This is what I just recommended but couldn't think of the term for the sellers, lol.
Just got a king sized TemperFlex Hybrid Elite for $450, ErgoSmart base for $800! Both still cheaper than ONE of either at full price(~$3k mattress/$2600k base).
Check Marketplace for 'small/local business' deals. Not always used BUT obviously depending on condition, I personally would have no issue with preowned for the right mattress. Idc if it fell off a truck tbh, lol. I lucked out and just paid $450 for an unused King sized TempurFlex Elite Hybrid (*discontinued, but ~$3000+ MSRP&) and $800 for the Tempur ErgoSmart Adjustable base (*~$2600 at Mattress Firm*). Each seller seemed to have a large inventory and both delivered/set up after having me by to test and inspect the products. And everyone had PHENOMENAL reviews, which I saw why after my interactions.
Ok i literally JUST went through this exact situation and resolved it! I could have written your original post
We have a medium-soft tempurpedic bed from Costco and lately I’ve connected that my back pain is being caused by it being too soft.
I also was sleeping on the couch recently because my husband was sick and I was trying to avoid catching it, and also noticed it helped my back pain.
I got a 3” medium latex topper from sleep on latex a few days ago, and I swear in one single night sleeping on it, I went from barely being able to change positions in bed without intense back pain, to my pain being COMPLETELY GONE the next morning.
It feels like magic and now I’m obsessed with this latex topper and will tell anyone who will listen how amazing it is 😂
Full memory foam is the only thing that worked for me. Absolutely life changing. I have a tempupedic soft. You do not want hard, it’s a myth that that’s better for you.
With your size and weight, finding something supportive but not too firm can be a challenge. You might have to try quite a few mattresses - in stores and using trial periods.
I’m 5’3” and ca. 120 pounds, and lots of mattress trials over the last 3 years taught me that most mattresses labelled “medium-firm” and many mattresses labelled “medium” feel either painfully hard or actually too soft (when there are thicker comfort layers and my body isn’t heavy enough to “interact” with the support layer).
So here’s what I learned - of course not everything will apply to you:
1) mattresses for teenagers / children can be more suitable although they’re often thinner than mainstream mattresses for adults; definitely worth a try.
2) a mattress for a lightweight adult needs to be of a softer firmness throughout (not just a soft comfort layer). This is more expensive to make, or at least make well, and mostly it’s higher-end mattress makers that bother with it (eg Vispring).
3) what can work is a simple mattress with “medium” pocket springs or coils (not “medium-firm”!) plus a high-quality foam topper, eg Tempuroedic or soft Talalay latex.
4) Memory foam: Dormeo has some medium-soft mattresses in your price range; however, medium-soft usually means a thicker layer of soft memory foam & too much sinkage for your taste; I didn’t like it in the end.
The current Emma hybrids are relatively soft and can work for lightweight sleepers; I didn’t like the feel of how the foam compressed
A Tempurpedic “soft” might have the right feel and support; their outlet store sometimes has mattresses in your price range or just a bit over
5) non-memory polyfoam: can be amazing if it has just the right density. Over decades of mattress troubles I only had one type of polyfoam mattress that felt just right for me (German company).
6) Latex: can be amazing for petite bodies. I currently sleep on an all-latex mattress, 6” medium dunlop, 2” soft talalay. This is better than anything else I tried; still feel there’s a bit too much push back (what makes it feel too firm) and will try an altogether softer setup.
I made a longer comment on this thread too to someone else. The mattress I returned to Costco was the hybrid Tempur-Pedic with adjustable base, and while I loved the quality and value of the base, the mattress was TERRIBLE. It became unbearably hot within 45 minutes of laying on it and I spent about 2 months trying to give it a chance, or for me to somehow acclimate, and it ended with me constantly waking in the night sweating profusely. I’ve never had this happen before, like there were visible sweat marks! It was also pathetic in terms of coils and structure compared to this one. So that’s my Tempur-Pedic experience if it’s helpful. I’m loving this Novaform the longer I’m on it. I keep falling asleep in little deep sleep naps here, sleep I’ve clearly not been getting!
I’m so happy for yours to be delivered too! You’ll have to update or review on their website! This mattress keeps getting better the more I lay on it, like I’m falling asleep napping and it’s unexpected very deep sleep, and I thought I’d been stressed lately, which yes, but also goes to show how much the mattress I returned was definitely not working for me! I was constantly waking up on it and sweating profusely!
As for the sheets, the cotton sateen set I have on it now are the Hotel Signature 800 TC in queen size, also from my beloved lol Costco, and I’m not sure if they’ve just shrunk in the dryer significantly, or perhaps were cut small. I’m leaning towards the cotton shrinking. In my second pic, you can see they’re a good 2.5” shorter on each side of the mattress, despite being specified for mattresses up to 18.” To be clear, the fitted sheet goes on, it’s a tight fit, yet it goes on, and it’s definitely not going anywhere, because it’s *stretched.* I just really prefer the sheet, especially for such a nice mattress, to have a perfect look completely covering the sides. I saw another Redditor saying something about buying king size sheets and that hadn’t occurred to me. Mine is a queen mattress, so that might actually be the solution if I become bothered enough to spend more money on sheets. At this point though, my sheet sets are still so well made, and technically stay on the bed, it’s hard to justify spending on a set just to not briefly see the few inches of mattress sticking out. I do have a king size down comforter with duvet, so it covers the sides of the mattress and sheets and gives the bed that perfect finished look.
Link to sheets on Costco (these had a strong chemical smell and I remember them being scratchy at first. After soaking them in the generic form of Oxiclean, omg everything Costco here, it’s the Kirkland version, the smell went away. One side, the one with the embroidery line at the top, isn’t scratchy, so I make the bed with it facing inward for softness on skin - I think I may have seen a comment somewhere about these):
https://www.costco.com/p/-/hotel-signature-800-thread-count-cotton-6-piece-sheet-set/4000099225?COSTID=iosapp_25.12.2&TRACKING=NO&adobe_mc=TS%3D1768088747%7CMCMID%3D87829878352409572335404659717659793116%7CMCORGID%3D97B21CFE5329614E0A490D45@AdobeOrg&sh=true&nf=true
To anyone reading this, if you have a queen, due to the 16.5” thickness, it’s worth considering going with a king size comforter depending on your frame height, plus this mattress height. And perhaps king sheets too.
For my mattress protector, I have two protectors to choose from - one waterproof protector and a regular slightly padded cotton-polyester one. Amidst my mattress shopping/education rabbit hole I came across a YT channel by a gentleman who’s been in the mattress business in Ventura CA for like 3 decades as a custom mattress builder and he was saying it’s actually pretty important for a mattress to be able to breathe, so he doesn’t recommend fully waterproof encasements, unless there’s a biological reason for the bed occupants where they must use that to prevent the mattress from ruin. Previously I’ve used my waterproof protector and thought that was best, when I removed it from my old mattress several months ago (prior to the new one I just returned) I noticed the top layer of that mattress looked shriveled, like it’d been too long underneath layers of mattress toppers and the waterproof cover to get the air needed to stay somewhat fluffy), so I trust the breathability thing is true and put the older cotton-poly protector on this Novaform Platinum. IMO a mattress protector is a necessity. No matter what you have, something is better than nothing, so use what you’ve got. Sheets alone aren’t enough, a second barrier to sweat, skin cells, slobber, etc. goes a long way in keeping the mattress as sterile as possible upon delivery and prolonging its use/staying out of the landfill as many years as possible.
I also returned the adjustable base with the hybrid Tempur-Pedic (that mattress was so, so, so hot and cannot hold a candle to this Novaform so far). The base was very well made and I liked it a lot more than the decked out versions at Mattress Firm with creepy AI sleep tracking. The Costco Tempur-Pedic base had a simple setup, yet was solid and quiet. There’s no way I’d use an adjustable base with the thickness of this Novaform Platinum mattress. I also have a hard time believing over time it wouldn’t do something to the coils to be contorted like that on a base, again due to the number of coils and thickness. Maybe that’s just me though.
jjgill27
