The New Intimacy

Sex on a Tempur-Pedic Matress?

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Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
My boyfriend and I are looking for a new mattress. I have a bad back, and he love cushy mattresses, and we thought a Tempur-Pedic might be the one for us. Good relationships are built on a willingness to compromise 75% of the time, at least in our eyes.

We all know these mattresses. Made of a foam developed by NASA, it conforms to the shape and weight of your body. You sink in and float away on a cloud of bliss. These are the mattresses where they place a glass on the bed, and jump on the other side of the mattress, and the wine stays standing. But what we never see in the commercials is a couple having sex on one of these beds.

Now, if the foam prevents motion transfer (and believe me, they're not very bouncy) then how in the world do you have sex on it? We had a sneaky opportunity to jump on one in the store (at least we took our shoes off first), and after only a dozen jumps the anti-motion transfer tired our muscles and hurt his knees. Do sexually involved couples not purchase these things? Or are we looking at it all wrong? Anything anyone can post would be helpful, we'd love some insight.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
These mattresses are great for sex! I'll explain how.
5  (8%)
These are no better or worse than a traditional spring mattress for sex.
16  (25%)
These are difficult to have sex on.
1  (2%)
You'd have to find somewhere else to have sex, these are impossible.
I've never had sex on a Tempur-Pedic mattress.
41  (65%)
Total votes: 63
Poll is closed
10/20/2011
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Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
To my knowledge, I've never had sex on one.
10/20/2011
Contributor: Taylor Taylor
Me and my ex never really had any trouble on his, it didn't really impact sex at all for us. I did hate sleeping on it though, it is definitely not the mattress for me. I'm glad it works for other people though.
10/20/2011
Contributor: Peggi Peggi
Sex wasn't an issue on ours, although I suppose it depends on what you're doing on there! I guess if you require the bed to move a lot (bounce and such) then this could be a problem, but for us it never was. Now, we have a Sealy Posturpedic which I prefer, and it does have the memory foam and helps my bad back. I prefer this one because it has both springs and foam, which does allow it to be a bit more bouncy while still having that wonderful foam, and we do like a bit of bounce because it makes it easier for him to get up (he has bad knees) and we only use a mattress no box springs. Now, the box spring also may make the difference because with the old mattress we had a box spring mattress underneath and it didn't interfere with sex but if you don't use one, maybe it would make it more difficult to move?
10/20/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by Peggi
Sex wasn't an issue on ours, although I suppose it depends on what you're doing on there! I guess if you require the bed to move a lot (bounce and such) then this could be a problem, but for us it never was. Now, we have a Sealy Posturpedic ... more
Wow, very helpful, thanks! I hadn't considered the bounciness in getting OUT of bed, but since my boyfriend has bad knees, perhaps this is something he would sorely (pun not actually intended) miss. I'll consider that, thanks!
10/20/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
On box springs: depending on how old yours is, the box spring may not make any difference whatsoever. This is because real box springs are actually pretty much not manufactured anymore. If you were to take what many call a box spring, manufactured in the past ten years or so, and open it up to look inside, there are very good odds that there are no springs present at all! What people are calling "box springs" these days mattress companies are actually calling "foundations," (though most mattress dealers won't correct you on the difference) and all they do is protect the mattress from the bed frame. Though without springs, these things cost waaay more than they should, seeing that it's just wood, quilting and cheese cloth.

This change was made because mattresses these days are, for the most part, only quilted on one side! Remember as a kid, when your mattress got worn in one spot, you could flip it over and it felt like a brand-new bed? It also served to prolong the life of the mattress by almost double what it would have been. This feature was removed because people weren't buying new mattresses enough. The bottom of a brand-new mattress now feels like a piece of wood. It can be used in a frame, without a foundation, which a lot of people do because companies feed on our collective laziness, and instead of lasting ten to thirteen years, a mattress will have to be bought every five or six years. Fewer if you're incredibly sexually active and keep it in the bedroom. Those sneaky bastards.

Sorry for the rant. Just informing people about what I learned when mattress shopping with my dad about a year ago. (I feel bad he bought me a new mattress when now it's a 100% sure thing I'm moving in with Wolfie before the end of this year...)
10/20/2011
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by MeliPixie
On box springs: depending on how old yours is, the box spring may not make any difference whatsoever. This is because real box springs are actually pretty much not manufactured anymore. If you were to take what many call a box spring, manufactured in ... more
Wow, that's all very informative. Thank you for this! I've been talking about getting a new mattress. The one we have is at least sixteen to seventeen years old, if not much older older than that. I've never looked at the tag...and it's quilted on both sides and our box spring has springs. Now, I kind of feel bad that I want to get rid of it. I would still hold onto the box spring, but that top mattress kills me some nights.
10/20/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Wow, that's all very informative. Thank you for this! I've been talking about getting a new mattress. The one we have is at least sixteen to seventeen years old, if not much older older than that. I've never looked at the tag...and ... more
Glad I could help! I wouldn't bother keeping the box spring unless it's meaningful to you, since the bottom of the new mattress is stiff, the springs won't matter. Better to sell it if it's in good shape, and make an easy fifty bucks.

I understand how that feels. This bed is my and Wolfie's first bed together, and I don't want to get rid of it... But our apartment is so small we'd have nowhere to store it for sentimental value and it kills me if I sleep on it for more than a week or so. Which is a bad thing, considering a) I'm going to be here for the next three weeks, and b) I'll actually be moving in in less than two months. ^^;;
10/20/2011
Contributor: aimtoplease aimtoplease
We never have but maybe one day, as something new to use, lol
10/20/2011
Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
We considered a Temperpedic mattress but we chose the Select Comfort Sleep Number option. We like it because each partner can change the firmness to suit their needs - or even their moods.

When we have sex, we max out the pressure to provide for maximum support as we move around. After we're done we can back down the pressure to a more comfortable sleep pressure.

Happy hunting
10/20/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by aimtoplease
We never have but maybe one day, as something new to use, lol
Teehee!
10/20/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by Gunsmoke
We considered a Temperpedic mattress but we chose the Select Comfort Sleep Number option. We like it because each partner can change the firmness to suit their needs - or even their moods.

When we have sex, we max out the pressure to provide ... more
Thank you! I'm not sure the sleep number system would be for us, because we sleep spooned together most of the time, but it's a great suggestion ^_^
10/20/2011
Contributor: Selective Sensualist Selective Sensualist
My husband and I have had our Tempur-Pedic mattress for over seven years, and we love it. The mattress we had before it was a Sealy Posturpedic pillow top, and since switching to the Tempur-Pedic, we haven't noticed any difference or difficulty during sex. We also don't have a hard time getting out of bed either, even when I had a knee injury and, more recently, when my husband injured his back. I think the height of the bed would be the most important factor to consider if you have a difficult time getting up and out of bed.

With the Tempur-Pedic, the zip-up mattress cover is the same material on both sides of the mattress, and the mattress is identical in composition on both sides, so there is no trouble at all if you want to flip the mattress. However, a Tempur-Pedic mattress is quite difficult to maneuver due to its weight, density, and general floppiness (imagine trying to lift and support a huge, thick slab of pizza dough!), so the pair of you may want two more pairs of hands to help you should you ever attempt it! We have a king-sized mattress, and it took four guys on each corner to lower it carefully onto the foundation without pushing my dust ruffle off.

Our only regret is not getting a thicker mattress. We bought their least expensive, thinnest mattress, and after over seven years of use, my husband finds it a bit too soft now. I, however, still love it as it is. (He still loves it, too. He just wishes it were as firm as it used to be and thinks the thicker mattresses would keep the original firmness a bit longer.) We will definitely be buying another Tempur-Pedic if we are in the market for another mattress, but we'll upgrade to a thicker one. They are supposed to last about 20 years, though, so it might be a while . . .
10/20/2011
Contributor: EJ EJ
When I was on my knees (or elbows) for any length of time on our old "traditional" mattress, the springs used to dig into my knees after a while. I've found the same to be true with some hotel mattresses. I've never had that problem with our Tempurpedic.
10/21/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by Selective Sensualist
My husband and I have had our Tempur-Pedic mattress for over seven years, and we love it. The mattress we had before it was a Sealy Posturpedic pillow top, and since switching to the Tempur-Pedic, we haven't noticed any difference or difficulty ... more
Wow, this is a lot of information! You've certainly given us a lot to think about. Perhaps we'll have to get another inner-spring mattress for now... I definitely won't be able to help maneuver a floppy pizza foam mattress with my bad back AND our tiny apartment. Perhaps once we get a bigger place? Thanks for all the info!
10/21/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by EJ
When I was on my knees (or elbows) for any length of time on our old "traditional" mattress, the springs used to dig into my knees after a while. I've found the same to be true with some hotel mattresses. I've never had that ... more
Mmm, hotels. That's an experience we haven't gotten to have yet. I haven't had a problem with the springs and my hands or knees, and neither has he to my knowledge, but I'm sure as the mattress keeps dying it will likely become a problem.
10/21/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
do not know if I have ever slept on one before.
10/22/2011
Contributor: Selective Sensualist Selective Sensualist
Quote:
Originally posted by MeliPixie
Wow, this is a lot of information! You've certainly given us a lot to think about. Perhaps we'll have to get another inner-spring mattress for now... I definitely won't be able to help maneuver a floppy pizza foam mattress with my bad ... more
If you don't have a dust ruffle to worry about, your boyfriend could probably flip the mattress on his own by simply folding it over on itself and then pulling the top layer over the bottom layer. My husband did that once without too much difficulty and it worked fine.

From that experience, however, we learned that if you do have a dust ruffle, you'll end up with a wadded-up piece of fabric underneath the mattress, LOL! (This bothered me much more than it bothered him. He didn't really even notice or care that we only had a dust ruffle hanging unevenly from certain spots around the bed. ) We also learned that if you simply try to pull the wad of fabric back into place by only lifting part of the dense mattress, you will end up tearing the stitching that attaches the fabric to the thin cotton muslin that lies out of sight on the foundation (the part that holds the entire thing together to allow the visible fabric to hang). That's the only reason we needed four people to lower our mattress gently in place--to avoid shifting the darn dust ruffle.

We also live in a one-bedroom apartment, so our underbed space is critical for storage. I hate seeing storage containers under there, so a dust ruffle is important to me. (Hence my rejection of my husband's hopeful suggestion of just ditching the dust ruffle he found so troublesome.)

Also, our mattress is a king-sized mattress, so I'd imagine a smaller size would be considerably less cumbersome to maneuver. You might want to revisit the store and see if your boyfriend has any trouble lifting up one side of the mattress in whichever size you are considering. That way you can know for sure whether he'd be able to flip the mattress on his own. But you won't have to worry about flipping it for a while though. We didn't flip our mattress for years!
10/22/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by Selective Sensualist
If you don't have a dust ruffle to worry about, your boyfriend could probably flip the mattress on his own by simply folding it over on itself and then pulling the top layer over the bottom layer. My husband did that once without too much ... more
Hah, dust ruffle? We don't even have a bed frame! No need to worry about that, I guess. You and I seem like completely different people when it comes to the aesthetics of our bed. I'd love to be able to store things under the bed, but alas, no bed frame. Our foundation sits right on the floor. And once we do store things under the bed, it'll definitely be in plain sight so I know what's in them! We're looking at getting another Queen sized mattress... We live in a small studio apartment and a King would take up the extra foot of space we find so precious ^^;;
10/22/2011
Contributor: K101 K101
I think it depends on how you have sex. Lol strange, but if you need movement of the mattress for help then that could be why it didn't work. I've tried the beds in stores, but never had one. I use a really thick, foamy matress topper thingy. Lol. I LOVE it, but I guess it really depends on every person's needs and preferences.
10/22/2011
Contributor: Sex'и'Violence Sex'и'Violence
That's a good point. I've never thought of that. lol
10/22/2011
Contributor: Kkay Kkay
I've had plenty of sex on a memory foam mattress. It is a bit different- you sink down more, and the motion issues- but I've actually found that our bodies fit together better when the mattress can conform.
10/22/2011
Contributor: Sunshineamine Sunshineamine
I have a memory foam now that is not a tempur-pedic and I used to have a tempur-pedic. They are awesome for sex since they are shock absorbing and they tend to be less noisy due to this. Since you tend to kind of sink in to these mattresses it seems like it provides better traction for doggie style and other positions that do require some support and balance. I honestly would not want to go back to a normal mattress.
10/23/2011
Contributor: DiscretionAdvised DiscretionAdvised
I've wondered about this my self. I'm trying to decide on the biggest bed I can find.
10/23/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
For anyone wondering, we went bed shopping yesterday, and couldn't afford the EXACT bed of our dreams. Simmons Beautyrest Black: Giada. It was over $3,000 ! So we went with a $1,100 bed instead, and it's almost as good. I believe it did end up being a Sealy Posturpedic, though I can't be sure until it arrives, I was just elated to be getting a bed I could be comfy in for the first time in my LIFE. It will be delivered tomorrow, thank the gods for only one more night in this bed... BOTH my shoulders, along with my back, were incredibly achy when I woke up this morning
10/27/2011
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by MeliPixie
My boyfriend and I are looking for a new mattress. I have a bad back, and he love cushy mattresses, and we thought a Tempur-Pedic might be the one for us. Good relationships are built on a willingness to compromise 75% of the time, at least in our ... more
The bed isn't supposed to move...the top person is.
07/14/2012
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by ViVix
The bed isn't supposed to move...the top person is.
I'm well aware of this, but imagine being on top and having your bed NOT bounce when you need it to. That has to be frustrating. You don't realize how much the springiness of a bed helps during sex, until you don't have it anymore.
07/16/2012
Contributor: ToyGeek ToyGeek
A mattress that eliminates back pain is worth any inconvenience caused by having some specific sexual positions impeded by a lack of springiness, in my opinion. Imagine the new things you'll be able to try once your back doesn't hurt.
07/16/2012
Contributor: sexykiss sexykiss
i have never done it
07/16/2012
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyGeek
A mattress that eliminates back pain is worth any inconvenience caused by having some specific sexual positions impeded by a lack of springiness, in my opinion. Imagine the new things you'll be able to try once your back doesn't hurt.
Well like I said in a previous post, we got a new bed and are very happy with it.
07/16/2012