Wife fell for one of the expanding foam mattresses as a replacement to our very old “standard” mattress and box spring. Well it completely sucks. Very little support for a side sleeper. I wake up in a hole and frankly am ready to take it to the dump.

Looking to purchase a new king size mattress and box spring that is rather firm and put a topper on it. I am pretty overwhelmed at the varying price points. Not looking to spend a damn fortune but want to find a happy value spot. Any helpful insight/guidance on what to look for and what to avoid?

You get what you pay for. That is the only wisdom I can offer. We all have different ideas of "comfortable" when it comes to beds. I prefer a coil-spring-and-memory-foam hybrid. Test out a bunch at a retailer, and buy with the understanding that you can return it after some test period if you don't like it. The last king bed I bought was 11 years ago, and it was 2 grand. It's been great. About time to replace it.

What brand of expanding foam mattress did you buy? We have one from Tuft and Needle that we received as a gift about seven years ago, and we have liked it a lot. It's firm with lots of support.

As far as traditional mattresses go, my family has always liked mattresses from Denver Mattress Company.

Researching mattresses can drive you crazy... it's a very deep rabbit hole to dive into.

I don’t know which brand she bought but it’s straight up garbage.

I'm interested in this topic as well....We are looking to replace our very old King sized bed with a new one. I like firm, the wife likes soft. Something that is middle of the road without breaking the bank would be nice.

My experiences in mattress buying.

Me- 'How much for this mattress?
Salesman- '$1595.00

Me-' Can you do any better?
Salesman- 'Yes $1300.00

Me- 'Let me think about it
Salesman- 'I'll let it go for $950.00

Me- 'nah, I'll let you know
Salesman- 'Before you leave, how about $750.00

Try a Sleep Number before you buy anything else .

Have a Sleep Number, has leaked since Day 1 and now the wireless remote doesn’t work, Its like sleeping in a hammock. I’d rather sleep on the floor with my Thermarest pad.

1000 bucks for the king i got at mattress ranch here in fbks , no box spring as its unneeded....did I say ...its great ! The company that made it has been doing so since 1880 or so...

Like the one that came with our camper... Foam - and it sucked, bigly.. Went to the Mattress Factory and ordered a custom-sized (modified) Queen in a moderately firm setting.. $567 out the door.. MUCHO better.

Dad had a saying that I’ve always liked. “You are either on your feet or on your mattress, so don’t cheap out on either shoes or mattresses.” I’ll always buy local on either one, so that I can try before I buy. See my tag line about the quality lasting way longer than the joy of the low price. You can make more money, but since you are spending a third of you life in your bed, don’t cheap out.

Been really happy with this for the 15 months I've had it: https://sleephappens.com/collection...dge-firm-mattress?variant=32868195500135

We bought a Sleep Number, Kalifornia King with optional independent head elevation .....it sucks! We’ve tried many different comfort settings.....haven’t found the correct # yet! We really wish we’d kept our old bed! memtb

Researching mattresses can indeed drive you nuts. The big mattress companies change something like the fabric pattern and rename it for each mattress store so you never know if you’re comparing similar products when shopping.

Stay away from the mattress stores, they’re like dealing with used car salesmen. Go to Sams club or Costco, they’ve got top of the line name brand mattresses for fair prices I’ve got a $2000 mattress from one of the mattress stores that’s now in the guest room, the $600 Sealy from Sams is on my bed and I like it a lot more.

Bought a $1500 Beauty Rest from the mattress store for our bedroom and a $500 Serta from Castco for the guest room. I can't tell the difference. Mattress stores are like car lots.

https://www.themattressunderground.com/

We went to a furniture store we have dealt with for thirty years. You speak to the owner. The owner was the father, now it is the son. They provide lifetime guarantees on most of their merchandise and honor that guarantee, including one mattress they had rebuilt and recovered for us free of charge.

This time with their recommendation, we bought a Sealey with the memory foam top. After five years it is just beginning to show a depression where Momma and I habitually sleep. Far better than any innerspring in my experience. About $1000, if I remember correctly. We saved several $100 as we were able to use the box springs from our previous mattress.

The covers do not match, but they are not visible in the bedroom anyway, always covered by sheets, ruffle, and blankets.

Sleep number was the worst for dollar mattress we ever had. Four grand and gave it to my granddaughter. We were sleeping in holes so we contacted them. Mattress was 3 years old so they told us to blow it up hard and put a foam pad on. Quite the lifetime warranty! Edk

I've had a sleep number for 12 years and love it. My daughter has one in her room and when she was home for christmas break commented on how much nicer it was than the bed she had a college.

The wife and I are on our third from the Original Mattress Factory. Hand built in Hotlanta, GA. Not half bad. Rather than getting a king (which is hugely heavy to move around, we got two twin XL's. Pushed side by side, that equals a king. Topped with 100% latex topper... 3" thick. Seems to be a good set-up.

Yes. One gets what he pays for and there's about 300% markup on bedding. Hit the sources and spend some serious time trying things out before making a purchase.

Just bought two mattress sets for my boys on Saturday. My recommendation for you would be to go to one of the big furniture stores that carry mattresses and have all of the various brands. That's what we did. Take your wife with you and try them out. Obviously, a side sleeper needs more support than a back sleeper. The store had all the major brands, Seely, Beautyrest, you name it. Both boys did this and they ended up picking different mattresses that seemed to feel better to each one of them. I would imagine you and the wife could find one that would be a compromise for both of you and one that you each could live with. Those expensive memory foam or sleep number beds, I'd stay away from them. Too many horror stories about them to take a chance with that kind of money.

I think box springs are a thing of the past. The adjustable bases that are available now are incredible. I dont have one yet, but will soon. We are having trouble selecting a mattress. The bases, though with the ability to raise your feet, raise your head, have a tv watching position etc all help sleep in the most comfortable manner, is what I understand. Sleeping with your feet slightly elevated for the first half hour or so is really nice and comfortable. I would focus on the adjustable frame that works for you, and from there, pick the mattress you want.

This is really a exhausting thing to research. It’s so subjective.

A lot of people are bought mattresses from outside the country because of outgassing of the flame retardant required in the usa.
Doctor bill degal at one of my conferences also warned against memory foam for that reason. Apparently its carcinogenic. 8 Hours breathing those chemicals is a personal concern. I will look into options when the weather warms as you are.

Healthy mattresses

https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/natural-and-eco-friendly-mattresses

Its leaked from day 1 and you didnt use the 20 year warranty?

Ours is 10 years old and is great.

I have a sleep number and my wife and I really like it. Mine has a 25 year warranty. Dog chewed up the remote and I had to buy another one.

We replaced our king size with a Saatva and have been very happy. Made in the US after you order it. Delivered to your home and will also take away your old mattress if you don't want it.

Agree, 100%. I bought a Nectar and found it to be too firm because I’m a lady and only weigh 115lbs. Felt like I was sleeping on plywood. I bought a 3” memory foam topper and it’s better but I still resent the mattress. I shouldn’t have had to spend $100 on a topper for a brand new $900 mattress. Luckily it has a 1 year guarantee so I still might return it. I don’t love it at all.

Get a Sleep Number and don't ever be disappointed again.

And get the best sleep you've ever gotten as well. The only bitching I've ever heard about a Sleep Number is the price.

Sorry, but I have nothing but bad to say about Sleep Number Beds. Biggest piece of $chit I've ever bought.

Yep. Exactly!!

I hate my Beauty Rest mattress. A high priced hammock.

I'd get a badass king-sized heated water bed with a gold embossed mirror embedded into a massive headboard full of candles.

Coil spring and natural latex.

We gave our sleep number away to the neighbor kid within less than a year and a half of purchase. Leaked, pump went out... twice. Backaches... you name it. Worst bed we ever had.

Best we ever had was a $3500.00 Serta (IIRC) with coilsprings and memory foam. Wife and I used to joke about having a custody battle over it if we ever divorced. It gave up the ghost after 13 years and we went and bought a $1500.00 mattress at a local mattress store. I have not had a good nights sleep in over a year. I wake up with hurting shoulders and back. Forget about side sleeping, almost crippling! Moving in 6 weeks... will be replacing it.

This
#1 There is LOTS of wiggle room on expensive mattress.
#2 Some of the cheaper mattresses are just as comfortable as the expensive ones.