank so far into that 2.5" gel foam topper, it was ridiculous. Granted it was on top of a latex bed, but I sank far into the foam too. * Package said it wouldn't sleep hot - I was cooking hot that night. Where is the air supposed to go anyway? Was there any airflow channel? No * Pack said it would have great pressure relief - oh nooo it didn't
So, the Sleep Innovations topper got returned the next day. |
Are you saying when you lay on mattress on a cool night, there is very little give, or it becomes like an ultra firm mattress? Is it plush when it's warm and ultra firm when it's cool? Are you using a mattress pad on the mattress? Not supposed to use any kind of fiber filled mattress pad on memory foam mattresses. Just use a super thin Protect a Bed type of mattress pad. |
Then you are left with buying crap that will need to be thrown away way before two years. NovaForm Gel redux. I have seen many complaints about TP,about 15% of customers, but don't recall one saying that they bought direct from TP or a major retailer and refused to honor the 90 try it /return it if you don't like it guarantee. I think the minimum is IComfort or $1200 or so on a DIY/generic latex bed or $1000 or so on a DIY memory foam bed. $500 buys a POS mattress in 2011. |
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When I lay in it, I barely sink, even after several minutes, and I am 185lbs. We just have a protect a bed. NO mattress pad. |
As for the iComfort, you do realize it is made by Sleep Innovations, the same company that makes the Novaform, right? And BTW, if you can find an iComfort Revolution or whatever they call it for $1200 in a King size, please let me know, as I will buy it just to try it out. A King size is WELL into the $2K range without an adjustable base. DIY foam is not going to happen. Why would I take the chance on an unknown feel if we are having trouble with a known memory feel? That makes zero sense. |
Sooooooo, I decided to check out Tempurpedics "warranty" and guess what? Just as suspected. Here is why, copied right from their website. Highlights I found in bold. 90 Day Tryout Here’s how it works:
This tells me that you have to buy directly from them and if you don't like it, call them and their staff will try and convince you to keep the mattress. If you refuse, they will take it back as long as you pay them the "shipping and handling" fees. You lose the tax, no matter what.
So, in further reading, there is this.......... 90 Night Tryout details
Pretty cut and dry. If you buy from ANY retail store, there is NO 90 day trial, period. No matter how much BS a store tells you. If a store "offers" it they are full of sh!t and you are at their mercy to honor what they tell you. If you buy it from TP directly, you can return it for a cost "generally" in the $200-$325 range. King size of course is more, probably much more. Oh, and if you purchased an adjustable foundation, or pillows, etc, you are stuck with them, period. NO returns. I had a feeling it was all hype and obviously, their 90 day trial is just that. Unless of course you want to pay full retail (without all the extra stuff a store would throw in) AND you want to throw away upwards of $400 if you don't like it before the trial period ends. And be stuck with an adjustable base (if you bought one) that is now useless without a foam bed. This message was modified Oct 16, 2011 by robertwhite
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I would think in your 12" mattress, the gel memory foam is at the surface and is about 2" or so thick. But, yeah, there not identical. Costco does not make a twin XL, so I never considered them. |