Overview
They’ve been around for over 30 years, with the same logo and the same sort of ad campaigns, the most famous being the one where they drop a bowling ball onto the mattress and it doesn’t knock over the bowling pins that are stacked on it. This very well could be the first time a mattress company tried to use an advertising gimmick to get you to buy their mattress, but it definitely wasn’t the last. It can be hard to know which mattress to go with, because you don’t know how it will stand the test of time, and whether the money you put into it will be a good investment, or a waste of cash. Luckily there are those that have gone before you and they’re willing to give you the head’s up.
The Claim
Simmons Beautyrest is basically riding on their same invention from way back in the day, the special coil system they call Pocketed Coil technology. As other mattress technologies have emerged, they have incorporated them into their bedding. For example, they now have beds that feature memory foam padding in addition to the standard features, which in theory should provide a more comfortable experience. Other than that, we’re not really seeing a lot of new features or ingenuity here, but there are apparently enough differences in features to justify price ranges of thousands of dollars or more.
The Hype
The hype came from the aforementioned commercial, being one of the first commercials to show a mattress that could allow one person to get in and out of the bed without disrupting the sleep of their partner. Nowadays there isn’t much hoopla surrounding them any more, but they have made a name for themselves and still sell plenty of mattresses year after year.
The Cost
Simmons Beautyrest has several different models, ranging in price from $1000 on the low end to over $9000 on the high end. For these prices you’d expect to have a pretty good mattress, one that would last you several years with no complaints, and plenty of good night’s sleep.
The Commitment
All that’s needed with this mattress is to replace your current mattress with it. You don’t have to fool with any sort of gadgetry like you do with the Sleep Number Bed. It’s a pretty straightforward mattress, and all of the technology has gone into the interlocking springs that are inside of it, what they call their Pocketed Coil system.
Evaluation
Simmons Beautyrest gets mixed to negative reviews on their various models. Obviously most of the feedback is on their lower end models, because those that drop nearly ten grand on a mattress are not going to come back to a review site and complain about it if they don’t like it. But even spending a few thousand dollars on this, you’d expect that most feedback would be positive. After all, people have a general idea of what they’re buying before they buy it, as most purchases are done in the store, where you can lay down on the mattress and get a feel of how it would be to sleep on it all night.
Common Complaint
One of the biggest complaints cited by most negative reviews is that the bed just doesn’t hold up over time. Some say it gave out after only 2 years of use, others said 4, but most agreed that it just couldn’t stand the abuse of getting slept on night after night. When you’re going to put this kind of money into something, you want to get a good amount of use out of it. That’s why this is one complaint to be concerned about, as it speaks to the kind of value you’re getting, or not getting.
Because Simmons Beautyrest has such wide ranging reviews, we can’t give it our nod of approval. At some of these price points it should be considered more of a luxury item, and therefore should be a definite crowd pleaser. That means it should have an approval rating of at least 80% or higher, allowing for 20% of people that are just never happy with the purchases they make, and allowing for a defective unit once in a while. They are nowhere near this level, which is why we’re not recommending them overall.
However, you may have success with one of their higher priced models, but we couldn’t find enough feedback to make a reliable conclusion on them. It’s always odd that a manufacturer would make its lower priced models with such lower quality than it’s higher priced ones. You’d think it would make them all good, and just make its luxury models even better, the way Toyota makes its standard cars good, but its Lexus line great.
Our Recommendation
You’re not starved for options here, and there’s no reason you should think that you have to go with a Simmons Beautyrest as your bed of choice. Try it out as much as you can before you plunk your hard-earned money down on this one. See how well you like memory foam mattresses and other competitors. If you like the way it feels in the store, then you should put it on your short list, but still do some more comparison shopping before making a final decision.
If you have problems with saving money and keeping track of your spending habits then…
When you are looking for space-saving multi-purpose shelving products, you may want to purchase the…
Today's innovative advanced technologies have created many conveniences. The ability to read on the go…
Experiencing the luxury of owning a wireless speaker is a favorite of many people. The…
Home decor is a very individual and personal choice. A new product like Chasing Paper…
Keeping track of events and goals may be difficult for some people. Purchasing a product…
View Comments
We've had our Simmons Beauty Rest almost 18 years now. Neither of us knows when the other has gotten up. It provided great back support. Only now am I considering replacing it with another of the same type. Love this mattress!!!!
I've had a Simmons Beautyrest for 16 years and I LOVE it. It has great support! I feel like we paid about 2k or so for the set back in 2002, and it's a King sized bed. No problems with sagging at all, but I notice on the edge where I sit the most the side of the mattress sort of angles out a little. It almost looks like I've stretched the fabric a tiny bit over the side on that side, like a pillowcase that isn't on exactly straight. Doesn't effect my sleep though. I love my bed!
I bought 2 beds one for us and one for our teenage son and we all HATE it. Way to firm, while my hip problems have healed we all suffer from back pain and shoulder/neck pain now. It is like sleeping on a rock with a nice soft top layer, although the tossing and turning and waking each other doesn't happen with this bed we still toss and turn all night. I guess we should have bought the $350 mattress pad from The Brick so we could have had a chance at a "do over" if we weren't happy with our bed choice. Super annoyed now we have to save to buy new mattresses and put up with these in the mean time. We've tried adding a memory foam to soften it up but that just irritates the lower back after a couple days. sign
Years ago I purchased an "anniversary" Simmons Beautyrest mattress, for myself only, from one of those ubiquitous bedding stores. The mattress was not cheap, and yes, I gave it a test-run in the store.
It was delivered, as promised, and I felt quite content. That is, until a few months (not years - just months) passed, and the center was already 'dipping'. I couldn't believe it....but I took a broomstick and laid it across the middle from one side to the other, and yep....there was at least a 3" depression. Now, I am not an overweight person -- around 135 lbs, and 5'5" tall, so this was unacceptable. Well, I called, and went in to the bedding store, and the only compensation that was offered was that they would exchange it -- but only for a few of the models that they would allow, and it would be final...no further exchanges no matter what.
The second mattress was even worse! Not only sagging, but it had a slippery damask-like cover, that I would find myself sliding down to the foot of the bed. Phooey!
Finally ended up buying another mattress, similar to a temper-pedic, from another place.
One thing I learned.....ALL mattresses will start sagging....regardless!
It is now March 2015. I bought my 'bowling ball' Beautyrest in either 1997 or 1998. I spent a full day trying mattress after mattress and explored all major brands at all price points. At the end of the day I came back to the Simmons, which at the time was $800.00. My partner at the time was up and down a lot yet I never noticed them getting into or out of bed. Even when awake I couldn't tell unless I actually saw them get up or down. After a failed back surgery in 1996 I needed support as well as comfort and I must say this has been the only mattress I ever owned that was comfortable even without a pillow. After many years alone I have managed to create a bowed out section in the center of both sides, hence my finding this review site. I'm looking for an exact replacement. A repeat purchase is the highest form of compliment and sign of satisfaction. I wish this site had a link to make my search easier but I felt it was worth the pause to stop and say "yes, it does work" . If they still make these I'll have a new one soon.
I'm like Steve...bought my Simmons and still love it. Bought in 1998 post divorce, and anyone that has slept In this bed, said how comfortable and supportive it is. I've had back and heart surgery, and recovered in this bed.
Having back issues again, and even though my firm mattress is still firm and non sagging 19 yrs later, I'm thinking about a replacement.
We purchased in 1999 and it's now 20 years old. Needed to replace it for a couple years but it's hard to find perfection like we found in '99.
My story is a lot like yours Steve M. I need to replace my mattress as well. I wish there was a way to find the exact replica of what I had. I DO NOT WANT THE PILLOW TOP!!, you cannot rotate the mattress as you should.
If there's a webste that will match the old to the new models it would be great!!
After my family had a fire at our house, and we had to buy back all of the things we lost, our entire family needed new mattresses. We all went to pick out our own, but we all picked Simmons Beautyrest mattresses. They're so comfortable, soft and supportive. It's really the best mattress I've ever had. These were more expensive than other mattresses, but comfort when you sleep can make a huge difference in your health and happiness in your life. A good night's sleep is so important. It really comes down to personal preference, though, so all you have to do is go to the store and lay on a bunch of mattresses and decide if it's worth investing in your nighttime comfort.