I stopped ranking beds a few years back. There are just far too many brands, and frankly, I don’t have the time to chase down and test every single model or variation. I do however want to send a shout out to the 2017 iComfort® line from Serta®. Here is what I said about them in 2012

Serta® – The iComfort® line did exactly what they needed it to do, bite into the market share of Tempur-Pedic. The Revolution (now called Savant) felt similar to Temp’s Cloud Supreme and was sold for $700 less, even after the Supreme’s price reduction. From the Prodigy on down, and especially at the Insight and Genius level, they are a solid value for the money. And I must say, they are the best looking memory foam collection of the top brands. They are the most serious threat to Tempur-Pedic dominance in the category. The “cool” gel theme has been effective at creating doubt in consumer’s minds.

I have mentioned in the past that the number one objection I hear from consumers about Tempur-Pedic specifically, and memory foam mattresses in general, is that they sleep hot. When allowed to dig, I usually find that the one making these claims has never really slept on a quality memory foam product, or had some bad experience with a topper, pillow, or some really cheap knock-off. Its almost comical how this myth continues.

1. I’m a big guy, comfortably over 300 lbs., and more hot natured than any menopausal woman on the planet. I could perspire in below freezing weather – and have, throughout my life. I have slept on the Tempur-Pedic Cloud Supreme for almost 3 years now and sleep cooler than any other mattress I have ever had.

Hybrid mattresses are the latest fad in the mattress industry. These are beds that combine memory foam and innersprings. Actually, this is really not that new at all since that is essentially the way mattresses have been manufactured for many decades. The big change is getting rid of the fluff – fiber and upholstery, the stuff that flattens like a pancake, and replacing it exclusively with memory foam, or some other more durable pressure relieving substance. The marketing types are already feverishly working on names for these new products. Look for names and descriptions like hybrids, half-breeds, duos, crossbreeds, and combos. I’m sure whatever verbiage the experts put together will be most exciting.

As we wind down 2012 in the ever evolving mattress industry, it is time to reflect on the good, bad, and ugly in the memory foam category. Here are my rankings for the “S” brands (yes, I know one brand starts with a “T’). These rankings are based on my personal observation, as well as customer and salesperson feedback.

1. Tempur-Pedic® – Is still by far the best overall brand. It was always my best selling and least returned brand, and that continues to be the case. The line has been extended to the point that anyone can afford them, and there are now enough comfort options to accommodate just about any body shape, size, or comfort preference.

How To Know When Its Time To Get A New Mattress

Back Pain – If you are waking up every morning with lower back pain, this may indicate that you have either a support issue or an alignment issue. Have your spouse examine your alignment in your sleeping position. If the buttocks (back sleeper) or hips (side sleeper) are sinking too much, this may be contributing factor. And depending on your sensitivity and health, it may only take a fraction of an inch to cause problems. Sudden weight gain, especially men in their bellies, and women during a pregnancy, may also be a factor. A pot belly on a side sleeper may force the body out of alignment. Nobody likes to discuss this, but excess weight is something we all contend with at times.

Tempur-Pedic® Releases the Tempur-Simplicity™ Line of Mattresses!

Long before I entered the world of marketing and advertising, I had an experience with a brand extension that would stay with me throughout my career. I was a young kid working at a mega grocery store in the produce section. But when things got busy up front, I had to help bag and carry out groceries.

I remember one instance where I carried a basket full of stuff out for a sweet senior citizen who was talking about her brand new Cadillac. Now, I was not a big car person, but at that time Cadillac was the luxury brand to have. It was a status symbol, but also a well built vehicle.

I recently encountered a customer that had bought an S-brand mattress. After a couple of days of “research” on the Internet, she became convinced that her mattress was lethal. First it was the Fire Retardant process (a Federal mandate), then it was memory foam and finally it was all foams. Within a week, and convinced by the online wizards of smart, she had to return her mattress before it killed her.

Nothing irritates me more than companies or salespeople attempting to make a sale by employing fear. In the case above, the sites she was visiting were created by companies that manufacture “green” mattresses, and they were sowing fear to sell their brand.

What a wonderful 2011 in the mattress biz. We recently saw the introduction of “flavored” memory foam, double and now triple coils and even an air conditioned mattress. What will 2012 offer? Only the mattress gurus know for sure.

Here are a few tips as we wind down the last week of 2011:

1. Remember, even if your mattress includes fabric made from virgin llamas raised by blind, Tibetan monks, a solid gold innerspring and fur taken, with much toil and effort, from honey badgers that just don’t care; if the mattress is not comfortable, don’t buy it. I have watched people drive themselves nuts trying to figure out specs for a given mattress. It means nothing if the mattress does not fit you. Lie down and try the mattress. Only refer to specs when it becomes time to compare to similar models in other retailers.

I have been waiting for the day that foam beds take up the majority of floor space for mattress retailers. That day is at hand. Visit any major mattress retailer and you will see a variety of non-innerspring options from latex to air to memory foam to hybrids. I would suspect in the coming decade, you will see innerspring mattresses playing only a supporting role in the mattress sales/selection process.

While Tempur-Pedic is still by far the very best on the market, the me-toos are catching up. All the S-brands have launched and/or relaunched products in hopes of grabbing a piece of this growing market. Sealy has the Embody, Serta the iComfort and Simmons has the ComforPedic. Each has its merits. You should sample a few before making a decision.

No topic gets me more fired up than the rumor that Tempur-Pedic® mattresses make you sleep hot. There are seemingly hundreds of sites dedicated to this topic and when it gets time to offer a solution, you guessed it, its a visco elastic knock off.

First off, I sleep on a Tempur-Pedic and have for almost 6 months now. I live in a very warm climate where triple digits are the norm throughout the Summer. I am also extremely hot natured. I would start perspiring with a brisk walk through the house. I am actually cooler on my Tempur-Pedic than I was on the innerspring mattress I had before. The reason you ask? It makes perfect sense.

I was forwarded several links that purportedly were from unbiased sites that discuss complaints about Tempur-Pedic® mattresses. They wanted me to take a look and provide some feedback.

Before I start the process of debunking the so-called complaints, the first thing you should look for on any site that purports to reveal “the facts” is to figure out their point of view. If the answer to every “problem” just happens to be another competitive product, that should pretty well locate the creator of the site. In fact, if the site was created primarily to push people towards a competitor, you must realize that the “reviews” and “advice” may be tainted. Let’s move on.

I am coming up on my 60th day on my Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme mattress and I can still say that this is the best mattress I have EVER slept on to date. The benefits are numerous – no noise, no motion transfer, no back  or shoulder pain and absolutely no body impressions.

There is nobody on the planet that is more hot natured than me. But only a couple of times have I noticed that I was sleeping warmer than usual. BTW – I often woke up with a sweaty pillow on my old innerspring mattress, so I think this might happen on virtually all mattresses. When I have been warmer than usual, I usually could trace it back to lifestyle or metabolism issues – eating or working out later than normal and these were easily fixed by less or no covers. The benefit of perfect alignment and no pain outweighed any issues related to temperature.

If you are tired of waking up with a sore back, or tossing and turning all night, now is your chance to change all that. Tempur-Pedic® is currently offering up to $200 off all flat sets. Their entire line is available at these lower prices at any authorized Tempur-Pedic dealer. They are also discontinuing the Classic and Deluxe models which will save you a few more dollars while they last.

Tempur-Pedic minimum pricing is set by the manufacturer and they rarely offer discounts like these. If you have ever considered getting one, now is the time to act.

For the first time in a long time I spent my own money on a mattress. It took several years and many hours of testing, but I selected a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme mattress. Its only been a week, but I am loving it. The support and comformance is excellent. I’m still adjusting to it and I expect that to continue for about 30 days.

I will post updates every so often to let you know how it goes.

PLEASE NOTE: The Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme may not be the right mattress for you. I do believe that Tempurpedic makes some of the best products on the market today. But please do not buy a mattress based on someone else’s experience. You need to try each mattress and determine which one will be the best support and comfort for YOUR BODY.

I slept on a Tempur-Pedic® mattress once and I hated it!

I sold Tempurpedic mattresses for many years and heard many objections. So, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you, from the salesperson’s perspective, why Tempurpedic mattresses are so good and answer some common misconceptions.

Common Tempurpedic Misconceptions

Tempurpedics Sleep Hot– Tempurpedic was consistently my top selling brand, and most importantly, my least returned brand. In almost a decade of selling Tempurpedic, never once did I get one back because of heat. There is nothing about the mattress itself that generates heat. In fact, the Tempur® material actually supports you so well, you are less likely to sink into the mattress, unlike many lower density knockoffs and traditional soft innerspring mattresses. As long as you allow your body to adjust and rethink your covers and environment, you will actually experience better air flow while sleeping on top of a Tempurpedic, and not sunk deep inside some super pillowtop. But if you are a very hot natured person, that will not change no matter what mattress you purchase. But the benefits of proper alignment, no pressure points and durability may outweigh any heat issues.

Mattress Toppers – Good or Bad?

Can’t I Just Get A Mattress Topper? – Lots of people think that if they just put a topper on their bad mattress it will magically improve their sleep. The reality is that it all depends on what the problem is with your current mattress. For mattresses that are sagging or have significant body impressions, toppers will merely take on the shape of the defective mattress, offering little relief for a support issue.

If you have a super hard mattress or you are experiencing pressure points, a topper may provide relief. I would always encourage you to do your best to purchase the correct mattress and not try and “retrofit” a bad one. But if money is tight, a topper may be a temporary solution.