Sleep Number bed - not for me!
I have stopped in Sleep-number stores a couple of different times to try them out and get the "full demo". Sure it's a nice idea and they may have improved them slightly in last 10 years, but honestly I would NEVER buy a sleep number bed because they are simply glorified, over-priced air mattresses!
Wal-mart. I've only gone in wal-mart 15 or 20 times since they appeared in my area all those years ago, but as a rule I refuse to shop there on principle. Aside from that, I would NEVER buy anything major like a mattress from wally-mart!
In the master bedroom I have a 2 sided, pillow-top Cal-King that's 16 years old. Yes the pillow top makes it very comfy. I wanted "extra firm" and the salesman claimed it was, but I'm convinced he lied just to get the sale. It's had body-sag spots for a few years now (or maybe it's just the "pillow" that has compressed??). I believe it's a Simmons Beauty-Rest, but I'm not 100% sure on that. I will either flip or rotate it every month or so.
There's a queen size bed in the guest room that I special ordered "extra firm" probably 30 years ago. My thought then was I didn't want a "saggy mattress" after a short time like my old bed was. Granted it was relegated to "guest room duty" when the Cal-king moved in, but to this day it still has NO body-sag spots and feels as firm as it did on day one. I much prefer the firmness of this mattress and I sleep better on it (my back is happier too), but I like the extra space to spread out the Cal-King provides.
Now a quick story about a really "firm" bed. During one of our annual trips to Hong Kong, my ex and I would stay with his oldest brother who lived there. This particular visit they had a 24" high, Japanese style wooden platform bed with only a thin, but VERY firm foam mattress on it (no box spring). When I first laid on it I said "Wow this is really firm" but figured I'd sleep great. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong! I never got comfortable, tossed and turned all night and was exhausted the next morning. It was like trying to sleep on thick a piece of plywood! I moved to the floor on a futon mattress the next night and slept much better!
Kevin
[this post was last edited: 6/15/2016-21:25]