Slumber Sage Mattress Reviews and Sleep Tips
Tempur-Pedic is the classic memory foam mattress company that really started memory foam as a new category starting in the 1990’s. I eventually will be looking at the individual models, but here I want to summarize the company and the models as a whole. Let’s first start with the pros and cons.
Pros
Comfort – The high-quality construction of these memory foam mattress conform very well to your body and provide a very comfortable sleeping experience.
Quality Construction– This is a premium brand that has great quality construction. The mattresses are built to last a long time and don’t lose their quality after a couple of years.
Pain / Pressure Reduction– These mattresses are especially good at alleviating pain and pressure while sleeping. That’s one of the benefits of memory foam mattresses and especially so with Tempur-Pedic
Good For Couples– Tempur-Pedic mattresses are silent and they have very good motion isolation, making them ideal for people sleeping with a partner.
Cons
Price – You generally have to pay premium for one of their mattresses, even when you can find mattresses with similar specs at lower prices.
Sleeping Hot– While some of the models are getting better at addressing this, the mattresses don’t use in their construction either of the two known methods that successfully reduce the “sleeping hot” effect.
Quick Note
From my experience, I have noticed that there are people who just love the feel of memory foam mattresses, and there are people who just can’t get into it. Before really looking into Tempur-Pedic, make sure that you understand the feel of memory foam and decide whether you like that feel before proceeding.
History
NASA developed memory foam in the late 1960’s / early 1970’s to help support astronauts during liftoff. In the late 1980’s, the technology was released to the public. Scientists in Denmark and Sweden worked afterwards on applying the technology to mattresses. The founder of Tempur-Pedic visited these scientists and eventually started Tempur-Pedic after joining forces with those scientists when they both saw an opportunity to create an entirely new mattress category.
The concept of a memory foam mattress took a while to take hold, but once it took hold the phenomenon really took off. Tempur-Pedic had really smart advertising campaigns over a period of years and they were the driving force to have memory foam become the widely accepted mattress option that it is today.
Price/Marketing
I think there’s a few main points to make about the pricing for the different Tempur-Pedic models. Most of the models will run anywhere from $2,000-4,000. This is usually a decent-sized premium over comparable models at other brands. The reason the company can command a premium is I think for a couple of reasons. For one, the company has the most well-known brand. It made the memory foam market what it is today, and anyone who thinks of memory foam mattresses probably also thinks of Tempur-Pedic. Second, the company has spent so much money on advertising over the years that they have crafter the premium image over time. I think these two reasons are why customers are willing to pay a premium for their products.
Even though the models generally cost more than models at competitors, customers don’t seem to mind that much. Tempur-Pedic’s are for serious mattress buyers who are looking at the purchase as a long-term investment. They normally are willing to pay extra if they know the mattress will be really high-quality and last a long time. I tend to agree with this sentiment and would never recommend trying to save a couple hundred dollars by sacrificing the quality of the product you are obtaining.
With all this being said, as new competitors come into play and provide more mattresses with similar specs at lower prices, the value proposition of Tempur-Pedic may become more of a question over time. I think eventually the company may have to lower their prices as a result of intensified competition in the memory foam space or risk losing market share.
As a summary, Tempur-Pedic prices are at a premium, but customer experience shows that a good majority of people don’t mind paying that premium. Over time, with new competition at lower prices, that may change.
Options / Models
One benefit (or possible drawback, depending on how you view things) of Tempur-Pedic as a company is that they provide a lot of options. Here are the main differences between the different models.
Price- The models can be lower than $2,000 or up to $8,000.
Comfort Layer Density– Generally speaking (and this is true with other companies), the higher the density, the better the perceive quality. As such, the price of the higher density mattresses is going to be higher.
Overall Thickness– The higher the overall thickness, the greater the price is going to be. More thickness means there are more materials (and thus more cost). It also generally means more support overall.
Cover– You will notice that some models have different covers that range in quality.
Other– There are some other differences, but I don’t view them as quite as important as the ones listed above.
Having as many options as Tempur-Pedic has can certainly be viewed as a good thing, but you will have to do some digging and research to find which one is best for you. I would first identify what your budget is going to be and then start to hone in on the 2-3 models that are within that range. From there, I would get a better understanding of the differences and drill down from there to find the ideal choice.
Sleeping Hot
I have spoken a lot about my sensitivity to mattresses that “sleep hot” and I have done a lot of research on the subject. This is a very important issue for me, but I understand some people won’t care as much. Having said that, with memory foam, “sleeping hot” is always a concern. I feel that companies are getting smarter at their approach in addressing this issue. Some use a gel-infused memory foam, but my research and talks with several mattress executives indicate that this approach doesn’t have a significant effect on the temperature of the sleeping surface. What does work is using a gel-laminated layer or using bio-based foams. Those two approaches have been shown to be effective at eliminating the “sleeping hot” issue. Tempur-Pedic does not use these methods in its models, and therefore you will see a portion of reviews complain about their mattress sleeping hot.
The company did introduce a new “Breeze” concept with a couple of their models. I do not have the full details of how the technology works, but it is good to see the company making active attempts to address the issue.
Sagging Over Time / Durability
Tempur-Pedic models are generally constructed with very high-quality materials that prevent the mattress from sagging much, if at all, over time. The higher priced models do an especially good job of addressing this issue. Sagging can be an issue generally with mattresses because it can compromise comfort and support. Tempur-Pedic, being a higher-end brand, does an excellent job at addressing this issue in the construction of its mattresses.
Off-Gassing
With any memory foam mattress, off-gassing is always a potential concern. There haven’t been any credible studies that show that the chemical odor present causes any negative health effects, but the smell can be a little disturbing. Luckily, with any quality foam mattress, the chemical odor goes away after a short period of time. With my experience with Tempur-Pedic and having gone through hundreds of individual reviews, there may be a faint smell initially when you receive the mattress, but it shouldn’t be much of a concern.
Lifespan
As I’ll mention in other places, Tempur-Pedic mattresses are built to last a long time. They are for the serious mattress buyer who wants to make a purchase that will last them 8+ years. This longevity is one of the reasons why the cost of the models is higher and it’s also one of the reasons why a lot of customers don’t mind paying a premium for the mattresses.
The lifespan of a Tempur-Pedic is certainly greater than the average memory foam mattress, and I would keep this in mind when deciding how much you want to pay and how long you are anticipating having the mattress.
Pain / Pressure Relief
One of the big benefits of memory foam, and specifically with Tempur-Pedic, is the potential to relieve pain and pressure. If you sleep on your side, your bed would naturally hit your hips and shoulders. Memory foam conforms to your body and significantly dampens the pressure on those points, making for a much more comfortable experience. If you have any pain on those pressure points, memory foam can be ideal for reducing that pain. Properly contouring foam supports proper spine alignment, which is ideal for reducing back pain. The heavier areas of your body will sink in more and the lighter areas of your body will sink in less, meaning your body will be properly aligned and be able to relax more.
Tempur-Pedic does an especially good job of reducing pain and pressure. The high-quality foam material does a really good job of adapting and conforming to your body and providing a personalized sleeping experience. While this isn’t always the case, generally the higher density foam models will do an even better job at this. If pain is an issue, Tempur-Pedic could be an interesting option for you.
Motion Isolation
Tempur-Pedic mattresses are known for being especially good for motion isolation. This may not matter very much at all for people who sleep solo, but for people sleeping with partners, this can be a great added bonus. If a partner is shifting around, the great motion isolation will likely prevent the other partner from being disturbed. This aspect makes Tempur-Pedic mattresses a great option for couples.
Noise
Noise of a mattress, in my opinion, isn’t the biggest deal in the world. However, I know that some people don’t like the noise that some mattresses can make, especially innerspring. For those people who don’t like noise in a mattress, they should note that Tempur-Pedic mattresses generally make no noise at all.
Who They Are Best For
Couples– The mattresses are silent and they have great motion isolation, so they really are ideal for couples.
People With Pain– I do feel strongly that the mattresses are great if you have back or shoulder pain. The memory foam is greatly at supporting proper alignment of your body and effectively relieves your pressure points.
The Serious Mattress Buyer– These mattresses are great for people who are really looking at the purchase of their next mattress as an investment. These mattresses are of course more costly than most options, but they are built to last a long time and have great durability.
Who Might Not Be Ideal For Them
Someone On A Budget– You do have to pay a bit of a premium to get one of these mattresses. If you do some digging, you should be able to find some other companies that have offerings with similar specs but at a lower price.
People Used To Innerspring– As I’ve mentioned, if you are used to innerspring mattresses and you like them, Tempur-Pedics are going to be a lot different feel. It’s not always the case, but I feel that people who are really accustomed to innerspring aren’t always well-suited to switch to memory foam.
Someone Who Really Dislikes Sleeping Hot– There’s a risk that the Tempur-Pedic you buy will sleep hot, so if you are particularly sensitive to that, then you should maybe consider other options.
Hopefully this is a good overview of what you can expect when looking at Tempur-Pedic. Let me know if you have any specific questions about them.