There Are Other Brands Besides Sleep Number That Offer Digital Air Bed Systems
If you are considering purchasing a Sleep Number bed, you should be aware that there are other options available, other manufacturers, and all of the models out there are made to suit a variety of comfort and personal preference needs. There are plushier, more sumptuous mattresses, those made with memory foam, latex, or polyurethane foam laters, all designed to create a variety of comfort levels from soft and plush to firm and resilient.
When you get online and start reviewing Sleep Number complaints, they usually bunch themselves into a small number of very common issues. Some of the most common complaints about Sleep number beds are described below. These typical complaints, or concerns, can be found by evaluating reviews by actual owners online.
Some savvy customers will purchase the more basic models of the Sleep Number bed, which include only a 1.5 thick piece of memory foam and actually purchase separate comfort layers like gel foam and other materials to make the bed comfortable enough to sleep on. Here are some comments by a reviewer who did just that:
Why You Should Trust Us
As a senior staff writer at Wirecutter, Ive spent over two years covering sleep and mattresses. Im the author of Wirecutters mattress buying guide, foam mattress guide, innerspring mattress guide, and sleep tracker guide. Ive slept on dozens of different mattresses at home, sampled dozens more in-store, visited mattress factories, and attended mattress trade shows. Ive also spent countless hours interviewing dozens of sleep and mattress experts about good sleep hygiene, pressure-point relief, and proper spinal alignment in bed. For this guide, I made two visits to the Sleep Number store in New York City to try its offerings. I also slept on the Sleep Number 360 p6 in my home for about three weeks.
Cr Finds The New Adjustable Air Bed Falls Short Of Its Brandmates
Sleep Numbers adjustable air beds have been a hit with Consumer Reports readers and have done well in our tests for the past few years. In our surveys, readers tell us that adjustable air beds help them sleep, especially if they have aches and pains. And in our mattress tests, Sleep Number beds have earned consistently high marks for support and durability. Then along comes the It Bed by Sleep Number, which the company claims is “smarter than the average bed.” We don’t test for that, but we can tell you whether it will help you sleep.The It Bed by Sleep Number, $1,100, is a bit of a departure for the company in the way its sold and delivered. Most shoppers buy a Sleep Number bed in one of the companys 450 stores and have it delivered and set up in their home by the company. The It Bed is a direct-to-consumer play like the trendy beds-in-a-box from Casper and Tuft & Needle. You buy it online and set it up yourself. And that’s what we did.
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Is Sleep Number A Good Brand
Sleep Number 360 c2 Smart Bed Despite the slim comfort layer, over 11,000 reviews rank the c2 Smart Bed 4.6 out of 5 stars. More than 9,000 of these reviews are 5 stars, with customers calling it a great investment. Other reviewers love having the freedom to adjust their settings for specific comfort.
Sleep Number Series/model Breakdown
Sleep Number offers two types of beds:
- 360® Smart Beds
- Value Beds
The 360® Smart Beds are organized into three categories: Classic, Performance, and Innovation.
Each series essentially builds off the other. The Classic Series beds, the C2, and C4 offer the most standard options while the Innovation Series has the largest, thickest layers and most added features.
Classic Series:
The Classic series models are the most basic mattresses. They will have the firmest feel to them because there is the least amount of layers between the air chamber and the top of the mattress.
| C-2 |
|---|
| 72 x 84 | split only at the head of the bed |
The Split and FlexTop mattresses are best paired with a FlexFit Adjustable Base. For example, with a Split King, the sleeper can raise/lower just the head and feet of his or her side of the bed. If the persons partner is snoring, he or she could raise the head of just their side with a FlexTop.
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The Sleep Number Bed Vision
To help you decide if Sleep Number beds are worth it, you should always look over the many reviews that surround the company products in existence. But to help you have an idea of what these beds are, and why they are a popular you should understand the vision behind their creation and how they work.
Sleep Number was founded in the late 1980s when the need for a true dual sleep system was in demand, and the idea of a one-size-fits all approach to sleep comfort was under attack through the introduction of many new material concepts. The founders set out to address their own problems and needs, and came up with the adjustable air chamber design that defines all of their bed models.
These beds are customizable and are available in a variety of initial designs to meet the specific needs of you, and your partners, body needs. Pressure relief, spinal alignment, and mobility issues are all addressed by the companys beds and bed products.
Ease / Difficulty Of Use
Conventional mattresses are easy to use in that you simply lie on them and no adjustment is involved. By contrast, airbeds in general including Sleep Number involve a learning curve in that you must find which setting is right for you personally. At least 30% of owners say that significant time and effort was required to find their optimal setting or “sleep number.”
Due to Sleep Number’s auto-adjusting ability, the possible need to manually change adjustment when you change position seems less likely. Due to this auto-adjusting feature, Sleep Number seems to perform better than other airbeds on this issue.
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The Sleep Number Cooling Memory Foam
The m7 is the only Sleep Number bed that offers the hugging sensation of memory foam. If you and your sleep partner prefer a light memory-foam cradling, and if you cant agree on a firmness level, then the m7 may be a worthwhile, albeit expensive, option. However, the company doesnt divulge what, exactly, is in that foamy comfort portion, so we dont know how dense, and therefore durable, it is. The sinky-ness of the m7 is comparable to that of most online foam mattresses . It has a slight sinking sensation, but not the more-assertive curve-conforming feel of something like the Tempur-Adapt.
Smart Bed 25 Year Limited Warranty
This warranty includes all Sleep Number 360 smart bed mattresses and Sleep Number 360 smart bed integrated bases and frames purchased after January 1, 2017.
Once again, we suggest that you read the full warranty policy on the website. There are some key notes:
- Sleep Number will essentially cover the cost of a manufacturing or product defect in full for the first two years of the warranty.
- There are several things you can do to void your warranty. Some of these include tampering with the Firmness Control system or remotes, staining/damaging your mattress with liquids or fluids, ripping off the legal tag, opening the remote and forget to keep your original receipt .
- After the first two years, you are responsible for a portion of the price needed for any repairs or replacements to your mattress or base.
Here are more details on Sleep Numbers warranties.
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Ratings And Reviews Common Praise
- Couples love being able to personalize the firmness of their side of the bed. The dual air chambers available on most models means that someone who prefers a firmer bed doesnt have to compromise with a partner who likes more cushion. If one person likes to sleep on their side and another doesnt, they have a great solution here.
- People with back problems or medical issues that require them to sit up at different points love the flexibility of Sleep Number beds. They can adjust the firmness of their bed for a couple of nights if needed and can raise/lower the head of their bed with a FlexFit Adjustable Base depending on their current needs.
- There was heavy praise for the longevity and durability of the Sleep Number bed.People came back to Sleep Numbers site to say theyve had their bed for 10+ years and they are still comfortable. Of course, not everyone was able to stay comfortable in their bed for a decade without experiencing issues, but people tended to have their Sleep Number bed for a long time.
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Owner Review Feedback For Sleep Number Mattresses
Sleep Number mattresses are typically purchased directly from Sleep Number, so thats where we found the majority of the online reviews. Out of the 34 good-quality negative user reviews we collected about the Classic Series , 10 contained complaints about issues related to a lack of cushioning. This included reviewers describing the mattress as too firm, too thin, bottoming out, or having poor pressure relief. Several reviewers pointed out that the c series is especially problematic for heavier-weight sleepers, and others noted the support felt better once they added a mattress topper.
For negative feedback on the Performance Series, we found far fewer complaints related specifically to the mattress thinness . But four out of 26 good-quality negative Innovation Series reviews noted that the mattresses were too firm or offered poor pressure relief. Perhaps this is to be expected, given that these users paid much more for their mattresses and therefore expected more. Three out of the six Cooling Memory Foam owners complained that their mattresses were either too thin, too firm, or lacked pressure relief.
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How Much Is A Sleep Number Bed
When a product is introduced that encompasses new technologies and advances in an industry, there typically is a price tag associated with it that reflects the quality of the features you are receiving. It is important to look into what the cost of a something is actually referring to in order to break down exactly what you are getting, and if it is worth it.
Details such as material quality, what it claims to do, customer support and satisfaction guarantee, and warranty coverage are all part of what you are paying for. The Sleep Number bed entered into the sleep industry in the late 1980s with a very new approach to sleep comfortably.
They have always been known to be a bed worth a significant investment, but have survived through the years due to excellent quality control. With the various changes they provide to keep up with new technology, the question surrounding how much is a Sleep Number bed is one that surfaces quite often.
Not The Most Durable Mattress
Another popular topic that many of the Sleep Number reviews mention is durability.
Lets get something straight – air mattresses arent really that well-known for their incredible durability. Ive had one, myself – while it was pretty good at the beginning, with time, the mattress started becoming more and more worn down.
That being said, it would seem that a lot of the Sleep Number bed reviews claim the c2 and c4 models to be even less-sturdy than other air mattresses in the industry! The most common form of complaints that youre likely to come across would be those that talk about the air chamber not being able to hold air properly – it would seem that this is an ongoing issue for the company.
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Avoid Sleep Number If
- You need extra support. Sleep Number beds tend to support less weight than an innerspring mattress.
- You don’t want to rely on an app or technology for your bed. While Sleep Number has a solid reputation for quality, it’s possible for things to go wrong. There are occasional reports of remote malfunctions and air loss issues. If you want to keep things basic, look for a standard bed.
Sleep Number 360 P5 Smart Mattress
The Sleep Number 360 p5 is an air bed with one or two adjustable air chambers and a 4″ comfort layer on top. It’s an upgraded version of the Sleep Number Classic mattress series, and it has an extra layer of foam meant to enhance pressure relief.
The p5 and pSE models have the same 4-inch comfort layer and features, except the pSE comfort layer is made of a foam that will retain less heat. The pSE and the p6 each have all of the same features, including the cooler comfort layer, but the pSE has a 4-inch comfort layer vs. a 5-inch comfort layer in the p6.
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You Might Want To Consider This If:
- You Like Sleep Number Beds But Dont Want To Break The Bank: If you love Sleep Number but are on a budget, the C2 Classic Series Adjustable mattress may be your best bet at $899 for a Queen. While some reviewers felt this mattress was too firm, others added 3-inch mattress toppers and thought it was perfect.
- You Sleep With A Partner: Aside from the ability to adjust the firmness of two sides of the mattress, Sleep Number makes something called a FlexFit Adjustable Base. Basically, you can raise the head and/or foot of the bed and in some mattresses, can raise just your side of the bed and leave the other flat . FlexFit is not included in the base price of the C2 but is an option you can choose to include .
- You Are A Back Sleeper: The C2 Classic Series model is very standard and comes an air chamber and soft fiberfill material in the zip-off mattress top. With only 8-inches of depth to work with this mattress doesnt have a lot of cushioning and will most likely be on the firmer side than other models. Many reviewers who liked firm mattresses and slept on their backs liked the feel of the C2.
How To Choose The Right Model
There are several resources and ways to decide which mattress is the best match.
Online:
Sleep Numbers website offers details, photos, FAQs, and images of each Sleep Number bed. They let potential customers compare models across series and have a Live Chat feature that should answer virtually any question. People can also get a quote or make a purchase online and through the Live Chat feature.
In-Store:
Sleep Number sells their beds in Sleep Number stores nationwide. Sleep Number Customer Service was unable to tell me exactly how many stores there are but estimated somewhere near 400.
Sleep Number stores can be found across the country, including Alaska and Hawaii. There are no international stores at the moment.
A sales representative at the store can help anyone who walks in find their Sleep Number and guide them towards the right model. They have a variety of beds out and available for testing if a person wants to feel one before he or she makes a purchase.
Beds come with a 30 or 100 night trial period plus a 25-year limited warranty.
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The Sleep Number Innovation Series
The Innovation Series is Sleep Numbers highest-end, plushest line. Although these mattresses arguably dont feel as plush as most foam or innerspring mattresses of similar price, the beds in this line actually feel like nice mattresses. If I were set on a Sleep Number mattress and could afford to do so, Id spend more for the Innovation lines added cushioning. But for someone like my husband, who just wants something adjustable and comfortable enough to sleep on, a less-expensive p6 would do just fine.
The i8 comes with 6 inches of foam and a temperature-balancing surface , and it felt pleasantly pillowy. The i10, with its additional inch of foam, was just a tad fluffier. Like the pSE from the companys Performance line, the iLE is not a typical fixture in-store, and it, too, has the ClimaTemp foam, described by the company as softer and more cooling.
Bed Types Bases And Pricing
Sleep Number sells several different 360 Smart Beds, with queen sizes starting at $1,099 for the entry-level c2 Classic series model. The company offers its FlexFit adjustable bases starting at $1,499 for a queen.
The mattresses come in a range of industry-standard sizes that fit into traditional frames and furniture sets: twin , twin XL , full , queen , king , and California king .
All 360 Smart Beds feature DualAir adjustability, Responsive Air technology, and Sleep IQ tracking. The DualAir feature allows you to dial the firmness of each side independently, so if you like sleeping on a cloud and your partner prefers a brick, you can both have it your way. The Responsive Air feature monitors the bed’s air pressure level as you sleep, and automatically adjusts to maintain your desired firmness. The SleepIQ feature tracks your shut eye, heart rate, breathing, and more.
All three above-mentioned features are optional if you’re a solo sleeper, you can get a single-chamber mattress you adjust all at once. If you’re not a fan of the Responsive Air or sleep tracking features, you can easily disable them in the app.
The last time we reviewed a Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed, we tested the p5 Performance series model with a FlexFit 1 base, which is still on the market. A Sleep Number spokesperson tells me that the p5 is a popular model, and the company recently updated it with a new sleep surface for improved pressure relief.
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