November 17, 2014
A couple of months ago I joined Smiley360 after learning about it from Sharon at Run-Hike-Play. It is an online community of consumers who try products/experiences and share their opinions with others. When I signed up, I had to fill out a profile of what type of products I would be interested in reviewing (ex. fitness, health, cleaning products, beds etc). A few months later I filled out a survey and qualified for my first “mission”, review the Sleep Number® Bed and SleepIQ™ Technology.
How neat!! But wait….mattresses? I am due for a new mattress soon, so I thought this was a great opportunity to learn about the different types of products out in the market (my parents purchased my bed that I currently have right after college). I was emailed information about my mission and given instructions to visit a local Sleep Number store. I used their online store locator and found a retail outlet not too far from me.
When I entered the store I was immediately greeted by two of their associates, Jamah and Melissa. I indicated I was with Smiley 360 and Melissa explained what the visit would entail (determine my Sleep Number and learn about the different products). If you look closely, you can see another customer trying out the the Sleep Number bed. 
While Melissa and Jamah attended to customers that arrived before me I looked around the store (note: they are busier during the weekends). In addition to beds, Sleep Number also sells pillows, bedding, and bed frames.
For those unfamiliar with this product, a Sleep Number bed “offers personalized comfort that’s adjustable on each side [of the bed]” So if you like your bed firm and your significant other likes it soft, the bed can accommodate both preferences. After Melissa finished up with her customer, she led me to the Individual Fit bed to determine my Sleep Number.
When I laid down I saw a monitor on the ceiling. The same screen was also projected onto the class enclosure of the bed. Yes those are my shoes, and yes there is a show and pillow protectors on the bed for the germ phobes (I am one of them).
Melissa started the Sleep Number at 100 (the firmest possible) and then let the number decrease to 0. While she did that she gave more details about the Sleep Number Bed and SleepIQ Technology. The Sleep Number bed is the only bed that lets you track and optimize your sleep with SleepIQ™ technology. Sensors work directly with the bed to measure your average breathing rate, average heart rate and movement to track how you’re sleeping. This is probably great for someone who has difficulties sleeping or back pain. Luckily I do not have those issues.
Melissa slowly increased the number until I thought the bed was comfortable (of course I asked her to decrease and increase the number a couple of times to feel the difference). See the heat map above? The goal was to decrease the red pressure points spots in the picture (the bed distributes the weight). My ideal Sleep Number was 55 (the red spots slowly went away as the bed adjusted to my body).
After the Sleep Number consultation (took less than 15 minutes) I asked Melissa a few questions about the beds. Here were some of the takeaways (here are more facts if you are interested):
- There are different price points – ranging from $999.97 to $4899.97 depending on the bed (I had sticker shock at first – especially for the latter).
- According to this store location, their most popular beds are in the Classic Series and the Performance Series. The difference between the two? The amount of memory foam on the top and side of the mattress. These two series are their lower price points.
- There is a 100 day trial period.
- Sleep Number has a 25 year warranty (spills and stains not included).
- The beds come in all sizes (ex. Queen, King, California King).
- On average, men tend to have lower Sleep Numbers than women.
Overall I had a great store experience, it was fun learning about Sleep Number and the SleepIQ technology. Melissa had a lot of product knowledge and I appreciated that she was not a pushy sales consultant. She also provided with me some additional literature to read.
Because I am price/budget conscious when it comes to furniture (it took me forever to make a couch purchase), I still plan on researching other options out there. I think it may be awhile before I make a purchase.
Disclosure: I will receive a CoolFit™ Foam Contour Pillow in exchange for my review of the Sleep Number® bed and SleepIQ™ technology. All thoughts and opinions on the blog are my own.
Have you ever visited a Sleep Number store?
Do you have any mattress recommendations?
