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Purple® mattresses are taking the industry by storm with their super lightweight polymer that is purple. It uses 'smart grid' technology to keep things cool and relieve joint and pressure point pain. Overall, they run a bit less firm than other memory foam mattresses and are rated in the medium firmness range, which is great for side sleepers. Some folks love the feel of this mattress, though there are others that prefer a more traditional feel.
Sleep Number has innovated over the years. What most people know them for is their firmness number technology that allows you to adjust the firmness on either side of the bed with the touch of a remote. However, over the last few years, they have launched more smart technology in their mattresses. This tech adds sleep tracking and automated adjustment as you sleep. While most sleepers find this technology very interesting, there are some complaints from customers about durability and long term comfort. Read on to drilldown into each of their mattresses.
Based on our aggregated reviews and our scoring method, we recommend Purple in this match up!
See Our Full Review of Purple
Overall Score:
Purple: 9.1/10
Sleep Number: 7.5/10
Customer Satisfaction:
Purple: 9/10
Sleep Number: 7.4/10
Price Value:
Purple: 9.1/10
Sleep Number: 8.2/10
No Back Pain:
Purple: 9/10
Sleep Number: 8.5/10
Price:
Purple: $649-$4998
Sleep Number: $499-$7099
Purple:
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Sleep Number:
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Most sleepers give these mattresses good marks for satisfaction. Versus Sleep Number, Purple is a much different mattress, with tailored firmness options on checkout rather than electronic adjustability. Due to the issues with durability, Purple does better at satisfaction overall, but there are still some disagreements on mattress feel for some Purple customers. Take a look at our list of top rated mattresses to learn about the most comfortable mattresses.
Having a mattress that supports you will help with spine alignment and comfort over the long term. Most sleepers describe these mattresses as having solid support, and the fact that the new Purple mattresses give you control over the firmness, customers should be able to find the right firmness for them. That said, both Sleep Number and Purple did have some customers who reported degrading comfort over time.
Edge Support
Edge support is an important attribute for solid mattresses and for those with mobility issues. Most customers report that these mattresses do well on edge support, but some heavier folks may experience more contouring along the sides, especially the firmer mattress options.
Mattress shoppers are on the hunt for highly durable mattresses. However, with durability not always being the highest priority for companies, finding a mattress that lasts can be a difficult thing to find. However, even still, these mattresses are rated well for durability. The top layer should last for a significant amount of time. Some that are larger in body size, may still find some degrading happen in the foam layers beneath the top polymer layer.
Versus Purple, Sleep Number does not have as high of customer satisfaction scores overall. One of the reasons for this is that the mechanical components in the Sleep Number beds have issues with durability reported by some customers. If you are looking for a long lasting number bed, take a look at our review of the Saatva Solaire mattress.
Better mattress support can lead to a better night's sleep. If you have a bed that doesn't support you, you likely aren't getting the kind of sleep that you need to be getting. Most customers were happy with the support from these mattresses, but some had issues with the feel and mechanical issues over time.
Edge Support
Most folks will find these to do well on edge support, which is ideal for those who like to put weight on the side of the mattress. Those that have heavier frames may still find some discomfort while laying close to the side.
Mattresses with lasting support are phenomenal, but difficult to discover. Sadly, sleepers don't rate these mattresses well when it comes to durability. This means that some mattresses still may last years and years, while other customers find their mattress to break down quicker than expected. If you are a heavier individual, read up on your options because you may be at a higher risk for durability issues from some mattresses.
I read and watched multiple reviews and was a little skeptical about if this mattress would be a good fit for me. I decided to give it a try, and am so happy with my decision. I have only been able to sleep on it a few nights, so I can't speak to long term satisfaction, but just the feel of the mattress is so unique and comfortable. Every time I pass by my bed now, I can't help but flop on it and lay there for a few minutes. If you are on the fence about trying the mattress, I would say go for it for sure. The only disadvantage that I've noticed so far is that it is near impossible to get out of bed in the morning. I was a few minutes late to work the last few mornings because I did not want to leave my bed. When I was reading all the reviews, I heard that purple fluffs up their review page to make their mattress look better. After trying this mattress, I do not believe that is true. I believe that people genuinely love the product and want to share it with other people. I am not typically one to go out of my way to write a review, but this product is incredible so I felt compelled to do so. Obviously everyone is different so you may not have the same experience I have had, but if you are on the fence and looking for a great mattress, give Purple a try.
View More ReviewsIt’s been an OK experience. We had a very old mattress so when our Purple mattress arrived and we tested it out the difference was big. The major good thing is that I don’t feel my husband moving and turning around anymore. That’s great! But other than that I can’t really say it’s an “out of this world, amazing mattress”. We were also disappointed cause we bought it just before thanksgiving and we asked them to check if a Black Friday sale was going to take place. No one could inform us anything so we went ahead and bought it with the current sale. We were very disappointed to find out on Thanksgiving Day that the sale at that time was the free Purple Blanket + $100 discount. We called and they couldn’t honor us that so that was a bummer.
I don't know when we purchased this mattress. I think if I were a back sleeper, it might be good, but I sleep on my side. This mattress does not allow enough give at the hips (contrary to pictures showing the spine in perfect alignment). So, my waist is pulled downward causing discomfort and constant shifting and readjusting. I think I slept better on my 20 year old mattress. I actually hope we can return this mattress and get something else. Would hate to have a mattress that we paid hard earned money for and can't stand to sleep on.
Every morning my wife and I would wake up with back ache's from our old mattress. From asking around my chiropractor said many of his clients had tried the purple mattress and really liked it. We decided to purchase one and it is great. Nice and firm. We sleep much better at night and feel great in the mornings now.
terrible experience bought purple products some showed up, some didn't and purple customer service sucks they don't reply and have been no help what so ever. terrible experience.
We have not noticed a difference in back pain just yet but we do notice we don’t want to get out of bed in the morning due to the mattress being so comfy.
A gift for my pregnant daughter. She says PERFECT!!!
Once I got a few adjustments from my chiropractor and slept on my new purple mattress I haven’t had any back problems since. I’m very satisfied with my results.
I love this mattress. It is now my favorite place to be. So comfy and cool all night long.
I’m a big fan of everything but the bed. I love the pillow, the sheets, the driving cushion. 10/10 for those. The mattress is terrible. No matter which way I sleep I’m always waking up with lower back pain and I never realized it was the mattress until I started sleeping in hotels and waking up pain free. It’s 1000% the mattress :(
I am not going to buy purple products again. I got the mattress which was advertised as being long lasting but after a few months it has obviously gotten worn in. It started to feel like crinkled plastic after less than 3 months and I thought about returning it but got lazy about it. We also got the purple mattress cover but the first time the baby wet the bed it went right through the cover. Mattress cover useless. The bed stand commercial shows sumo wrestlers fighting on the platform, but when mine showed up the holes were drilled in the wrong places by about a 1/4” which made it extremely hard to put together and 6 months later the metal bangs from warping and being pushed around by my weight. I spent a lot on this bed and all the great features advertised were hype and lies.
After hauling this heavy thing up two flights of stairs, my back was killing me. I unpacked the mattress, laid down, and within 5 min, my back was feeling great! I have had the Purple mattress now for more than 2 weeks, and I’ve had wonderful sleep and zero back pain. I need a firm mattress for my lower back, but as I’ve gotten older, a traditional firm mattress hurts my shoulders and hips. The Purple supports my back while it forgives my pointy bits. I love it! Can’t recommend it enough!
I am still deciding I fall asleep well but have been waking up with back pain pretty intense not sure if it’s the mattress or what yet
I'd had my old mattress for 15 years, and knew I needed an upgrade. I compared over a dozen different mattresses before going with Purple - the reason I selected Purple was because of its new and unique technology. I'm so glad I went with it - it's so supportive and comfortable. My partner had trouble adjusting (side sleeper), but after about a week, he is well-adjusted and sleeps like a rock! The only issue I had is that the queen-sized mattress is definitely more than 100 lbs, but on the site, it's advertised as being less than 100. It was *extremely* heavy, and difficult to move once it's out of the case, but its level of comfort and support makes up for it all.
Slightly firm but the softness feels luxurious
Every morning my back is sore. The pain is about 8 of 10. An hour after I am up and moving around the pain disapates. I think I may need to add 200 lbs of weights during the day, to take some of the firmness out of the mattress.
I can’t reqlly say more than this bed is amazing. I have had it for two weeks now and sleep better than I ever had before
This is my second bed with purple and both times I have been more than pleased. I’ve never slept on a more comfortable bed or dealt with better customer service!!
I have multiple back issues including stenosis and bulging discs as well as osteoarthritis. By far the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. I look forward to going to bed at night. It is now my haven. From couch potato to purple potato :)
I wish that I could write a review on the item that was suppose to be here last week but I haven’t received it yet. When I emailed purple they took almost a week to get back to me with a ****** nonsense answer that they ran out of material and would need another 1-3 weeks to make my mattress then they would have it shipped. I’m 8 months pregnant and sleeping on an air mattress because they ran out of material. Don’t ever buy from this company. You will be waiting months to receive your product with no communication from the actual company!!!
I love the color purple anyway but this mattress has changed my life! The best sleep I have had in 10 years! I'm getting them for the entire house!
...but so far it’s been great. A mattress is a long term relationship though so what really matters is how I feel after a few months. So far I really do love it, but I was sleeping on garbage before. Trust me, I’ll edit this review later if my opinion changes.
I had high expectations.... you’ve exceeded them.
I gifted this to someone, and they gave it the best possible rating !
Within 2 days of sleeping on this bed my neck and back pain was non-exsistent. I could sleep for 5 hours and wake up refreshed. It's been a month now and I am soo happy with my purchase..
I wanted to support a local Utah company and was so excited to receive this mattress but this was a huge mistake. The quality of this mattress felt like a blow-up mattress that should cost a fraction of the price. For me (skinny guy sleeping on his stomach) it was just uncomfortable and felt weird. To be fair I've heard others say they bought it and like it but for me it was laughable to see what I received for $1200. I also bought the purple mattress protector and it feels like plastic compared to my previous one. Be careful because they won't refund the mattress protectors so I wasted about $70. Buyers beware!
I can’t believe how awesome this bed is! I did lots and lots of research and decided to get the Purple bed and I’m so happy I did! I have never slept better! Super happy with the bed!
First off, the king sized mattress does not fit on our king sized bed frame. It hangs off the foot of the bed and the slats show on the sides. Ridiculous. Never had this issue with any other bed. The waffle pattern feel isn't exactly soft and comfy either. Still we gave it a try to see if we got amazing sleep. It wasn't for us. I thought the returns process would be simple like Casper's. I called and the wait was long so they called back. Then instead of processing the return then and there like Casper did, I had to get an email and submit a return form. And then we'll see how the rest of the process goes. Also note that when you buy the mattress there is usually a free promo item. When you return the mattress, you cannot return the item so you are charged full price. There should be a note when you select the promo item to remind customers of this fact. I would have selected no gift. But I guess by being shady, Purple ensures if you hate the mattress, at least they sold you $130 sheets.
Let me start by saying WOW. I have been sleeping on a Nectar mattress for a while. Every morning I would wake up to lower back pain that would go away after 30 minutes. I blamed this on being 51. The first night sleeping on the Purple I woke with no back pain. My wife had back surgery 2 and 1/2 years ago she says this is a game changer. My only regret is not ordering this sooner and not ordering the pillow. PSA the sheets are also amazing.
Hands down the best mattress. If Purple contacted me and said I needed to pay $300 more to keep the mattress I would rather pay it than give it up. The best investment and purchase I’ve ever made. My partner says the same thing!!
I work 2 jobs, about 55 hours a week, and am on my feet 95% of that time. had lots of trouble sleeping thru the night until the Purple mattress came along. in 3 weeks, i have slept amazing. even slept thru my alarm 4 times!
This thing helped me rest on a whole nother level i will definitely buy another one when this one is of age.
Me and my fiancé absolutely love this mattress. We’ve slept so well since we’ve got it.
Loved our Purple mattress so much we decided to allow our guests to experience this great mattress as well.
This mattress is absolutely life changing! I suffered back pain and haven’t slept well in years! The purple mattres has changed my life. I sleep like a baby and have no back pain at all!
I was definitely skeptical about buying a mattress online, but with the return policy I figured I would try it. Best idea ever! I’m such a light sleeper, and I no longer get woken up when my husband is restless or the cats are jumping all around. Plus, it’s so comfortable!
I got the wrong size mattress and while I appreciate their willingness to do an exchange, the process has been liborious. The product itself is quite nice for the price. Thank you.
I’m a prominent side sleeper and was consistently waking up with shoulder and back pain. This new mattress solved those issues the first night I slept on it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Feel like I'm falling out a bed wake up !with a back ache
This mattress is perfect. My wife and I both used to gravitate toward the center of our old mattress, where it caved in, and wind up fighting about which of us was on the other's side more. This isn't a problem anymore! We like sleeping together again! She even hooked up the TV in the bedroom! We're never leaving this bed. Seriously, it's great. It isn't hot. We can't feel each other move at night, which is good for my wife because I move around more than two pigs fighting under a blanket at night and now I get yelled at a lot less on the whole. Money well spent!
Very grateful for Candid Reviewer's advice. We were interested in the C2 after seeing the excellent rating it received from Consumer Reports, with high marks for durability, side and back sleeping. We went to the sleep number store, stuck to our plan and avoided being up- sold, and bought (on Amazon) both the recommended fiber topper and a gel topper to experiment with once the C2 arrives. We also are using our old metal frame with a queen-size bunkie board ($69), for a nice savings compared to the $300 foundation from sleep number. More $ for new sheets and bedding!
View More Reviews3.5 stars if I could. Last November, we got the Sleep number C2 due in part to the top review here.
This is my 8th mattress/mattress adjustment in 6 years. We upgraded from my 20 year old twin sized mattress and until now we have been plagued with back problems. The sleep number has been great for good night sleeps and no back problems anymore. My Sleep #35, wife's #30
Why the 3 stars then....
Overly glorified air mattress. Our 5th mattress was an $80 air mattress with a built in pump. I freaking loved that thing but the wife not so much. The sleep number is no different. The problem lies in the bladders. There are two independent bladders so two different firmness can be achieved. The split, there is a very noticeable casm between my wife and I if go to close to her I roll down. If I'm not centered have a tendency to bottom out do to air shifting. That said the bladders are to thin and I bottom out with my side set to a 50. I prefer to sleep on a 35-40 but for lying in bed with my head up I need to adjust the bed higher so my arse isn't on the hard plastic lower mattress. Speaking of lower mattress, this thing is composed of about 12 hard plastic rails that are aprox 4"-6" high. I've got my bed on my old box spring and it slides all over causing me to jam a falling out rail back in every week or so.
Cuddlings a pain with the grand casm to work around. Sex must be planed so the bladders can be at 100 each.
All that said the C2 is a good mattress but I have made some improvements to make it a great mattress: 3" gel topper and a 3" down quilted topper under the bladder mattress to lessen the bottoming out. I'm eventually going to build bed frame for proper height, box spring containment, and support for sides of the bladders.
The sleep numbers best quality is it offers options it's short comings are easily fixed and it's way eaiser to move than normal mattress set.
Best bed I ever had. I'm a big person 300 Plus pounds...At year 10 the pump went out and I called...they still had my info and sold me a new pump at 1/2 price. It's went through 2 moves and is still great! My husband is also big so it stands up to heavy folks. Folks on the phone were friendly and helpful. I'm looking now to buy my son one.
We decided to try a sleep number bed based on the other reviews here, and the fact that I haven't been able to sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time and waking up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I am by nature a skeptic, not wanting to believe ads and doing my own research is much more important than just taking some ad at it's face value.
We have had the bed for a little over a week now and I can say that I'm up to about 6.5 hours of sleep. We are still adjusting to the concept of setting the number to one that is most comfortable. I'm a 65 and the wife is at 75. Time will tell. Overall, the bed went together nicely, wish some of the zippers were better in quality and it does take some getting used to the foam boarders. They sit a bit higher than the mattress so you can definitely feel the edges. Having said that, I sincerely hope that this will be a long term solution for us.
I did make a YouTube Video of the unbox of the mattress that provides some insight into what it takes to set up this mattress.
[...]
My wife and I purchased a sleep number bed, a 5000 Queen Set, Dual, Ptop, Wireless in 2006. The bed was installed by the company's installers and has not been moved since that time. My wife and I are the only one who have ever slept on the bed. We do not have children and so no child has ever jumped on the bed.
About a year ago we noticed that the sides of the bed were pushing out and there was a depression on both sides where he lay when sleeping. Even with full pressure this did not go away. This kept getting worse so we called Customer Support.
The first person we called told us that we should have put a piece of plywood under the mattress to increase support and if we had done so we would not be having problems. However, neither any of the instructions nor the installers said anything about the bed needing extra support.
When we called back to order the almost $400.00 repair parts this person said she did not know anything about needing plywood support and there was no written indication about this on the previous person's phone call. It seemed the lady was suggesting my wife was lying. I can only conclude that the other person should not have inform us about this design flaw.
Also read the warranty information carefully. I did not. After 7 years I am responsible for over 44% of the cost of the repairs.
I will say these beds are very comfortable and you will enjoy the comfort they afford. However, do not believe that they will last for 20 years. Mine lasted for 6 years. If you have young children who like to play on the bed keep them off this bed!
This is for the C2 select comfort bed.
There are many mixed reviews about these beds and they are basically very expensive for an air mattress with very cheap and thin padding between the cover and air mattress. My biggest problem with the bed is that it has very little adjustment. While the numbers go from 0 to 100 they are in increments of 5 so there isn't as much adjustment as there would appear to be (intentional deception?). I'm kind of stuck in the middle so that if I make the bed soft enough I wake up with back pain, when hard enough to not have back pain I toss and turn all night. I wish I had not purchased this bed since I cannot find a good sleep position and will purchase another mattress. If you do buy it decide quickly if you can adjust it for your comfort level. I kept thinking I could get the adjustment right and let the return period expire. Also, returns are expensive and difficult.
Great bed but..... they should call it build a bed. Sleep Number has an odd business model and they want to charge you for all kinds of silly extras.
The key to buying this bed is wait for a sale and only buy the bed no extras as other reviews state here.
The good : The bed is adjustable and you quickly find the right amount of air firmness you need. The mattress is super light so making the bed is a breeze.
The Bad :sleep number charges insane amount for the base get a good piece of plywood, the sleep number base is plastic don't pay for delivery or legs for the base.
The bed feels as others stated like a camping mattress what made the bed great for us is a 2 inch gel memory foam the bed went from bad to a great night sleep, So lets call this a build a bed start with the base model customize it yourself.
After having the bed for the past 10 years, I have had the bed pillow top replaced 2 times because of mold issues. I called the warranty again because the pillow top is coming apart after 4 years and they say i have to pay 60% for a new replacement. This is crazy. Went to buy by Sterns and Foster and they have a full replacement on their beds if they come apart..wow a much better bed then the Sleep by number.
I purchased a C2 bed and slept on it for a week, and each night woke up with back pain. It is honestly the worst mattress I have ever slept on. I started sleeping on the floor because it was more comfortable. The materials are not worth $1,200, they are probably making over 300% profit margins because the cost couldn't be more than $300 for the whole bed. The side walls and chambers do not meet together well, so there are dips all throughout the bed. A pillow top or cushion could not cover up the unevenness of the bed.
BUYER BEWARE: They will not refund you the $90 shipping it cost to UPS your bed to your house, and they will charge you another $90 for labels to return the bed via UPS
My wife and I did extensive research before purchasing a Sleep Number bed, and we were surprised by much of what we learned. I want to share some of that information now, then I'll return periodically to report on how well we're sleeping.
WHY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
There are two main reasons to buy a Sleep Number bed: (1) so you can change the firmness of your mattress to suit your preferences, which may change over time, such as during pregnancy or while recovering from a back injury; and (2) so you can have a different level of firmness on each side of the same mattress to accommodate two sleepers with very different comfort preferences. If you don't care about either of those benefits, there's no reason to buy a Sleep Number bed that wouldn't be just as well served by other, cheaper options, such as a spring mattress.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
All Sleep Number beds use the same quality of pump and air bladder (the size of the bladders may vary, but it makes no difference to comfort). The taller air bladders or "upgraded" layers of padding are not necessarily desirable. In fact, customer reviews are consistently highest for the most basic model, the C2, which gives you the most "bang for your buck" and seems to produce far fewer complaints than their higher-end models.
A Sleep Number bed essentially is a glorified air mattress. The benefit of an air mattress (versus springs or memory foam) is that you can adjust the firmness of the bed from 0 to 100. In practice, this means the bed adjusts from uncomfortably soft (to the point of sinking into it like a hammock) to uncomfortably firm (like laying on a board). Most people will prefer a sleep number somewhere between 30 to 60. Presently, my wife's "sleep number" is a very soft 35, while mine is a fairly firm 60.
You only need the MATTRESS (which includes the air bladders and pump). The Sleep Number box frame is overpriced and not required. Any appropriately-sized box frame will work. The Sleep Number salesperson will likely warn you that traditional wooden box frames tend to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity change, but their "special" polymer box frame won't. Ignore the sales pitch. You don't need it as long as you have a solid, flat foundation for the mattress. We used the box frame from our previous bed, and it works great.
Do NOT buy a "high-end" Sleep Number bed. Customers appear to be consistently and significantly LESS SATISFIED (long-term) with Sleep Number's upgraded models. Search the Internet, and you'll see a distinct pattern in customer reviews: The simpler the model (C2 is the most basic), the happier the customer (on average). The upgraded models also seem unjustifiably overpriced. For instance, in the C3, Sleep Number merely adds a little foam padding and a slightly taller air bladder, but the price jumps by $300 or more! (You could buy a thicker mattress topper of better quality foam for half that price or less.) In short, the most cost-effective (and frankly, most comfortable) choice is to buy the basic C2 model, then purchase a 1" to 3" thick, high-quality memory foam topper from another supplier. You'll spend less money AND sleep better! One caveat: Don't overdo it on the thickness of the memory foam toppper. A topper about 2" thick is plenty to add a touch of luxurious softness, while the C2 mattress provides you with a highly-adjustable firmness level. Thicker toppers have a greater tendency to sink in and sag (a frequent complaint about memory foam after extended use), and thus, can negate the benefits of buying a firmness-adjustable air bed in the first place!
A queen-sized C2 Sleep Number mattress with dual bladders (so each "half" of the bed can be set to a different firmness) costs about $700.00, and the Sleep Number mattress protector (which adds a 10-year warranty) costs another $200. After tax, you're looking at around $1,000 for an air mattress with a warranty that, by many reports from other customers, may not actually be backed by the manufacturer. Nonetheless, having had TWO very disappointing experiences with two different high-end memory foam beds (each in the $1,000 price range), my wife and I decided to give the C2 a try. We will be satisfied with our purchase if our bed stays inflated for at least a decade, and adjusts in firmness when we need it to. Only time will tell.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU BUY YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED -- DELIVERY/SHIPPING
When you buy a Sleep Number bed, you can pay approximately $160 for delivery and setup, or you can pay about $90 for UPS delivery. Unless you're physically challenged or disabled, I'd save money by opting for the UPS delivery. The bed is easy to set up yourself. It arrives nicely packed in a relatively small box with clear instructions. To save even more money, wait for a promotion period when Sleep Number offers free shipping, and then make your purchase. That's how my wife and I escaped paying any setup/delivery costs.
WHEN YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED ARRIVES
When your Sleep Number bed arrives (assuming you didn't pay for setup), it is easy to assemble. You lay out the mattress cover on a box frame, unzip the top, insert foam stiffeners around the perimeter of the bed, drop in the air bladders, attach the air pump, inflate the bladders, and zip the top of the mattress back on. Done! It only took me about 30 minutes to set up a dual bladder Queen-size bed, and at least half of that time was spent waiting for the bladders to inflate (the initial inflation is slow).
PERFORMANCE
On the first two nights of sleeping on our bed, we tried an old, 4" thick memory foam topper that we had stored in the closet for the past five years. As expected, the 4" of foam was TOO thick and allowed my spine to sag. Even with the C2 mattress itself set to a moderately firm 50 on the first night, and a very firm 70 on the second night, I woke up both mornings with a lot of back pain due to the sinking effect of the (thick) topper. I also sweated a lot both nights because memory foam runs very warm and doesn't breathe well. My wife had no complaints about the mattress itself (she chose a much softer sleep number of 35), but she also sweated and felt uncomfortably hot due to the memory foam topper. We reminded ourselves that we bought this bed to get away from our disappointments with memory foam, so the topper went back into the closet.
On the third and fourth night, we slept with no topper at all (only the C2 mattress and the very thinly padded mattress protection cover we purchased). Initial comfort wasn't great (it doesn't feel "soft as a cloud" because you feel the air bladder pressing smoothly but stiffly against you through the padding). However, the level of back support and sleep-through-the-night comfort were both dramatically better. I woke up with almost no back pain. That confirms the C2 mattress's ability to fulfill the firmness and support needs that we couldn't get from our two previous, high-end memory foam mattresses. Now the task is to find an appropriate topper to add that extra touch of initial softness against our backs.
After a lot of research into memory foam alternatives, we settled on the Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad (sold here on Amazon). Once we've received it and slept on it a few nights, I'll write a separate review for that product, as well as return here to report the overall results on our happiness with the C2 mattress. Stay tuned...
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[UPDATE 7-19-2013: After three weeks on this bed, we're definitely sleeping much better. The first week was a bit rough as we adjusted to the new feel of an air bed, but the last two weeks have been great. The C2 mattress, combined with a Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad, is substantially more supportive than the memory foam mattresses we used previously. Although the initial comfort doesn't feel quite as luxuriously soft when you first lay down on the bed, our actual through-the-night sleeping comfort is outstanding. My sleep number has hovered around a (firm) 65, while my wife continues to prefer her much softer 35. We both agree the Downlite topper made the bed feel substantially better since it is just thick enough to prevent us from feeling the air bladders in the C2 bed.
I also noticed that the Downlite topper feels firmer and more supportive than the upgraded beds we tried out in the Sleep Number store, reinforcing my suspicion that higher-end Sleep Number beds use layers of memory foam which probably sink in over time and cause back pain like we experienced with our previous memory foam beds. That probably accounts for why the higher-end Sleep Number beds are reviewed much more negatively than the basic C2 mattress. If you can give up the pleasure of that initial cozy feeling you get from memory foam, the C2 mattress and Downlite topper are a great combination that will give much better (and adjustable) sleep-through-the-night comfort and support for those who suffer from chronic back pain. So far, we're quite pleased.]
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[UPDATE 9/10/2013: After two full months sleeping on the C2 Sleep Number bed and our Downlite topper, I am THRILLED with the improvements in my neck and back pain--which have essentially disappeared. Each time I lie down on the bed, I'm still aware that the initial "cushy" softness of the memory foam is missing, but after lying down for a few seconds, that observation immediately gives way to a pleasant impression of how firm and supportive the bed feels against my back. After two months, that same initial impression continues to replay in my mind when I go to bed each night.
More importantly, I can now attest with full confidence that the C2 mattress and Downlite topper combination alleviates ALL of the neck and back pain issues I was experiencing with the memory foam mattresses and toppers we have previously slept on. In two months, I haven't had ANY serious problems with pain--and that's a remarkable change from the almost daily pain I was experiencing before.
More impressively, a week ago, I strained my back badly when I slipped while raising a sailboat mast and strained to catch the mast before it slammed down onto the concrete. The last time that (same incident) happened, I couldn't move out of my bed for two full days and I suffered excruciating lower back pain for three weeks before I recovered full mobility. This time, although the pain and strain felt nearly as bad as last time, I was able to get on my feet the next morning and now, a week later, although my back is still tender, I'm recovering exponentially faster than before with near-full mobility and can again lift modest amounts of weight (like my one-year-old daughter) comfortably. The only possible explanation is that this bed is so supportive, it is accelerating my recovery. I now realize now that the last time I injured my back, the memory foam topper we had at that time was probably exacerbating the strain at night, stretching out my pain and debilitation unnecessarily.
Suffice it to say that I am well pleased with the Downlite topper and our C2 Sleep Number mattress. My wife--who is now pregnant--has remarked a few times that she misses the cushy softness of the memory foam a lot, but even she (with her much better back) agrees that this bed's supportiveness is still much better and gives her better "through-the-night" sleep comfort. She just likes her bed to be very soft feeling, and this topper just isn't as initially soft as a more foam-like material would be.]
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[UPDATE 3-11-2014: Well, my wife just completed her pregnancy with our third child and she has said repeatedly throughout the last trimester that she was glad to have an adjustable bed. So far, we've had no air leaks, no signs of premature wear, nor any other complaints. We continue to get good support and comfort from this bed. My wife still occasionally mentions her desire to put a one-inch memory foam topper under the Downlite topper just to increase the initial softness a little, but it's such a small issue, she hasn't really gotten around to it yet. We're plenty comfortable. I can definitely say now that the approximately $1000 investment in this bed was well worth it. We're glad we bought it, and continue to find the adjustment feature useful whenever I have a strained back or my wife's body is changing as it does through a pregnancy and thereafter.]
[UPDATE 12-28-2015: Well, years later and this bed is still holding up great -- with no evident signs of wear, despite three little girls who occasionally jump on it (though we tell them not to) -- and still giving us sleep-through-the-night comfort. Every three months or so, it seems we have to readjust the bed: deflating it down to its lowest setting (20, I think), then inflating it up to its highest setting (100), and then dialing it back down to our preferred sleep number (mine is 55 or 60). This seems to recalibrate the bed's pressure gauge. If we don't do it, we notice that after a few months our sleep number starts to feel "softer" than it is supposed to... as if the bed has let out a little air and/or fallen out of calibration. It takes so long for this to happen that I don't think it can be attributed to a leak (the bed never goes flat!). It just seems to be a quirk that is easily resolved using the recalibration method I described.
Also, having slept on this bed through several more hot seasons, I will say it again: we sleep much cooler on hot Georgia nights than we ever did on memory foam! Overall, we're very pleased with this bed. It's not dreamy soft, but it is comfortable and supportive.]
3.5 stars if I could. Last November, we got the Sleep number C2 due in part to the top review here.
This is my 8th mattress/mattress adjustment in 6 years. We upgraded from my 20 year old twin sized mattress and until now we have been plagued with back problems. The sleep number has been great for good night sleeps and no back problems anymore. My Sleep #35, wife's #30
Why the 3 stars then....
Overly glorified air mattress. Our 5th mattress was an $80 air mattress with a built in pump. I freaking loved that thing but the wife not so much. The sleep number is no different. The problem lies in the bladders. There are two independent bladders so two different firmness can be achieved. The split, there is a very noticeable casm between my wife and I if go to close to her I roll down. If I'm not centered have a tendency to bottom out do to air shifting. That said the bladders are to thin and I bottom out with my side set to a 50. I prefer to sleep on a 35-40 but for lying in bed with my head up I need to adjust the bed higher so my arse isn't on the hard plastic lower mattress. Speaking of lower mattress, this thing is composed of about 12 hard plastic rails that are aprox 4"-6" high. I've got my bed on my old box spring and it slides all over causing me to jam a falling out rail back in every week or so.
Cuddlings a pain with the grand casm to work around. Sex must be planed so the bladders can be at 100 each.
All that said the C2 is a good mattress but I have made some improvements to make it a great mattress: 3" gel topper and a 3" down quilted topper under the bladder mattress to lessen the bottoming out. I'm eventually going to build bed frame for proper height, box spring containment, and support for sides of the bladders.
The sleep numbers best quality is it offers options it's short comings are easily fixed and it's way eaiser to move than normal mattress set.
Very grateful for Candid Reviewer's advice. We were interested in the C2 after seeing the excellent rating it received from Consumer Reports, with high marks for durability, side and back sleeping. We went to the sleep number store, stuck to our plan and avoided being up- sold, and bought (on Amazon) both the recommended fiber topper and a gel topper to experiment with once the C2 arrives. We also are using our old metal frame with a queen-size bunkie board ($69), for a nice savings compared to the $300 foundation from sleep number. More $ for new sheets and bedding!
Best bed I ever had. I'm a big person 300 Plus pounds...At year 10 the pump went out and I called...they still had my info and sold me a new pump at 1/2 price. It's went through 2 moves and is still great! My husband is also big so it stands up to heavy folks. Folks on the phone were friendly and helpful. I'm looking now to buy my son one.
We decided to try a sleep number bed based on the other reviews here, and the fact that I haven't been able to sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time and waking up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I am by nature a skeptic, not wanting to believe ads and doing my own research is much more important than just taking some ad at it's face value.
We have had the bed for a little over a week now and I can say that I'm up to about 6.5 hours of sleep. We are still adjusting to the concept of setting the number to one that is most comfortable. I'm a 65 and the wife is at 75. Time will tell. Overall, the bed went together nicely, wish some of the zippers were better in quality and it does take some getting used to the foam boarders. They sit a bit higher than the mattress so you can definitely feel the edges. Having said that, I sincerely hope that this will be a long term solution for us.
I did make a YouTube Video of the unbox of the mattress that provides some insight into what it takes to set up this mattress.
[...]
My wife and I purchased a sleep number bed, a 5000 Queen Set, Dual, Ptop, Wireless in 2006. The bed was installed by the company's installers and has not been moved since that time. My wife and I are the only one who have ever slept on the bed. We do not have children and so no child has ever jumped on the bed.
About a year ago we noticed that the sides of the bed were pushing out and there was a depression on both sides where he lay when sleeping. Even with full pressure this did not go away. This kept getting worse so we called Customer Support.
The first person we called told us that we should have put a piece of plywood under the mattress to increase support and if we had done so we would not be having problems. However, neither any of the instructions nor the installers said anything about the bed needing extra support.
When we called back to order the almost $400.00 repair parts this person said she did not know anything about needing plywood support and there was no written indication about this on the previous person's phone call. It seemed the lady was suggesting my wife was lying. I can only conclude that the other person should not have inform us about this design flaw.
Also read the warranty information carefully. I did not. After 7 years I am responsible for over 44% of the cost of the repairs.
I will say these beds are very comfortable and you will enjoy the comfort they afford. However, do not believe that they will last for 20 years. Mine lasted for 6 years. If you have young children who like to play on the bed keep them off this bed!
This is for the C2 select comfort bed.
There are many mixed reviews about these beds and they are basically very expensive for an air mattress with very cheap and thin padding between the cover and air mattress. My biggest problem with the bed is that it has very little adjustment. While the numbers go from 0 to 100 they are in increments of 5 so there isn't as much adjustment as there would appear to be (intentional deception?). I'm kind of stuck in the middle so that if I make the bed soft enough I wake up with back pain, when hard enough to not have back pain I toss and turn all night. I wish I had not purchased this bed since I cannot find a good sleep position and will purchase another mattress. If you do buy it decide quickly if you can adjust it for your comfort level. I kept thinking I could get the adjustment right and let the return period expire. Also, returns are expensive and difficult.
Great bed but..... they should call it build a bed. Sleep Number has an odd business model and they want to charge you for all kinds of silly extras.
The key to buying this bed is wait for a sale and only buy the bed no extras as other reviews state here.
The good : The bed is adjustable and you quickly find the right amount of air firmness you need. The mattress is super light so making the bed is a breeze.
The Bad :sleep number charges insane amount for the base get a good piece of plywood, the sleep number base is plastic don't pay for delivery or legs for the base.
The bed feels as others stated like a camping mattress what made the bed great for us is a 2 inch gel memory foam the bed went from bad to a great night sleep, So lets call this a build a bed start with the base model customize it yourself.
After having the bed for the past 10 years, I have had the bed pillow top replaced 2 times because of mold issues. I called the warranty again because the pillow top is coming apart after 4 years and they say i have to pay 60% for a new replacement. This is crazy. Went to buy by Sterns and Foster and they have a full replacement on their beds if they come apart..wow a much better bed then the Sleep by number.
I purchased a C2 bed and slept on it for a week, and each night woke up with back pain. It is honestly the worst mattress I have ever slept on. I started sleeping on the floor because it was more comfortable. The materials are not worth $1,200, they are probably making over 300% profit margins because the cost couldn't be more than $300 for the whole bed. The side walls and chambers do not meet together well, so there are dips all throughout the bed. A pillow top or cushion could not cover up the unevenness of the bed.
BUYER BEWARE: They will not refund you the $90 shipping it cost to UPS your bed to your house, and they will charge you another $90 for labels to return the bed via UPS
My wife and I did extensive research before purchasing a Sleep Number bed, and we were surprised by much of what we learned. I want to share some of that information now, then I'll return periodically to report on how well we're sleeping.
WHY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
There are two main reasons to buy a Sleep Number bed: (1) so you can change the firmness of your mattress to suit your preferences, which may change over time, such as during pregnancy or while recovering from a back injury; and (2) so you can have a different level of firmness on each side of the same mattress to accommodate two sleepers with very different comfort preferences. If you don't care about either of those benefits, there's no reason to buy a Sleep Number bed that wouldn't be just as well served by other, cheaper options, such as a spring mattress.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
All Sleep Number beds use the same quality of pump and air bladder (the size of the bladders may vary, but it makes no difference to comfort). The taller air bladders or "upgraded" layers of padding are not necessarily desirable. In fact, customer reviews are consistently highest for the most basic model, the C2, which gives you the most "bang for your buck" and seems to produce far fewer complaints than their higher-end models.
A Sleep Number bed essentially is a glorified air mattress. The benefit of an air mattress (versus springs or memory foam) is that you can adjust the firmness of the bed from 0 to 100. In practice, this means the bed adjusts from uncomfortably soft (to the point of sinking into it like a hammock) to uncomfortably firm (like laying on a board). Most people will prefer a sleep number somewhere between 30 to 60. Presently, my wife's "sleep number" is a very soft 35, while mine is a fairly firm 60.
You only need the MATTRESS (which includes the air bladders and pump). The Sleep Number box frame is overpriced and not required. Any appropriately-sized box frame will work. The Sleep Number salesperson will likely warn you that traditional wooden box frames tend to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity change, but their "special" polymer box frame won't. Ignore the sales pitch. You don't need it as long as you have a solid, flat foundation for the mattress. We used the box frame from our previous bed, and it works great.
Do NOT buy a "high-end" Sleep Number bed. Customers appear to be consistently and significantly LESS SATISFIED (long-term) with Sleep Number's upgraded models. Search the Internet, and you'll see a distinct pattern in customer reviews: The simpler the model (C2 is the most basic), the happier the customer (on average). The upgraded models also seem unjustifiably overpriced. For instance, in the C3, Sleep Number merely adds a little foam padding and a slightly taller air bladder, but the price jumps by $300 or more! (You could buy a thicker mattress topper of better quality foam for half that price or less.) In short, the most cost-effective (and frankly, most comfortable) choice is to buy the basic C2 model, then purchase a 1" to 3" thick, high-quality memory foam topper from another supplier. You'll spend less money AND sleep better! One caveat: Don't overdo it on the thickness of the memory foam toppper. A topper about 2" thick is plenty to add a touch of luxurious softness, while the C2 mattress provides you with a highly-adjustable firmness level. Thicker toppers have a greater tendency to sink in and sag (a frequent complaint about memory foam after extended use), and thus, can negate the benefits of buying a firmness-adjustable air bed in the first place!
A queen-sized C2 Sleep Number mattress with dual bladders (so each "half" of the bed can be set to a different firmness) costs about $700.00, and the Sleep Number mattress protector (which adds a 10-year warranty) costs another $200. After tax, you're looking at around $1,000 for an air mattress with a warranty that, by many reports from other customers, may not actually be backed by the manufacturer. Nonetheless, having had TWO very disappointing experiences with two different high-end memory foam beds (each in the $1,000 price range), my wife and I decided to give the C2 a try. We will be satisfied with our purchase if our bed stays inflated for at least a decade, and adjusts in firmness when we need it to. Only time will tell.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU BUY YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED -- DELIVERY/SHIPPING
When you buy a Sleep Number bed, you can pay approximately $160 for delivery and setup, or you can pay about $90 for UPS delivery. Unless you're physically challenged or disabled, I'd save money by opting for the UPS delivery. The bed is easy to set up yourself. It arrives nicely packed in a relatively small box with clear instructions. To save even more money, wait for a promotion period when Sleep Number offers free shipping, and then make your purchase. That's how my wife and I escaped paying any setup/delivery costs.
WHEN YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED ARRIVES
When your Sleep Number bed arrives (assuming you didn't pay for setup), it is easy to assemble. You lay out the mattress cover on a box frame, unzip the top, insert foam stiffeners around the perimeter of the bed, drop in the air bladders, attach the air pump, inflate the bladders, and zip the top of the mattress back on. Done! It only took me about 30 minutes to set up a dual bladder Queen-size bed, and at least half of that time was spent waiting for the bladders to inflate (the initial inflation is slow).
PERFORMANCE
On the first two nights of sleeping on our bed, we tried an old, 4" thick memory foam topper that we had stored in the closet for the past five years. As expected, the 4" of foam was TOO thick and allowed my spine to sag. Even with the C2 mattress itself set to a moderately firm 50 on the first night, and a very firm 70 on the second night, I woke up both mornings with a lot of back pain due to the sinking effect of the (thick) topper. I also sweated a lot both nights because memory foam runs very warm and doesn't breathe well. My wife had no complaints about the mattress itself (she chose a much softer sleep number of 35), but she also sweated and felt uncomfortably hot due to the memory foam topper. We reminded ourselves that we bought this bed to get away from our disappointments with memory foam, so the topper went back into the closet.
On the third and fourth night, we slept with no topper at all (only the C2 mattress and the very thinly padded mattress protection cover we purchased). Initial comfort wasn't great (it doesn't feel "soft as a cloud" because you feel the air bladder pressing smoothly but stiffly against you through the padding). However, the level of back support and sleep-through-the-night comfort were both dramatically better. I woke up with almost no back pain. That confirms the C2 mattress's ability to fulfill the firmness and support needs that we couldn't get from our two previous, high-end memory foam mattresses. Now the task is to find an appropriate topper to add that extra touch of initial softness against our backs.
After a lot of research into memory foam alternatives, we settled on the Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad (sold here on Amazon). Once we've received it and slept on it a few nights, I'll write a separate review for that product, as well as return here to report the overall results on our happiness with the C2 mattress. Stay tuned...
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[UPDATE 7-19-2013: After three weeks on this bed, we're definitely sleeping much better. The first week was a bit rough as we adjusted to the new feel of an air bed, but the last two weeks have been great. The C2 mattress, combined with a Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad, is substantially more supportive than the memory foam mattresses we used previously. Although the initial comfort doesn't feel quite as luxuriously soft when you first lay down on the bed, our actual through-the-night sleeping comfort is outstanding. My sleep number has hovered around a (firm) 65, while my wife continues to prefer her much softer 35. We both agree the Downlite topper made the bed feel substantially better since it is just thick enough to prevent us from feeling the air bladders in the C2 bed.
I also noticed that the Downlite topper feels firmer and more supportive than the upgraded beds we tried out in the Sleep Number store, reinforcing my suspicion that higher-end Sleep Number beds use layers of memory foam which probably sink in over time and cause back pain like we experienced with our previous memory foam beds. That probably accounts for why the higher-end Sleep Number beds are reviewed much more negatively than the basic C2 mattress. If you can give up the pleasure of that initial cozy feeling you get from memory foam, the C2 mattress and Downlite topper are a great combination that will give much better (and adjustable) sleep-through-the-night comfort and support for those who suffer from chronic back pain. So far, we're quite pleased.]
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[UPDATE 9/10/2013: After two full months sleeping on the C2 Sleep Number bed and our Downlite topper, I am THRILLED with the improvements in my neck and back pain--which have essentially disappeared. Each time I lie down on the bed, I'm still aware that the initial "cushy" softness of the memory foam is missing, but after lying down for a few seconds, that observation immediately gives way to a pleasant impression of how firm and supportive the bed feels against my back. After two months, that same initial impression continues to replay in my mind when I go to bed each night.
More importantly, I can now attest with full confidence that the C2 mattress and Downlite topper combination alleviates ALL of the neck and back pain issues I was experiencing with the memory foam mattresses and toppers we have previously slept on. In two months, I haven't had ANY serious problems with pain--and that's a remarkable change from the almost daily pain I was experiencing before.
More impressively, a week ago, I strained my back badly when I slipped while raising a sailboat mast and strained to catch the mast before it slammed down onto the concrete. The last time that (same incident) happened, I couldn't move out of my bed for two full days and I suffered excruciating lower back pain for three weeks before I recovered full mobility. This time, although the pain and strain felt nearly as bad as last time, I was able to get on my feet the next morning and now, a week later, although my back is still tender, I'm recovering exponentially faster than before with near-full mobility and can again lift modest amounts of weight (like my one-year-old daughter) comfortably. The only possible explanation is that this bed is so supportive, it is accelerating my recovery. I now realize now that the last time I injured my back, the memory foam topper we had at that time was probably exacerbating the strain at night, stretching out my pain and debilitation unnecessarily.
Suffice it to say that I am well pleased with the Downlite topper and our C2 Sleep Number mattress. My wife--who is now pregnant--has remarked a few times that she misses the cushy softness of the memory foam a lot, but even she (with her much better back) agrees that this bed's supportiveness is still much better and gives her better "through-the-night" sleep comfort. She just likes her bed to be very soft feeling, and this topper just isn't as initially soft as a more foam-like material would be.]
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[UPDATE 3-11-2014: Well, my wife just completed her pregnancy with our third child and she has said repeatedly throughout the last trimester that she was glad to have an adjustable bed. So far, we've had no air leaks, no signs of premature wear, nor any other complaints. We continue to get good support and comfort from this bed. My wife still occasionally mentions her desire to put a one-inch memory foam topper under the Downlite topper just to increase the initial softness a little, but it's such a small issue, she hasn't really gotten around to it yet. We're plenty comfortable. I can definitely say now that the approximately $1000 investment in this bed was well worth it. We're glad we bought it, and continue to find the adjustment feature useful whenever I have a strained back or my wife's body is changing as it does through a pregnancy and thereafter.]
[UPDATE 12-28-2015: Well, years later and this bed is still holding up great -- with no evident signs of wear, despite three little girls who occasionally jump on it (though we tell them not to) -- and still giving us sleep-through-the-night comfort. Every three months or so, it seems we have to readjust the bed: deflating it down to its lowest setting (20, I think), then inflating it up to its highest setting (100), and then dialing it back down to our preferred sleep number (mine is 55 or 60). This seems to recalibrate the bed's pressure gauge. If we don't do it, we notice that after a few months our sleep number starts to feel "softer" than it is supposed to... as if the bed has let out a little air and/or fallen out of calibration. It takes so long for this to happen that I don't think it can be attributed to a leak (the bed never goes flat!). It just seems to be a quirk that is easily resolved using the recalibration method I described.
Also, having slept on this bed through several more hot seasons, I will say it again: we sleep much cooler on hot Georgia nights than we ever did on memory foam! Overall, we're very pleased with this bed. It's not dreamy soft, but it is comfortable and supportive.]
3.5 stars if I could. Last November, we got the Sleep number C2 due in part to the top review here.
This is my 8th mattress/mattress adjustment in 6 years. We upgraded from my 20 year old twin sized mattress and until now we have been plagued with back problems. The sleep number has been great for good night sleeps and no back problems anymore. My Sleep #35, wife's #30
Why the 3 stars then....
Overly glorified air mattress. Our 5th mattress was an $80 air mattress with a built in pump. I freaking loved that thing but the wife not so much. The sleep number is no different. The problem lies in the bladders. There are two independent bladders so two different firmness can be achieved. The split, there is a very noticeable casm between my wife and I if go to close to her I roll down. If I'm not centered have a tendency to bottom out do to air shifting. That said the bladders are to thin and I bottom out with my side set to a 50. I prefer to sleep on a 35-40 but for lying in bed with my head up I need to adjust the bed higher so my arse isn't on the hard plastic lower mattress. Speaking of lower mattress, this thing is composed of about 12 hard plastic rails that are aprox 4"-6" high. I've got my bed on my old box spring and it slides all over causing me to jam a falling out rail back in every week or so.
Cuddlings a pain with the grand casm to work around. Sex must be planed so the bladders can be at 100 each.
All that said the C2 is a good mattress but I have made some improvements to make it a great mattress: 3" gel topper and a 3" down quilted topper under the bladder mattress to lessen the bottoming out. I'm eventually going to build bed frame for proper height, box spring containment, and support for sides of the bladders.
The sleep numbers best quality is it offers options it's short comings are easily fixed and it's way eaiser to move than normal mattress set.
Very grateful for Candid Reviewer's advice. We were interested in the C2 after seeing the excellent rating it received from Consumer Reports, with high marks for durability, side and back sleeping. We went to the sleep number store, stuck to our plan and avoided being up- sold, and bought (on Amazon) both the recommended fiber topper and a gel topper to experiment with once the C2 arrives. We also are using our old metal frame with a queen-size bunkie board ($69), for a nice savings compared to the $300 foundation from sleep number. More $ for new sheets and bedding!
Best bed I ever had. I'm a big person 300 Plus pounds...At year 10 the pump went out and I called...they still had my info and sold me a new pump at 1/2 price. It's went through 2 moves and is still great! My husband is also big so it stands up to heavy folks. Folks on the phone were friendly and helpful. I'm looking now to buy my son one.
We decided to try a sleep number bed based on the other reviews here, and the fact that I haven't been able to sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time and waking up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I am by nature a skeptic, not wanting to believe ads and doing my own research is much more important than just taking some ad at it's face value.
We have had the bed for a little over a week now and I can say that I'm up to about 6.5 hours of sleep. We are still adjusting to the concept of setting the number to one that is most comfortable. I'm a 65 and the wife is at 75. Time will tell. Overall, the bed went together nicely, wish some of the zippers were better in quality and it does take some getting used to the foam boarders. They sit a bit higher than the mattress so you can definitely feel the edges. Having said that, I sincerely hope that this will be a long term solution for us.
I did make a YouTube Video of the unbox of the mattress that provides some insight into what it takes to set up this mattress.
[...]
My wife and I purchased a sleep number bed, a 5000 Queen Set, Dual, Ptop, Wireless in 2006. The bed was installed by the company's installers and has not been moved since that time. My wife and I are the only one who have ever slept on the bed. We do not have children and so no child has ever jumped on the bed.
About a year ago we noticed that the sides of the bed were pushing out and there was a depression on both sides where he lay when sleeping. Even with full pressure this did not go away. This kept getting worse so we called Customer Support.
The first person we called told us that we should have put a piece of plywood under the mattress to increase support and if we had done so we would not be having problems. However, neither any of the instructions nor the installers said anything about the bed needing extra support.
When we called back to order the almost $400.00 repair parts this person said she did not know anything about needing plywood support and there was no written indication about this on the previous person's phone call. It seemed the lady was suggesting my wife was lying. I can only conclude that the other person should not have inform us about this design flaw.
Also read the warranty information carefully. I did not. After 7 years I am responsible for over 44% of the cost of the repairs.
I will say these beds are very comfortable and you will enjoy the comfort they afford. However, do not believe that they will last for 20 years. Mine lasted for 6 years. If you have young children who like to play on the bed keep them off this bed!
This is for the C2 select comfort bed.
There are many mixed reviews about these beds and they are basically very expensive for an air mattress with very cheap and thin padding between the cover and air mattress. My biggest problem with the bed is that it has very little adjustment. While the numbers go from 0 to 100 they are in increments of 5 so there isn't as much adjustment as there would appear to be (intentional deception?). I'm kind of stuck in the middle so that if I make the bed soft enough I wake up with back pain, when hard enough to not have back pain I toss and turn all night. I wish I had not purchased this bed since I cannot find a good sleep position and will purchase another mattress. If you do buy it decide quickly if you can adjust it for your comfort level. I kept thinking I could get the adjustment right and let the return period expire. Also, returns are expensive and difficult.
Great bed but..... they should call it build a bed. Sleep Number has an odd business model and they want to charge you for all kinds of silly extras.
The key to buying this bed is wait for a sale and only buy the bed no extras as other reviews state here.
The good : The bed is adjustable and you quickly find the right amount of air firmness you need. The mattress is super light so making the bed is a breeze.
The Bad :sleep number charges insane amount for the base get a good piece of plywood, the sleep number base is plastic don't pay for delivery or legs for the base.
The bed feels as others stated like a camping mattress what made the bed great for us is a 2 inch gel memory foam the bed went from bad to a great night sleep, So lets call this a build a bed start with the base model customize it yourself.
After having the bed for the past 10 years, I have had the bed pillow top replaced 2 times because of mold issues. I called the warranty again because the pillow top is coming apart after 4 years and they say i have to pay 60% for a new replacement. This is crazy. Went to buy by Sterns and Foster and they have a full replacement on their beds if they come apart..wow a much better bed then the Sleep by number.
I purchased a C2 bed and slept on it for a week, and each night woke up with back pain. It is honestly the worst mattress I have ever slept on. I started sleeping on the floor because it was more comfortable. The materials are not worth $1,200, they are probably making over 300% profit margins because the cost couldn't be more than $300 for the whole bed. The side walls and chambers do not meet together well, so there are dips all throughout the bed. A pillow top or cushion could not cover up the unevenness of the bed.
BUYER BEWARE: They will not refund you the $90 shipping it cost to UPS your bed to your house, and they will charge you another $90 for labels to return the bed via UPS
My wife and I did extensive research before purchasing a Sleep Number bed, and we were surprised by much of what we learned. I want to share some of that information now, then I'll return periodically to report on how well we're sleeping.
WHY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
There are two main reasons to buy a Sleep Number bed: (1) so you can change the firmness of your mattress to suit your preferences, which may change over time, such as during pregnancy or while recovering from a back injury; and (2) so you can have a different level of firmness on each side of the same mattress to accommodate two sleepers with very different comfort preferences. If you don't care about either of those benefits, there's no reason to buy a Sleep Number bed that wouldn't be just as well served by other, cheaper options, such as a spring mattress.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
All Sleep Number beds use the same quality of pump and air bladder (the size of the bladders may vary, but it makes no difference to comfort). The taller air bladders or "upgraded" layers of padding are not necessarily desirable. In fact, customer reviews are consistently highest for the most basic model, the C2, which gives you the most "bang for your buck" and seems to produce far fewer complaints than their higher-end models.
A Sleep Number bed essentially is a glorified air mattress. The benefit of an air mattress (versus springs or memory foam) is that you can adjust the firmness of the bed from 0 to 100. In practice, this means the bed adjusts from uncomfortably soft (to the point of sinking into it like a hammock) to uncomfortably firm (like laying on a board). Most people will prefer a sleep number somewhere between 30 to 60. Presently, my wife's "sleep number" is a very soft 35, while mine is a fairly firm 60.
You only need the MATTRESS (which includes the air bladders and pump). The Sleep Number box frame is overpriced and not required. Any appropriately-sized box frame will work. The Sleep Number salesperson will likely warn you that traditional wooden box frames tend to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity change, but their "special" polymer box frame won't. Ignore the sales pitch. You don't need it as long as you have a solid, flat foundation for the mattress. We used the box frame from our previous bed, and it works great.
Do NOT buy a "high-end" Sleep Number bed. Customers appear to be consistently and significantly LESS SATISFIED (long-term) with Sleep Number's upgraded models. Search the Internet, and you'll see a distinct pattern in customer reviews: The simpler the model (C2 is the most basic), the happier the customer (on average). The upgraded models also seem unjustifiably overpriced. For instance, in the C3, Sleep Number merely adds a little foam padding and a slightly taller air bladder, but the price jumps by $300 or more! (You could buy a thicker mattress topper of better quality foam for half that price or less.) In short, the most cost-effective (and frankly, most comfortable) choice is to buy the basic C2 model, then purchase a 1" to 3" thick, high-quality memory foam topper from another supplier. You'll spend less money AND sleep better! One caveat: Don't overdo it on the thickness of the memory foam toppper. A topper about 2" thick is plenty to add a touch of luxurious softness, while the C2 mattress provides you with a highly-adjustable firmness level. Thicker toppers have a greater tendency to sink in and sag (a frequent complaint about memory foam after extended use), and thus, can negate the benefits of buying a firmness-adjustable air bed in the first place!
A queen-sized C2 Sleep Number mattress with dual bladders (so each "half" of the bed can be set to a different firmness) costs about $700.00, and the Sleep Number mattress protector (which adds a 10-year warranty) costs another $200. After tax, you're looking at around $1,000 for an air mattress with a warranty that, by many reports from other customers, may not actually be backed by the manufacturer. Nonetheless, having had TWO very disappointing experiences with two different high-end memory foam beds (each in the $1,000 price range), my wife and I decided to give the C2 a try. We will be satisfied with our purchase if our bed stays inflated for at least a decade, and adjusts in firmness when we need it to. Only time will tell.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU BUY YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED -- DELIVERY/SHIPPING
When you buy a Sleep Number bed, you can pay approximately $160 for delivery and setup, or you can pay about $90 for UPS delivery. Unless you're physically challenged or disabled, I'd save money by opting for the UPS delivery. The bed is easy to set up yourself. It arrives nicely packed in a relatively small box with clear instructions. To save even more money, wait for a promotion period when Sleep Number offers free shipping, and then make your purchase. That's how my wife and I escaped paying any setup/delivery costs.
WHEN YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED ARRIVES
When your Sleep Number bed arrives (assuming you didn't pay for setup), it is easy to assemble. You lay out the mattress cover on a box frame, unzip the top, insert foam stiffeners around the perimeter of the bed, drop in the air bladders, attach the air pump, inflate the bladders, and zip the top of the mattress back on. Done! It only took me about 30 minutes to set up a dual bladder Queen-size bed, and at least half of that time was spent waiting for the bladders to inflate (the initial inflation is slow).
PERFORMANCE
On the first two nights of sleeping on our bed, we tried an old, 4" thick memory foam topper that we had stored in the closet for the past five years. As expected, the 4" of foam was TOO thick and allowed my spine to sag. Even with the C2 mattress itself set to a moderately firm 50 on the first night, and a very firm 70 on the second night, I woke up both mornings with a lot of back pain due to the sinking effect of the (thick) topper. I also sweated a lot both nights because memory foam runs very warm and doesn't breathe well. My wife had no complaints about the mattress itself (she chose a much softer sleep number of 35), but she also sweated and felt uncomfortably hot due to the memory foam topper. We reminded ourselves that we bought this bed to get away from our disappointments with memory foam, so the topper went back into the closet.
On the third and fourth night, we slept with no topper at all (only the C2 mattress and the very thinly padded mattress protection cover we purchased). Initial comfort wasn't great (it doesn't feel "soft as a cloud" because you feel the air bladder pressing smoothly but stiffly against you through the padding). However, the level of back support and sleep-through-the-night comfort were both dramatically better. I woke up with almost no back pain. That confirms the C2 mattress's ability to fulfill the firmness and support needs that we couldn't get from our two previous, high-end memory foam mattresses. Now the task is to find an appropriate topper to add that extra touch of initial softness against our backs.
After a lot of research into memory foam alternatives, we settled on the Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad (sold here on Amazon). Once we've received it and slept on it a few nights, I'll write a separate review for that product, as well as return here to report the overall results on our happiness with the C2 mattress. Stay tuned...
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[UPDATE 7-19-2013: After three weeks on this bed, we're definitely sleeping much better. The first week was a bit rough as we adjusted to the new feel of an air bed, but the last two weeks have been great. The C2 mattress, combined with a Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad, is substantially more supportive than the memory foam mattresses we used previously. Although the initial comfort doesn't feel quite as luxuriously soft when you first lay down on the bed, our actual through-the-night sleeping comfort is outstanding. My sleep number has hovered around a (firm) 65, while my wife continues to prefer her much softer 35. We both agree the Downlite topper made the bed feel substantially better since it is just thick enough to prevent us from feeling the air bladders in the C2 bed.
I also noticed that the Downlite topper feels firmer and more supportive than the upgraded beds we tried out in the Sleep Number store, reinforcing my suspicion that higher-end Sleep Number beds use layers of memory foam which probably sink in over time and cause back pain like we experienced with our previous memory foam beds. That probably accounts for why the higher-end Sleep Number beds are reviewed much more negatively than the basic C2 mattress. If you can give up the pleasure of that initial cozy feeling you get from memory foam, the C2 mattress and Downlite topper are a great combination that will give much better (and adjustable) sleep-through-the-night comfort and support for those who suffer from chronic back pain. So far, we're quite pleased.]
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[UPDATE 9/10/2013: After two full months sleeping on the C2 Sleep Number bed and our Downlite topper, I am THRILLED with the improvements in my neck and back pain--which have essentially disappeared. Each time I lie down on the bed, I'm still aware that the initial "cushy" softness of the memory foam is missing, but after lying down for a few seconds, that observation immediately gives way to a pleasant impression of how firm and supportive the bed feels against my back. After two months, that same initial impression continues to replay in my mind when I go to bed each night.
More importantly, I can now attest with full confidence that the C2 mattress and Downlite topper combination alleviates ALL of the neck and back pain issues I was experiencing with the memory foam mattresses and toppers we have previously slept on. In two months, I haven't had ANY serious problems with pain--and that's a remarkable change from the almost daily pain I was experiencing before.
More impressively, a week ago, I strained my back badly when I slipped while raising a sailboat mast and strained to catch the mast before it slammed down onto the concrete. The last time that (same incident) happened, I couldn't move out of my bed for two full days and I suffered excruciating lower back pain for three weeks before I recovered full mobility. This time, although the pain and strain felt nearly as bad as last time, I was able to get on my feet the next morning and now, a week later, although my back is still tender, I'm recovering exponentially faster than before with near-full mobility and can again lift modest amounts of weight (like my one-year-old daughter) comfortably. The only possible explanation is that this bed is so supportive, it is accelerating my recovery. I now realize now that the last time I injured my back, the memory foam topper we had at that time was probably exacerbating the strain at night, stretching out my pain and debilitation unnecessarily.
Suffice it to say that I am well pleased with the Downlite topper and our C2 Sleep Number mattress. My wife--who is now pregnant--has remarked a few times that she misses the cushy softness of the memory foam a lot, but even she (with her much better back) agrees that this bed's supportiveness is still much better and gives her better "through-the-night" sleep comfort. She just likes her bed to be very soft feeling, and this topper just isn't as initially soft as a more foam-like material would be.]
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[UPDATE 3-11-2014: Well, my wife just completed her pregnancy with our third child and she has said repeatedly throughout the last trimester that she was glad to have an adjustable bed. So far, we've had no air leaks, no signs of premature wear, nor any other complaints. We continue to get good support and comfort from this bed. My wife still occasionally mentions her desire to put a one-inch memory foam topper under the Downlite topper just to increase the initial softness a little, but it's such a small issue, she hasn't really gotten around to it yet. We're plenty comfortable. I can definitely say now that the approximately $1000 investment in this bed was well worth it. We're glad we bought it, and continue to find the adjustment feature useful whenever I have a strained back or my wife's body is changing as it does through a pregnancy and thereafter.]
[UPDATE 12-28-2015: Well, years later and this bed is still holding up great -- with no evident signs of wear, despite three little girls who occasionally jump on it (though we tell them not to) -- and still giving us sleep-through-the-night comfort. Every three months or so, it seems we have to readjust the bed: deflating it down to its lowest setting (20, I think), then inflating it up to its highest setting (100), and then dialing it back down to our preferred sleep number (mine is 55 or 60). This seems to recalibrate the bed's pressure gauge. If we don't do it, we notice that after a few months our sleep number starts to feel "softer" than it is supposed to... as if the bed has let out a little air and/or fallen out of calibration. It takes so long for this to happen that I don't think it can be attributed to a leak (the bed never goes flat!). It just seems to be a quirk that is easily resolved using the recalibration method I described.
Also, having slept on this bed through several more hot seasons, I will say it again: we sleep much cooler on hot Georgia nights than we ever did on memory foam! Overall, we're very pleased with this bed. It's not dreamy soft, but it is comfortable and supportive.]
3.5 stars if I could. Last November, we got the Sleep number C2 due in part to the top review here.
This is my 8th mattress/mattress adjustment in 6 years. We upgraded from my 20 year old twin sized mattress and until now we have been plagued with back problems. The sleep number has been great for good night sleeps and no back problems anymore. My Sleep #35, wife's #30
Why the 3 stars then....
Overly glorified air mattress. Our 5th mattress was an $80 air mattress with a built in pump. I freaking loved that thing but the wife not so much. The sleep number is no different. The problem lies in the bladders. There are two independent bladders so two different firmness can be achieved. The split, there is a very noticeable casm between my wife and I if go to close to her I roll down. If I'm not centered have a tendency to bottom out do to air shifting. That said the bladders are to thin and I bottom out with my side set to a 50. I prefer to sleep on a 35-40 but for lying in bed with my head up I need to adjust the bed higher so my arse isn't on the hard plastic lower mattress. Speaking of lower mattress, this thing is composed of about 12 hard plastic rails that are aprox 4"-6" high. I've got my bed on my old box spring and it slides all over causing me to jam a falling out rail back in every week or so.
Cuddlings a pain with the grand casm to work around. Sex must be planed so the bladders can be at 100 each.
All that said the C2 is a good mattress but I have made some improvements to make it a great mattress: 3" gel topper and a 3" down quilted topper under the bladder mattress to lessen the bottoming out. I'm eventually going to build bed frame for proper height, box spring containment, and support for sides of the bladders.
The sleep numbers best quality is it offers options it's short comings are easily fixed and it's way eaiser to move than normal mattress set.
Very grateful for Candid Reviewer's advice. We were interested in the C2 after seeing the excellent rating it received from Consumer Reports, with high marks for durability, side and back sleeping. We went to the sleep number store, stuck to our plan and avoided being up- sold, and bought (on Amazon) both the recommended fiber topper and a gel topper to experiment with once the C2 arrives. We also are using our old metal frame with a queen-size bunkie board ($69), for a nice savings compared to the $300 foundation from sleep number. More $ for new sheets and bedding!
Best bed I ever had. I'm a big person 300 Plus pounds...At year 10 the pump went out and I called...they still had my info and sold me a new pump at 1/2 price. It's went through 2 moves and is still great! My husband is also big so it stands up to heavy folks. Folks on the phone were friendly and helpful. I'm looking now to buy my son one.
We decided to try a sleep number bed based on the other reviews here, and the fact that I haven't been able to sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time and waking up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I am by nature a skeptic, not wanting to believe ads and doing my own research is much more important than just taking some ad at it's face value.
We have had the bed for a little over a week now and I can say that I'm up to about 6.5 hours of sleep. We are still adjusting to the concept of setting the number to one that is most comfortable. I'm a 65 and the wife is at 75. Time will tell. Overall, the bed went together nicely, wish some of the zippers were better in quality and it does take some getting used to the foam boarders. They sit a bit higher than the mattress so you can definitely feel the edges. Having said that, I sincerely hope that this will be a long term solution for us.
I did make a YouTube Video of the unbox of the mattress that provides some insight into what it takes to set up this mattress.
[...]
My wife and I purchased a sleep number bed, a 5000 Queen Set, Dual, Ptop, Wireless in 2006. The bed was installed by the company's installers and has not been moved since that time. My wife and I are the only one who have ever slept on the bed. We do not have children and so no child has ever jumped on the bed.
About a year ago we noticed that the sides of the bed were pushing out and there was a depression on both sides where he lay when sleeping. Even with full pressure this did not go away. This kept getting worse so we called Customer Support.
The first person we called told us that we should have put a piece of plywood under the mattress to increase support and if we had done so we would not be having problems. However, neither any of the instructions nor the installers said anything about the bed needing extra support.
When we called back to order the almost $400.00 repair parts this person said she did not know anything about needing plywood support and there was no written indication about this on the previous person's phone call. It seemed the lady was suggesting my wife was lying. I can only conclude that the other person should not have inform us about this design flaw.
Also read the warranty information carefully. I did not. After 7 years I am responsible for over 44% of the cost of the repairs.
I will say these beds are very comfortable and you will enjoy the comfort they afford. However, do not believe that they will last for 20 years. Mine lasted for 6 years. If you have young children who like to play on the bed keep them off this bed!
This is for the C2 select comfort bed.
There are many mixed reviews about these beds and they are basically very expensive for an air mattress with very cheap and thin padding between the cover and air mattress. My biggest problem with the bed is that it has very little adjustment. While the numbers go from 0 to 100 they are in increments of 5 so there isn't as much adjustment as there would appear to be (intentional deception?). I'm kind of stuck in the middle so that if I make the bed soft enough I wake up with back pain, when hard enough to not have back pain I toss and turn all night. I wish I had not purchased this bed since I cannot find a good sleep position and will purchase another mattress. If you do buy it decide quickly if you can adjust it for your comfort level. I kept thinking I could get the adjustment right and let the return period expire. Also, returns are expensive and difficult.
Great bed but..... they should call it build a bed. Sleep Number has an odd business model and they want to charge you for all kinds of silly extras.
The key to buying this bed is wait for a sale and only buy the bed no extras as other reviews state here.
The good : The bed is adjustable and you quickly find the right amount of air firmness you need. The mattress is super light so making the bed is a breeze.
The Bad :sleep number charges insane amount for the base get a good piece of plywood, the sleep number base is plastic don't pay for delivery or legs for the base.
The bed feels as others stated like a camping mattress what made the bed great for us is a 2 inch gel memory foam the bed went from bad to a great night sleep, So lets call this a build a bed start with the base model customize it yourself.
After having the bed for the past 10 years, I have had the bed pillow top replaced 2 times because of mold issues. I called the warranty again because the pillow top is coming apart after 4 years and they say i have to pay 60% for a new replacement. This is crazy. Went to buy by Sterns and Foster and they have a full replacement on their beds if they come apart..wow a much better bed then the Sleep by number.
I purchased a C2 bed and slept on it for a week, and each night woke up with back pain. It is honestly the worst mattress I have ever slept on. I started sleeping on the floor because it was more comfortable. The materials are not worth $1,200, they are probably making over 300% profit margins because the cost couldn't be more than $300 for the whole bed. The side walls and chambers do not meet together well, so there are dips all throughout the bed. A pillow top or cushion could not cover up the unevenness of the bed.
BUYER BEWARE: They will not refund you the $90 shipping it cost to UPS your bed to your house, and they will charge you another $90 for labels to return the bed via UPS
My wife and I did extensive research before purchasing a Sleep Number bed, and we were surprised by much of what we learned. I want to share some of that information now, then I'll return periodically to report on how well we're sleeping.
WHY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
There are two main reasons to buy a Sleep Number bed: (1) so you can change the firmness of your mattress to suit your preferences, which may change over time, such as during pregnancy or while recovering from a back injury; and (2) so you can have a different level of firmness on each side of the same mattress to accommodate two sleepers with very different comfort preferences. If you don't care about either of those benefits, there's no reason to buy a Sleep Number bed that wouldn't be just as well served by other, cheaper options, such as a spring mattress.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY A SLEEP NUMBER BED
All Sleep Number beds use the same quality of pump and air bladder (the size of the bladders may vary, but it makes no difference to comfort). The taller air bladders or "upgraded" layers of padding are not necessarily desirable. In fact, customer reviews are consistently highest for the most basic model, the C2, which gives you the most "bang for your buck" and seems to produce far fewer complaints than their higher-end models.
A Sleep Number bed essentially is a glorified air mattress. The benefit of an air mattress (versus springs or memory foam) is that you can adjust the firmness of the bed from 0 to 100. In practice, this means the bed adjusts from uncomfortably soft (to the point of sinking into it like a hammock) to uncomfortably firm (like laying on a board). Most people will prefer a sleep number somewhere between 30 to 60. Presently, my wife's "sleep number" is a very soft 35, while mine is a fairly firm 60.
You only need the MATTRESS (which includes the air bladders and pump). The Sleep Number box frame is overpriced and not required. Any appropriately-sized box frame will work. The Sleep Number salesperson will likely warn you that traditional wooden box frames tend to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity change, but their "special" polymer box frame won't. Ignore the sales pitch. You don't need it as long as you have a solid, flat foundation for the mattress. We used the box frame from our previous bed, and it works great.
Do NOT buy a "high-end" Sleep Number bed. Customers appear to be consistently and significantly LESS SATISFIED (long-term) with Sleep Number's upgraded models. Search the Internet, and you'll see a distinct pattern in customer reviews: The simpler the model (C2 is the most basic), the happier the customer (on average). The upgraded models also seem unjustifiably overpriced. For instance, in the C3, Sleep Number merely adds a little foam padding and a slightly taller air bladder, but the price jumps by $300 or more! (You could buy a thicker mattress topper of better quality foam for half that price or less.) In short, the most cost-effective (and frankly, most comfortable) choice is to buy the basic C2 model, then purchase a 1" to 3" thick, high-quality memory foam topper from another supplier. You'll spend less money AND sleep better! One caveat: Don't overdo it on the thickness of the memory foam toppper. A topper about 2" thick is plenty to add a touch of luxurious softness, while the C2 mattress provides you with a highly-adjustable firmness level. Thicker toppers have a greater tendency to sink in and sag (a frequent complaint about memory foam after extended use), and thus, can negate the benefits of buying a firmness-adjustable air bed in the first place!
A queen-sized C2 Sleep Number mattress with dual bladders (so each "half" of the bed can be set to a different firmness) costs about $700.00, and the Sleep Number mattress protector (which adds a 10-year warranty) costs another $200. After tax, you're looking at around $1,000 for an air mattress with a warranty that, by many reports from other customers, may not actually be backed by the manufacturer. Nonetheless, having had TWO very disappointing experiences with two different high-end memory foam beds (each in the $1,000 price range), my wife and I decided to give the C2 a try. We will be satisfied with our purchase if our bed stays inflated for at least a decade, and adjusts in firmness when we need it to. Only time will tell.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU BUY YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED -- DELIVERY/SHIPPING
When you buy a Sleep Number bed, you can pay approximately $160 for delivery and setup, or you can pay about $90 for UPS delivery. Unless you're physically challenged or disabled, I'd save money by opting for the UPS delivery. The bed is easy to set up yourself. It arrives nicely packed in a relatively small box with clear instructions. To save even more money, wait for a promotion period when Sleep Number offers free shipping, and then make your purchase. That's how my wife and I escaped paying any setup/delivery costs.
WHEN YOUR SLEEP NUMBER BED ARRIVES
When your Sleep Number bed arrives (assuming you didn't pay for setup), it is easy to assemble. You lay out the mattress cover on a box frame, unzip the top, insert foam stiffeners around the perimeter of the bed, drop in the air bladders, attach the air pump, inflate the bladders, and zip the top of the mattress back on. Done! It only took me about 30 minutes to set up a dual bladder Queen-size bed, and at least half of that time was spent waiting for the bladders to inflate (the initial inflation is slow).
PERFORMANCE
On the first two nights of sleeping on our bed, we tried an old, 4" thick memory foam topper that we had stored in the closet for the past five years. As expected, the 4" of foam was TOO thick and allowed my spine to sag. Even with the C2 mattress itself set to a moderately firm 50 on the first night, and a very firm 70 on the second night, I woke up both mornings with a lot of back pain due to the sinking effect of the (thick) topper. I also sweated a lot both nights because memory foam runs very warm and doesn't breathe well. My wife had no complaints about the mattress itself (she chose a much softer sleep number of 35), but she also sweated and felt uncomfortably hot due to the memory foam topper. We reminded ourselves that we bought this bed to get away from our disappointments with memory foam, so the topper went back into the closet.
On the third and fourth night, we slept with no topper at all (only the C2 mattress and the very thinly padded mattress protection cover we purchased). Initial comfort wasn't great (it doesn't feel "soft as a cloud" because you feel the air bladder pressing smoothly but stiffly against you through the padding). However, the level of back support and sleep-through-the-night comfort were both dramatically better. I woke up with almost no back pain. That confirms the C2 mattress's ability to fulfill the firmness and support needs that we couldn't get from our two previous, high-end memory foam mattresses. Now the task is to find an appropriate topper to add that extra touch of initial softness against our backs.
After a lot of research into memory foam alternatives, we settled on the Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad (sold here on Amazon). Once we've received it and slept on it a few nights, I'll write a separate review for that product, as well as return here to report the overall results on our happiness with the C2 mattress. Stay tuned...
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[UPDATE 7-19-2013: After three weeks on this bed, we're definitely sleeping much better. The first week was a bit rough as we adjusted to the new feel of an air bed, but the last two weeks have been great. The C2 mattress, combined with a Downlite Extra Plush Bamboo Top Mattress Pad, is substantially more supportive than the memory foam mattresses we used previously. Although the initial comfort doesn't feel quite as luxuriously soft when you first lay down on the bed, our actual through-the-night sleeping comfort is outstanding. My sleep number has hovered around a (firm) 65, while my wife continues to prefer her much softer 35. We both agree the Downlite topper made the bed feel substantially better since it is just thick enough to prevent us from feeling the air bladders in the C2 bed.
I also noticed that the Downlite topper feels firmer and more supportive than the upgraded beds we tried out in the Sleep Number store, reinforcing my suspicion that higher-end Sleep Number beds use layers of memory foam which probably sink in over time and cause back pain like we experienced with our previous memory foam beds. That probably accounts for why the higher-end Sleep Number beds are reviewed much more negatively than the basic C2 mattress. If you can give up the pleasure of that initial cozy feeling you get from memory foam, the C2 mattress and Downlite topper are a great combination that will give much better (and adjustable) sleep-through-the-night comfort and support for those who suffer from chronic back pain. So far, we're quite pleased.]
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[UPDATE 9/10/2013: After two full months sleeping on the C2 Sleep Number bed and our Downlite topper, I am THRILLED with the improvements in my neck and back pain--which have essentially disappeared. Each time I lie down on the bed, I'm still aware that the initial "cushy" softness of the memory foam is missing, but after lying down for a few seconds, that observation immediately gives way to a pleasant impression of how firm and supportive the bed feels against my back. After two months, that same initial impression continues to replay in my mind when I go to bed each night.
More importantly, I can now attest with full confidence that the C2 mattress and Downlite topper combination alleviates ALL of the neck and back pain issues I was experiencing with the memory foam mattresses and toppers we have previously slept on. In two months, I haven't had ANY serious problems with pain--and that's a remarkable change from the almost daily pain I was experiencing before.
More impressively, a week ago, I strained my back badly when I slipped while raising a sailboat mast and strained to catch the mast before it slammed down onto the concrete. The last time that (same incident) happened, I couldn't move out of my bed for two full days and I suffered excruciating lower back pain for three weeks before I recovered full mobility. This time, although the pain and strain felt nearly as bad as last time, I was able to get on my feet the next morning and now, a week later, although my back is still tender, I'm recovering exponentially faster than before with near-full mobility and can again lift modest amounts of weight (like my one-year-old daughter) comfortably. The only possible explanation is that this bed is so supportive, it is accelerating my recovery. I now realize now that the last time I injured my back, the memory foam topper we had at that time was probably exacerbating the strain at night, stretching out my pain and debilitation unnecessarily.
Suffice it to say that I am well pleased with the Downlite topper and our C2 Sleep Number mattress. My wife--who is now pregnant--has remarked a few times that she misses the cushy softness of the memory foam a lot, but even she (with her much better back) agrees that this bed's supportiveness is still much better and gives her better "through-the-night" sleep comfort. She just likes her bed to be very soft feeling, and this topper just isn't as initially soft as a more foam-like material would be.]
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[UPDATE 3-11-2014: Well, my wife just completed her pregnancy with our third child and she has said repeatedly throughout the last trimester that she was glad to have an adjustable bed. So far, we've had no air leaks, no signs of premature wear, nor any other complaints. We continue to get good support and comfort from this bed. My wife still occasionally mentions her desire to put a one-inch memory foam topper under the Downlite topper just to increase the initial softness a little, but it's such a small issue, she hasn't really gotten around to it yet. We're plenty comfortable. I can definitely say now that the approximately $1000 investment in this bed was well worth it. We're glad we bought it, and continue to find the adjustment feature useful whenever I have a strained back or my wife's body is changing as it does through a pregnancy and thereafter.]
[UPDATE 12-28-2015: Well, years later and this bed is still holding up great -- with no evident signs of wear, despite three little girls who occasionally jump on it (though we tell them not to) -- and still giving us sleep-through-the-night comfort. Every three months or so, it seems we have to readjust the bed: deflating it down to its lowest setting (20, I think), then inflating it up to its highest setting (100), and then dialing it back down to our preferred sleep number (mine is 55 or 60). This seems to recalibrate the bed's pressure gauge. If we don't do it, we notice that after a few months our sleep number starts to feel "softer" than it is supposed to... as if the bed has let out a little air and/or fallen out of calibration. It takes so long for this to happen that I don't think it can be attributed to a leak (the bed never goes flat!). It just seems to be a quirk that is easily resolved using the recalibration method I described.
Also, having slept on this bed through several more hot seasons, I will say it again: we sleep much cooler on hot Georgia nights than we ever did on memory foam! Overall, we're very pleased with this bed. It's not dreamy soft, but it is comfortable and supportive.]
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