Too Soft ~ Too Hard ~ Just Right!
Written: Dec 12 '00 (Updated Dec 12 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Comfort Zones Offer Great Support for Ailing Backs
Cons: Extremely Heavy; Hard to Turn Mattress Over
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| pogomom's Full Review: Simmons BackCare Mattress |
Confessions of a Former Flatbacker
Of all the traits to inherit from my mother’s side of the family, the inability to sleep on anything softer than Mount St. Helens is one I could have happily let slide for a generation. My older sister and I share this idiosyncrasy, much to the dismay of husbands, boyfriends, pets and all others unfortunate enough to share our beds.
This is no cute quirk laughed about with friends over cocktails. We are a couple of hard-core insomniacs with an inbred aversion to wrinkled sheets and lumpy quilts. We are often compared to the main character in the children’s’ story, The Princess and the Pea. Destiny and birthright provided no chambermaids, footmen and ladies-in-waiting to smooth our linens. Merry townsfolk never converged upon our castle bringing mattress after mattress for our approval. Instead, we hunt using skills learned at Mother’s knee. Our quarry is, was and will always be ‘the perfect bedding.’
Of course, I married a man whose ability to nod off at the most inopportune moment is legendary. Whether driving cross country, floating in the pool or straddling a bar stool, Equal Half’s deafening snores are a dead give away to his condition. Need I mention the fact that after only a few minutes of sleep, he awakens refreshed and cheerful? There should be a law…
We are proof that opposites attract. He hums while measuring the grounds into our coffee maker; I groan as I consider the new day I am about to face. He sings in the shower; I invariably forget to bring my washcloth and create puddles throughout the house when heading for the linen closet to retrieve one. His energy allotment peaks at noon; I do my best work after midnight.
With this disclosure in mind, would you dare accompany this clan on a mission to test drive a few hundred beds? Even the flies on the wall covered their eyes in embarrassment.
The Head-bone’s Connected to the Neck-bone!
Unlike scotch or fine wines, bedding does not improve with age. Our twelve year old Bassett® mattress and box spring set served us well for over a decade before succumbing to the inevitable. Season after season, the set supported two human beings of average height and girth along with various pets who chose to join us in slumber.
One morning, when exchanging the lightweight summer sheets and blankets for the hefty winter wonders, I took note of the obvious. Both sides of the bed seemed to retain deep indentations in the exact locations where Equal Half and I regularly sleep. Squinting my eyes ever so slightly, I was able to discern each precise spot where my hip, elbow, shoulder and arm met the mattress on a nightly basis. The opposing side of the queen-sized pancake displayed a bias relief of Equal Half’s form. No wonder our local chiropractor managed to buy a new Porsche every year! He was in cahoots with Bassett®!
The Neck-bone’s Connected to the Spine-bone!
Turning over the mattress only served to prove that we were in dire need of a replacement. The ‘other’ side appeared as deflated, if not more so, than the first. Perusing the Sunday paper for advertised sales, we decided to hit the stores and not return home before purchasing a new mattress and matching box spring.
Seventeen years my senior, Equal Half is very much set in his ways. The thought of ‘trying out’ beds in a public setting mortified his sensibilities. We agreed that I would perform the initial test run solo and once I whittled the options down to a scant few, he would begrudgingly join me for the final decision. Even with his designated position as ‘relief tester,’ I insisted he forego fashion and dress comfortably and appropriately for the task at hand.
Doing my best impression of Goldilocks, I flopped, flipped, curled up and spread out on dozens of mattresses. Somewhere in the cavernous showroom, Equal Half hid his shame – pretending that the crazy woman in cut-offs and Bill-the-Cat tee shirt was a stranger and possible escapee from the local Looney bin. Row upon row of tester-beds awaited my approval. Bed after bed received a resounding thumbs down.
Disappointed and discouraged after visiting two department stores; I promised to visit only one more emporium if Equal Half would only get into the spirit of the occasion. By then, I recognized the ticking on certain models and bypassed those with an expression of superiority only one whose experience included putting those beds through their paces could muster.
With the assistance of a truly motivated salesman, I managed to locate not one but three models that came close to my very specific needs. Anxious to meet his quota for the month, the kind young sales person joined me in jumping, flipping, flopping, turning, bouncing, curling up and spreading out on all three likely subjects. Noting that I was having a bit too much fun for my own good, Equal Half decided to cut in on the horizontal dance the salesman and I were performing with a bit too much good humor.
Immediately, the three possibilities became two as we rolled, cajoled and did everything we could think of that might fall under a PG-13 rating in the name of bed testing. The battle of the Titans was underway – Sealy® versus Simmons®. Not since Godzilla versus Mothra had two such evenly matched nemeses met head on in a public venue. Back and forth; forth and back – the two could have been identical twins separated at birth.
Thoroughly confused with a grouchy spouse ready to walk out the door, our sales clerk stepped in to help us make the final decision. Simmons® offered a better warranty (Full ten year non-pro-rated) and the BackCare™ model we were considering was going on sale the following week. Just to get rid of us, the sales manager offered the bedding at the sale price. The look of relief on Equal Half’s face was priceless. I pulled out the plastic of the day and headed home knowing we not only embarrassed ourselves completely but also made the right purchasing decision in the process.
Simmons® Says
Before leaving the store, we picked up several pamphlets and brochures containing information on buying a bed; descriptions and photos of the various styles and types of bedding and information specific to the bed we purchased. I especially liked the brief directive titled:
Five Steps To Owning A Simmons:
1 - Mattress "Feel" -- Choose from a Firm, Plush or a pillow top luxury.
2 - Number of pocketed coils -- The more coils, the more the mattress will isolate your movements and adjust to the contours of your body.
3 – Size -- What size mattress is right for you; the room where it will reside and the people that will be spending one-third of their life on it.
4 - Mattress ticking -- The better mattresses have more luxurious ticking and quilting.
5 – Order your mattress and let us pick up your old bedding. Start getting the quality sleep your body needs!
It may not be brain surgery but friends have retold horror stories about other ‘friends’ purchasing bedding that did not fit into the bedroom. Another consideration is the height of the mattress and box spring combined. My Mother purchased a new bed that was five inches thicker (higher) than the one it replaced. Not only did she have problems finding sheets that fit the mattress; she also had problems getting in and out of bed. Sitting on the side of the bed, her feet did not touch the floor requiring her to jump down to get out of bed and pull herself up on the bed to get under the covers.
I Am In The Zone!
What truly sold us on the Simmons® BackCare set was the Five Zone Sleep System the manufacturer guaranteed would help us enjoy a better night's sleep. According to Simmons®:
”The Simmons BackCare mattress line is the mattress brand which is designed in conjunction with the medical and scientific communities. BackCare™ is the first patented, totally integrated Five Zone Sleep System that helps place the spine in natural alignment. This is accomplished by alternating Support and Comfort Zones in every component from the sleep surface of the mattress to the bottom of the foundation.
Simmons BackCare mattresses contain either 532, 684 or 800 continuous coil zoned innersprings; 14-1/2 gauge helical in the Support Zones and 17-1/2 gauge helical in the Comfort Zones. This provides 12% more firmness in the Support areas.
The matched foundation provides torsion bar construction in the comfort areas and formed steel construction in the Support Zones. Top layer of upholstery is made of patented Five Zone Contour Fit Anatomic Foam - 24 ILD Anatomic Foam for Plush and 44 IDL Anatomic Foam For Firm Models. The quilting has a unique 5 Zone Pattern to highlight the 5 Comfort and Support Zones.”
Not only are the coils “zoned” but all components of the mattress and box spring units are built to support the five separate zones. According to the manufacturer, the BackCare™ line is the first totally Five Zoned sleep system that assists in holding the spine in its ultimate “Position of Function.” Along with the five-zoned coils, the set’s construction includes five-zoned Quilting, five zoned Upholstery, a five zoned Spring Unit and a five zoned SimFirm Foundation. Support is optimal where it is needed most.
Simmons® BackCare™ line comes in four different comfort levels. The number of coils and the type of mattress and foundation finish determines these levels. We chose the Retreat™ model, which offered the highest number of coils (800 in Queen Size); 15 gauge wire; completely foam encased mattress and a luxury pillow top in white brocade ticking. Our price after the sale discount was $999.00; the suggested retail price is $1,299.00 for the set.
The other three BackCare™ lines offered are the Haven - Plush, Jubilation - Plush and Caresse - Firm. These lines all have a coil count of 560 in Queen Size; 14 gauge wire with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices ranging from $499.00 to $899.00. According to our sales person, the entire BackCare™ line comes with the full ten-year non-pro-rated warranty.
So, Princess, Any Final Comments or Has the Pea got your Tongue?
The Simmons® BackCare™ set we purchased is now four months old. Adjusting to the ‘zoned’ configuration of the mattress and foundation took no time. With two adults sleeping on a queen-sized bed, we experience no rolling towards one another. When one of us gets out of bed, the other is not bothered or jarred awake. The mattress weighs more than any owned in the past but we manage to turn it every two weeks as directed by the manufacturer. As Equal Half is able to sleep soundly on a bed of nails, I am basing this review on my experience. "What is that experience?" you ask. I am able to sleep since it appears that nasty pea must have shriveled up and blown away.
Do I still wake up grumpy, grouchy and miserable? You bet I do, no mattress and box spring on earth has the capability to reverse life long personality quirks or bouts of hypoglycemia. Still, I find it is easier to face the day after a full night’s sleep. Therefore, while psychoanalysis may be the long-term answer to deeper problems experienced by yours truly, my Simmons® BackCare™ bedding resolved some of the simpler issues such as my roaming the earth bleary eyed with a bad attitude. The world will sleep better knowing that beast has been put to bed! Sweet Dreams!
Recommended:
Yes
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pogomom
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Web/puter person who, disguised as mild-mannered Pogomom, offers unsolicited opinions to all she encounters.
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