Had a Sleep Number 9000 for 15 years and loved it! So, when it came time to replace it, I just trusted the Sleep Number rep when they told (and sold) me the new model equivalent, the i8. Been sleeping on it for 60 days and absolutely hate it! They have tried to send me various things to try, but none have convinced me to keep it. Scheduled for pickup on 3/19, so time is of the essence.
After some research on âBest Queen Mattressâ, I found Helix. Their sleep quiz suggested the Helix Plus (I am plus size, back sleeper with back issues). Not having anywhere to try it out, I researched some more and found Tempur-Pedic. At the local store, I discovered They are out of my price range AND they also do not have edge support, just like this i8 from sleep number. I almost rolled out of bed the other night! And you cannot sit on the edge to put on your shoes. Among other things I hate about it.
The helix offers edge support and I like everything about it. But of course the salesman at the mattress store was not a fan of the âbed in a boxâ and talked me into the âSealy Silver Chill Hybrid Plush Mattressâ. It has not been delivered yet, so I can still cancel the sale.
I searched the forum but could not find anything about the Helix Plus. I like the price point, and the features. But that salesman did his job well, and scared me away from bed in a box. Can anyone speak to Helix and their durability? How about their customer support? Do they treat you well and try to resolve issues? I donât mind paying a bit more for a quality bed that comes with actual customer SUPPORT.
Hi LexiesMom, and welcome to The Mattress Underground
Sorry to hear you had a poor experience buying a new mattress. The large commercial mattress brands are, in addition to not being transparent with materials and components, prone to more aggressive sales tactics. As you have found, the best way to choose a new mattress is to test it out in person, to ensure it conforms to your PPP (Posture and Alignment, Pressure relief and Personal preferences), which can take several weeks, 60 days is more than enough to allow for any adjustments and breaking in so this mattress is probably just not right for you. You say you are plus size, a back sleeper and have back pain; and as you know your personal stats determine which mattress is a good fit. Is your back pain a chronic issue, or do you think itâs caused by your mattress?
Generally, The Helix mattress is good quality good to hear that you had a chance to tests it in the shop. While Helix uses a questionnaire with asking for BMI, body measurements, and sleeping positions into account and which indicates they use an algorithm I wouldnât use or trust any kind of âautomatedâ firmness selector or âtheoryâ as anything more than a general guideline that is subject to change based on your own unique preferences and circumstances. Helix lists the density of the upper most memory foam layer with a density as a 4lbs for which Iâd place a slight caution as it may be a weak link in terms of durability for plus size people for thickness layer of more than 1 inch or so (see the mattress durability guidelines here ). The second Memory Foam - Helix Dynamic Foam - is a non-latex foam that behaves similar to latex. They do no list the thickness and density but last time, Phoenix checked with them the densities were above 2.5 lbs/cuft which meet the durability requirements for heaver sleepers. Also, looking through reviews online, they also seem to have decent customer service as well.
As far as the (14") Sealy Silver Chill you have ordered, Here are the specs we were given in January 2022 and you can see that at 3.5 lb/ft3, we would place a caution for the first layer of memory foam
(14") Sealy Hybrid Premium Silver Chill Mattress
⢠Chill allergen free cover
⢠2" Chill immersion memory foam layer 3.5 lb/ft3
⢠1.5" Gel comfort sense foam (density unknown)
⢠1" Hybrid polyurethane foam (density unknown)
⢠8" pocket coils with HD duraflex edge support
If you manage to find the missing specs for this mattress, Iâd be happy to dive into more comments about
it.
As far as comfort as it relates to you it would depend on how it felt when you tried it out and if it meets the durability guidelines for plus size people. Did it seem too soft/hard? Was the edge support adequate? Each person is unique in their sleeping comfort
Thinking about your need of edge support. Although he 8" of coils will offer some perimeter support the 4.5" of foam above them would be compressed much more when sitting and in combination with the coil compression you will still have some edge collapse when you attempt to âput on your shoesâ
Regardless of how Silver Chill felt when you tried it in the shop remember that a mattress is only as good as you sleep well on it and will be depend on when the foams will start breaking down over time.
Thank you for your reply and plethora of information. It can be quite overwhelming, canât it? I was NOT able to try a Helix in store. I didnât know they were actually in stores. I was able to try the Sealy, but like you said, can one really know how they will actually sleep on the bed until they actually sleep on the bed?
I know mattresses are as individual as each person, and the buying guides are overwhelming to me. Iâd really like a recommendation based on the following specs, please.
57 yo female with chronic back issues (herniated and bulging discs in lumbar region for 3 decades),
bursitis in one hip (so I need a softer top layer) and I also have a touchy SI joint.
220 lbs embarking on yet another weight loss journey (this time bc of a health scare, see below). Knowing my weight has caused so many of my problems, I plan to try to maintain a healthy-ish weight, rather than allow it to get out of control yet again.
I had a scary wake up call this week, encouraging me to embark on this most recent weight loss journey. It may just be the motivation I need to stay on track!
I loved my sleep number 9000 for 14 years, but the top layer of the topper got compressed from years of sitting in one place. I spent many months recovering from multiple (elective, rehabilitative) surgeries sitting in bed in the one spot. I do not foresee anymore surgeries, barring any medical emergencies.
What I hate most about the i8 is the feel like I am sleeping on an inflatable air mattress. Yes, I know thatâs the core of the bed. But they replaced all the simple comfort of the two 4" memory foam layers with technology. And you can literally feel and hear the rubber mattress as you roll around in bed. They sent me a 2" âcoolingâ memory foam topper, but that moves around a lot. Even while I sleep. It shifts down mostly, so my pillow end up sliding off the top! Also, it makes me hot.
Wondering ifâŚsince I have already purchased the Sealy, and secured 0% financing, should I just go ahead and try it out? They have a 120 day trial, as you know. Or do you still feel like itâd be a waste of time given all my details? I am NOT going to be mad at you or anyone for recommending something that ultimately does not work out. You cannot possibly know how I will sleep on it. But maybe given my specs, you can foresee me not being happy with it anyway, and maybe you can save me some heartache. And backache.
Also, does anyone know how to actually SPEAK to a human at Helix? I would like to have a phone conversation with someone.
Saatva seems to be highly recommended for plus size sleepers with lower back and hip issues.
Good grief! One needs to become a research specialist in order to buy a new mattress.
I will await your thoughts on whether to have the Sealy Silver Plush hybrid delivered and give it a try. Or if I should cancel the order and look elsewhere.
Yes, itâs a lot of information to digest, but itâs an important purchase, so the more informed you have, the better equipped you are to find the right mattress.
Unfortunately, Since everyone has unique comfort needs, we cannot make recommendations. As you have said, Mattresses are and entirely personal preference-driven purchase, and any mattress is only âbetterâ or âworseâ subjectively to the individual sleeping on it. What we can do is make comments on specific mattresses you are looking at, based on their quality, materials and components with the available information.
Since you have some serious health issues â you say you have chronic back pain, herniated/bulging discs
and bursitis with SI joint issuesâŚwith the additional information you have given, my comments in the previouspost are still valid:
Sorry to hear you had a âhealth scareâ this week, but It sounds like you are taking steps to improve your overall health, and thatâs great! You may want to speak to your Primary Health practitioner to see if they have any advice on how your health conditions may be alleviated.
From the information you have provided, there is literally no substitute for trying a mattress out to see how it feels to YOUâŚSince the mattresses you are specifying â Sealy, Saatva â do not provide very much detailed info on their components itâs impossible to say whether you will have issues or not. As you say, the Sealy Silver Chill has a 120 day trial, so you can feel for yourself how comfortable you feel and how the foam components feel once theyâve been âbroken inâ by sleeping on it for a while.
As to your last point "Also, does anyone know how to actually SPEAK to a human at Helix? I would like to have a phone conversation with someone.â I do see that they have a number of partner showrooms listed on their website; I donât know where you are located, but you should be able to call one of theshowrooms listed to get additional info and help if you so desire, though you say in your next post you have decided against the Helix.
Thank you for your replies. After much reading and learning, I decided to try the Saatva Classic (luxury firm). I read all of the 1âď¸ reviews on the BBB website and 98% were delivery related during 2020 and 2021. There were 2 or 3 related to the mattress I decided to buy, but given their 180 day trial, warranty and two separate and lengthy calls with customer service agents, I decided a few defective mattresses are bound to slip through (nobody is perfect), and since all customers were ultimately satisfied by Saatva, I decided it was a small risk I was willing to accept.
I did finally receive the email from them about foam layer density immediately after I placed my order. It is not too late to cancel it if you can tell me whether Density ranges between 1.5 - 1.8 lbs per cubic foot is an issue or not. I am thinking higher is better, and given that you cautioned against 4 in the Helix hybrid, am I right to be concerned? Here is an excerpt from the email when I asked for detailed technical specs, specifically foam densities and materials. Wondering if the lack of detail is another red flag.
"[i][i]the Classic has a euro pillow top. This is the most recent development in pillow top mattresses. Like standard pillow tops, it also consists of layers of 100% American CertiPUR certified foams added to the top portion of the mattress. However, in a euro pillow top design, these foams are inserted under the cotton cover of the mattress to create a cleaner/neater look instead of it being stitched to the top of the mattress. The advanced design of a euro pillow top will retain its shape for longer than a standard pillow top.
Consists of 3" of our 100% American CertiPUR certified foams
Density ranges between 1.5 - 1.8 lbs per cubic foot
This layer will determine the comfort level based on the firmness of the foam used"[/i][/i]
The 2 basic functions of a mattress are to provide comfort and provide support. You have very specific issues with discs and joints, and are heavier, as you say, but you also say you are a back sleeper- that sleeping position has different requirements as far as material density and pressure points. Back sleeping, your weight is more evenly distributed than for the side sleeping (depending on where you carry your weight)
This also affects the wear any foam components may experience, as a side sleeper would, for example, produce more weight in certain areas which compress foam deeper and apply more mechanical stress, and would therefore more quickly wear down the foam components - causing âdivotsâ - your position distributes any compression more evenly but you also are a plus size weight range and this would create durability issues in the future
I took a look at the Saatva Classic, to their credit they provided the specification for the pillowtop which was already listed on their site â of â3â of CertiPUR foamsâ that have density of â1.5-1.8lbs/cuftâ so the email you received does not add more info except for marketing purposes. The Durability guidelines specifically consider any foam below 2lbs/cuft to be a weak link in a mattress for BMIs greater than 30. This is a lower density foam that will wear out faster for a sleeper of heavier weight than a lighter one, but, also to reiterate, how the mattress feels for you is the one really important factor and it may be that it does have some properties that could be helpful with your back issues, In this case and if your personal value equation the durability criteria is not as important as how it feels (at least initially) you may do well with it until the upper 3" foams will start breaking down and creating some virtual sagging that may impact your spinal alignment and posture while you sleep.
Thank you for all you have done to try to help me choose a good new mattress. I live in a fairly rural area, closest large city is Orlando, so trying out some of the less famous names in mattresses has proven somewhat challenging. And given these new health issues are taking top priority these days, I have to focus on that. And weight loss has become top priority as a result. It is partly (or mostly) to blame, and if I want to be well again, I MUST lose weight. Itâs not a âshould doâ anymore.
Given all this and that I have 180 days to test this out, I am going to let this Saatva mattress be delivered (I hope). I will write again when something changes.
Are you a back sleeper, or do you sleep on your side? Because most likely you will be more comfortable on a mattress that can accommodate this kind of sleeping pattern. However, if your pain is chronic rather than occasional and affecting the quality of your sleep it is best to meet with your medical doctor for further advice.
