"Plush" beds and back support

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jonathan18

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#198226 1-Jul-2016 08:02

So we're about to purchase a new bed, and are planning on getting a relatively well-padded one - described as "medium plush".

I've always had bog-standard beds, so no longer-term experience with plush beds (occasional hotel stays don't really count!) - can those with beds with relatively well-padded tops (ie, those which give that nice feeling of luxury) provide their experiences with such beds and whether they still provide decent back support?

I've been prone in the past to sore backs, and don't want to find out later on that the bed is an issue. I understand the argument that, underneath, the spring system is the same, and the topping affects comfort as opposed to support, but I'm never completely trusting of the spiel given by salespeople! (And I know some firms offer "trials" allowing you to swap the bed within a certain period, but this isn't an option with this bed, and it's the one we're most taken with.)

Thanks for any thoughts.

BTW, for anyone after a bed - I've been told that Farmers is having 60% off Sleepyhead beds on Thursday next week. I know 50% off is the standard "discount" (surely this must be close to the point of being the standard price?!), but an additional 10 percentage points happens far more rarely and makes a significant difference $-wise...

reven

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#1583837 1-Jul-2016 08:08

I got one from farmers a few years ago, every day I wake up with a sore back. Will be replacing it with a firm mattress in a month or so when I move. Just my personal experience with them.

Really great to lay or and watch tv, but every morning sore back....

MikeB4

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#1583840 1-Jul-2016 08:15

With my condition sleep can be a mission. We spent quite a lot on our current bed after a few mistakes. I tend not to move much so pressure points were an issue. After getting advice we purchased a good quality bed that is firm but has a thick cushioning layer you prevent pressure points.

The firmness keeps my posture aligned correctly and the cushions mean I wake up in the morning without what I called surface pain due to pressure.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

MikeB4

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#1583842 1-Jul-2016 08:18

My personal view is the Farmers beds tend to be at the mid to lower point. They do this I feel to keep with in a price point. If your budget can do it buy the best you can, a great nights sleep is a good investment.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

jonathan18

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#1583982 1-Jul-2016 11:59

reven:

I got one from farmers a few years ago, every day I wake up with a sore back. Will be replacing it with a firm mattress in a month or so when I move. Just my personal experience with them.

Really great to lay or and watch tv, but every morning sore back....

Thanks for this - yeah, this is the concern I have. I've found the same with some flash hotel beds where I've stayed only 1-2 nights, but I wondered if I was just not "used" to the bed.

MikeB4: My personal view is the Farmers beds tend to be at the mid to lower point. They do this I feel to keep with in a price point. If your budget can do it buy the best you can, a great nights sleep is a good investment.

Finding $2.5-$3k (assuming 50-60% off) to spend on a bed is already beyond a small sum when this money competes with the mortgage etc, and is considerably more expensive than our current bed which cost (I think) around $1k!.One day price may not be the factor it is now, but at the moment "value for money" is key, so those $20k beds filled with dodo feathers just aren't an option!

ajobbins

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#1583983 1-Jul-2016 12:07

I spent a reasonable amount of money on a plush bed a few years ago. It feels great to get into, nice and soft and luxurious, but I often wake up with a sore back. While it feels soft, all the plushness probably takes a little of the support away, but it's probably down to the springs more than anything. Over time it seems to have gotten softer, and therefore the springs are probably far less supportive now. I have a firm mattress on the bed in the spare room, and if my back is particularly bad I will go and sleep on that. It's actually quite amazing how comfortable it is as well as being supportive.

Look beyond firm/medium/plush and more at how the bed will support you. There are different spring technologies etc that probably make more of a difference to overall comfort than the pillowtop.

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#1583989 1-Jul-2016 12:18

I hate firm beds. India was a nightmare to travel in, as most of the beds appear to be solid concrete masquerading as mattresses!

Ours is super soft, with pocket springs, memory foam and all sorts. My back is fine. YMMV of course.

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jonathan18

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#1584097 1-Jul-2016 14:56

Thanks for the posts, which essentially confirmed the fears of the little voice in the back of my head. In the end a sense of "luxury" is worthless if it results in pain!

Based on this I took another trip to Farmers; spoke to a really helpful and knowledgeable woman there, who took me through the whole process of selecting an appropriate bed (no other salesperson we have talked to until now seemed to know their products that well). She thought the one we'd selected was unnecessarily cushioned, and I ended up preferring one at the same price (and still with pocket springs) but just with less pillow top. Now just have to sell this to my wife. I would have selected one from the Sanctuary range if I could afford it...

And I remember the beds in Indian hotels/guest houses well from my trips there; but I'm pretty sure many of them weren't even inner-sprung, but seemed to be more just dense lumps of rubber or something similar!

jonathan18

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#1584098 1-Jul-2016 15:01

ajobbins:

Over time it seems to have gotten softer, and therefore the springs are probably far less supportive now.

That was confirmed by the salesperson I spoke to; she said all beds will soften over time, and hence why they only keep demo models so long until they're replaced. The full Sanctuary range they had there had all just been replaced, so she said none were "broken in". I guess this adds yet one more variable into the bed-buying process, given the sample beds one tries will be invariably of different ages so aren't directly comparable, and further there's no exact sense as to how a bed will change over time. But, that beds soften is another reason to not err on the side of too soft at the outset.