Three years ago, my wife and I decided it was time to replace my daughter's mattresses. We checked several different furniture stores, and found that the price of mattresses fluctuates tremendously. Based on my experience with other mattresses, it also appears that the quality fluctuates drastically, as well.

While checking out the tremendous selection of mattresses at Wickes Furniture, we found several companies that were sponsoring sales. Serta has a mattress called the Perfect Sleeper Laural Pillow Top, which they make exclusively for Wickes Furniture. This mattress has a thick, pillow-like padding constructed into the mattress on both sides. After checking out the variety of mattresses that were on sale, we decided that the Serta Perfect Sleeper was our best option. Because of the sale, we were able to obtain the mattress, box-spring and frame for just over six hundred dollars. I didn't really intend to spend that much on a "Full" size mattress, but quickly learned that mattresses aren't cheap.

We have owned this mattress set for three years now, and it has held up extremely well. When you have two young children around the house, it is not uncommon to "catch" them (and half the neighborhood) jumping up and down on the bed. However, the rough treatment that this mattress has seen doesn't seem to faze it. The mattress continues to provide firm support. I like this mattress because the pillow top makes the bed soft, yet supporting.

While shopping for linens for this mattress, my wife and I learned another lesson about pillow-top mattresses. They take special "deep pocket" sheets. The sheets are slightly larger, because these mattresses are thicker than standard mattresses. Because this linen requires special linen, you end up paying special prices. Although the linens for this bed don't run too much more than the standard linens, they are less likely to be on sale. This also limits the variety of linen. As this type of mattress has become more popular, I have noticed an increase in the linens available to fit them, so this may not continue to be a problem.

I have owned several different brands of mattresses, including the bargain basement brands. There are two points that I would make concerning cheaper mattresses. First, you get what you pay for. Second, you spend nearly one third of your life laying in bed. Good mattresses are good investments. A lifetime of poor back support may end up costing more in the long run. I would highly recommend mattress brands that offer good support and comfort. A good night's sleep is worth the extra expense of a good mattress. I would highly recommend Serta Perfect Sleeper to provide that support and comfort.



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