Sleeping on Air
Written: Aug 17 '02 (Updated May 28 '08)
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Pros: Adjustable to your own comfort, very comfortable initially, easy to put together
Cons: Foam ridge in middle, over time became very uncomfortable
The Bottom Line: Less pain, very comfortable, don't spend money on higher-end models, great mattress.
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| lmgregorio's Full Review: Select Comfort Classic Mattress |
GENERAL INFORMATION:
This is air mattress made by Select Comfort, they call it the "Sleep Number Bed" because on the higher-end models, you can adjust the amount of air and each level has a number associated with it. They have recently changed the names, however. The CLASSIC (which I am reviewing) is now called the Sleep Number 3000 model. The higher-end models used to be called Elite and Ultra and now are the 4000 and 5000 models.
My REVIEW:
My husband and I decided to replace our 15 year old mattress that we had spent $99 for. I wanted something adjustable and comfortable but I didn't want to spend a fortune. We went to look at regular mattresses and couldn't find one that really seemed comfortable without it costing a ton of money.
I saw the ad for the sleep number bed by SELECT COMFORT and decided to look into it. They had a store in our mall so I went to check it out. It was very comfortable and I liked being able to adjust the firmness and the fact that my husband and I could choose different firmness levels.
We knew that we didn't have a lot of money so we tried the lowest end model - the 3000, at a cost of $499 (formerly called the Classic). It was comfortable but when you turned over you felt like you were on a waterbed. I asked the sales lady about it and she said that the pillow-top helped stop that sensation - I tried it out with the pillow-top and she was right.
So we ordered the 3000 model with pillow-top which added another $150 to the cost for a total of $650. Now we had the choice of the controls with or without the numbers. The upgrade to the numbers was $150 more dollars (still with the 3000 model). I decided knowing what "number" I sleep at was not worth $150. The pillow-top made sense because I would not have bought the mattress with that rolling sensation but the number option did not. The only benefit to the number option is that if someone sleeps in your bed, you can instantly put it back at your comfort level by knowing what number you sleep at. Once every 5 years or so, someone might sleep in my bed, so I didn't see it as worth it. Once you have it set at a comfort level, you don't even mess with the controller either. Other controller options included the wireless controller - in this case you get one controller, so you have to take turns and you have a better chance of losing it if it is wireless. My husband and I set our comfort level within 2 nights and haven't touched the controller since.
Now - the 3000 is the bottom of the line model - starting at $499 for a queen without the pillowtop and $650 with pillowtop - so what do you get extra with the more expensive models - not much - remember AIR is AIR - the prices go up to $5000 - for $650 you get the SAME air chambers as if you spent $5000 - yes, you get the numbers on your controller and supposedly a "better" pump - but again, you rarely use the pump. You also get more foam with the higher end models - the pillow-top on the 3000 model is sufficient. With the 5000 model - you get a foot and a half of foam - do you really need that much foam? If you want more foam - buy the SAME THING they will sell you at Walmart for $25 and put it on top of the mattress, you do not need to spend thousands on FOAM.
I looked at the list of what you get for all models -
For the higher end models
You get a bottom mattress to put the air chambers in - SAME as the 3000
You get the SAME air chambers for ALL models - and that is your sleeping surface, remember AIR is AIR.
EXTRAS (for thousands more...)
Clips for the corners to hold the foam together - not needed.
More Pillowtop on top - Can buy your own
Numbers instead of no numbers - I like the idea but not needed.
Improved Pump - REALLY? Who knows - it doesn't get used much and our pump works fine.
THAT'S IT!!!
There is also a "waterbed replacement" version for $1500 - you get another set of foam to put under the mattress - guess what we did - we used a $25 piece of foam from Walmart and put it under our mattress - works just fine and we saved ourselves $1000! As far as fitting - Waterbed frames are a little bigger than a traditional queen, our last mattress was a bit too short - but the regular queen mattress with the air fills it perfectly - if we had bought the waterbed replacement, it would have been too big!
Ease of putting together: Simple as CAKE - I usually let my husband assemble things but I was able to do this without any trouble at all. Since it was a waterbed frame, he had to drill holes in the bottom of the frame for the tubing but the actual assembly was very easy and did not take the hour it said it would. You lay the bottom of the mattress (a liner) down, put the foam walls in, lay the air chambers in, attach the hoses, plug in the pump, push the button to blow it up, lay the foam on top, zip on the top of the mattress, and you are done!
Comfort: My husband and I are very pleased. We don't know what our numbers are but if I had to guess, I would say mine is a 40-45 and he is a 60-65. (It goes from 0-100). My husband likes a firm mattress, so it can get REALLY firm if that is what you like. I don't find the rolling feeling very much at all (a small hint of it but it isn't bothersome). I like to slightly sink down into it so my body is flat and spine is in line. I have back problems and I have found that I am sleeping more soundly and having less aches and pains since we got the bed.
Customer Service: They called the day the bed shipped so I would know it was on its way and they called again today to see if we needed anything - I bet other mattress stores wouldn't do that.
Speed of Delivery: It took about 3-4 days to ship and then arrived 2 days later (it ships from South Carolina and we are in North Carolina).
Bottom Line: The bed is very comfortable - you don't need to spend extra on the higher end models - you get the same thing minus the foam with the 3000 model. You don't even need the numbers as you will not be adjusting your bed all the time (although it is nice to know you can if your weight changes, pregnancy, etc.)
UPDATE: Now that we have had the bed a while longer - I do want to add another comment / problem that I see with the bed. In the middle is a foam layer that separates the two different sides / chambers of the bed. This part of the bed is not flexible, so if you like your side of the bed soft, you kind of sleep in a gully. I actually have to keep my side a little harder than I like it because I feel like there is a hill next to me. If you like your bed firm or very firm to begin with, this won't affect you - but if you like it soft - this can be annoying.
Update 2008 - After a couple years, the bed became very uncomfortable for me. I sold the mattress in 2007 for $200. At least I got a bit of my money back. I had the original receipt so I gave it to buyer. I have decided that I really didn't like the mattress. Perhaps the higher end models are better? We ended up buying the high end King Size mattress with pillow top from The Original Mattress Factory to replace it. So, far we are pleased with it. The cost however was twice the cost of the mattress we had - coming in at about $1200.00
Recommended:
No
Mattress Size: Queen
Amount Paid (US$): 650
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Epinions.com ID:
lmgregorio
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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