My wife and I went out hunting for a mattress a week or so ago. Our aim was to find one as comfortable as one we slept on in the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine TX. We found that it was a custom made posturepedic mattress from Sealy. Never found a Sealy that fit that bill.

We ended up going with the new Tempur-pedic brand Rhapsody bed. The normal Tempur-pedics were too soft and made too much of a hole for you to role out of during the night. The Rhapsody has a higher density foam that seems to still be soft and supportive without the hole. Supposedly it sleeps cooler too. It should be delivered next week.

Platinum Dreams brand is great. Yu can only find them at a handful of stores in the midwest, but they will ship them to you throughout the midwest. The real problem with your mattress may not be the mattress itself. As your body ages you want a different feel. Also, matresses will become softer over time and that may make you feel less comfortable on them. When lookinf for a new one look at the warranty not just the brand. Also make sure that it is flippable. Many sales people will try to tell you that the mattresses are made so well now that you don't need to flip them. I would always ask them if that is true why did they lower the warranty on them when they made them one sided? If you have more specific questions let me know. My email is rsmit@pmbedroomgallery.com

Good luck
Bob

Here is a good mattress forum where you can ask advice about mattresses.

Here is a link that might be useful: ask the expert

could it be the pillow top has compacted down? someone once said to never buy a pillow top but to buy a good mattress pad instead so you can just get a new mattress pad instead of a new bed every few years.

What do you think is the average life of a mattress

That's kind of like asking the average height of a human. You'll get a number, but it's not very useful. You really would have to differentiate between coil mattresses and mattresses used with/without boxsprings, etc.

Well, my husband and I feel as if we have a new lease on life: we recently purchased a Tempur-Pedic Celebrity bed and I am telling you, the quality of our lives has improved. I loved reading everyone's opinions (esp. d3nali as that reminded me of myself: I, too, wanted to replicate the comfort of a specific hotel [Flatirons Renaissance] mattress) and being consumed by the mattress forum alisande kindly shared. Thank you all for helping me (without knowing it!).

That sent us in all sorts of directions (gelpac mattress / topper, for example) but what it ultimately came down to was when we walked into the store and actually lay down. We both knew instantly. And for us, it helped having our children with us (three years-old and fifteen months-old) so we could actually lie there in "real-world" conditions.

We haggled and while we didn't get a price break on the mattress / foundation, we did get the frame, delivery, removal and Tempur-Pedic pillows (two) thrown in, plus we "split" the sales tax with the store (which I guess is a sort of price break). Don't forget to haggle!

And happy sleeping to all.

Hmm, and only 2 yrs old...We're looking at buying an Englander mattress so I'm really curious as to what types of problems you're having with it. Does it have the laytex type pillowtop? Is it sagging now? Did you notice any outgasing smell when you first got it? TIA

I requested a Tempurpedic video a couple of years ago, and have been bombarded with ads ever since. Anyway, in both the ads and at two local furniture stores, two free pillows, free delivery, free setup, removal of old mattress set are all included in the price. Retail stores cannot discount any Tempurpedic mattresses; that is done only by the company.

I am still undecided. I really liked the Sleep Number bed. Does anyone have one?

I guess I'm the only one left in the country that totally hates memory foam mattresses. I don't like the heat, the hole, the smell and the hard to move in part of it. But, to each his own. I can tell from the comments I'm in the minority...by far! I hope you have a wonderful sleeping experience on you Tempur-Pedic and it gives you the support and rest you need.

Not the only one! I don't like them either.

Bedding Selection is a Black Art, indeed.

Duane

I just bought the 14" Aloe Vera mattress from Brooklyn Bedding and it has been by far the best mattress I have ever got. The price of it was very affordable as well. Oh yeah. I got latex, I dont like memory foam or that sinking feeling. They sell both thou, whatever you like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brooklyn Bedding

I don't find a good memory foam mattress to be hot. I don't sink into a cavity and it doesn't smell. It is hard to lift and hard to make the bed. But in my opinion this mattress gives you the best nights sleep.

One other option in a more traditionally constructed mattress. Take a look at Royal Pedic. They make one of the best mattresses out there.