Saturday, October 20, 2007

Foam beds may be worth a lay

The first time I heard about foam mattresses, I thought they were a gimmick. I was watching a late night infomercial. A lady had a glass of red wine sitting on a bed.

The lady gets off the bed. The glass doesn’t move.

It looked cool, but I thought it was a parlor trick. I surfed over to Golf Channel or something and fell asleep.

I didn’t think about foam mattresses much after that until my mother, Robena, bought a Tempur-Pedic earlier this year after she moved to Mint Hill.

I smugly told Mom that the whole foam thing was a fad, like bell bottom pants and flat-top haircuts. I just knew my 11-year-old old Sealy Posturepedic was still the Cadillac of the go-to-sleep industry (even though it has a crevice in the center so deep you can race marbles to the bottom).

My opinion changed the first day I sunk – and I mean sunk – into Mom’s new foam bed and took a nap.

You feel like you’re supported everywhere, almost like you’re floating. You don’t bounce. You wake up in the same position you dozed off in.

This was to sleeping what the color TV was to entertainment. That experience led me to do the story in Sunday's business section that goes along with this column. I figured more folks ought to know how good these foam beds really are.

They are technically based on something called visco elastic foam, which was developed by NASA for use by astronauts.

The foam conforms to the body and redistributes the body’s weight. More of you is contact with the bed than with traditional mattresses.

It makes your back feel better. It makes your legs feel better. It makes your neck feels better.

When you get up, the elastic foam returns to its original shape. You never have to flip it.

The only drawback is cost.

Foam is about twice as expensive as most high end inner-spring mattresses.

Throughout the summer, I tried many different foam bed brands in furniture stores in Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte and Hickory. Then I became interested in a version only available locally while researching the accompanying story.

I talked to more than 20 customers who’d bought the Tyndall-Pedic from Pineville’s Tyndall Furniture Galleries and heard story after story about how the bed changed their lives.

Then I heard more, like former Carolina Panther Frank Reich being able to return to golfing because the bed helped relieve his football-related back pain.

I met a local flight attendant, Pauline Thomas of Rock Hill, who had tried several memory foam beds and concluded the Tyndall was the best.

“And I’ve slept on tons of beds in my travels,” she said.

Curious, I visited the Pineville Tyndall location and literally laid down. For hours.

The beds were amazing. Even better than Mom’s foam model. As I switched from bed to bed, I saw two patrons walk up to hug owner Charles Tyndall and tell him how much a bed had changed their lives.

I don’t think I’ve ever thought that while sliding down the center of my Sealy.

Read the Business story by clicking here.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Langston, great column! I actually own a Tyndall Pedic. It made a huge difference in my life. I was in back pain all the time from working on my feet all day. I am a painter. The bed relieved my back and me and my wife don't toss and turn like we used to. i'd recommend these to everyone. Glad you are "shining the light" on these things. They're expensive. The warranty Mr Tindall has basically gives you a 20 year bed. That moret han makes up for it.

Anonymous said...

OK, I'll bite. i'm going to check these out

Anonymous said...

How much for the Tyndall?

Anonymous said...

Langston, I agree with what some of the others said here. great story. I wish the Observer did more of this. This is truly, as you all like to say, news you can use.

I am in the market for a mattress and this is like a great buyer's guide. The Sealy and Tempur sound like great beds. Having Tyndall here locally and having that great warranty sounds like a match made in heaven. If he'll do something like 12 months no interest, I'm buying this week.

Thanks again for such a thorough and enjoyable piece.

Anonymous said...

Great article. Unfortunately, there is a new bed that is the latest technology in mattresses. Go to mynaturalform.com. This bed came from the medical marketplace and actually eliminates pressure points and properly supports the back. In fact, they don't use memory foam any more becuase it is old technology. Many North Carolina Chiropractic Associate members recommend this bed over memory foam due to superior pressure relief and the fact that it is used in health care settings. This bed is now available to consumers. They have a rep in Charlotte.

Just thought you all should know the facts.

Anonymous said...

Langston, I bought one of the cheaper foam models you mentioned from a local store on a major THOROUGHFARE through town that I will not name. I also bought a bed from the place that will never let you make a mistake on that same THOROUGHFARE.

The foam bed emitted the odor and didn't seem like it was going to last. I ended up putting it into a allergen bag and putting in my guest room. The spring matttress, even after sleeping on cheap foam, just didn't feel as comfortable. the cheap foam was a little warm, too.

I ended up with the Tempur Pedic and I love it. It's comfortable. It's a little hard to roll over sometimes. That's fine. The cool thing is waking up in the same position you went to sleep in.

I may go try the Tyndall to just see the difference in feel. I will tell anyone, though, that foam is better. That latex foam sounds interesting, too.

Anonymous said...

Langston, these foam beds are hot! I tried the Tempur and couldn't stay in there. It felt like a sauna. I want one and maybe these new latex beds or Tindall Pedic might help with that.

Anyone else had this issue?

Anonymous said...

I have a foam mattress. It doesn't sleep hot. That's one of the things the salesman at Indian Land Tindall's sold me on. Me and my husband (and our dog) couldn't be happier. This is a product that does work, I think. Like a poster earlier said, don't buy the cheap stuff. I did and was basically out $800.

Anonymous said...

Nice article. I just wish the Observer could write about breakthrough products that the majority of its readers can afford. $2,500 to $10K for a bed? Way out of my price range

Anonymous said...

Langston, where is the article that goes with this

Anonymous said...

Nice piece. I didn't know about foam mattresses. I will have to look into these. They sound revolutionary.

Anonymous said...

The Tempur Pedic bed is great! Haven't bought one yet but did stay in a Miami hotel that had one. We just loved it. You lay on it and it surrounds you and you never feel like getting up again, it is that comfortable. I can't wait until our current bed wears out (we paid over $1,200.00 for it three years ago and it already has a valley in it like Langston's bed) so we can get the Tempur Pedic! It really is that good.

Anonymous said...

I have found better beds for less money, I think you were given a tyndall for free

Anonymous said...

I have now had my first 2 sleeps in my new bed and the difference is noticeably instantly! It’s great. I don’t know what it is that goes into a memory foam mattress but it works. I too suffered back pain like a couple of others commentors but the new bed really did help. It wasn’t really that my old bed was firm or anything, but this new mattress has made the world of difference already.

Anonymous said...

I bought a naturalform mattress that was mentioned above and it was good for about one year. My husband hurt his back this past year, and can not even sleep on it any more. It does not support your back. It may have at the beginning, but not any longer. It has a permanent dip on both sides.

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Foam-By-Mail said...

There are many benefits to foam mattresses, but the biggest is likely the improvement in circulation and pressure point management. Better circulation means less tossing and turning, so you get a fuller night's sleep.

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