Simmons Exceptionale First Takes
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Ok, in the old forum I asked a question about the Simmons Exceptionale mattress as I was mainly concerned about all the negativity on the net about them. Well, I went ahead and pulled the trigger and got the Exceptionale Extra Firm from Macy's here in Florida (the Vanderbilt "Ashton"). My take/hope on it was that most of the issues were related to the compression of the foam layers in the pillowtops (people reported them developing valleys, etc) and not the core mattress/springs. I had a Sealy with 4" of latex that had significant depressions and didn't want a repeat. The mattress was delivered over a week ago and sleeping on it was actually a bit rough at first. While my wife didn't have any problems, I did have some issues with getting some sore spots if I ended up sleeping on my side. In addition, I found the the combination of pillow and mattress was more important that with the previous mattress. I had been using a fairly soft down pillow but this was giving me a slight lower back ache (it went away quickly when I got up). Switching to a very firm poly-fill pillow eliminated this problem (I guess with the firm mattress my neck needed more support). To help with the soreness that I was experiencing, we decided to get a topper (this was actually always our plan). Although I know the selection/pricing is better online, I was impatient and decided to pick up something locally. Macy's had a 'sale' on the Federated branded topper (Charter Club) so I bought their 2" version (it isn't on the website and I am not sure if every store carries it). It is marketed by Sleep Innovations and I have no idea if they make their foam or just resell it. It comes with a fairly decent cover that fits over the mattress like a pad - you zip the foam inside a pocket. This topper is quite heavy and once inside the pocket, it doesn't budge. The topper was 2.5lb memory foam so I was a little worried it would be too soft but Macy's has been great about taking anything back (the Simmons mattress was a replacement for the defective pillowtop Sealy) so I figured I would give it a shot. I have now been sleeping on this pad/mattress combo for a few days and it is absolutely amazing. The bed still feels quite firm but there is a significant increase in the level of comfort. As soon as I lay down, I can feel my entire body relax and I fall asleep quickly. I have generally been a light sleeper but find that I am sleeping much more soundly now and move less. In the past, I would wake up a couple of times during the night to check the clock, etc., but now find I wake up to my alarm (if only that didn't have to be the case!). I was also worried about the memory foam being too hot. I am a hot sleeper but found that with the cotton/poly topper pocket plus a mattress pad, it feels just as cool as the latex pillowtop I used to sleep on. So, things look pretty good after just a week with the mattress. I will try to post updates here and there as I know many problems don't materialize until after the first year or two. I do expect the topper to have a short life. I might switch to latex (supposed longer life) and I might consider something firmer/denser (although I really like the feel of the current topper). But for now, I am extremely happy and getting a wonderful nights sleep. |