Hi Natalie,

Thank you so much for all your suggestions and encouragement. I sincerely hope you find a mattress that works for you. Keep us posted on your journey.

Glenn

Hi Glen,

I feel so badly for you! I’ve wasted thousands the last year on non-refundable beds too!

Since you’ve already tried the latex topper, I only have one other suggestion, another MEMORY foam topper. Costco has one that is 3″ of 4lb density. It would eventually break down, but it’s cheaper to replace than a new bed. If it didn’t work, you could always return it.

I swear I’ve bought cars that didn’t require this much effort and knowledge.

I sincerely hope you find something that works for you. Please keep me/ us posted.

Natalie

Hi Natalie and All,

I’m so glad you returned the bed. I have gone through 3 TP beds over the last year. The SolutionsBed (sold through Relax the Back), The AdvantageBed and currently the ClassicBed. With the ClassicBed I have tried a thick cotton mattress pad, a thick wool pad and a latex topper. These really didn’t improve my sleep experience and I’m now sleeping on the bed as is. My 2003 TP bed was as close to perfect as you could get and has spoiled me for life.

Happy sleeping,
Glenn

MWR,

Call Tempur-pedic and ask them to honor their warranty. If you’re not happy with the first person you talk to, ask for a supervisor. I’ve read several people who have had to use their warranties, some have more success than others, but it’s worth a try.

Best to you,
Natalie

Hi everyone,

I returned the Cloud Supreme for a full refund. Sleep Train (in CA), was great about it. Though I wanted to try the Rhapsody, I couldn’t afford not being able to return it. My only option would have been an exchange and I couldn’t risk it.

The TP Cloud is fairly new, released last Nov. There are very few online reviews on it yet, and no one has owned it “long term”. I don’t believe 4 LB, foam will hold up. Mine lasted less than two months.

What I’ve learned through 4 months of consent researching:

1) Never buy a bed without a “money back” guaranty! One time exchanges won’t help you if the second bed doesn’t work out.

2) Don’t believe what mattress salesmen tell you without confirming it yourself. I talked with five different salesmen, and called TP 3 times. I got different answers from each… one contradicting another!

3) What works for some, may not work for you, so take others opinions for what they are… opinions.

4) When reading online reviews, skip ones where people have only owned their mattresses for a month or two. People tend to love their “new” beds.

5) Research, research, research!

6) Stay away from pillow tops! They will cave in.

I am now trying a 100% natural Talalay Latex FloBed. You can look for it online if interested. As this is a TP forum, I don’t want to get into the FloBeds here. I will say, though it doesn’t feel as luxurious as a TP, I can customize it, and it doesn’t hurt me and has relieved pressure points. But, I haven’t had it long enough to be sure.

Glenn, I’m so sorry you are having the same problem and are now “stuck” with the bed. In my research I’ve found that any model without the superior Tempur HD foam (Rhapsody, Allura, and up all have HD), have a tendency to break down and leave you laying on what feels like concrete. If you have to keep your TP, try adding a thick cotton mattress pad to it. This will do away with the heat transfer. Then you can add a latex topper to get you the feel you want. Sleep Like a Bear and others sell these. Only buy with a money back guaranty. Basically using the TP as a base. Just an idea

My biggest problem is I LOVE the feel of the TP. It’s amazing while it lasts. I also found that the older TP’s (like Gary’s) were manufactured differently. This may explain why the one you got in 2003 was great vs the same model made today.

For all of you who love your Tempur-pedics, that is wonderful! I honestly wanted mine to work, and if it had, I’d be singing its praises!

Thank everyone for your input and reviews and Gary for this awesome blog! I will keep checking back to see how it’s going for you all. I still have “Rhapsody envy”…LOL
Natalie

Hi Natalie,

I purchased the ClassicBed (4 months ago). I have tried walking on it many times and still have the identical problem you have. Once the tempur material warms up, it compresses completely and the bed gets extremely hard. Being a side sleeper, I wake up numb from the pressure. Do Not swap the mattress! That’s what I did and now I’m stuck. Make them take it back.

This is my second Tempur-Pedic mattress. The first I bought in 2003 (my neighbor bought it from me) and it was totally relaxing, no pressure points, always woke up feeling great. I wish I had not let it go.

Please let me know what you decide.

Glenn

I have had my Tempurpedic Classic Bed (King) for 10 years. Up until late last year I have absolutely loved it (my husband HATES it)and had no complaints. However, last year the bed seemed to develop a bit of a hump in the middle. We checked the box springs, rails, etc. and couldn’t find a cause. I haven’t checked with Tempurpedic to see what the cause could be. The other thing I’ve noticed since the mysterious hump is that I have lower back and hip pain quite often that I never had. Any explanations or suggestions WELCOME!

I called and it appears there was only one model available at my time of purchase (2004) I don’t know what it was call then, but it is now designated “The ClassicBed”. I purchased the mattress and the foundation directly from Tempurpedic over five years ago and I’m still very happy with it. I did not get any of the pillows.

I think the new catalog has eleven other beds that they now carry, six are in the regular Tempur Collection.

Addendum: Bed was indeed hard upon delivery (very cold that day), but once at room temp (between 62 and 69 depending on our mood or time of day) have never had any problem. None of the weirdness reported elsewhere (at least for Tempurpedic). Natalie, seriously, swap the mattress–that’s just not right!

UPDATE on Bob-o-Pedic Queen-size Plush

No complaints. The smell has more or less gone away (maybe some residual, but it continues to diminish, I think). Weird dreams stopped (hey, who knows? Maybe it was the power of suggestion). And I still don’t get enough sleep… But that’s not the bed’s fault!

Now the good–and it is REALLY good! While I do not necessarily bounce out of bed fresh as a daisy (review the “I do not get enough sleep” note), I *do* wake up without pain. None. Nada. Zilch. Even now, I wake up, swing my legs out of bed, PREPARE to grunt or groan or whatever… Nuthin’! It’s a pleasant absence every morning–and quite real.

My wife and I both sometimes note to one another something like “I am SO looking forward to bed!”

Sometimes my back still acts up during the day–to the point where I expect it to hurt at night–but the bed just… cures it. And for that I am downright *grateful*.

Potential (relative) “cons”: Bed retains heat. No problem at ALL in the winter–and I do not expect a problem in the summer… but can be, um, “noticeable” under certain conditions/activities. Small price to pay…

Overall: I have never, NEVER been as satisfied with ANY bed as I am with the Bob-o-Pedic. I *might* have liked the “firm,” but I’ll never know (and, really, if I had the firm I’d probably wonder whether I should have gotten the “plush”; it’s a personality thing). I would buy it again and I indeed recommend it.

I’ll report back if the bed develops any negatives, but so far we have seen none of the strange events some have reported (My wife and I are in the “normal” range for size/weight). No high-point numbness/soreness; no problems whatsoever. Thanks, Bob!

Oh, btw: sales and delivery were as expected. Painless sales process, very no-nonsense (of course, I knew exactly what I wanted), delivery was… delivery. They called, they came, they delivered. No problem.

I’m a very happy Tempur-Pedic customer!

My husband and I purchased a standard king size Bellasonna in early January 2010. Upon delivery, and for the first week or so, it was much firmer than the Bellasonna model I repeatedly lounged upon in my local mattress shop. After speaking to the salesman I purchased it from, he suggested walking on it to loosen/soften it up quicker. Both I and my two young children walked on the mattress daily for nearly a week, and it made a HUGE difference. My husband says it is definitely softening up and he is quite happy. As for the smell upon delivery at 9am, it was minor and wasn’t even noticeable by bedtime (and it was never bothersome). Our Bellasonna rocks!

Enjoy your beds, everyone. I love, love, love mine.

Peace,
Shea

Hi dj, can you please tell me how the Bob O Pedic is working out for you? I am so close to buying one (Queen Plush) but I am really concerned about the smell and the firmness?

Did you buy the Plush or the Firm Bob O Pedic and did the smell go away completely?

Thanks Patsy

Update:

I went to the mattress store today and talked to who seemed like a very TP knowledgeable salesman. I told him how hard I found the Cloud. That is was great for all of one week out the almost five weeks I’d been sleeping on it, but now felt like it was “bottoming out” onto a hard layer and is hurting my hips. He told me it was because it hadn’t been properly broken in. I was like “Huh? I’ve been sleeping on this for over four weeks! How could it NOT be broken in?”.

He asked me if I had ever actually walked on it Charlie Chaplin style and promised me that if I did that every day over the next few weeks, it would break in the second layer… the 5.3lb. support layer directly below the 4.1lb softer top layer.

He also said that at my weight and height (128 lbs., 5’ 7”), and with my fibromyalgia and hip problems, the Rhapsody would be too firm due to the 7lb upper layer. Basically, I would have a harder time breaking that one down to get the softness heavier people, or people who sleep with partners achieve. But if the Cloud doesn’t work out, the Deluxe might be a choice.

I came home and walked on the Cloud for about 10 minutes. I’ll try it a few times every day and see if it softens up like the salesman said. Anyone ever walked on a TP? I gotta say it’s quite the workout for your thighs… it could definitely replace a gym membership …LOL

So I now have hope I didn’t have before. If the Cloud breaks in I will be so happy!

I’ll update again and let you know how it goes.
Natalie

Update:

It’s two nights short of a month on my Tempur-Cloud. This last week has been tough. The Cloud has softened to point of compressing totally under my hips causing pain (side sleeping), and my butt (sitting up in bed). I do have the adjustable base, but if I raise my head just enough to take pressure off my hip, I wake with a stiff neck.

I still love the feel of this mattress for the first 20 minutes, but after that, it becomes uncomfortable, and I ultimately wake in pain. I believe the reason is the low density of the top foam. I think the higher density foam, such as in the Rhapsody, would be better, but…

I will be returning this for a full refund as I can’t risk the “one time exchange” for the Rhapsody if it were to not work out.

I’m now looking into trying the Ara at Costco as it can be returned. If that doesn’t work, maybe another retailer with a 90 day trial on the TP Rhapsody? I have to wonder if TP keeps track of all their dealer’s sales which may prohibit me from another trial period on any TP from a different retailer.

I’m so disappointed and frustrated. I really wanted to love this bed! I still have until March, so I will update again when I decide which way to go.

As always, I hope this helps someone else.
Natalie

Have had intermittent back pain since teen years, sometimes so bad I would have to sleep sitting up. Weird, too: not lower back but a specific muscle between my shoulder blades.

Every now and again I would find a bed that was good (usually at a hotel). My own mattress was a handmade Gardener that was okay. Last summer I stayed at a friend’s and slept so well I pulled the bedsheets off to find the mfr. It was a Bob-o-pedic Lite.

I finally got around to purchasing a Bob-o-pedic (TP knockoff). I got the classic plush (upgrade from the Lite). Total cost approaches a grand (mattress, taxes, delivery, and the “Goof Proof” mattress cover/warranty package).

Mattress is on Day 2; I plan to give updates. So far, so good, but with caveats:
Body feels great. No, SERIOUSLY great. Very rested, no pain. I look forward to this continuing.

Current and, one hopes, temporary bad: A poster above got it spot on: whatever is outgassing from the mattress keeps me from sleeping and gives me a headache and, by morning, a little burn in the back of my throat. I am hoping/assuming this will dissipate soon enough. My wife cannot stand the smell and is sleeping in the guest bed. I am confident that this is temporary, as the Bob-o-pedic Lite I got to spend two weeks on had no such issues.

I’ll try to keep you posted.

UPDATE:

Ok, the Rhap was still a bit too “firm” for me, but again, we keep our room at 60ish. We took the advice of a poster here “Mrgimme” (Sept 2007) who said he put the costco 3″ foam mattress topper on top of his Rhap. For us, it was the PERFECT solution.

We LOVED the celeb bed when trying them all out, but because I sleep so hot the salesgirl told us stay away from it. She told us the Rhap was the way to go. But, I feel it’s too firm and not comfy cozy in the winter. The topper was the perfect solution for those who are afraid of the cushier TP’s (cloud, celeb) going too soft especially in warmer months. I can simply remove it come spring. And I also agree with Mrgimme, that I’m probably extending the life of my Rhap. It’s like having both worlds…the Celeb bed cushy-ness and the Rhapody support and firmness.

For those who can’t afford the extra $ for the celeb, get the Rhap and throw on the topper (we paid $169.00 at Costco).

Natalie: The mattress protector fits right over the topper and the mattress perfectly. My suggestion to you is go to a store and lay on both of them (the delux and the Rhap). The Rhap is MUCH firmer, but I believe it will soften in the summer. It’s also very cool (surprisingly, now even with the topper). I’m having a hard time with my computer being able to post here (keeps knocking me off) so please feel free to email me direct at: alyzibeth@aol.com

Sweet Dreams

Update: Three weeks on Tempur-pedic Cloud Supreme.

Last time I posted I was just so happy. There was no hip pain and I loved my Cloud. Well that lasted all of a week .

Last night was three weeks of sleeping on my Cloud. My hips and shoulders, are hurting again, not nearly as significantly as on previous beds but I’m very disappointed the pain is back at all. The Cloud has softened. It has softened A LOT! We keep the house at 68° to 70°, so I can’t imagine how soft this will be in summer when the house is at around 78°.

I know I’m saying the bed is soft, but at the same time it also feels firmer and harder on pressure points then it did 3 wks ago … as if I’m now “bottoming out” onto the firmer core material, yet surrounded by softer foam. Best way I can describe it is imagine a few marshmallows held between your fingers. If you squeeze your fingers together softly, the marshmallows compact, the more times you squeeze the more they compact until you can feel your fingers meet through them. I’m a side sleeper, so this is only in the shoulder and hip area.

BUT, now in addition to the other hip and shoulder pain, for the first time EVER I have lower back pain, and neck pain even with the use of a soft thin pillow, so I’m thinking the mattress is losing support or getting too soft and my bony areas are sinking in deeper than the rest of me.

Aly, thank you for the update. I’m really glad to know the Rhapsody is the one that sleeps cooler as I may be exchanging for that one, so PLEASE keep posting! Have you done the walking all over the mattress to soften it faster? I was told by TP that would help when I was looking at the firmer models.

Also, after reading your post I ordered the TP protector. As I keep saying, I just have to have something between the sheet and the mattress .

I feel the same as you… “the jury is still out” and I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe the Deluxe, maybe the Rhapsody. Maybe something different like the new Simmons NxG 400?

I want so badly to love this bed! I still have until the end March to decide and am determined to try to give this mattress it’s full trial period. I just don’t want to start over with something else to find I’m out a lot of money… again!

UPDATE!

Hey everyone, it’s been a week and 2 nights. I have to admit, the jury is still out. My husband was not comfortable AT ALL the first two nights….now he says he’s sleeping much sounder and definetely feels more rested. BUT we both are still trying to get used to the “hardness” of it. The Rhap is not a comfy cozy bed, but we are sleeping well. However, like I wrote in the above post, we keep our bedroom really cold…and from what I understand, this is the reason for the hardness. If this is not the case and I go past the point of no return and it doesn’t soften up when it warms up…well, I don’t know.
The smell….well, it’s wierd, it totally goes away, then will come back (but in faint waves). I was talking to someone last night at a party who’s had the TP since Nov. She said it took all of a month to go away, and now there is zero smell.
The heat…again, I have night sweats and they are no worse, no better. My husband told me tell you all that the bed is much “cooler” then our past conventional mattress which makes sense because our room is so cold and the TP retains the room temp, but to me feel actually colder then the air.

TO NATALIE:
The comfort pillow gave me a splitting headache. But again, my room is too cold for it, it’s as hard as a brick. Perhaps we’ll give it another try in the spring.

I bought the TP mattress cover. It’s very very thin and waterproof. The only thing about it is that I believe it doesn’t “breathe” because of the waterproofness therefore prolonging the off-gassing. I’ve removed it several times to allow more airing out of the bed and when I removed it, it was like the fumes were trapped and the offgassing was worse for an hour or so. It is larger then the bed so it will not slip off…plus I have the ergo system and even with raising up the bed the liner doesn’t come off (nor the sheets).

Actually, the REP at TP also reiterated that the Rhap was the cooler of the two beds (Celeb vs. Rhap) because I REALLY wanted the Celeb because I thought it was more comfortable and comfy cozy.

We have 2 weeks left to make our decision. We don’t know what to as of right now.

Anyone else have feelings of the Rhap being too hard? Then to have it soften up?
Sweet Dreams!
Aly

For those experiencing neck and shoulder pain….
Try a different height of pillow. I had this trouble twice.
Changing my pillow worked. It probably has something to do with neck alignment. Once the pillow was simply too small. The second time I had lost some weight and needed a smaller pillow.

Just a quick note to Aly:

I didn’t think the smell was that bad either and the second night was definitely the worst of it! I’m so glad you’re enjoying your new bed. I’m still loving mine (Cloud Supreme going on two weeks) but I have quit using the Comfort pillow they gave me… it’s just too hard and make my neck hurt!

I find it interesting your salesman told you the Rhapsody sleeps the coolest (which may be true), ours said the Celebrity sleeps the coolest due to the pillow top and cashmere cover. I wonder what the Tempur-pedic reps say? Starting to wonder if it all depends on who you ask.

Are you using any type of mattress protector? I’m still trying to decide on buying the TP one or not.

Hope you husband loves the bed too. I look forward to reading any updates. This is the just the best place to find user input

PS I have the adjustable foundation too, it’s fantastic!