An amazing 18 months have passed since I last commented on the combination spring, visco elastic memory foam and gel bed that we purchased in April 2009. The main reason for the delay is of course the fact that the blog was set up specifically to offer feedback on the bed in question and not beds in general.
So what do I think of the bed now that it is almost three years old?
Well firstly, my wife still loves it, finds it comfortable and easy to sleep on and never seems to suffer from aches, listlessness or poor sleep quality. It is a bed that works for her (and I suspect it will work for many other people too).
For my part I cannot echo her views and there are a number of reasons why.
To start with I remain convinced that some people find themselves suited to beds with memory foam (and in this case gel too), however I am sure that I am not one of them. I am pretty certain that I would find any bed that uses memory foam difficult to sleep on and therefore my feelings and observations towards this bed are more to the type of construction in general rather than the specific bed and mattress that we bought.
I have found sleeping on the bed increasingly difficult and I have struggled to get more that an hour or two of sleep without waking up. To make matters worse I consistently have back ache when I get up in the morning - and often when I wake up in the night.
So is the bed to blame?
Unfortunately the answer has to be yes. My wife recently had to take some toxic medication and I was forced to sleep in a different room and bed to her for 11 days as a result. I slept on a £99 foam mattress with a firmness rating of 10 and slept well and without any aches or discomfort. Within a week of being back on the gel/foam/spring bed I was sleeping poorly and waking up with discomfort – not good.
Do I think the bed is rubbish?
Actually no. I would buy another Kaymed bed without hesitation. The build quality is superb, but the mix of materials and construction clearly do not suit me as they do my wife.
At the time I liked the idea of a spring and latex foam mattress (also by kaymed) and I wish that we had opted for that one. I think that memory foam is great if you sleep in one position, do not adjust your sleeping posture, and keep pretty still during the course of the night. If on the other hand you do not, then you are in for problems. As many people point out, memory foam DOES deflect permanently and your body shape creates an indentation in the bed (and it never fully recovers from this – whatever the brochures and marketing may say). The result is that, as a predominantly “side sleeper”, if I try to rest on my back, the area where the small of my back rests is not adequately supported because for most of the time my hips occupy that position and, as a result, there is an indentation at that point.
One point that I should add is that, when using the cheap foam mattress I woke up hot (and sometimes sweating) during the night. With the gel I do invariably feel cool (as is the claim), so the gel does the trick in that respect.
So, that is the end of the latest update. The next update may be in 6 months or 18 months, I do not yet know. Anyone with experience of this or any other gel/memory foam beds please feel free to leave a (non spamming) comment.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Mattress review and feedback - latest thoughts
It now dates back to March of this year when I gave my last feedback on our composite spring, visco elastic memory foam and gel bed.
So have I had a change of mind?
The answer is unfortunately (for me) no.
My wife continues to like this complex mattress, but I really dislike it. Earlier in the year I had a really bad cold that left me constantly having to blow my nose during the night. So I slept in a spare room on a £100 budget foam mattress that is as hard as rock.
When we originally got this cheap mattress, to see what foam was like, I found it intolerably hard. But after the kaymed gel ultra I managed three fantastic night’s sleep on it– even whilst suffering with a cold. I keep intending to have the odd night on it again, but it seems crazy when the other one cost more than seventeen times the price!
As for conclusions, my view remains the same as before. Beds and mattresses are as personal and subjective as the types of food that we like. What is heaven for one is hell for another. It is just a shame that my personal version of hell, one: cost so much money and two: is perceived as heaven by my wife.
The result is that she is none too keen to replace the Kaymed bed with a new one.
If you want to find out about the vast array of different bed types, mattress fillings and everything else concerned with beds try looking at beds in one of your local stores. If you are on the verge of buying a new bed (or mattress) do your research, look at all of the options, the way that different mattress types feel and wear and narrow things down. Next try things out, then look for offers on the internet where things are often cheaper. Then, go back to the retailer and see if they can equal or beat the internet price – most will.
Also see if there is a “returns policy” if you decide that you do not like the mattress. Some companies offer deals like a return within 3 months provided that you spend an equivalent amount of money (or more) with them on a different mattress.
So have I had a change of mind?
The answer is unfortunately (for me) no.
My wife continues to like this complex mattress, but I really dislike it. Earlier in the year I had a really bad cold that left me constantly having to blow my nose during the night. So I slept in a spare room on a £100 budget foam mattress that is as hard as rock.
When we originally got this cheap mattress, to see what foam was like, I found it intolerably hard. But after the kaymed gel ultra I managed three fantastic night’s sleep on it– even whilst suffering with a cold. I keep intending to have the odd night on it again, but it seems crazy when the other one cost more than seventeen times the price!
As for conclusions, my view remains the same as before. Beds and mattresses are as personal and subjective as the types of food that we like. What is heaven for one is hell for another. It is just a shame that my personal version of hell, one: cost so much money and two: is perceived as heaven by my wife.
The result is that she is none too keen to replace the Kaymed bed with a new one.
If you want to find out about the vast array of different bed types, mattress fillings and everything else concerned with beds try looking at beds in one of your local stores. If you are on the verge of buying a new bed (or mattress) do your research, look at all of the options, the way that different mattress types feel and wear and narrow things down. Next try things out, then look for offers on the internet where things are often cheaper. Then, go back to the retailer and see if they can equal or beat the internet price – most will.
Also see if there is a “returns policy” if you decide that you do not like the mattress. Some companies offer deals like a return within 3 months provided that you spend an equivalent amount of money (or more) with them on a different mattress.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Kaymed gel nest ultra 1800 - latest feedback
My last feedback on this bed was given in December 2009 and we are now in March 2010, just one month short of a year since we got delivery.
So what is my opinion of the Kaymed gel nest ultra 1800 now that we have had it for going on a year?
Well after chopping and changing my views on it I have to conclude that for me it has been a bad buy. I have to qualify this by stating that my wife still likes it, but interestingly she also says that she does not sleep too well these days.
So what are the problems that I have with it?
Well it cost us £1500, and that was with a £225 reduction due to the retailer honouring a miss quote on their original price quotation. (That was very good and fair of them and I have no fault with anything that they did during the sale). However, whilst the technology in this bed is high and sees memory foam, latex and a high spring count, it does have some visible problems.
Right from the start my concern was that this bed would permanently deflect in the two lying positions occupied by myself and my wife and those deflections are now clearly visible. They are not monstrous grooves, nor do they satisfy the requirement for being distorted to the extent that the mattress is in default of the warranty, but the bed is deformed none the less. I should also put this into context by stating that neither of us are significantly overweight or unusually heavy.
The next, and more important problem, is that these human tram lines are something that you are aware of once you are in the bed. There is a clear ridge that runs down the middle and the zones of the bed that are in the mid rift area, where the hips/stomach rest, have the greatest deflection. Spinning the bed obviously has little effect on mattress recovery as these zones remain in the same area even if you rotate the mattress horizontally through 180 degrees.
The effect of all of this is that you can feel the dips and ridges in the bed and, although the sponginess is still there, you feel different levels of support in different areas of the mattress. It is also not just difficult, but even uncomfortable to try and lay in the very centre of the bed where the (un-rested upon) ridge has developed.
The result of all of this is that I wake up with discomfort and the need to change positions several times every night and I never feel fully rested. It goes without saying that this is the exact opposite of what I would have hoped for from this bed/mattress.
By contrast, a cheap £99 standard foam mattress with a hardness rating of 9/10 seems to allow me a far better night’s sleep. Not what I would have expected.
The other thing that I should add is that the back problems that plagued me (and to a large degree were the reason that we purchased this bed) have been resolved, so my poor sleep patterns cannot be blamed on any physical problem.
Conclusion
I do not know what my general conclusion to all of this is. Personally I would not buy this kind of bed again and I have since found other owners/reviewers with similar views. However, I have to acknowledge that everyone likes a different feel, sponginess, and contouring (or lack there of) in a mattress, and it may be that other people would love this bed. For my part however, I wish that I had gone for something different, perhaps much firmer and without both the gel and the visco elastic memory foam.
If anything changes, I will post again.
So what is my opinion of the Kaymed gel nest ultra 1800 now that we have had it for going on a year?
Well after chopping and changing my views on it I have to conclude that for me it has been a bad buy. I have to qualify this by stating that my wife still likes it, but interestingly she also says that she does not sleep too well these days.
So what are the problems that I have with it?
Well it cost us £1500, and that was with a £225 reduction due to the retailer honouring a miss quote on their original price quotation. (That was very good and fair of them and I have no fault with anything that they did during the sale). However, whilst the technology in this bed is high and sees memory foam, latex and a high spring count, it does have some visible problems.
Right from the start my concern was that this bed would permanently deflect in the two lying positions occupied by myself and my wife and those deflections are now clearly visible. They are not monstrous grooves, nor do they satisfy the requirement for being distorted to the extent that the mattress is in default of the warranty, but the bed is deformed none the less. I should also put this into context by stating that neither of us are significantly overweight or unusually heavy.
The next, and more important problem, is that these human tram lines are something that you are aware of once you are in the bed. There is a clear ridge that runs down the middle and the zones of the bed that are in the mid rift area, where the hips/stomach rest, have the greatest deflection. Spinning the bed obviously has little effect on mattress recovery as these zones remain in the same area even if you rotate the mattress horizontally through 180 degrees.
The effect of all of this is that you can feel the dips and ridges in the bed and, although the sponginess is still there, you feel different levels of support in different areas of the mattress. It is also not just difficult, but even uncomfortable to try and lay in the very centre of the bed where the (un-rested upon) ridge has developed.
The result of all of this is that I wake up with discomfort and the need to change positions several times every night and I never feel fully rested. It goes without saying that this is the exact opposite of what I would have hoped for from this bed/mattress.
By contrast, a cheap £99 standard foam mattress with a hardness rating of 9/10 seems to allow me a far better night’s sleep. Not what I would have expected.
The other thing that I should add is that the back problems that plagued me (and to a large degree were the reason that we purchased this bed) have been resolved, so my poor sleep patterns cannot be blamed on any physical problem.
Conclusion
I do not know what my general conclusion to all of this is. Personally I would not buy this kind of bed again and I have since found other owners/reviewers with similar views. However, I have to acknowledge that everyone likes a different feel, sponginess, and contouring (or lack there of) in a mattress, and it may be that other people would love this bed. For my part however, I wish that I had gone for something different, perhaps much firmer and without both the gel and the visco elastic memory foam.
If anything changes, I will post again.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
December 2009 - Kaymed gel nest ultra 1800 review
When I last gave a review of this Kaymed gel nest bed at the end of September I was almost convinced that buying it had been a good decision. The bed certainly took some time to get used to, but after two to three months I started sleeping well and feeling comfortable with it.
Unfortunately things have changed over the last couple of months and I am now having trouble with this bed. Why I am not quite sure, but I believe that the bed is the cause.
We have followed the manufacturer’s recommendations in turning the bed (i.e. swinging it around through 180 degrees and not reversing it) every few weeks and it has had no unusual use. Even so I am finding that within minutes of lying on it that I am uncomfortable and that my back aches. Indeed I am waking up several times every night and often in discomfort.
The thing that makes me concerned about the bed is the fact that the back problems that have plagues me for the last year are significantly improved, yet my night time comfort has diminished.
Furthermore, last week I spent 3 nights sleeping on a very firm foam mattress, which I had previously considered replacing, and had the best night’s sleep that I have had in weeks.
All in all it points to the Kaymed gel bed as being the problem.
I have had a good look at the Kaymed mattress and it seems that, in the main load bearing areas where the hips and shoulders rest, that the bed has: Firstly, deflected slightly and secondly, become much softer and more giving in those same areas.
The result of this is that the central part of the bed, between where two sleepers lay, seems much firmer than the rest of the bed. This area “may” also project slightly.
My guess is that this is causing my sleeping and discomfort problems. Firstly because a bit of the support has been lost and secondly because I do not have a fixed sleeping position, i.e. I am a side, back and front sleeper and this means that any permanent deformation of the mattress cannot be suited to all 3 sleeping positions.
All told this is disappointing as, with a retail price of over £1700, this bed was far from cheap.
On the positive side, I should also point out that my wife still finds this bed very comfortable, but then again she had no great problems with our previous bed and does not have any kind of back issue.
Unfortunately things have changed over the last couple of months and I am now having trouble with this bed. Why I am not quite sure, but I believe that the bed is the cause.
We have followed the manufacturer’s recommendations in turning the bed (i.e. swinging it around through 180 degrees and not reversing it) every few weeks and it has had no unusual use. Even so I am finding that within minutes of lying on it that I am uncomfortable and that my back aches. Indeed I am waking up several times every night and often in discomfort.
The thing that makes me concerned about the bed is the fact that the back problems that have plagues me for the last year are significantly improved, yet my night time comfort has diminished.
Furthermore, last week I spent 3 nights sleeping on a very firm foam mattress, which I had previously considered replacing, and had the best night’s sleep that I have had in weeks.
All in all it points to the Kaymed gel bed as being the problem.
I have had a good look at the Kaymed mattress and it seems that, in the main load bearing areas where the hips and shoulders rest, that the bed has: Firstly, deflected slightly and secondly, become much softer and more giving in those same areas.
The result of this is that the central part of the bed, between where two sleepers lay, seems much firmer than the rest of the bed. This area “may” also project slightly.
My guess is that this is causing my sleeping and discomfort problems. Firstly because a bit of the support has been lost and secondly because I do not have a fixed sleeping position, i.e. I am a side, back and front sleeper and this means that any permanent deformation of the mattress cannot be suited to all 3 sleeping positions.
All told this is disappointing as, with a retail price of over £1700, this bed was far from cheap.
On the positive side, I should also point out that my wife still finds this bed very comfortable, but then again she had no great problems with our previous bed and does not have any kind of back issue.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Kaymed gel bed and different pillows
Another month or more has passed and I remain generally happy with the Kaymed gel bed and mattress.
There is no doubt that this bed has helped both my sleep and back and I have now started to vary my use of two different memory foam pillows which seems to help matters even more.
The pillows are both budget visco elastic memory foam, but one is a regular pillow in shape whilst the other is a profiled version. The profiled version is narrower, not as deep and has an “S” profile on its top surface when viewed from the side.
The advantages that I find to the profiled pillow are multi-fold.
Firstly, because it is not as deep as a regular pillow (i.e. it has a smaller top to bottom dimension) it makes the bed longer for a taller person.
Secondly, once you get used to this profiled and contoured shape it is very supportive of the neck and head nda places both in a natural position is you sleep on your back or side.
Thirdly, this pre-shaped pillow is firm and spongy and retains its shape when in use.
The downside to this kind of pillow is that you cannot sleep on your stomach and neither can you comfortably place your arm under the pillow. This is because one, it distorts the pillow and two, the pillow is structured and therefore it will give you a “dead” arm.
From a personal perspective I have found that jumping between these two different pillows every two or three days seems to work best for me. This however may not be the case for others.
There is no doubt that this bed has helped both my sleep and back and I have now started to vary my use of two different memory foam pillows which seems to help matters even more.
The pillows are both budget visco elastic memory foam, but one is a regular pillow in shape whilst the other is a profiled version. The profiled version is narrower, not as deep and has an “S” profile on its top surface when viewed from the side.
The advantages that I find to the profiled pillow are multi-fold.
Firstly, because it is not as deep as a regular pillow (i.e. it has a smaller top to bottom dimension) it makes the bed longer for a taller person.
Secondly, once you get used to this profiled and contoured shape it is very supportive of the neck and head nda places both in a natural position is you sleep on your back or side.
Thirdly, this pre-shaped pillow is firm and spongy and retains its shape when in use.
The downside to this kind of pillow is that you cannot sleep on your stomach and neither can you comfortably place your arm under the pillow. This is because one, it distorts the pillow and two, the pillow is structured and therefore it will give you a “dead” arm.
From a personal perspective I have found that jumping between these two different pillows every two or three days seems to work best for me. This however may not be the case for others.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Kaymed gel nest ultra 1800 - August update
In my last update I suggested that, given hindsight” I might have bought a different and possibly cheaper bed than the Kaymed gel nest ultra.
Some 4 months on, I feel that I need to correct that statement.
I am definitely sleeping far better than I have for a long time with very few interruptions to my sleep and I generally wake up without any aches, tensions or stiffness. This is particularly so of my back which has given me a lot of problems over the last 9 or 10 months.
A recent test of our bed’s effectiveness came when we stayed in a family house (with an almost new bed) in Spain. Within one day of sleeping on that bed my back was giving me problems and I was unable to acclimatize myself to it over 23 nights. Within three or four days of getting back to the Kaymed bed the problems were over and I was back to sleeping well again.
One problem that this does highlight is that once you start sleeping on a “body contouring” bed it becomes very difficult to sleep on a regular or cheaper bed. This is obviously a problem, particularly on holidays or when staying with friends.
So to sum up, after 4 or 5 months of use the “kaymed gel nest” is proving a worthwhile purchase. My only reservations remain the longevity of this type of bed, primarily in respect of permanent deflections and moulding itself to the body. However, so far that has not been an issue and the bed is performing very well.
For anyone contemplating buying a new bed you clearly need to be aware that, for many people, there is a time lag between starting to use a gel, visco elastic memory foam or latex foam mattress, and becoming accustomed to its unique characteristics. For me this took longer than I would have expected, but I now feel very happy with this composite spring, visco elastic and gel hybrid.
I will post again either in a few months, or if there is any significant good or bad report that I wish to add.
Some 4 months on, I feel that I need to correct that statement.
I am definitely sleeping far better than I have for a long time with very few interruptions to my sleep and I generally wake up without any aches, tensions or stiffness. This is particularly so of my back which has given me a lot of problems over the last 9 or 10 months.
A recent test of our bed’s effectiveness came when we stayed in a family house (with an almost new bed) in Spain. Within one day of sleeping on that bed my back was giving me problems and I was unable to acclimatize myself to it over 23 nights. Within three or four days of getting back to the Kaymed bed the problems were over and I was back to sleeping well again.
One problem that this does highlight is that once you start sleeping on a “body contouring” bed it becomes very difficult to sleep on a regular or cheaper bed. This is obviously a problem, particularly on holidays or when staying with friends.
So to sum up, after 4 or 5 months of use the “kaymed gel nest” is proving a worthwhile purchase. My only reservations remain the longevity of this type of bed, primarily in respect of permanent deflections and moulding itself to the body. However, so far that has not been an issue and the bed is performing very well.
For anyone contemplating buying a new bed you clearly need to be aware that, for many people, there is a time lag between starting to use a gel, visco elastic memory foam or latex foam mattress, and becoming accustomed to its unique characteristics. For me this took longer than I would have expected, but I now feel very happy with this composite spring, visco elastic and gel hybrid.
I will post again either in a few months, or if there is any significant good or bad report that I wish to add.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Latest bed update
Another 3 to 4 weeks have passed since my last post on our orthopedic style multi-material gel/memory foam/spring bed, so here is a brief update.
Not too much has changed. The bed is definitely an improvement on the rock like sleeping surface that we had been suffering upon, but I cannot say that I feel that I have fully adapted to it. Given the time that we have now had it for, it would seem unlikely that my sleeping patterns will change further!
Do I feel rested, relaxed, free of back discomfort and fully charged up in the morning – well no!
So, the verdict so far is that the bed is definitely OK, however the big question is whether or not the price tag of £1725 is warranted – and not just on this particular bed, but any in that price category.
Incidentally, my neighbours on both sides spent similar amounts on their beds and felt that the cost was justified. I however am less sure.
Rightly or wrongly, I believe that a well made bed by a reputable manufacturer in the £600 to £900 price bracket will probably do just as good a job as a bed at double the amount.
I do think that our bed is packed full of technology and that technology has a price, but whether that makes it more comfortable than a cheaper bed is a wholly different question.
I suspect that it does not and, if I am honest, I also suspect that I would rather have bought one of the cheaper alternatives that we gave very careful consideration to.
Another update in a month or so.
Not too much has changed. The bed is definitely an improvement on the rock like sleeping surface that we had been suffering upon, but I cannot say that I feel that I have fully adapted to it. Given the time that we have now had it for, it would seem unlikely that my sleeping patterns will change further!
Do I feel rested, relaxed, free of back discomfort and fully charged up in the morning – well no!
So, the verdict so far is that the bed is definitely OK, however the big question is whether or not the price tag of £1725 is warranted – and not just on this particular bed, but any in that price category.
Incidentally, my neighbours on both sides spent similar amounts on their beds and felt that the cost was justified. I however am less sure.
Rightly or wrongly, I believe that a well made bed by a reputable manufacturer in the £600 to £900 price bracket will probably do just as good a job as a bed at double the amount.
I do think that our bed is packed full of technology and that technology has a price, but whether that makes it more comfortable than a cheaper bed is a wholly different question.
I suspect that it does not and, if I am honest, I also suspect that I would rather have bought one of the cheaper alternatives that we gave very careful consideration to.
Another update in a month or so.
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