After spending years on a futon, we finally decided to buy a "real" bed with a "real" mattress.

We decided to go with a Select Comfort mattress after trying it in the store and crashing on my parent's bed. It was incredibly comfortable. Select Comfort mattresses look like any other traditional mattress and it comes with or without a pillow top. Inside, there are no springs. It has an air chamber (or two, depending on mattress size), with a layer of dense foam on all of the edges, between the two air chambers, and on top. In the case of a King, two air chambers are side by side and can be pumped up to different air fill based on the individual's needs. Because it can be adjusted on each side of the bed, my spouse has less air fill to make a soft mattress while I have more air fill to make a firm one. Of course, the price was a little scary, but then I found an alternative...

Outlet Deals
Select Comfort has a "Factory Outlet" with lower prices. They can be reached at 1.800.311.2057. When I called, there were two deals. (I've listed the prices for the King Size, although other sizes may be available.)

Deal 1. Refurbished 4000 Series: King Mattress $499 (with pillow top $699), Foundation $299. "Refurbished" means that they are returns from other customers. They check them for problems and put new covers on them.

Deal 2. Close out on the 2001 model, 5000 Series (a.k.a. Ultra): King Mattress with pillow top $999, Foundation $399. These are new, not refurbished. Because they have made some changes to their 5000 series for 2002 and this is new, unsold product. The differences between the new 2002 model and the closeout 2001? The 2001 includes only the wired remotes (as opposed to the wireless remotes) to change the air fill, it has an 11" thickness instead of the new 12/5" thickness, and it has a rayon/cotton cover instead of a 100% rayon cover.

The Fine Print
Both deals charge $0 for shipping and should arrive in five to seven business days. The King Mattress comes in two boxes via UPS or FedEx and they say they will email you when it ships. The mattress and foundation include the 20 year limited warranty that is included with all of their beds. What you don't get is the 30-night in-home trial because all sales are final, and you must pay in full by credit card (no financing). Of course, we have tried this mattress in the store and at my parent's. With the closeout price of $1398 and a new price of $1949....I didn't think that a $550 30-day "insurance policy" was necessary.

A Note on the Warranty
The 20 year limited warranty includes defects in all parts (including the air chambers, pump, and remote), but does not include normal wear and tear. Additionally, after five years, they will continue to replace parts, but the owner must pay a portion of the replacement cost.

The Bed Arrives
We have a platform, and so we ordered the mattress without a separate foundation (what is traditionally looked at like a box spring). The mattress arrived nine days after I ordered it (five business days later) via UPS. My only complaint is that I did not receive an email as to when it shipped. My spouse and I put it together in less than an hour. It took 20 minutes for the top foam pad to expand. In the meantime, we set up the mattress cover, the side foam pieces, and connected the pump to the air chambers. Using the remote control, we filled the air chambers one at a time for a total of 20 minutes. It took about 15 minutes to put the top foam on the filled air chambers, zip it all back together, and put new sheets on the bed. It took about 2 minutes to break down all of the boxes and set them out for recycling. The instructions were clear with good illustrations. We found the entire set-up quick and easy.

What is Your Sleep Number?
The remotes are easy to read. The "Sleep Number" refers to the air fill in the air chamber, and they are in intervals of 5. The pump is quiet, but not soundless. Adding air makes a humming noise; removing air makes a clicking noise. Remember to adjust the firmness while you are on the mattress. (It effects how it reads the air pressure.) The lower numbers like 20 create a very soft, almost waterbed feel. The higher numbers can be like sleeping on the floor. It may take a while to find your perfect Sleep Number, and you may want to change the number as your circumstances change: getting older, after sports activities, or based on medical condition (like pregnancy). Also, you can only fill one air chamber at a time.

Mattress Care
Stains should be cleaned with water or a mild detergent. You shouldn't put it in the washing machine or have it dry cleaned. If you are concerned about stains, you may want to look into waterproof mattress pads. There are some nice ones on the market that don't feel like plastic. You don't have to flip or turn this mattress. If it starts to "sag," simply add more air fill. Although we haven't tried to disassemble it, it shouldn't be too hard and I think it is easier to more than a normal mattress.

Zzzzzz
I went home early one day and the dog was nowhere to be found. When I entered the bedroom, she was in the middle of the bed, on her back, wagging her tail. She isn't the only happy pup in our family. I've slept very well. I no longer wake up several times through night, and in the morning my back and hips don't ache from pressure points.

Referral and Affiliate Program
If you are considering buying a mattress through the regular website (as opposed to the outlet mentioned above), you may want to consider having a current customer refer you. They earn gift certificates towards other Select Comfort products. If you have a website, you can become an affiliate. Affiliates can earn up to 5% of the sales from their referrals. Please check the Select Comfort website for details on these two programs.

Over a Year Later
Let's call it the "marriage saver." My side of the bed is firm, my spouse's is soft. Sometime in the last year, we changed sides of the bed. (I wanted to be closer to the lightswitch.) No problem! We didn't have to disassemble the bed, or move anything. Simply change the Sleep Number on each side of the bed. We've had no leaks and every few months I plump it up to 100 (my version of turning the mattress). If I had it to do it again, I would still buy a Select Comfort.

Coming Up on Two Years
Since we bought the mattress, we have moved. I have to say that although I would never have wanted to try to fit the mattress back into the boxes they were shipped in, being able to fit it into two large garbage bags and toss them in the back of the SUV was an awesome experience. It takes less than 20 minutes for one person to reassemble the bed.

I've noticed in other epinions that there is some concern about air leaks. I have noticed some deflation if I leave it on my Sleep Number for 60+ days without changing it. So if my Sleep Number is 45 and I set it and do nothing, it will decrease to about a 40 after a couple of months. Between the fact that I am an active sleeper, and the temperature of the bedroom varies (think Pv=NRT from high school physics where temperature has an inverse effect on pressure if the density of the air is constant), I don't see this as a problem. I have started to inflate both bladders to 100 when changing the sheets and then reset to the appropriate Sleep Numbers. Since then, I haven't experienced any change in air pressure during the week.

Coming Up on Four Years
After four years, I'm still happy with the purchase. The deflation noted after two years (see above), is a little more evident. I'm noticing the decrease after about three to four weeks instead of two months. Again, I plump each bladder when changing the sheets and then readjust. It seems to work well.

I am very thankful for the ability to adjust the fill. I've noticed is that my sleep number has changed since I first had it four years ago. I used to set it to 65 or 70, now I'm sleeping on it at about 45 or 50. If I had a traditional mattress, I would not have the option of changing the firmness without buying a new mattress. Even more interesting, my folks stayed at my house while we were gone and were able to adjust the mattress to their preferences. My dad liked his side at 90, my step-mother liked her side at 35. They both slept very well and are now considering buying one of their own.

February, 2006
This winter, I noticed that the mattress is no longer losing the air at the rate it was about a year ago. This may have something to do with the fact that we moved our bed and I had to disassemble and reassemble the mattress. Could it be that I didn't have one of the hoses plugged in enough and so the seal wasn't firm? Possibly. I would recommend checking the connections if you are experiencing a similar problem.

I have read some of the other reviews on the site and I have not experienced some of the problems indicated: shredding of fabric, squeeking, dips or humps, and mold. I wonder if the first three issues may be caused (or partially caused) by having the mattress on Select Comfort's "box spring." I only have the mattress on a platform frame. (Perhaps someone else can comment?) I haven't experienced the mold, but I can understand how it could happen. In addition, it is made primarily of foam and plastic bladders. This is not a "green" bed and individuals who are sensitive to outgassing may have issues.

Recommended: Yes

Mattress Size: King
Mattress Firmness: Somewhat firm
Amount Paid (US$): 999