# Mattresses -> Buy new, throw in plywood, or ???



## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

I have back/neck/shoulder pain and have had increasing problems with getting comfortable enough to fall asleep or stay asleep. My mattress is ~13 yrs old and I've heard they should be replaced every 10 years. I have two options herein so far and would love some input from you guys! The options I've come up with: 

1) A family member has suggested that I put a sheet of plywood in between the sheets to extend its remaining life/firm it up; or 

2) I buy new: where do I go and what do you recommend? (any chance of this being covered by insurance??)


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Y & A - I know this is not what you are asking, but have you tried to ameliorate the neck and shoulder pain through other means? I'm thinking physical therapy, massage, and strength training. 

I'm also interested in the responses about the mattress - I have a very high-end mattress (which I LOVE) that is now just over 10 years old. I am wondering whether the recommendation to replace every 10 years is pure marketing, or what.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Young&Ambitious said:


> 1) A family member has suggested that I put a sheet of plywood in between the sheets to extend its remaining life/firm it up;


I'm assuming you mean a sheet of plywood between the mattress and the box spring, right?

I've only had two mattresses in my adult life, and I'm 51; the first one worked fine for me from 1980 until 1995, and I've had the second one since 1995. I'm still using the same box spring I bought in 1980. Both were good mattresses but not by any means top-of-the-line; the first was a Sealy Posturpedic and the one I currently use is a Nobel Beautyrest. I am pretty careful to turn my mattress once a year or so, flipping it over, then flipping top to bottom next time, and so on, to change the load distribution periodically. The mattress still feels comfortable to me.

One consideration is that mattresses build up a pretty sizeable ecosystem of microsopic critters over time, and if that creeps you out you may want to buy a new one. A 10-year-old mattress is probably well-stoked with all kinds of mites and microbes; I don't mind sharing the bed with them but it's not everyone's cup of tea.


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## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

Hi MoneyGal, yes I've done physio & massage and I'm now starting yoga to help "manage" it on a longer-term basis as my dr. puts it, as I'll be dealing with this for the rest of my life. 

Brad: oops yes between the mattress & spring box!

I've flipped/rotated it periodically as well. As far as microscopic bedmates I have dogs & cats who use the bed probably almost as much I do and I'm sure are much less clean so I'm not too concerned about those ones


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Young&Ambitious said:


> Brad: oops yes between the mattress & spring box!


Putting in a bedboard would of course be the cheapest solution, so you could try that first to see if it helps; if it doesn't you won't have lost much other than the hassle of getting the plywood. You could do some research online to see what thickness of plywood would be recommended for this purpose; too thin and it won't provide support.

Actually the easiest way to test whether this would work is to just drag your mattress off the box spring and put it directly on the floor; try sleeping like that for a night and see if it helps. This won't work as a long-term solution as you'll get moisture and mold build-up beneath the mattress if it stays directly on the floor (maybe not if your floor is carpeted).

If you do get a new mattress, it helps to spend more than a few minutes testing each mattress before you make a decision. A mattress that feels comfortable in the first couple of minutes might start feeling less comfortable after 5 or 10. 

Many of the higher-end mattresses have finishes or coatings to discourage mites and microbes from settling in, but I think they can still build up over time; it's practically inevitable. It's especially prevalent in pillows, and I need to be more ruthless about replacing my pillows; I have a tendency to keep them far longer than I should.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Young&Ambitious said:


> I have back/neck/shoulder pain and have had increasing problems with getting comfortable enough to fall asleep or stay asleep. My mattress is ~13 yrs old and I've heard they should be replaced every 10 years. I have two options herein so far and would love some input from you guys! The options I've come up with:
> 
> ...


If it is any encouragement, I know someone who has had chronic back/shoulder pain, for which he had been going to physiotherapy for years; and it disappeared as soon as he bought a new mattress.


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

Y&A - I share your pain, literally.
As a chronic bad back person for the last 18 years or so I really couldn't find a way to improve my sleep on the old mattress I got from my Mom when I moved away after college. It was about 15 years old and was pretty warped and worn down.
We replaced our bed (which was a double) to a Queen (so we needed a new box spring too). The difference has been night and day. We waited for a sale @ the Brick and got the pair for about $800. The back pain slowly but surely began to reside (although it will never go away entirely, which I accept). I now sleep at night and don't wake up aching. The Brick also tossed in two memory foam pillows (which are great) and a mattress protector. I also got the delivery fee waived.

Best of luck.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

I am not a big spender and will always go for the lower end products but whenever I even get even close to needing them, my money always comes out for the purchase of a new bed, new window wipers for my car and a new ice/snow scraper. Sometimes even when I don't need them. This is from a guy that is wearing the same winter boots for the last 29 years and is wondering if a cell phone would be handy.

I just think those particular items make life so much more enjoyable.


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## BETTYVEE (Dec 23, 2009)

*buggers*

Ive heard that old mattress use to have certain chemicals/pesticides that bedbugs hated. Since a majority of these pesticides have been banned we now have an "outbreak"..10 years may not be old enough to still contain some of those nasty chemicals but I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of my mattress..

I could be wrong and I can't remember where I heard/read about that but i believe it...


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

BETTYVEE said:


> Ive heard that old mattress use to have certain chemicals/pesticides that bedbugs hated.


On the other hand, some older mattresses are very likely to contain PBDEs, which are fire-retardant chemicals that were used in several types of foams (including mattresses) up until about 7 years ago. PBDEs are not chemically bound to foam, and they are released over time and become mixed up in house dust, where they can fall on the floor or in your food. If you have kids crawling on the floor, exposure to PBDEs in house dust is a concern, because laboratory studies (and a limited number of human studies) suggest they can have harmful effects on learning, memory, and behavior in young chlidren. PBDEs are also suspected endocrine disruptors and may have effects on thydroid as well.

PBDEs are no longer being used in mattresses and other foams, although they are still being used to make some electronics, including the backs of some television sets (these uses will be phased out). 

Adults are probably less susceptible to the effects of PBDEs than young children are, but if you have (or are planning to have) kids it might be worth replacing your mattress (and box spring) with post-2004 models or at least ensuring that they are PBDE-free.


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## Square Root (Jan 30, 2010)

I also suffer from a bad back. We recently replaced our mattresses and although expensive ($2k for king) they are very comfortable and seem much better quality than the ones we had before. Back is better. Got them at Sleep Country.


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## ldk (Nov 10, 2009)

We also recently bought a new (high end) mattress from Sleep Country (Kings Down, maybe?) and I whole heartedly recommend spending the money for a good quality mattress. The quality of your sleep has a huge impact on the quality of your life, imo.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Recently upgraded to a very expensive mattress from sleep country totally worth very penny. Haggle like crazy we got our for about 60% off the list.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

I got a brand spanking new IKEA mattress for $60 on crazy Wednesday. My old mattress was a Sealy I got used from a shop that resold hotel goods but it looked brand new when I got it. Now with the bed bug epidemic I wouldn't even think about it. 

If you're on a budget you might want to look at the IKEA mattresses, mine is awesome.


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## DavidJD (Sep 27, 2009)

How much of your life is spent on your bed? Now the cost of a mattress should fade as a concern. Get the best/right mattress and don't look back. It is true that mattresses have a very high mark up. I suspect due to shipping costs. For a couple of days I helped deliver mattresses for a friend's tiny company that sold mattress from the back of an industrial building/warehouse. Families would come and haggle and walk away laughing at the deal they got for 5 mattresses, my friend laughed for the great deal he made. These were top quality mattresses too. His salespitch when people began to get silly about the price was to send them to major mattress dealer, compare specs and then come back. When they came back, always did, they bought several (cabin, kids, etc).

I was having leg/hip pains and I fixed this by putting a pillow under my knees when I sleep (on my back). Still amazed at how simple a fix this was.


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## clovis8 (Dec 7, 2010)

DavidJD said:


> How much of your life is spent on your bed? Now the cost of a mattress should fade as a concern. Get the best/right mattress and don't look back. It is true that mattresses have a very high mark up. I suspect due to shipping costs. For a couple of days I helped deliver mattresses for a friend's tiny company that sold mattress from the back of an industrial building/warehouse. Families would come and haggle and walk away laughing at the deal they got for 5 mattresses, my friend laughed for the great deal he made. These were top quality mattresses too. His salespitch when people began to get silly about the price was to send them to major mattress dealer, compare specs and then come back. When they came back, always did, they bought several (cabin, kids, etc).
> 
> I was having leg/hip pains and I fixed this by putting a pillow under my knees when I sleep (on my back). Still amazed at how simple a fix this was.


I think this is one item where you dont want to be too cheap. You spend 1/3 of your life in your bed. I use to have a cheap mattress and I could barely sleep and had pain all the time. I finally bought a new set ($1000) and it makes all the difference in the world. I have no more pain and I feel rested and better all day. 

Before I bought I did a TON of research. Here are my pointers;

1) dont go too cheap (less than $500) but more than $1000 you a paying for name brand.

2) try out A LOT of them in the store. Lay right out on them. I know it feels weird in the middle of the store but you have to do it. 

3) There are guides online which match firmness and your sleeping patters (face down on side etc). Use them they work.

4) Buy new pillows also.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I bought a queen size box spring and mattress last year for $1400 ,replaced my bed i bought in 1998 for maybe $700.I have less headaches , neck and should issues ,it helped us so much we went and bought exact same bed for our daughter's room as she was complaining.It is first time we owned a pillow top,we bought one that has a summer and winter side and you should flip your bed every 6 months.My husband vacuums our mattress every time we wash the sheets ,he likes to think he will suck all the mites and such off lol.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2010)

And to add a wrinkle to the discussion ... got a Sears demo bed ... 1/2 was firm, the other 1/2 not so firm ... cool, eh


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

You will be hard pressed to buy a mattress that is not sold as 50% off. That is just one of the gimicks nowadays. It is very hard to comparsion shop because the same mattress is often sold with different coverings to each retail chain. Our current mattress, top of the line, came from Costco. Ordered in the store, delivered to our house about three weeks later. That was ten years ago and it is still like new. You need to remember to turn it over, turn it upside down on a regular basis.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

DavidJD said:


> How much of your life is spent on your bed? Now the cost of a mattress should fade as a concern.


Funny, when a salesman said this to me at Sleep Country I promptly walked out the door after saying nay a word to him.

I agree that you should throw cost out the door to a point (isn't it a $50K mattress the queen sleeps on? Not many of us would go for that price point) but also shop around and don't let sales people's cheesey questions steer your emotions beyond common sense.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Addy said:


> Funny, when a salesman said this to me at Sleep Country I promptly walked out the door after saying nay a word to him.
> 
> I agree that you should throw cost out the door to a point (isn't it a $50K mattress the queen sleeps on? Not many of us would go for that price point) but also shop around and don't let sales people's cheesey questions steer your emotions beyond common sense.


I'm with you. It seems to me there are a lot of untested hypotheses in this discussion, the main one that increasing spending on your mattress means you are getting a "better" one (as opposed to the same one sold at a discount elsewhere, but with less profit built in). 

That said, I sleep on a Canadian-made Marshall mattress that I was able to purchase directly from the manufacturer at a wholesale price (because I know a woman who runs a hotel that purchases Marshall mattresses). MSR was over $2000 for the mattress alone; I paid $500.


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## Young&Ambitious (Aug 11, 2010)

At this point I'm tempted to steal an ex-boyfriends mattress 

All kidding aside I asked him about his, $2k Serta so more than what I had been hoping for...

It doesn't seem like there's a clear winner as a TO-GO-TO place :/ Too bad, it would've made the mattress hunt easier


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

I ordered a foam mattress online from Costco for $1200 about 4 years ago without even trying it out first. They delivered it to my house, carried it in, and I was good to go. It's extremely comfortable, perfect level of firmness for my liking (the online description was very accurate) and I sleep amazingly in it. Comparable mattresses (even after haggling) at furniture stores were $2000+. Also with Costco, if you sleep on the mattress for a while and decide it's not for you, they will come take it away and give you a full refund. As frugal as I am, $1200 for a good quality mattress that lasts 10 years+, and you spend 30% of your life laying on is worth every penny.


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## Fisherman30 (Dec 5, 2018)

Ah....just realized the previous guy revived this thread, and that it's almost 10 years old. Sorry.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I'll second the foam mattress can work. Feb 2020 I dumpster dove a new in original compressed state double bed mattress and a king mattress topper. 

With covid having closed, I chose to make a double frame from a twin frame using staves salvaged from a big cable reel, but it is working fine. The topper I fit to my queen mattress using a very sharp fish boning knife to cut the foam to fit. The queen mattress and box spring was bought at auction still in plastic for $60 about 5 years ago. 

I am not against ZZZ though. I made a pretty good profit on a good cycle for them holding their stock for about 16 months.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Interesting about the foam mattresses, @Fisherman30 and @Ponderling 

I also have a foam mattress, but there are differences among these. Some have a more rigid structure and look like a typical mattress, it's just that they are made of foam layers (this is what I have). Others are a much lighter density, less rigid foam that comes rolled up "in a box".

It hasn't been a full year yet, but I am happy with my foam mattress. But I do wonder how long it will last, before the foam starts to sag.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I started in my own place after uni on a foam mattress from idomo in 89. 

The salesman had three tiers - $200, 400 and 600. He said 200 and you will be back for a new one in a year. 400 at least 4 years, 600 at least 6 years. I sprang for the $600 one.

We slept on that, still comfortable, until about 2016 when the above mentioned box spring was bought at auction.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Ponderling said:


> We slept on that, still comfortable, until about 2016 when the above mentioned box spring was bought at auction.


This mattress lasted for 27 years? Did I read that right?

Good thing you got the $600 one. My word.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Well it sat idle for almost 4 years while we were in Oz. And 5 years when we first got together it was the spare bedroom bed. so yes, long time but it had some vacations. 

Bough with two sets of good cotton high thread count sheets and a second fitted sheet for on bottom. Washed the two bottom all at the same interval so less chance body oils could get into the foam.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Now I am starting to wonder if we need to a new mattress. We still have the box spring set that we bought 23 years ago on sale on boxing day for $700. We have gone through 3 bed frames (don't ask). We always put a thick foam mattress topper. We have also gone through 3 mattress toppers. 

It's super comfortable, doesn't seem to sag and I get a good night sleep. What are the signs it is time?


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