Posturepedic Elite Albany II 14" Firm Mattress

Today I pulled the trigger on a Back Science level 1 in Cal King. Background: Two years ago I went through lumbar microdiscectomy/laminectomy, and I unfortunately still have not recovered 100%. I still have pain and a numb foot that sometimes gets better, but sometimes it is literally a pain in the back. I've been recently thinking that the reason why I am still in pain is my mattress. It is a good quality mattress, but it is medium and I am a heavy person, so I kind of sink into it. I recently went on a trip to Europe and slept on a pretty firm mattress for about to weeks and my pain got significantly better, so this is the reason I started to think that I need a firm mattress. Before pulling the trigger on the back science mattress today, I went to a mattress store and tried a few mattresses. The only one that I found comfortable and firm enough was a sealy posturepedic elite Albany 2 firm. However, I thought that I needed it to be a bit firmer, and this is the reason I went ahead and purchased the Back Science level 1 mattress. Question: since I was unable to try the back science level 1 mattress before I bought it, I am now wondering if the level 1 is going to be way too firm and I should have gone with level 2. I currently sleep 80% to 90% of the time on my back, and unable to sleep on my side without waking up in pain the next morning. Does anybody here have bought the Back Science level 1? Any insights on this mattress?

Hello, Recovering from a lumbar microdiscectomy and laminectomy is a long road, and lingering nerve compression like a numb foot is incredibly frustrating when trying to get a good night's rest. You absolutely made the right call going with the Back Science Series 1, and it is the exact model I would recommend for your specific situation. Sinking into a medium mattress causes the hips to drop lower than the rest of the body. This hammock effect flexes the lower back and closes the spaces where the nerves exit the spine, directly aggravating lingering issues from surgery. The relief found on a firm European mattress occurs because it keeps the lumbar spine in a neutral, flat alignment. Sleeping primarily on the back at a heavier body weight demands maximum structural push-back in the center third of the bed. The Series 1 delivers this through a robust 1000-count coil system and our patent-pending Lumbar-Flex zoned support. This system actively lifts the hips and lower back to maintain that crucial alignment, providing the extra firmness that might have felt missing from the Sealy Posturepedic Elite Albany 2 Firm. The Series 2 is designed with a luxury-firm feel to allow side sleepers' shoulders and hips to sink in more. Given that side sleeping currently causes pain, the firmer, flatter surface of the Series 1 is necessary to stabilize the spine and provide comfortable back support. It is completely natural to second-guess an online mattress purchase, but the Back Science design removes the risk of being stuck with a bed that is not quite right. The mattress features our GripLock modular cover system. During the 365-Night Sleep Trial, if the Series 1 feels too rigid after the body has had a chance to adjust to the new support, we can simply send different internal components to swap out for free. This allows us to easily soften the feel to match the Series 2 without requiring a return of the mattress. You are in great hands with the Series 1, and it is engineered precisely to provide the rigid support your spine is craving right now. Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D.C. Founder and Head of Product Development

I feel much more supported, it’s a subtle change because I feel like it’s very similar in “firmness” but It doesn’t feel hard. Tried it without a mattress topper, slept through the night and woke up with no pain. I’m looking forward to breaking it in more. It was also nice to not need the mattress topper because I think it was making me overly hot anyways. Thank you again for the advice, Stranger!

I just purchased the Sealy Walsh from Sam's Club and I like it. I had a 15 year old Tempur-Pedic classic that was giving my back hell. I woke up every morning feeling like I had gone to war with that mattress. The Walsh is listed as a medium feel but I think it is more on the lower end of firm. My back pain was gone after the first nights sleep. I've had it about a month now. I hope it lasts.

Sealy Posturepedic (not Essentials) Typically firm If it was from MF, it'd be the Ashurst Firm If I knew what the Posturepedic Plus or Pro felt like (not on our stores floor) the The Albany Firm is perfect for a lot of my bigger guests. Its currently $2199 in a king.. Reasoning: Sealy has made beds since the 1890s, and I very seldom have a customer that ever had a bad taste in their mouth over it. All of the ones mentioned use individually wrapped coils. The edge support compared to other comparable priced brands is significantly better Basically the Toyota of the bedding world, whereas Stearns & Foster would be more like Lexus. Firm for bigger people is a generalization, as typically you need less artificial padding than other folks. They don't come rolled in boxes, which means they generally use denser materials. Not 100% why Amazon is your current preferred retailer but if you message me, im usually fairly good at making us equal if not us better for customers.