Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I know memory foam quite well, having used a bunch of them over the years. I bought a Tempurpedic in 2002 and it's still as good as the day I got it (the best thing about memory foam: it LASTS) and is very simply the ultimate foam mattress, in my opinion. It conforms perfectly to my body and never causes stress on pressure points. It sleeps a tiny bit hot, but that's the only negative I can think of after 11 years. Oh yes, there is one other negative: it costs well over two grand. That's where all the other new memory foam companies come in. They know their foam is not as good as Tempurpedic's, but their price point is the selling point. Just don't believe the hype: I have slept on or tried out at least a dozen firms' memfoams, and Temp is the best. Period. So if you want the best, and can afford it, spring for a Tempurpedic, and get the adjustable base! Being able to lift your legs and head is a major plus in every way. But gee whiz, is this a Tempurpedic review or what? Nope, but now we come to this Sleep Innovations mattress knowing what it is not: as good as a Tempurpedic. BUT. But, it costs less than 25% of the price! And all told, this mattress is about 70-80% as good as a Tempurpedic, and better than any other memory foam I've tried at any price, even over double this, except for the Temp. For those who recognize value, that's probably close enough. But wait: what if there was a way to make this mattress 90% as good as the Temp...for only a hundred bucks or so more? Well, there is. You see, the first of two semi-truths told by SI about this mattress is that they call it "medium to medium-firm". WRONG. It is firm, period. Unless a sheet of plywood is firm. Then this would be medium. But we have an older SI in the guest room (yes, we like our guests!) that we have slept on sometimes, and it is a tad firmer than this, and it was called "medium". I don't know what the folks on SI sleep on---rock floors? But for me a medium means you can easily side-sleep with zero discomfort or wear the next day. And in general, these SI "mediums" are NOT the best if you're a side sleeper. Unless.... Now we're back to how to make this a softer, almost pillow-toppy mattress, and near-perfect for a side-sleeper: get a mattress topper...preferably from Tempurpedic! Yes, despite selling their mattresses for 2-3k, Temp also makes excellent toppers for 100-300, and they give you all the softness of their big mattress, which when combined with the exceptional support of this SI queen, give you a sleep darn near a 2.5k Temp, for less than a third of the price. Now that is a square deal. This mattress is already perfect for you if you like a really firm mattress. It seems soft at first, but a night on it will show that it is FIRM. Not medium, and not medium-firm. Yes, the gel beads make it sleep a little cooler than a Temp, but any foam will give back a lot of your body heat, simply by the nature of foam. So use two or three layers of soft sheets! Adding a topper, even a Temp, does not make it sleep much warmer, and for me during winter sleeping warm is a great thing anyhow. If you do like firm, then this is ready to go and is a superb value at the present price here of 470; seeing as memory foam can last for decades, that's a steal. If you like medium, get this plus a good topper. If you like soft, stick to a pillow top, or maybe two toppers on this... but why not just get a super soft one at that point? The careful reader might well be wondering, "What about the second semi-truth?" Well, that would be that this is in fact a memory foam mattress. It is in actuality a "support" foam mattress with a waffle foam upper-mid section and a memory foam topper. Yes, read the description: "Top layer: 2 inches of memory foam swirled with cool gel. Middle layer: 2 inches of air channel foam for enhanced airflow and customized support Bottom layer: 8 inches of support foam for stability and durability." Hence the price being 20% of a Tempurpedic...because they use 20% of the more expensive memory foam. Which begs the question: does one really need the extra 80% of memfoam? Once again, it's price vs. performance. The full memfoam mattress is absolutely more supportive and also softer while still feeling firm. That's the "miracle" of memfoam. But as noted, it's the first few inches that make the most difference in feel, and adding another few inches of memfoam on top of these two inches makes it very similar to a Tempurpedic. I still think Temp overprices their mattresses due to the name they've developed, and that they could do a six inch memfoam/six inch "support" foam mattress and give practically the same performance at less than half the price. But then they couldn't charge over two grand. So: if you want a Tempurpedic but can't afford it, get this plus a good topper and you're very close to your dream at less than a third of the price. Plus it keeps the mattress top clean, no small detail as the years float by. Note: this queen mattress is delivered all folded up in a surprisingly small box (36"/18" or so), and I recommend opening it in a spare room with a fan and open window, as like every foam mattress it will off-gas for a while. Give it two days and it's perfect. As well, the top is a cottonish blend and I highly recommend using at least three sheets or much better a topper, as this thing could last for twenty years or more, and you can't take off that top to wash it...so don't get it sweaty or dirty, ever! You can buy a cover, but the topper I recommend will obviate that issue: two birds with one topper. For less than 500 clams, this thing is a straight up bargoon. But it is firm, so keep that in mind.