HN Explorer

Ask HN: Hacker Mattress?

2 points by tucaz ↗ HN
I just moved to the US and been sleeping in an air mattress for the past six weeks. But now, it's enough and my body started to feel it.

A week ago I started shopping around for mattresses and found how overwhelming this can be. Anything that seems good enough in brick and mortar stores have a starting price of 1500 USD plus shipping.

Luckily (or not) I found a few online only companies selling mattresses and made a comparison sheet with some data [1] about them.

I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck and spent the entire day researching about these companies and still can't pick a winner.

Also, just as I was finishing my sheet I found 4 more companies (no data in the sheet) to bring the choices to a total of 14 options.

The bright side is that most of the companies offer a long period of free trial and donate the mattress at the end if I want to get a refund.

I sleep mostly on my side and stomach, so I think a soft mattress makes more sense, but still don't want to try a random option "just because it's free".

What do you sleep on? Any recommendation or advices while buying mattresses?

[1] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TrCJzU5XrIQRuKE6Jq4tY-2xRlFbFprRNwa-vryusDw/edit?usp=sharing

10 comments

[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 36.7 ms ] thread
mieses
This is useful. It would be good to list whether the mattress is all foam (rolls up into a small box for shipping) or has metal springs. I would pay >2k for a good spring mattress without any memory foam.
tucaz
All of them are made of some sort of memory foam and come rolled up inside a box. Except for Helix that is custom fit to your needs and has a small layer of micro coils in between the foam layers.

If you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with memory foam?

mieses
By definition memory foam is a bad idea. It is a foam that does not spring back into it's original shape. Thus when you sleep in one place for a few weeks, a rut develops and eventually you feel like you are stuck in it. I like to be able to roll over and don't like the feeling of sleeping in a trough.

Memory foam and mattresses that roll up into boxes is about lowering costs.

Edit: I've always found "memory foam" to be an interesting demonstration of the power of marketing.

tucaz
Lot of people write good reviews about mattresses like these at Amazon. Some even after a couple of years after buying them report that no sagginess has occurred. But yes, I'm afraid of getting one for exactly that reason.
mieses
It may depend on the weight of the person writing the review.
tucaz
Sleep Like The Dead also reports that 80% [1] of owners of memory foam mattresses are satisfied with it against 64% [2] of inner spring mattresses.

Still, a very tough decision.

[1] http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattressreview-memory-foam.h... [2] http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/mattress-reviews-coil.html

mieses
That looks like a good site. I might go with their recommendation of a firm base mattress and a separate/replaceable comfort layer.

I don't understand how people can report no sagginess when the point of memory foam is to change shape over time. Either it changes shape or it doesn't.

tlack
Just for fun, try a cheapo XL yoga mat. I find that the stiff-ish surface helps me sleep better and I wake up with less back and shoulder pain. Could just be me, and I still sometimes prefer the bed, but it's a cheap experiment and way better than an air mattress.
seanp2k2
Not cheap but amazing + not a ripoff considering what you get: https://www.flobeds.com

I love mine. As a piece of furniture which gets used 6-10 hours per day, I didn't mind spending a significant amount for something nice.

Edit: I came to this conclusion after a few weeks of intense research. I looked into all the Casper / Leesa / Tuft and Needle (and almost got a Leesa). I also got the wool cover for the top layer, which works well for me since I sleep hot. After another large search for bedding, I ended up with Parachute linen and Macy's Hotel Collection pillows. It's been great. Moving with this bed was also easy since each piece rolls up into a contractor garbage bag which can be easily carried.