Tempur-Pedic Mattresses

Tempur-Pedic is one of the most recognizable and sought after brands in mattresses. Even though it is one of the priciest mattresses on the market, it continues to be highly popular with buyers.

Initially, the proprietary Tempur material was developed to provide astronauts relief from g-forces that happen as a result of acceleration and gravity. This is the only NASA approved mattress out there.

In addition to NASA's approval, Tempur-Pedic mattresses have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, Consumers Digest "best buy" and an Ease-of-Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation.

Experience is the most important factor in selecting a mattress, so before discussing how it is made, let me tell you how it feels. Just to be clear, this experience is based on a few minutes spent trying some out at a retail store. I do not own a Tempur-Pedic mattress.

The Tempur-Pedic people had recommended lying down on it for 7 minutes, and I was happy enough to do it. Wouldn't you take a chance to lie down in the middle of a busy day if you could?

Initially it feels like you are sinking in, and then it stabilizes to a firm surface which feels comfortable, not hard. I could have stayed there longer, and could imagine a good night's sleep on it. That was my 7 minute experience. When you get up, the mattress slowly regains its shape, and supposedly that resilience lasts for its life.

However, some users have said that it sometimes takes about a week or so for the body to adapt to this sleep surface because it is so unlike the spring mattresses that most of us sleep on.

One feature that most users like a lot is the way a Tempur-Pedic mattress absorbs movement, and will not disturb the other partner even if one moves around on it.

Tempur-Pedic says that that this is due to the "unique cellular structure" of its material, which is a guarded top secret known only to a few. Tempur material is made only at two company owned facilities.

• These mattresses like many other modern mattresses have multiple layers. In this case it is layers of TEMPUR material integrated with different other base materials.

  The top layer which the company calls its Comfort Layer is the softest one that responds to your body weight and lets you sink in. The second and aptly named Support Layer absorbs your body weight and and distributes it to support the spine. The AirFlow System Base Layer increases the flow of air. Tempur-Pedic mattresses do not heat up like memory foam mattresses.

• While these mattresses support your spine, they also conform to your entire body for comfort. By redistributing body weight, they relieve pressure points. Pressure points can lead to bad circulation which causes discomfort and restlessness.
• The company claims its mattresses are naturally treated and are resistant to dust mites and other household allergens.
• These mattresses are CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) and formaldehyde free.
• Tempur-Pedic also claims that its mattresses do not need to be flipped, rotated or turned. It offers a 20-year limited warranty to back up that claim.
• There is a uniform price policy. You will pay the same price for a mattress regardless of where you buy it.

• While Tempur-Pedic mattresses provide a comfortable sleep surface, they are very expensive. The price alone can be prohibitive for a lot of consumers.
• Many find the new mattress smell unpleasant. The smell does wear off after a while, but it can be unpleasant while it lasts.
• These mattresses are quite heavy and not very easy to move around.
• You cannot use heating pads or electric blankets with them.

Tempur-Pedic has four mattress collections, TEMPUR-HD, TEMPUR-Cloud, TEMPUR-Contour and TEMPUR-Simplicity. Read a review of the Tempur-Cloud here.

The TEMPUR-HD collection has high density mattresses which have TEMPUR cells across the surface for more comfort and therapeutic support. The TEMPUR-Cloud collection makes up the softest mattress collection by the manufacturer, and TEMPUR-Simplicity, which comes in soft, medium, or firm, is the most affordable one.