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Mattress Ratings > Sleep Number Bed Vs Tempur-Pedic Mattress
Unbiased Comparison Based on 3,376 Actual Consumer Experiences
(all models but Choice)
|Easy to move on||b||c-||C+|
|No middle problem||c-||A-||B-|
|No initial off gas odor||b-||d||C|
|No sleeping hot||c+||c-||C-|
|Good for sex||c-||c||C+|
|BBB rating / stability||a+ / Excellent||A+ / Good|
|Multiple adjustment zones||No||--||yes|
* Ratings are a partial estimate; owner experience data is limited given model newness.
The Sleep Number bed and the Tempur-Pedic bed are mostly very different, yet they often compete for the same buyers.
The Sleep Number beds use air for primary support, not foam or springs. Firmness and support can be adjusted by adding / removing air from the mattress using an electric pump. Each side of the bed can have its own setting.
By contrast, most Tempur-Pedic beds use foam for support, not air or springs. The Tempur-Pedic Choice (a fairly new model) is the exception as it uses air for support, a design generally similar to that of the Sleep Number bed.
Our research findings are based on 3,375+ consumer reviews for various Tempur-Pedic models (Cloud, Contour, Weightless, Grand, Allura, Rhapsody, Simplicity, Choice, discontinued models) and various Sleep Number / Select Comfort models (Classic c2, c3, c4, Performance p5, p6, Memory Foam m7, m9, Innovation i8, i10, and discontinued models).
The consumer experience data was collected from diverse, credible sources.
Sleep Like The Dead receives NO compensation of any kind from any company, organization or individual to affect in any way or degree the content of our website including our mattress research, ratings and comparisons.
Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic overall rate similar in owner satisfaction. Sleep Number has 78% owner satisfaction, while Tempur-Pedic has 81%.
Mattress durability refers to how well a bed will hold up to regular use without something breaking or deteriorating.
The somewhat mechanical nature of both the Sleep Number Bed and the Tempur-Pedic Choice means that more can conceivably go wrong with them.
At least 20% of Sleep Number bed owners report having over the span of ownership at least one durability problem – such as a leaking air chamber, broken pump, or malfunctioning controller. It is possible if not likely that the Tempur-Pedic Choice will be similar in this regard.
By contrast, only about 10% of non-Choice Tempur-Pedic bed owners report durability issues, usually related to sagging, softening and body impression development.
* partial estimate
In regard to longevity, both Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic have an average lifespan of about 10 years. Even though Sleep Number has historically had worse durability than Tempur-Pedic, the fact that any part of a Sleep Number bed can be replaced helps its longevity.
Tempur-Pedic is more often perceived as being a quality mattress than Sleep Number. The relative light weight of Sleep Number along with the fact that it is made of fairly simple materials cause some owners to question its quality.
By contrast, the heavy weight and fairly unique material of Tempur-Pedic beds often gives owners the impression that it is a quality product.
The average price of a Tempur-Pedic mattress (queen) is about $3,328, while the average price of a Sleep Number bed (queen) is about $2,668. In other words, on average, Tempur-Pedic is about 20% more expensive than Sleep Number.
Sleep Number beds and the Tempur-Pedic Choice may require certain replacement parts over the course of their lifespans – parts that will likely be only partially covered or not covered at all under their warranty terms. A non-Choice Tempur-Pedic model, by contrast, is less likely to need any repair / replacement and, consequently, it may have a lower overall cost of ownership even though its initial price may be higher.
Sleep Number currently offers 11 models, while Tempur-Pedic offers 18 including two airbed models, Choice Supreme and Choice Luxe. Model variety often results in consumers finding a mattress that suits them. It should be noted, however, that Sleep Number Bed stores usually carry all Sleep Number models, while most Tempur-Pedic retailers do not carry all Tempur-Pedic models.
Pain reduction refers mainly to back pain relief, but it can also refer to relief from hip, shoulder or other bodily pain. Both Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic perform well on this issue overall – as well as, if not better than, any other mattress.
The reason they are effective in reducing and or preventing pain is likely due to the contoured supportiveness that both beds provide.
Not all owners report less pain, however. Some, about 8% for Tempur-Pedic and 10-15% for Sleep Number, report new or increased pain since sleeping on the beds.
Motion isolation refers to how well a mattress keeps motion on the bed localized. In other words, a mattress with good motion isolation allows one person to move on the bed or get up off of it without disturbing another person on the bed. On this issue, both mattresses do well, but significantly more Tempur-Pedic owners report the benefit.
Due to the fact that sleepers tend to sink somewhat into Tempur-Pedic beds, these beds tend to be more difficult to move on and get up off than Sleep Number beds. Consequently, Sleep Number beds may be better suited for people who are weak, injured, sick, heavy, or elderly.
About 20% of Sleep Number bed owners report a problem with the middle of the bed where the two air chambers meet.
Some owners say there is a "valley" or "trench" in the middle, while others report a "hump." There also can be a problem with one or both sides of the bed sloping toward the middle which can cause a sleeper to roll or slide in that direction.
(It must be noted that the Sleep Number c3 and c4 models now use an "edge-to-edge" design which likely reduces or even eliminates any problem with the middle of the bed.)
The known middle-area design of the Tempur-Pedic Choice is different and arguably superior than that of Sleep Number. Consequently, it is unlikely that a high number of Choice owners will report a noteworthy middle area problem.
About 10% of non-Choice Tempur-Pedic mattress owners report a problem (sagging or development of body impressions) in the middle area of the bed.
* partial estimate
A mattress "sleeps hot" if it acts as a heat trap for the sleeper's body heat, resulting in an uncomfortably warm bed. About 4% of Sleep Number owners report heat problems versus about 12% for Tempur-Pedic.
Off gassing refers to an odor, often chemical in nature, that a mattress emits for a limited time when it is new due to the manufacturing and or packaging process. One of the main complaints for Tempur-Pedic beds is off gassing; about 18% of owners report it. By contrast, about 5% of Sleep Number bed owners report the problem.
About 10% of Tempur-Pedic owners complain that their bed is heavy, making it difficult to transport, move or change linens. By contrast, about 10% of Sleep Number owners praise their bed for being relatively light weight and easy to move and handle.
The Sleep Number bed and the Tempur-Pedic Choice can be somewhat noisy at times because of the electric air pump operation. By contrast, non-Choice Tempur-Pedic models are silent at all times, although their foundations may on occasion make noise, such as creaking.
* partial estimate
Non-Choice Tempur-Pedic models require no assembly. The Choice models require little assembly (connecting pumps, remote) – far less than what is required for Sleep Number beds. Most Sleep Number bed owners, but not all, say that assembly is easy and takes about 40-90 minutes depending on whether one or two people are involved.
Care should be taken with assembly as owner experience data suggests that poor assembly can cause the bed to not function properly and be uncomfortable. In fact, poor assembly may be a significant cause of owner dissatisfaction.
Upon delivery for an additional fee, the Sleep Number bed can be assembled by professionals.
About half of Sleep Number bed owners say their bed is suitable for sex, or at least no less suitable than other beds. The other half say their bed is not good for sex overall because of the presence of a "trench" or intrusion in the middle where the two air chambers meet.
For Tempur-Pedic, owners often report that the bed has some advantages for love making (comfort, traction, discretion) and some disadvantages (no bounce, difficulty of movement).
For more information, see the mattress and sex comparison.
Tempur-Pedic beds are widely available at many mattress retailers. Sleep Number beds are available only at Sleep Number bed stores. Both beds, however, are available online.
This rating refers to what extent Tempur-Pedic and Sleep Number disclose the specifications of their products. The disclosing of specifications allows consumers to know what they are paying for and helps them to comparison shop.
Although it had done so in the past, Tempur-Pedic no longer regularly discloses the thickness of the various layers of its mattresses nor their foam density. As for Sleep Number, some specifications lack consistency and detail.
Collected owner experience data shows slightly more complaints for Sleep Number's / Select Comfort's customer service than for Tempur-Pedic's customer service. Both companies, however, tend to provide somewhat above-average customer service compared to other major mattress manufacturers.
The main difference between the warranties of the two beds is that Tempur-Pedic provides non-prorated coverage for 10 years (5 years non-prorated coverage on Choice pumps, hoses, remotes), while Sleep Number provides non-prorated coverage for only the first two years.
|Sleep Number Warranty Terms|
|0-2 years after purchase||No cost to owner for repair|
|3-20 years after purchase||Owner pays 20% of repair costs plus 4% of repair cost for each year from original purchase date|
|21-25 years after purchase||Owner pays 96% of repair cost.|
|Tempur-Pedic (Non-Choice Models) Warranty Terms|
|0-10 years after purchase||No cost to owner for repair/replacement|
|Tempur-Pedic Choice Models Warranty Terms|
|0-10 years after purchase||No cost to owner for repair/replacement (exclusions apply after 5 years – see below)|
|0-5 years after purchase||No cost to owner for repair/replacement of pumps, hoses, remotes|
|BBB Rating / Rating Stability|
|Sleep Number / Select Comfort||A+ / excellent|
|Tempur-Pedic||A+ / good|
SLTD rating is based on a combination of factors including product ratings by consumers, years in business, customer service, return policy, accuracy of marketing claims, transparency of specifications, warranty, Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and rating stability, number of BBB complaints / business size ratio.
The firmness / support of both the Sleep Number bed and the Tempur-Pedic Choice can be adjusted by adding or removing air from their air chamber(s). Beds equipped with air chambers on each side of the bed allow for independently adjustable firmness for each partner.
The Choice has three air chambers for each side of the mattress which provide independent control to the heat / foot and lumbar areas. Sleep Number beds, by contrast, do not have multiple air chambers for each side.
The pump controllers for the Sleep Number bed provide a number readout, while the controllers for the Choice use a graphic indicator.
|Sleep Number||Tempur-Pedic Choice|
|Number of air chambers
(for each side)
|1||3 (head, foot, lumbar)|
for each side
|Range of adjustment||good to fair||good to fair*|
* partial estimate
For non-Choice Tempur-Pedic models, firmness can range from soft to firm depending on the particular model.
While firmness can be adjusted on all Sleep Number beds and Tempur-Pedic Choice beds, some models may be softer or firmer than others depending on the thickness of their comfort layer. For example, models with little or no comfort layer tend to be somewhat firm even on their softest setting.
Tempur-Pedic uses temperature- and weight-sensitive memory foam to mold and contour to the sleeper's body. Sleep Number mainly relies on air chambers to achieve personalized firmness and comfort.
The result overall, owner experience data shows, is that a Sleep Number bed tends to feel more like a conventional mattress than a Tempur-Pedic bed which tends to provide a fairly unconventional sensation.
The below charts show words/phrases that owners often use to describe the sensation of sleeping on the beds.
IN THE NEWS: Sleep Like The Dead's research findings have appeared in such news publications as Barron's • Toronto Star • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Edmonton Journal • Woman's World • The Consumerist • The Gazette • Ottawa Citizen
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