With customizable air chamber and memory foam options to choose from, Sleep Number beds are among the most popular mattress brands available today. Unfortunately, a major downside of the latest high-tech mattresses is the increased price of each year’s new and improved models. According to Sleep Number bed reviews, a heftier price tag doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. Read what Viewpoints reviewers have to say about the quality of their c2, c3, and c4 Classic Series Sleep Number beds, and you may think twice before opting for the newest mattress on the market. With queen sets starting at $999.98, the Sleep Number Classic Series c2 mattress is the most affordable mattress in the Classic Series (c1 mattresses are no longer manufactured). Although its mattress is only 8-inches thick (as opposed to the 9-inch c3 and the 10-inch c4), the c2 mattress is the best reviewed of the Classic Series with a Viewpoints score of 77/100 based on 16 reviews. Several reviewers tried out more recent models and didn’t find the extra features to be worth the extra expense.
“I was skeptical about going into a mattress shop. The salesman put us in the top of the line bed with all the bells and whistles and I actually felt just as comfortable on the C2 (their “base” model) as I did on the other ones. They actually “test” you on the C3 which is about 600 more than the C2 and the only difference is the extra inch of padding you get…. Buy a 4″ memory foam topper from Walmart for a buck and a half and you just saved yourself 3,000 large ones” - koopa1982, Reviewer since 2009 “I bought a separate Memory Foam CoolGel 2 inch mattress topper to zip inside the cover of my new mattress, which instantly upgraded the comfort to that of the higher priced SC mattresses that include a layer of memory foam. I love this mattress and could never go back to sleeping on anything else.” - drallim, Reviewer since 2010 The price goes up with the Sleep Number c3 mattress (queen sets start at $1,399.98) while the Viewpoints rating drops three points below the c2′s Viewpoints score.
Overall, reviewers were pleased with the support and comfort levels of the c3 model, but many found the price (nearly 400 dollars more for an extra inch of memory foam) unreasonable. “This bed is pretty much a glorified air mattress. When I lower the sleep number for a softer bed, I feel like I’m sinking into the bed, or like I’m on a hammock. When making the bed firmer, it just feels like something is sticking you in the back! Take my advice and save your money.” - jampcat9, Reviewer since 2009 “Overall this bed is acceptable – but certainly not as wonderful as I expected it to be from all the hype and commercials! I think the price is too high and then there is an additional cost for everything from the box spring to the mattress cover to everything else…so even if there is a “sale” on the mattress, you’ll rack up expenses with other items.” - ltupper, Reviewer since 2011 With the lowest Viewpoints score (67/100 based on 14 reviews) and the highest price (queen sets starting at $1,699.98), the Sleep Number Classic Series c4 mattress is proof that more isn’t always better.
Its 10-inch mattress includes over 2.5-inches of foam designed to soothe common pressure points, but dissatisfied reviewers frequently mention its poor support. And while not everyone was unhappy with the mattress, many were unhappy with the price tag. “It is impossible to get comfortable, I have adjusted the mattress every level. It looks terrible, there is a big low spot right down the middle. It has done nothing for my back. For the money, I would buy a regular mattress.” - bumblebea, Reviewer since 2010 “This thing is all hype and it just doesn’t deliver. It has its good points – it is adjustable, and it really does relieve pressure points. But my husband and I spend the whole night trying not to roll into the sink hole that is the middle of the bed. The dip in the middle is what you would get if you had a cheap mattress after a couple of months use. It is disappointing and I honestly would never recommend this bed to anyone. Save your money on the Sleep Number and get a real mattress!” – jollyrancher77, Reviewer since 2011
All in all, when it comes to mattress technology, less is more for some customers. While all Sleep Number beds in the Classic Series have a mix of positive and negative reviews on Viewpoints, the Sleep Number c2 mattress is the best in the Classic Series bunch. If you’re considering a Sleep Number Classic Series mattress, save a few hundred dollars, and go for the original Sleep Number bed. Editor’s note: If you have professional experience with mattresses, Viewpoints is recruiting experts in priority product categories to write for our blog. Check out this overview of the Viewpoints Category Expert Program, including qualifications, compensation and how to apply.I’m so excited for the Purple mattress review. The company sent me a free king size Purple mattress to test out. This mattress may make the color purple more popular than Prince himself. The reason for my excitement is that this mattress has a top layer construction that is unlike anything I have reviewed so far.
I first found out about the Purple mattress through the Kickstarter campaign where 320 backers pledged $171,560 to bring the project to life. I have seen other mattress Kickstarter campaigns and they don’t even come close to the popularity of Purple. Below is their official Kickstarter video. Below is their famous raw egg test video on the Purple Mattress featuring Mallory Everton from Studio C, a well known YouTube channel: You can order Purple direct from their website. According to my UPS tracking, the mattress with packaging weighs in at 143 lbs. By far the heaviest mattress I have reviewed. Right now you can get a king size for $1,299. As a general rule of thumb, I find the heavier the mattress, the more quality you get. That’s because there’s just more material in there to work with. The mattress comes in a plastic bag as shown below. There’s no external box, just this which is really cool. the top unzips and then you can slide it out of the bag. Getting it out of the bag may take two people since it’s in there tight.
Instead I just cut the bag open which is a shame because it would be great to reuse to store things in. The bag also comes with handles so it makes it easier to move. This came in super handy while bringing it up a flight of stairs. At over 140 lbs. I’ll take all the help I can get. Here’s me unboxing the Purple Mattress. When unzipping the cover I found that they give you a cutter, instructions and two mini samples of the purple top layer. You can unzip the ticking. I really like the embossed “Purple” logo on the sides: What really makes this mattress stand out from the competition is the Smart-Comfort Grid. Here’s a sample that comes with the mattress when you open the purple plastic casing. The only similar mattress I have come across is the IntelliBed which uses “Intelli-gel” which look similar to the Purple technology. The difference is that the IntelliBED uses innersprings and latex instead of foam layers. The IntelliBED costs a bit more though. Here’s the full Intellibed Review.
Their Relief Perfect Low Motion model costs $3,599 for a a queen. While you can get a queen size Purple mattress through the link below for $999. Here’s what the layers look like. The bottom two layers are really just for support. What makes Purple unique is the top layer. So, what is the Purple mattress made of? The Purple mattress is made of a hyper elastic polymer grid that collapses when exerting a certain amount of pressure. The grid will provide support and pressure relief where need while maintaining a cool sleep environment. The first night of sleeping on this mattress was wonderful. This is truly a unique sleep experience in large part because of the Smart-Comfort Grid. You get a sort of floating sensation and the grid conforms to all your pressure points while providing support where you need it. Here’s what the grid looks like: This is also the most breathable mattress I have ever tested. If your major concern is sleeping hot, then get this mattress. It beats all the competitors hands down.
The Purple ranks extremely high in point elasticity. That means it will collapse where needed without affecting the other parts of a mattress. A traditional inner spring has low point elasticity, think about how you feel your partner moving around. The best example of the Purple point elasticity is their egg test where it rapidly adjusts to the pressure exerted by the egg. The only other mattress with this high level of point elasticity that I have tested i the Luxi mattress. Luxi calls this their SBT layer (Support Balancing Layer). Here’s a comparison of the Luxi vs. Purple Here’s a video illustrating how each layer works: With this mattress you sleep on it more than in it. Whether or not that’s a good thing comes down to preference. Some people like more of a pillow top feel some don’t. Notice that there isn’t a large amount of sinkage with this mattress however it does a wonderful job with pressure relief. Here’s how it handles motion transfer: I don’t notice my partner shifting around on this mattress.
Motion is very well contained and it also bounces back into shape well which is very hard to achieve in a mattress. If you’re looking for sheets for the Purple mattress, I strongly recommend going with a set the Purple Sheets. They are stretchy and breathable so you will get the full performance of the mattress. The same goes with a mattress protector. You can get other brands of performance sheets such as Sheex or Bedgear but I haven’t come across a mattress protector like the Purple Mattress protector. It is very stretchy but still waterproof, breathable and light. The Purple mattress provides amazing pressure relief and temperature regulation. It doesn’t sleep “cool” or “hot” instead it just passes heat through the comfort grid. I love how it contours so well to your body. In my opinion it truly is a Goldilocks mattress in the sense that you get great support and contouring. However it isn’t a mattress that feels “cozy” or will hug you. I weigh over 210 lbs. and the grid handled my body just fine.
According to their side, 300 lbs. is the threshold for weight. That means 300 per person so 600 total. I sleep primarily on my stomach and side and this mattress felt great in both positions. Sometimes I get numbness in my arm from sleeping on my stomach on certain mattresses. The Purple was able to sink enough in the right areas so this didn’t happen. Expect to hear a lot about Purple in the near future. It’s a game changer in the mattress industry and is exploding in popularity. If you are looking for a mattress with high point elasticity like Purple but also want more “hug” check out my super in depth overview of the Luxi and Purple technology. Purple has recently launched some new accessories including the Purple Mattress Protector and the Purple Pillow. Below is a video overview of the Purple Pillow Purple doesn’t do coupon codes. Click here to Shop Purple and get the best discount. Live in the Twin Cities? Check out some of the online brands in person at the Sleep Sherpa Showroom This type of mattress store is the only one available in the USA!