[Distroyed]

I'm looking for a good, but as affordable as possible queen size bed. Can anyone provide any links/recommendations/experience (good or bad)?

 

[jpr703]

I'm not sure about affordable, but the Sleep Number beds are excellent.

 

[Distroyed]

Thanks jpr, though those beds are kinda pricey (are they significantly more comfortable?).

Im surprised no one else would have perspicuity into this topic... dont you people sleep on beds??

 

[Ticky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distroyed Im surprised no one else would have perspicuity into this topic... dont you people sleep on beds??

No, we sleep on cold hard floors. How else could we afford those audio gears and gadgets?

Personally, if you are bent on saving money, it is better to get a full size but better quality bed than a queen size one that has cheap springs. If I remember correctly, back in grad school, my full size bed cost around $700. I think it had some 600+ springs and generous pillow paddings. Firm but yet soft enough to "sink" into. Given the amount of school work... sleeping on that bed was one of the few perks of life back then.

 

[john_jcb]

For a budget bed I would look at Ikea.

 

[wallijonn]

Don't you have outlet centers in your area? Aren't there weekly sales on mattresses? Most places discount very deeply water damaged goods. There are also "seconds" for sale at most local stores.

All you really need is the box spring which can be had for about $20 and the rails which also cost $20. After that a $300 mattress is probably all you need.

http://www.oufurniture.com/index.asp...TS&Category=14
http://www.mackmattressoutlet.com/mattresses.html
http://buyit.ohio.com/findit/search/...gator=Mattress
http://columbusoh.about.com/cs/malls...a/bargains.htm
http://www.accentfurniture.com/ohio_stores.html

Chances are that someone moving out in your apartment complex is selling a bed, there are dozens of ads in your Sunday newspaper, the local University has a surplus store, there is a closeout store near you, there is a Good Will store near you, someone is throwing out a mattress, etc.

Just get the thickest spring mattress you can. If $500 is all you can spend - then spend it all on just the mattress. You can buy everything else later.

 

[Distroyed]

walli - thanks for the links. The advice, unfortunately, isnt quite useful since it can't be considered until a move to the other side of the country (Im hoping to order something online and have it delivered close to my first day out there).

 

[Twigs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_jcb For a budget bed I would look at Ikea.

I agree. They make great beds for a good price. My lil bro sleeps on an ikea mattress and I can say that the quality is good and the matress itslef is comfortable.

 

[audiojoe1]

As a proffesional mattress salesperson there is alot to needing and I do say needing a good mattress. First off what part of the U.S. are you moving to? I might be able to reccomend a good place to go to look for a mattress. Are there two people sleeping on it? If you buy a full size mattress it is the equivalent of two crib size mattresses. The six inches in difference is like a mile. And since the difference in my store between a full size and a queen size mattress is literally 20 dollars your money is well spent in a queen.

What I would do is first try to figure out what type of comfort you like. Since everyones back is so different what I like is and probably will be different then what you like. Mattresses are always sold in a triple choice in most stores. You have a choice of Firm, Plush, and Pillow top. BUY A NATIONAL BRAND!!! Dont get suckered into factory direct stores ie. Denver mattress company. The construction is subpar for the most part and the only reason they carry other brands in thier stores is to knock them and sell you thiers. Spend time laying on different mattresses in the price range that you feel you can afford(afterall you cant eat your mattress) but you really should buy the best one you can afford. I would look at brands like Simmons, Sealy Posturepedic, Stearns and Fosters(the stearns is most likely out of your price range, but is the longest lasting and best mattress made). Stay clear from Serta( used to sell them, been factory certified which includes a few days spend in thier factory with thier workers and I must say I am not impressed by the way they make thier beds) If you would like me to exagerate as why to not buy a Serta I would be very happy to. Lastly for the most part coils do not matter as long as you are buying a national brand. Sometimes they will throw a promotional mattress out there with a national brands name on it and even those usually have enough coils to support your back. Dont focus on coil count or even to a lesser degree the foams used(latex and visco are the longest lasting). Focus on comfort and buying the most comfortable one you can afford.
A mattress purchase is very important as it can and will dictate how the rest of your day goes, your ability to remember things, your health. there are alot of studies on sleep and its benefits and downfalls when you get less "quality" sleep then you should. One statistic is if you get one hour less sleep either in quantity or quality you are 50% more likely to become infected with a virus the following day, and are 25% less productive.

Hope some of this helped as I do it for a living and have been the top bedding salesperson out of a 96 store company for the last year. Please feel free to fire away any other questions that you might have.
Joe

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Define affordable.

 

[Distroyed]

Wow Joe - now that's the advice I'm talking about! I certainly appreciate the expert opinion you've provided. I definitely agree with you regarding the 6 inch difference from full to queen; my feet hang off the edge slightly on the former but not at all the latter. I was hoping to keep things under $600, if only because I'm not certain how long I'll be in Portland, OR, and it's cheaper for me (as a penurious grad student) to just buy new furniture when I move more than a state or two away, but now I'm not so sure I want to sacrifice what little sleep I'll be getting! Is it not the case that one can find a better deal online with beds than in a retail outlet when it comes to beds?

 

[Oski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distroyed I was hoping to keep things under $600...Is it not the case that one can find a better deal online with beds than in a retail outlet when it comes to beds?

King Koil makes excellent mattresses for the money, much more value than Sealy, Tempur, etc. because they don't spend on advertising like the others. Also as someone had already mentioned, Ikea makes a pretty good mattress (the more expensive series) at a good price.

As for on-line, you'll find youself paying much more for shipping since mattresses are big and heavy, so you've got to keep it local. Also keep in mind that most mattress stores are like car lots, where the sticker price is negotiable. They also go on sale constantly.

Mattresses are also very personal. You've got to try them out yourself, go and lay down on them for a few minutes each to decide. Also plant your knee against the edge of the mattress and put your weight into it. You'd be surprised at how easily the "big names" of mattresses will easily give which indicates lack of construction and support.

My queen King Koil is semi-firm with a pillow top and is about 14" thick and very comfortable with individually wrapped springs. I got it for about $650 when it was on sale from about $800 and it was easily as comfortable as Sealy's $1000+ offerings.

 

[audiojoe1]

Well someone has read the consumer reports article and took it to heart

Oski basically just gave you advice strait from the article.

Mattresses are a very subjective thing. Not all king Koil mattresses are treated equal. The quality of them varies as the minnesota factory produces literally 300 different named mattresses all made by king Koil just under different names. For instance the company I work for has the King Koil factory make a mattress called Mattress Crafters for us. The value to $ ratio is amazing so in that comparison Oski would be correct. However they also make a line called U.S. Bedding which is a very popular brand for outlet stores to carry and the quality is subpar.( Keep far away from the king Koil mattresses that have a 20 year warrenty...It sounds good however the mattress has to dip an entire 8" before they will honor a replacement.) Some things are just too good to be true. The industry standard is 1 and 1/2 inches of a body impression to consider the mattress defective. A 10 year warrenty is fine as for the most part you should change your mattress out within a 10 year period.

As far as the negotiable price...consumer reports got it dead wrong when they talked about this one. They based thier opinions upon two instances they found at Sears. Mattresses do go on sale from time to time...however its usually the promotional lines that go on sale and you probably wouldnt want to sleep on those anyway. (especially once you laid on one) You do have to be careful that some places dont sell at "list" price. That is really just silly as list is usually double the sales price of what we sell our beds for. Find a retailer that sells at USRP(universal standard retail price) or MAP(minimum advertised price) and buy from them as they will be the lowest. And believe me the bedding companies do have a minimum price they will allow you to advertise and sell at. An easy way to figure this out is to ask the retailer for thier "compare to" or "list price" comparison figures.
Hope my advice helps

Joe
P.S. 600 will buy you a nice mattress that will give you very good sleep. At that price range I would look at Simmons. Thier lower price ranged models also have a very good feel to value. Just make sure your getting the Simmons with the individually pocketed coil. The Simmons without the individually pocketed coil is the promotional one and is not worth it in my opinion.

 

[mbriant]

I prefer a very firm mattress and have a hard time finding them. I've slept on many hotel mattresses ( better hotels) that are firm and I really like but can never seem to find the equivalent in stores. Not overly interested in too much pillow top however.

I would definitely test one out before buying however. Ordering it without an audition online could be risky.

 

[wallijonn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distroyed Im hoping to order something online and have it delivered close to my first day out there.

Have you visited where you want to live? Chances are that there is a mattress store near you.

Don't bother buying online - lay on as many mattresses as you can. Once you feel one immediately that you like spend 15 minutes on it and really see if it suits you. If you sleep in a motel and really like their beds, find out exactly what mattress it is then look for a distributor where you will be moving to. You can pick it up on the way to your apartment - just stop by with the moving truck before you get to the apartment and throw it in the back.

Hit your local stores now - see which ones feel the best. As you drive cross country, see if you like a certain bed in one of the motels. I can remember two motels which had great beds - one was in Tampa, Florida, opposite a truck stop diner. It was the best sleep I had in over 20 years. The other was in Tennesee where each room had King sized beds - the mattress was about 20" thick.

I believe they make full long sized beds (54” x 80”). Remember - once you have a 20" thick King you'll need to bend it in the middle, tie it up and move it. It will be a pain to transport from apartment to apartment.

http://www.google.com/local?hl=en&hs...sa=X&oi=localr

I know this won't mean anything to you, but my mattress has been the Sealy Pearl II Plush California King (longer than wider). I went to a dozen stores before I found a mattress I really liked. I've had it for about 10 years now and it is still going strong. It is a royal pain to move, though. I paid $500 for the mattress, $20 for two box springs and $25 for a frame. I don't believe in headboards. ymmv.

http://www.bettersleep.org/OnBetterSleep/what_size.asp

If you have a SO you can also get an Olympic Queen, 66"x80". If you have a wife a regular King may be best as it'll give you plenty of space to indulge in.

TIP: never accept a motel room until you check out the room - the bed may be lumpy, there could be cigarette smoke, it could smell like musk or mold, the plumbing doesn't work, the tv sucks, it could be layed out wrong (like a window that overlooks a beam cutting your view, it could overlook a busy pool), etc.