Over the last few months, I noticed I was experiencing increased back and neck pain. Making an assumption that my mattress was the cause (a Simmons Back Care), I decided to search for a replacement.

After looking at several alternatives (Nautilus and Select Comfort air beds to name a couple), I decided that the Tempur-pedic mattress was what my back and neck really needed. No laborious setup like Nautilus required, and the memory body conforming foam was an interesting concept that has a lot of ardent supporters.

Now that I had made my decision, I went to the Tempur-pedic web site, looking to make a purchase...

On the site, I saw a great 10/10 replacement warranty (10 years full refund, next 10 years are prorated), a ninety day warranty (that excludes the original shipping costs), great testimonials and a HEFTY price tag that appears is non-negotiable and the same anywhere the mattress is sold. It is that price tag that led me to Abed.com, looking for less expensive alternatives of similar quality.

At the Abed site, I quickly found that all three of their memory foam based mattresses made the grade financially... Their top of the line mattress actually was about a hundred dollars less than a similarly priced Tempur-pedic, with free shipping an additional bonus (Tempur-pedic charges $149 for shipping).

What actually caught my eye, after some feature analysis, was the relatively low cost of the bottom-of-the-line "Geneva" mattress. It had all the features of the middle-of-the-line mattress (seemingly most similar and marketed as a quality alternative to the Tempur-pedic) called "The Denmark," minus an allergy-free, sanfornized cover that marks the price of a twin "Denmark" mattress up $200. Everything else about the two mattresses is exactly the same (this was actually mentioned to me by the sales person I talked to over the phone in a question and answer session when I asked what the difference was between the two).

The web site mentions to call for "unadvertised specials." My advice is definitely to call, as I did indeed receive an additional $50 off of each of the two extra long twin mattresses I bought ($499 per mattress, minus $50 for a total of $449 each). Shipping was free as advertised on the web, and it appears it always remains so.

Shipping of the mattress to my house took about 2 weeks (as promised by the sales person over the phone) -- and the drivers only bring the mattresses to your door (as advertised). I had no trouble lifting the extra long twins and setting them up. No special foundations are needed (as long as you have a quality box spring that is in good shape), but they are offered by Abed for about an extra $100 if needed.

My first impression of the bed when I actually tried it out is that it is much softer than I imagined... The memory foam used by Abed is less dense than Tempur-pedic (this was on the Abed.com web site) and seems to lead to a less firm feel. This bothered me at first, as I was worried my back would not get the proper support it needs.

After about a month of sleeping on the bed, it appears my fears were unwarranted, as I am getting great support from the bed. It seems that the initial memory foam layer is backed up by a much firmer support foundation that keeps things in check; preventing you from sinking all the way in to the mattress. Also a plus is that the foam conforms to your body (based on body temperature and weight), so you toss and turn less in your sleep. Once I got used to the softer initial feel, after about two nights of adjustment, I was convinced I had made a wise choice and got a good deal for my money.

Just in case anyone is worried about whether they won't like the bed, Abed has a generous 90 day return warranty (minus the return shipping costs estimated to be $80). Also, like Tempur-pedic, Abed offers the same 10/10 year warranty.

So, is the Geneva as good as Tempur-pedic? In a word, "no." I have to admit I prefer the firmer support of Tempur-pedic compared to the Abed product. That said, however, the Abed is a quality alternative as advertised. When the 60% difference in price is taken into account, I will take the Geneva any day over the Tempur-pedic. So my recommendation is that if money is absolutely no object and you want the best bed that money can buy for your back, go with a Tempur-pedic... But if you are on a budget, or just are a value oriented consumer... then the Geneva gives you a very high quality product for much less money.







Recommended: Yes

Mattress Size: Twin Extra Long
Mattress Firmness: Somewhat firm
Amount Paid (US$): 449 per