Bed tests

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Arks

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
6,460
Reaction score
579
Spent Friday afternoon at local furniture stores, laying on different mattresses. I was nice. Tried an extra firm one. The salesman said it has a 15 year warranty. I told him when you make the thing out of bricks, no wonder it has such a good warranty.
The one I liked best was termed just "firm", Sealy Posturepedic. But it's only 11" thick and the Comphy sheets I want are made for an 18" mattress. I'm planning a 2-1/2" topper, so with that the Sealy is still about 4" too thin. Anybody have suggestions of what I could put under the mattress to gain me another 4" so the sheets will fight tight?
Or should I just forget fitted bottom sheets and use only flat sheets so I can tuck them in tight on any size mattress.
The new Consumer Reports has their latest mattress ratings. The top four were
  • Tempur-Pedic
  • Original Mattress Factory
  • Sleep Number Select Comfort
  • Ikea
After that, the ratings drop off quite a bit. The Sealy I liked came in #10 out of 11 they rated.
 
I don't know how to solve your 18" pocket problem, but I'm curious why you would put a topper on a brand new mattress? Why not just get mattresses that feel great to sleep on? I would think years down the road when the bed was getting used a lot, you could then add a topper to extend it's life.
We bought our own personal mattress from a store with a 101 night guarantee. You get to sleep on it a lot to see how it is. If you don't like it, return it to the store for the price you paid and they give you that credit toward another mattress from their store. We returned the first one we bought, then loved the second one. Than we bought that mattress for all our rooms.
 
I don't think you want to spend $23000+ on mattresses for your place do you??? That's what tempurpedic run. Have you bought your sheets already? I would go with the med firm to firm mattress. Really firm are not good for bad backs as the CR article said as well. I wouldn't base my selection on sheets. You can buy any kind of sheets. Buy the mattress and box spring set together that feels the best to you or have family and friends try them out with you and give their opinions. I see know reason to buy a topper either if you buy the right kind of mattress. I bought toppers for mine because after getting them home I personally felt they were too firm and we didn't have the luxury of returning them. But there really should be no reason for a topper if you buy the right one....not for several years anyway.
Personally now, if I were doing it, I think I would seriously consider the sleep number beds that way everyone can just dial up the number to suit their own needs. I know they are on the pricer side as well. but might be worth it.
 
And remember this - the mattress YOU love, someone else will hate. You need to just get whatever you like. One set of guests will not be sleeping on it every night for years. They will be there a few nights and either toss & turn or love it. I hear all the time about how comfortable my beds are - 2 of them are pillowtops and the last one is just a firm (newest). I just added a cushy mattress pad to the Gillum - oldest mattress - and I am still hearing how comfortable it is.
When I go to a hotel, I do not sleep well the first night but better the second as I adjust to the mattress.
 
Putting a topper on a firm mattress is just reproducing the "pillowtop" mattresses that are so popular, but with a removable pillowtop so you can flip the mattress and put the topper back on. I find that a 2-1/2" topper pad on a firm mattress is just right!
No, haven't bought my sheets yet (hoping a sale comes up) but have settled on Comphy and all their fitted sheets are for 18" mattresses. I'll probably just get a flat bottom sheet and tuck it in.
Didn't know the Tempur-Pedics are over $2300! That's more than twice what a good mattress should cost! They must be really nice for all that money. No wonder they got the top ratings.
 
There were a few articles talking about how foam mattresses, like Tempur-Pedic aren't conducive to relations, apparently there is no "bounce".
A bonus if you want it quiet, a negative if you want it romantic :)
 
Putting a topper on a firm mattress is just reproducing the "pillowtop" mattresses that are so popular, but with a removable pillowtop so you can flip the mattress and put the topper back on. I find that a 2-1/2" topper pad on a firm mattress is just right!
No, haven't bought my sheets yet (hoping a sale comes up) but have settled on Comphy and all their fitted sheets are for 18" mattresses. I'll probably just get a flat bottom sheet and tuck it in.
Didn't know the Tempur-Pedics are over $2300! That's more than twice what a good mattress should cost! They must be really nice for all that money. No wonder they got the top ratings..
Personally I don't like the foam temp er pedics. Just don't like the feel and fit of them on my back. and certainly am not willing to pay the price they want. I know the foam comes in different comfort levels, but I never found one I liked :-(
 
Will the sheets shrink? I will say that I have purchased sheets that stated they would fit a 15" high mattress and good luck with that. Remember that scene in GWTW where Scarlett is hanging on for dear life while her corset is pulled tight? Getting the sheets on the bed is harder.
 
Will the sheets shrink? I will say that I have purchased sheets that stated they would fit a 15" high mattress and good luck with that. Remember that scene in GWTW where Scarlett is hanging on for dear life while her corset is pulled tight? Getting the sheets on the bed is harder..
Madeleine said:
Will the sheets shrink? I will say that I have purchased sheets that stated they would fit a 15" high mattress and good luck with that. Remember that scene in GWTW where Scarlett is hanging on for dear life while her corset is pulled tight? Getting the sheets on the bed is harder.
It's a synthetic fabric. The ones I have on my own bed haven't changed a bit since they were new.
Yes, I remember the corset scene well. I think you women should go back to wearing those things.
 
Putting a topper on a firm mattress is just reproducing the "pillowtop" mattresses that are so popular, but with a removable pillowtop so you can flip the mattress and put the topper back on. I find that a 2-1/2" topper pad on a firm mattress is just right!
No, haven't bought my sheets yet (hoping a sale comes up) but have settled on Comphy and all their fitted sheets are for 18" mattresses. I'll probably just get a flat bottom sheet and tuck it in.
Didn't know the Tempur-Pedics are over $2300! That's more than twice what a good mattress should cost! They must be really nice for all that money. No wonder they got the top ratings..
I have a few Comphy sheets and skinny mattresses. The elastic is so stretchy that the fitted sheets can be snugged up pretty well. I'm sure they look better than trying to keep a slippery top sheet tucked in to replace a fitted sheet. Can you experiment by taking one of your sheets to the mattress store and trying it on for size?
 
I have a fitted Comphy bottom sheet on my own 11" thick mattress and haven't found the elastic that good at pullinng it tight. I'll experiment with lifting the mattress off the box springs a bit and doing some tugging so the elastic has a better chance to work.
I hadn't tought of the fact that the sheets are so slippery, it would be hard to keep a flat bottom sheet tucked in. Good point!
I also know there are various gadgets available to help pull fitted sheets in tighter, but hope to avoid having to deal with those.
 
i would only buy one sheet set to start ... after you have your mattresses. see how it goes.
if i was starting fresh, i'd get one size bed and all the same size bedding (sheets) and all the same color. such a hassle from marking sheets for size to putting them in separate storage areas and still getting mixed up. i'd have need of a fresh set for a double bed and have to use part of a queen set or i'd think i had a queen set and the bottom wouldn't fit ... and the colors were off .
sometimes the guests commented on the bright, varied color sheets and pillowcases on the beds ... i tried to at least have 2 of the pillow cases match one of the sheets, and then 2 white (4 pillows on each bed) how creative they said. ha!
my cousin runs an amazing place on nantucket. he uses only flat sheets ... well, the housekeeping staff i should say. and those beds are crisp and tight.
i remember when there was no such thing as a fitted sheet in my life. showing my age.
 
I have a fitted Comphy bottom sheet on my own 11" thick mattress and haven't found the elastic that good at pullinng it tight. I'll experiment with lifting the mattress off the box springs a bit and doing some tugging so the elastic has a better chance to work.
I hadn't tought of the fact that the sheets are so slippery, it would be hard to keep a flat bottom sheet tucked in. Good point!
I also know there are various gadgets available to help pull fitted sheets in tighter, but hope to avoid having to deal with those..
It can't be. Any sheet with all around elastic won't ever sit tight on a bed. It's just cheaper to make than material with elastic only covering about 35% of each side. But the elastic on the sides with fabric at the top will always snap better on the bed.
 
Back
Top