Why We Bought a Tempur-Pedic—and Why We're Buying Another One

I used to think replacing a mattress every five or six years was just normal.

Sometimes, it was even sooner than that.

We would buy a mattress that seemed okay in the store. It would be a little so-so at first, then we'd break it in and finally get to that sweet spot where it felt really comfortable. And then, slowly, it would start going downhill.

That's the part I think we forget when we talk about how long a mattress "lasts."

It's not usually great one night and suddenly terrible the next.

It starts sagging a little. You don't sleep quite as well. Maybe your back bothers you more in the morning. You start shifting around trying to find the comfortable spot. Eventually, you're sleeping on a mattress you probably should have replaced a year ago because you've gotten used to how uncomfortable it has become.

We've done that more times than I'd like to admit.

And over the years, I've learned something that applies to a lot more than mattresses:

Sometimes we're too broke to buy cheap things.

Buying something inexpensive doesn't necessarily save money if I have to keep replacing it.

That's one of the reasons my opinion of Tempur-Pedic has changed so much.

I Don't Think Everyone Should Buy a Tempur-Pedic

Let me start there, because I think it's important.

Mattresses are incredibly personal.

What feels amazing to me may feel terrible to you, and I don't think you should buy a mattress because somebody on the internet—or a salesperson in a mattress store—tells you it's the best one.

I also don't love every Tempur-Pedic mattress.

In fact, I don't particularly like the feel of the traditional all TEMPUR material models.

But I love the hybrids.

And if you've tried a Tempur-Pedic before and decided you didn't like it, this is something I think you should know.

Tempur-Pedic All TEMPUR Material vs. Hybrid: They Don't Feel the Same

When most people think about Tempur-Pedic, they picture that classic memory-foam feeling.

You lie down and slowly sink into the mattress while the material conforms around your body.

Some people absolutely love that feeling.

I'm not one of them.

The hybrid versions are different.

They still use TEMPUR material, so you get that contouring and pressure relief, but there is also a coil system underneath.

That changes the way the mattress responds.

To me, the hybrid feels easier to move around on. It has a little more responsiveness underneath me instead of that completely foam-based feel. I still get the pressure-relieving benefits I want, but I don't feel quite as enveloped by the mattress.

That distinction is important because someone could lie on an all TEMPUR material, hate it, and assume they don't like Tempur-Pedic mattresses at all.

That's how I felt for years after trying my parents bed. It just has this overall harder feel to me.

I wouldn't choose the all TEMPUR material version for myself.

I would absolutely choose the hybrid.

If I Had to Buy Another Mattress...

My husband asked me a question one day:

“If you had to buy another mattress, which would you choose—a Purple or a High Point?”

My immediate response was:

“Why isn't Tempur-Pedic an option?”

And I think that says a lot about how I feel about our mattress.

It isn't that there aren't other good mattresses out there. There absolutely are. And if I were shopping today, I'd still lie on them, compare them and give them a fair chance.

But after living with our Tempur-Pedic for two years, my first thought isn't, What brand should we try next?

It's, Which Tempur-Pedic is going to work better for my body now?

That's a pretty big change from the way we used to buy mattresses.

In the past, we'd buy something, sleep on it for a few years, become increasingly uncomfortable and eventually start looking for something completely different.

I'm not doing that this time.

Our mattress isn't failing. I'm not unhappy with the quality. I don't regret buying it at all. My body and my needs have changed, and the mattress we chose was already slightly firmer than my personal preference.

So when we started talking about replacing it with something softer, I didn't immediately want to leave the brand.

I wanted to find the Tempur-Pedic I probably should have chosen for myself in the first place.

And that, more than anything I could tell you about materials, warranties or marketing claims, is probably the best endorsement I can give it.

The Price Is Hard to Ignore

There is no getting around this part.

Tempur-Pedic mattresses are expensive.

And if I didn't have aches and pains or understand now how much a mattress can affect the way my body feels, there was a time when I probably would have looked at the price tag and walked right past them.

But I've also learned that there's a difference between something being expensive and something simply being overpriced.

Tempur-Pedic has spent decades developing and refining its proprietary TEMPUR material. It's designed to respond to your weight, shape and body temperature, gradually softening and conforming around you while distributing pressure and absorbing movement.

There are other memory-foam mattresses that contour and absorb motion, of course. But TEMPUR material has its own distinctive feel and performance, and that research, engineering and manufacturing are part of what you're paying for.

For me, though, the bigger question isn't Why does this mattress cost so much?

It's:

What am I getting for that money, and how long am I going to get it?

We've bought less expensive mattresses.

Then we've bought another mattress.

And another.

That's where my perspective on price has changed.

A $1,500 mattress that becomes uncomfortable enough that I want to replace it after a few years isn't necessarily a better value than a substantially more expensive mattress that I'm still happy sleeping on many years later.

And mattresses don't usually go from wonderful to terrible overnight.

At least ours didn't.

They started out okay. Then we broke them in and they became really comfortable. Eventually, though, we'd start noticing little changes. We'd shift around more. We'd wake up uncomfortable. The support didn't feel quite the same.

It was gradual enough that we'd tolerate it for a while before finally admitting:

We need another mattress.

That's why my parents' experience with their Tempur-Pedic means so much to me.

They've had theirs for more than 13 years, and it's still going strong.

We've had ours for about two years, and we're considering replacing it—but not because it's wearing out.

That's an important distinction.

We're looking at another Tempur-Pedic because my needs have changed.

And strangely enough, we're actually considering moving down from our current model to a less expensive Tempur-Pedic because I prefer the way that mattress feels.

I think that's another important lesson in all of this:

More expensive doesn't automatically mean better for your body.

The higher-priced model may have additional materials, cooling technology or other features. Those things may absolutely be worth paying for—but only if they matter to you.

Comfort has to come first.

So no, I don't think everyone needs to spend Tempur-Pedic money on a mattress.

But after years of buying mattresses that eventually left us shopping for another one, I've stopped looking at the price tag by itself.

I want to know what I'm buying, how it feels to my body, how it's made and how well I can reasonably expect it to hold up.

Because sometimes spending less doesn't actually mean spending less.

Why We're Considering Replacing a Two-Year-Old Mattress

Our current Tempur-Pedic is a ProBreeze Medium Hybrid.

It's a very good mattress. Feels just as great as the day we bought it.

It's also just a little firmer than I would choose today.

When we originally started looking at Tempur-Pedic mattresses, I loved the ProAdapt Medium Hybrid. It felt supportive while still having enough softness to relieve pressure.

My husband liked some of the other models, and when we had an opportunity to get the ProBreeze at a significant discount, we went with it.

We've adjusted to it, and we've slept on it for two years.

Under normal circumstances, I don't think we'd be talking about replacing it anytime soon.

But circumstances changed.

After being injured, I've become much more sensitive to pressure and positioning. A mattress that was slightly firmer than my ideal before can now leave certain pressure points hurting.

So we're considering going back to the mattress that felt right to me from the beginning: a slightly softer Tempur-Pedic hybrid.

That's a very different reason for replacing a mattress than having a mattress wear out after two years.

And we're also considering another change that has become much more important to me: moving to a split king adjustable setup.

Don't Overlook the Adjustable Base

I think adjustable bases are one of those things people dismiss very quickly when they're mattress shopping.

I understand why.

You're already looking at an expensive mattress, and then someone starts talking about putting an expensive base underneath it.

It can immediately sound like an upsell.

But an adjustable base can change what your bed actually does for you.

Depending on the base, you may be able to elevate your head, elevate your legs, use different preset positions and make small adjustments until your body feels properly supported.

For me, being able to change my position when I'm uncomfortable has become much more valuable since my injuries.

And that's why we're considering a split setup this time.

With two independently adjustable sides, I could change my position without changing my husband's.

There is a lot more to talk about when it comes to adjustable bases—what features are actually useful, what might be unnecessary, who would benefit from one and whether they're worth the extra money—so I'm going to give that its own post.

Before You Buy: Actually Test the Mattress

If you're going into a mattress store, don't just sit on the edge of a bed, bounce on it a few times or worse yet give it CPR and decide whether it's comfortable.

I've watched people test mattresses in ways they would never actually sleep at home—and then buy them anyway.

There are a few things I think you should pay attention to.

Lie down the way you actually sleep.

If you're a side sleeper, get on your side. If you're a back sleeper, lie on your back. Spend some time there.

You're trying to figure out whether your body can actually relax on this mattress, not whether it feels comfortable for thirty seconds.

And if you share your bed with someone, ideally both of you should test it together. Get into the positions you actually sleep in. Roll over. Move around. See whether you disturb each other.

You're not buying two separate mattresses. You're buying the bed you'll actually be sleeping in together.

Find the right pillow before judging the mattress.

This one gets overlooked all the time.

A pillow that's too high or too low changes the position of your neck and spine, and it can completely change how a mattress feels.

Don't grab whatever pillow happens to be sitting on the display.

Find one that puts your head in a comfortable, neutral position first. Then judge the mattress underneath you.

Pay attention to what your body does without thinking about it.

One thing I notice is people lying on their backs with their legs crossed.

Try uncrossing them.

Can you comfortably leave both legs relaxed on the mattress, or do you immediately feel the urge to cross them again, bend a knee or reposition yourself?

That urge is information.

Your body is trying to find a more comfortable position.

That doesn't automatically mean the mattress is bad, but it may mean that particular mattress isn't giving your body what it needs.

Try another mattress.

Or, if you're considering an adjustable base, raise your legs slightly and see what happens.

Can you suddenly uncross your legs and relax?

That's something worth paying attention to.

Don't be afraid to stay there for a while.

This is a major purchase.

Nobody sleeps for 45 seconds at a time.

Give your body enough time to get past that initial Oh, this is soft or This feels firm reaction.

Move around. Roll onto your side. Lie on your back. Get into your normal sleeping position.

Notice whether you feel pressure building in your shoulders or hips. Pay attention to whether you're constantly repositioning yourself.

You aren't being difficult.

You're shopping for something you're potentially going to sleep on thousands of nights.

And Please Read the Warranty

A 10-year warranty sounds fantastic.

But "10-year warranty" doesn't necessarily mean a manufacturer will replace your mattress anytime it becomes uncomfortable during those ten years.

Mattress warranties generally cover specific defects and have specific requirements for things such as measurable indentations.

And that's where I think consumers need to pay attention.

A mattress can lose some of the support or comfort you loved without developing the kind of obvious permanent sag you might expect to see.

Think about stretching a sheet tightly across something that dips underneath it. The surface can look relatively flat even though you can still feel what's happening underneath.

That's why I wouldn't choose a mattress based on the number of years printed on the warranty alone.

Look at what the warranty actually covers.

How deep does an indentation have to be before it's considered a defect?

How is it measured?

What can void the warranty?

Does the manufacturer require a certain foundation or base?

And perhaps most importantly:

Does this company have a reputation for making mattresses that hold up in the first place?

Tempur-Pedic backs its mattresses with a 10-year limited warranty.

But what impresses me even more than the length of the warranty is what I've personally seen.

My parents' Tempur-Pedic is more than 13 years old and still going strong.

I've even heard from and about people who have slept on their Tempur-Pedic for 20 years or more.

That doesn't mean every Tempur-Pedic is going to last 20 years, and I certainly wouldn't buy one assuming that yours will.

But after our history of replacing mattresses after only a few years, longevity matters to me.

A long warranty looks good on paper.

A mattress that holds up well enough that you hopefully never need to use it is even better.

Do Your Research Before You Walk Into the Mattress Store

I actually think researching before you go mattress shopping is a great idea.

People often walk into mattress stores with their walls already up.

And I get it.

Nobody wants to feel pressured into spending thousands of dollars.

I also see more and more people doing their research before they ever walk through the door, and I think that's a good thing.

That's part of why I wanted to write this.

If you already understand the basic differences between mattresses, know what questions to ask and know what to pay attention to when you lie down, you don't have to walk into a store completely dependent on what a salesperson tells you.

But there's also a difference between being an informed shopper and deciding beforehand that everything a salesperson tells you is an upsell.

There are legitimate differences between mattress constructions, materials, firmness levels and bases.

Research gives you enough information to ask better questions.

Then use the showroom to figure out what actually feels good to your body.

A Mattress Has to Fit the Person Sleeping on It

This is probably the biggest thing I've learned.

There isn't one universally "best" mattress.

I believe Tempur-Pedic makes some of the best mattresses in the industry, but that doesn't mean I think everyone will like sleeping on one.

Some people won't like the way TEMPUR material feels.

Some people will love the all-foam version.

People like me may strongly prefer the hybrid.

Someone else may be perfectly comfortable on a much less expensive mattress.

The goal shouldn't be to buy the mattress someone tells you is the best.

The goal is to understand what you're paying for and find the mattress that actually works for your body.

Think Beyond the Price Tag

A good mattress is expensive.

But we're also talking about something we use roughly eight hours a day.

That's about a third of our lives.

So instead of looking only at the purchase price, I've started asking different questions.

How does it support my body?

How well is it made?

How long can I reasonably expect to use it?

What happens to the comfort over time?

Will I be replacing it again in a few years?

And, most importantly, how do I actually feel after sleeping on it?

We've spent money trying to save money before.

Buy the less expensive mattress. Replace it a few years later. Repeat.

At some point, inexpensive becomes expensive.

Our experience with Tempur-Pedic has changed the way I look at that.

We're considering buying another one after only two years, but not because our current mattress failed.

It's because my body changed.

And this time, I have a much better understanding of exactly what I need from my bed.

Sometimes buying well isn't about buying the most expensive thing.

It's about buying the right thing—and hopefully only having to buy it once.

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