Fits Our Needs Superbly
Written: Sep 24 '04 (Updated Sep 30 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Comfort: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Style: |
|
|
|
Pros: separate adjustable sides with smooth transition between, lightweight, quiet pump with number settings
Cons: expensive, doesn't get quite firm enough for someone who likes a very, very firm mattress
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this mattress, particularly if you and your sleep partner have differing firmness preferences. The adjustable sides, numbers for accuracy, and quiet motor do the job superbly.
|
|
|
| karinf23's Full Review: Select Comfort Mattress Sleep Number 5000 |
My husband and I purchased a queen-sized Sleep Number 5000 mattress in March of this year. This web site was extremely helpful in making that decision and I want to give back by posting a review myself, particularly because I have a few comments that I did not see, or rarely saw, in other reviews.
WHAT I DIDN'T SEE ELSEWHERE
* Importance of a pump with numbers:
I found that in several reviews people downplayed the importance of having a pump with numbers that represent specific levels of firmness, as opposed to only having arrows which can increase and decrease the firmness. The folks at Comfortaire (Select Comfort's competitor) poo-pooed the idea completely. They said you'll set the air pressure once and that's it. (I had called Comfortaire to find out more information about their less expensive, but similar beds. Only their top of the line model, which would have cost us about the same as a Select Comfort 5000, had numbers.)
I have used the number feature often and wouldn't be appreciating the bed nearly as much without it. I find that when the house undergoes a significant temperature change the firmness can change (remember PV=nRT from high school? Air pressure changes with temperature.) I also like to increase the pressure when I'm going to spend a chunk of time sitting up in bed, as I find it supports my back better. It is MUCH easier to return to my known preference by clicking a number and letting the pump do the thinking, than to try to re-assess where I'm most comfortable.
* Chemical sensitivities:
I have asthma, and off-gassing (fumes) from many new materials makes it difficult for me to breathe. When the bed arrived the materials were off-gassing and causing this problem. I called the customer service number for advice. The person I spoke to was very helpful. She suggested I lay all the pieces out, outdoors or in a garage and let them off-gas before assembling the bed. Now I can't remember the period of time, but she told me a time after which most of the odor would dissipate, and a longer time which seemed to work for people who were particularly sensitive. I chose the longer time (it was somewhere between 1 and 3 days). She was exactly right. I have not had a problem with it since.
WHAT I RARELY SAW ELSEWHERE
* Beds aren't just for sleeping
When we were shopping for beds we were struck by how there is nothing said about beds' other important use for adults (though there was some said in a couple reviews on this site which I appreciated). I see how such discussion would be awkward in a mattress store, and yet it is an important use for beds. I am pleased to report that the bed does just fine in this aspect. It can be fun experimenting with different "sleep" numbers settings.
OTHER COMMENTS
I love this mattress. It is the most comfortable mattress I have ever slept on. In the past my favorite mattresses have been medium firm foam.
My husband is satisfied with it, but it is not his favorite. Even though he sleeps with the highest sleep number setting, 100, it is not firm enough for him (his side of the bed feels like a rock with a bit of padding to me). This is an extremely unusual setting for people to use. When we were looking at other mattresses in store, he always liked the very firmest beds, which the salesman told us they mostly had there for comparison and rarely sell. My point is, for most people I wouldn't base much on his experience, but if you like very, very firm beds, this may not be the one for you.
Obviously, we had a mattress buying challenge. It looked like we were going to have to put a piece of soft foam on my side or a very firm mattress. Then there was going to be a little cliff between us. We did not like this idea at all! We are very happy with the transition between the sides on the Sleep Number bed. (My side is on sleep number 55, by the way.) Given how different our two sides are, it is amazing to me that we rarely notice the transition. That aspect truly has worked out better than I imagined it could.
Another thing we really appreciate is the quiet motor. I have had the occasion to change my sleep number late at night, and while it certainly isn't silent, it isn't startling either. My husband either doesn't wake up, or just has a mild disruption and goes back to sleep.
We also really appreciate its light weight when making the bed and tucking that fitted sheet underneath.
Recommended:
Yes
Mattress Size: Queen
Mattress Firmness: Somewhat firm
Amount Paid (US$): 1250
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
karinf23
|
|
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.