Product Review: Tempurpedic Mattress

The Tempurpedic bed is touted as "the first step toward a better night's sleep" by the Tempurpedic company. Their mattresses are made of a unique visco memory foam which promotes better sleep, fewer awakenings, and less tossing and turning. Everyone has seen the silly guy on the television commercial, jumping up and down on the bed with a full wine glass on the other end, and the glass doesn't turn over... well, that's the way these beds work. They do not transfer motion. They're amazingly soft and firm at the same time, conforming to your body like the bed was made for you.

I have slept on a Tempurpedic mattress for two years. My doctor insisted that I purchase one when I was having extreme chronic pain. In fact, he helped me get my insurance company to pay for it. Their initial response was to buy us a much less expensive visco-foam mattress and bed frame. Within a short while not only was I in much worse pain because the mattress was inferior quality (could've told them that the first night!), the bed frame broke and the mattress sunk in on one side! It took us several months to get the manufacturer to honor their warranty. Finally our complaints to the BBB, the Attorney General's office, and the threat of a lawsuit paid off and they refunded our money. It was a nightmare!

With check in hand, my husband and I headed to the mattress store to purchase a Tempurpedic bed - precisely what we should have gotten in the first place. As soon as I lay down on the store model I started to cry because it felt so GOOD. I wanted them to deliver that afternoon!

Tempurpedic mattresses must have a firm flat base to rest on. You can also put one of these mattresses on an adjustable bed. However, they absolutely cannot rest on a standard box spring. If you are purchasing a mattress only (not a set), and are not 100% sure about the base you are putting it on, please call Tempurpedic for guidance. If you place your mattress on the wrong surface, you will void your warranty.

Our very first night we slept like babies. The second and third mornings, though, we found that we woke up a little bit stiff and sore. Concerned, I called the company we bought the mattress from. I was told that this is fairly common when purchasing any new bed, but particularly when adjusting to a Tempurpedic mattress. The salesman said to give it a day or two, and if the soreness didn't go away, believe it or not, they would allow us to choose a different bed! That night, we were back to sleeping like babies and we still are.

It's amazing how much difference a good night's sleep makes in one's health, mood, and pain level! Immediately I noted that my joints were less inflamed and I could move about with less pain. My husband, who has had low back pain for years, says that this bed makes his mornings a lot easier because he does not wake up stiff. The Tempurpedic mattress tends to stay warmer than a regular bed (though not hot), which is better for our joints as well. We have also noted that our allergies have improved, because the visco foam does not trap dust mites the way a standard mattress does.

Because we have pets, we elected to purchase a special mattress cover as well. That's turned out to be a good buy. According to the folks at Tempurpedic, their mattress cannot be cleaned if something odiferous gets on it - so if an animal, child, or incontinent adult wets, that smell will be there forever. That said, there are different covers available. The one we purchased at the store is of a lesser quality than the one we could have obtained directly from Tempurpedic at the same price, had we known it was available. When you make your purchase, do check out what options are available. (Interestingly, most mattress warranties are void if they are stained with any bodily fluids; Tempurpedic says they will honor their warranty regardless of stains. Obviously they will not trade your mattress because of a stain, but if anything else goes wrong they'll still take care of you.)

The only problem I have with the Tempurpedic mattress is that you cannot use an electric blanket with it. You also have to be extremely careful if you use a heating pad while on the bed. Heat is not the friend of memory foam! Although the Tempurpedic beds stay warmer, I am extremely cold-natured and would love to curl up at night with cozy electric blanket. That's really the only thing I would change about my mattress. I certainly wouldn't trade and go to something else for the luxury, though - I love my Tempurpedic!