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Saturday, August 4, 2012

Mattress Bleg

August 4, 2012


Did I really need to go on vacation to have time to post to "Let's Do It"?  Apparently, yes.


Let's just say that life has been galloping by.  Every day for the last two weeks I have glimpsed bloggable ideas, sometimes as I walk Willie and Teddy, sometimes as I ferry Maximillian around town, sometimes when I'm two-thirds of the way through a scintillating conference call.  I just haven't had time to rif on any of them.


Maybe I'll catch up this week.  Maybe not.


I want to start with a simple, straight forward plea for crowd sourcing (and the hat tip in this case goes to my buddy Janice S. who actually did this on FB earlier this week).


First off, an explanation for bleg (blog + beg).  I don't remember where I first saw this.  I think maybe I read it on Paul Krugman's site a couple of years ago, but Tyler Cowen on the Marginal Revolution blog, blegs when he travels to learn where he should eat (or not eat).  I have been wanting to consult my friends in the same way.  .  . and Janice offered up the perfect bleg topic.


Mattresses.  


In 1990, Walter and I moved to Nashville, and since the generous Owen School of Management was picking up the check, we moved everything we owned (which is another story about how our furniture detoured through Graceland for several days because our mover was also an Elvis impersonator and our move coincided with Elvis Week--coming this year in just five days).  The next year, when Walter returned to A&M, our mattress stayed with me, and he went to Sears and bought one for our Bryan house (Can you read the subtext here that I was not involved in the purchase process, which didn't matter a huge amount, since sleeping is one of my best things).


Somehow, when we moved completely back to Bryan a few years later, we gave our pretty good mattress with a pillow top, to our neighbors rather than switching the firm and adequate mattress out and giving it away.  


Twenty-one years later we are getting around to thinking about starting the process of considering whether we are up to the challenge of buying a new mattress.  Really.  It's about time.  Except the process is so confounding and confusing, not to mention expensive--firm, soft, pillow top, memory foam, air chambers, too many brands, hard to compare.  Ach!


I've slept on three different mattresses over the last three nights.  They are all better than my ancient Sears no-frills mattress, but are any of them the one I want to spend the next twenty years sleeping on?  How can I even tell?  Even if I found THE ONE, these brands/models aren't available in stores because they are made specifically for the different hotel chains.


It's enough to make me say naughty words.


Here comes the bleg (and note that it comes with a "please" and whipped cream and a cherry on top):


Tell me about your mattress:  

  • what do you like about it?
  • what did you consider as important in deciding when you bought it?
  • do you feel strongly enough to recommend for or against? 
Please help me.  I'm so confused.




14 comments:

  1. I've got a Sealy mattress/boxspring set...firm mattress with a cool memory foam pillowtop thing on it. LOVE it! Within 2 nights, I no longer woke up with back and neck pain, and am sleeping like a baby again! If my paperwork reads correctly, here's the information on my receipt: Sealy Tillett 4/6 Gel-Insprig Mattress...bought it from Ashley Furniture...the model number on the mattress is SEAPP46B, if that helps.

    Good luck!
    Tanya Loewen

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions with such precision. At some point, I will need to get off the sofa and actually sample some of these recommendations. For now, though, I appreciate having the good feedback.

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    2. I've got my paperwork sitting next to my computer, waiting to be filed...had it handy, so I thought I'd type the info I had. I swear I'm not as OCD as I come off sounding sometimes! :)

      Tanya

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  2. It is confusing for sure! I bought the cheapest hardest one I could find and it seems to be fine, but that's not normally the case. My friend just bought one last week and went to Sleep Country. They spent a ton of time with her and they went from mattress to mattress until they found one that was perfect. Based on her experience, worth taking the time to go to a specialist and really making sure you pick the right one....good luck!

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if we have Sleep Country around here. I really do like when sales people are more informed than I am.

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  3. I have an IBC Amethyst (or maybe the Zinfandel?) which I bought at Mattress SleepCenters on Harvey Road. It is firm and supportive--it doesn't have that "bounce" that some firm mattresses have that will almost toss you from the bed if you roll over--and it also has a plush surface. My parents never visit without commenting on how much they like the bed. The owner of Mattress SleepCenters is also very friendly (without being fake)and knowledgable about the various lines (able to compare products across manufacturers and price ranges), and the delivery was fast and easy. I also liked that IBC was manufactured in Texas, and it seemed to be less expensive than comparable quality brands because it wasn't a big name. IBC isn't carried by Mattress SleepCenters anymore, but I took my sister in and we explained what I had, and I think they sold her a Simmons (also a Texas company) pillow-top. She has remarked several times over the past two years that she loves her bed, too. I just wish we could find pillows that we liked as much.

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    Replies
    1. Would I rather sleep in a bed of flowers or a bed of wine? Tough call? Anyway, thanks for the hints about mattress brands AND mattress stores, especially the local information. I guess when we get back to town, I'm going to have to get busy. Simmons or was it Morning Glory was made over in Taylor at one time. Thanks a ton.

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    2. If you guys have a KMart down in your area, try there for pillows. I was desperate for new ones after my move to Winona a year ago, and ended up going there...bought 3-4 more before I moved up to Woodbury this summer too, just in case I couldn't find the same kind anymore. I can check on the brand, and let you know!

      Tanya

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    3. Depends on what kind of pillows. I have had luck with Lands End goose down pillows.

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  4. Oh boy, I feel your pain. I just moved into my first post-college apartment (yay!) and needed a mattress.

    After I finished having heart palpitations because of the cost of such things, I picked an Ikea Sultan Finnsvik. Reasoning follows:

    1. I wanted a mattress that was firm, but not too firm. I tested all the mattresses at Ikea, and after I finished having heart palpitations about how filthy the tester mattresses are, I decided the Finnsvik felt the best of all the choices in my price range.

    2. Said budget was pretty small, and Ikea had the most options that were workable.

    3. Most importantly, many Ikea mattresses come roll-packed, which is awesome. Just fold down the backseat of the car, stick the mattress inside, and avoid paying delivery fees!

    I just bought the mattress on Saturday night and so far I like it. My only complaint is that the foam component has a distinctive smell, but I expect it to dissipate. It definitely beats sleeping on the floor like I was previously. :)

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  5. I wish the nearest IKEA wasn't so far. This sounds like a reasonable option. Thanks!

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  6. we all need to have a better sleep so we need a mattress that makes us comfortable when we sleep and won't give us backaches..

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  7. I wish the nearest IKEA wasn't so far. This sounds like a reasonable option. Thanks! Tempurpedic

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