What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Nov 13, 2011 8:25 PM
Joined: Nov 13, 2011
Points: 1
I'm looking at the new Sleep Number i10 bed.  I don't know anyone with a Sleep Number bed so I really have no idea on the real story of these beds.  What are the general thoughts around here?  I know they are expensive, but what about quality of sleep and comfort?  Thanks...
Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #2 Nov 18, 2011 2:06 PM
Joined: Sep 8, 2007
Points: 330
The last time I checked (which was several years ago), the original Sleep Number beds had many fans, but more recent models appeared to be prone to leakage. The problem may have been fixed; I don't know.
Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #3 Nov 18, 2011 3:39 PM
Joined: Nov 1, 2011
Points: 9
I read that these beds have a problem with mold growing in the foam of the mattress. Also the mattress is prone to lose air and is subject to atmospheric pressure resulting in a change in your sleep number. Another problem is the deteriation of the foam, often crumbling or ripping.
Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #4 Nov 19, 2011 8:35 PM
Joined: Nov 19, 2011
Points: 76
I am going to give you the responses of two people in regards to your question 1 from a guy who used to sell them 2 years ago and the other from a friend who owns one:

My friend who owns one is in his late 20's, married with a baby about 1 yr old... he swears by it! He could sleep in a tottaly soft environment while his wife loved the much firmer option... this is by far the best feature of the system according to him. He loves the fact that it completely contours to every part of his body and his preference. This being said, I know he had only had it for about 6 months when he was gushing about it and we stopped carrying them at our store for various reasons.

My experience was not just personal, it was based on a very large number of customers who purchased them; here's my experience:

  • People who liked them were having problems in their bed already so ANYTHING felt better than their current set
  • As a personal sleeping surface, it would adjust as needed, but until you got to the higher end of the series, it would still feel like an air bed, glorified or not.
  • As a "playground" for the couple, it had to be on the same setting in order to feel like a single mattress; this reduces snuggling a great deal if you sleep at drastically different levels of comfort.
  • In regards to atmospheric pressure, we were instructed that the dual pumps on the higher models were supposed to "self-adjust" to compensate for a change in barometric pressure, but I had many complaints from customers who slept with their windows open complained of beds being "flat" when they got up in the morning after a front came through... this is like a basketball or bicycle tire feeling flat even though there is enough air in it.
  • When the partners sleep at a very different number, there was also a "rolling towards" the partner with the lower number
  • Finally, the biggest plus was supposed to be the warranty process... it became my customer's greatest obstacle when the majority of my customer's were on the older side and could not get "into" the bed to change out the pieces causing problems.
  • I understand they have tried to change the pumps to single hoses which seems to be counter-productive and the foams have some similar crumbling issues as listed in one of the other posts
  • I do love the idea of separate sides for separate feels.

I do know that the customers I sold the Sleep Number beds to were initially in total euphoria with their bed, but the number of complaints I received was too high for me to continue to have confidence in the product as a solution for a great night's sleep. I hope I haven't changed your impression of a bed that hopefully feels very comfortable... if you have any issues, respond quickly and consider something else... if no issues, you got a great product... for at least 20 years!

Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #5 Dec 9, 2011 9:47 PM
Joined: Jun 1, 2011
Points: 17
sleepmonster wrote:

I'm looking at the new Sleep Number i10 bed.  I don't know anyone with a Sleep Number bed so I really have no idea on the real story of these beds.  What are the general thoughts around here?  I know they are expensive, but what about quality of sleep and comfort?  Thanks...


We slept on a queen size Sleep Number for about 5 years (the 5000 model). Didn't really have any sleep problems before getting it, but my partner had a bias against spring mattresses (the mattress before the sleep number was a water bed).  The sleep number never really got uncomfortable, but it did develop a valley in the center of the bed, between the two air chambers. We moved the sleep number into the guest room after we upgraded to a king-size bed (Comforpedic with a separate 2" latex topper). Visitors who've stayed with us have been told us they liked it.

Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #6 Jan 11, 2012 8:13 PM
Joined: Jan 8, 2012
Points: 1
Just to add my personal experience, my wife likes it but I hate it. Primary reason that I dislike it is the wife has a much lower firmness setting that my side tends to slope towards her side. This is very uncomfortable and actually painful to the back after a time. Second reason is that I can feel the very slight crossways arc of the bladder, which is inherent. Thirdly, there is a mold problem in the regions that have high humidity, such as were we live in East Texas.

 

The mattress may be fine if both partners have about the same firmness, but personally I can't wait to get rid of it.

Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #7 Jan 11, 2012 10:41 PM
Joined: Jan 10, 2012
Points: 6
I bought a queen size C2 Sleep Number bed in January of 2010.  I'm average weight/height for a female.  I'd tried a sleep number bed at a relative's home and was impressed - the mattress was very firm which is what I like/need.  By the end of January '10 I began to notice an indentation where I sleep.  the control I have doesn't show the number but I always pushed it for a long time until it got as firm as I felt it could be.  I took photos and brought them to the store where I purchased the bed.  There were some reps from the company talking to the store employee and one of them looked at my photos and said "That doesn't look right - something's wrong".  He gave me a card with the 800 number on it for customer service.  However, when I called, the customer service rep said it would cost $159 to have someone come out to check the bed (and that person would be the delivery man).  They don't have special employees to do this.  She said they could send me "chamberlifts" to put under the mattress.  So I had the chamberlifts sent to me, put them inside the "mattress" cover and there was no difference.  I can still see the indentation when the comforter is on the bed and so I press the "firm" button every other night...but when I get out of bed in the morning I always feel as though I'm climbing out of a valley or canyon (it's not that deep but it just feels like it).  I bought this sleep number bed after enduring 3 Serta firm mattresses, each of which sagged w/in less than 3 months (but I've learned a lot about Sertas since that time so looking back, I was just spinning my wheels with Serta).  Anyhow...I will never buy another sleep number bed, no matter how top of the line it is.  
Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #8 Jan 12, 2012 3:04 AM
Joined: Jan 12, 2012
Points: 1
The Sleep Number Bed sucks. There are many more negative than positive reviews. I had the misfortune of buying one and experienced the very common indentation problem almost immediately--so they reluctantly sent me a new mattress--after making lame excuses and trying to blame the issue on me--perhaps I wasn't inflating it properly?!? It was a brand new bed. No. The first mattress was definitely defective. The second one took a couple of years to form the crater in which I now sleep--so after 7 years of neck and back pain I'm finally giving up and getting rid of the bed.

In summary, here are the issues I've experienced--and according to the many reviews I've read--so have a lot of other Sleep Number buyers:

1.  "Mattress" does NOT re-gain it's shape once you get up; even if you diligently inflate it every day--which is what they suggest you do--and who wants to have to remember that all the time? No matter what you do, the bed will sag. Quickly.

2.  The remote control burns out very quickly and according to other reviews I've read, it needs to be replaced every so often. I just changed the batteries to no avail; but never bothered to buy a new remote. What happens is that the digits become unreadable and the bed doesn't inflate / adjust accordingly or read properly, as it (supposedly) did when it was new.

3. Select Comfort has a totally bogus warranty. They shouldn't even be permitted to call it a warranty--because the consumer absorbs the majority of the cost to replace components in the bed; as they do not replace anything for free or refund your money. So essentially, the company does not stand behind the product--which I've always believed to be the point of a warranty. What they do instead, is send you equally inferior replacement parts that cost the consumer more, the longer they've had the bed. It's a very clever way of deceiving and ripping people off--because you need to constantly pay to keep the bed functioning properly; after already spending an exorbitant amount of money to purchase it--of course with the logic that it's a long term investment for a quality product. NOT.

Lastly, it's not really a bed. Another deceptive feature is, although it looks like a mattress and a box spring;  the "bed" is actually delivered in (10) different boxes and the delivery people perform a very complex assembly process that I personally wouldn't be able to replicate if I were to move; and would therefore have to pay Select Comfort yet again to assemble it somewhere else. The bed's components are stuffed into an outer shell that looks like a mattress when finished. This is something that never even occurred to me to ask about when I bought it; and the sales person never mentioned anything about it either. Obviously because this factor alone might have prevented me from purchasing the bed. 

BUYER BEWARE. It's a racket. You will deeply regret buying this bed. Don't do it!

Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #10 Jan 17, 2012 11:49 AM
Joined: Jun 16, 2011
Points: 171
Someone has to pay for those feature length commercials that are now saturating every television channel around the clock.
Re: What is the consensus opinion on Sleep Number beds?
Reply #11 Jan 17, 2012 8:20 PM
Joined: Jan 10, 2012
Points: 6
I'm absolutely sick after reading all the negative posts in addition to mine.  I feel like an idiot for having purchased such a piece of garbage.  Thank goodness I didn't buy the special remote that shows the (IMO bogus) numbers...that would have been an extra $500.  I just hope I can find an authentic firm mattress that won't sag w/in a couple of months (or less!).