Mattress Comparisons

Comparing the Pros and Cons

Both Air-Pedic 800 and Sleep Number i8 beds offer customization for sleepers and couples, along with their own temperature balancing technologies.

The 360 i8 offers sleep tracking and temperature balancing technology, and is one of the softest in the collection. Sleepers of all kinds looking for a luxury bed get a bonus with the i8, which features SleepIQ technology that gets to know you and supports your sleep habits, evolving and changing with you as you need it to.

The Air-Pedic 800 is a great choice for couples and seniors alike in search of a Sleep Number alternative. Multi-zoned air chambers that allow separate lumbar support control is a luxurious feature that is sure to impress friends and family. Not only is their customer service fabulous, the optional AirFlow cooling system really works!

Sleep Number 360 i8 Adjustable Air Bed

Best Mattress For

If you’re a couple just getting into the concept of dual-air technology, Sleep Number is a well known brand offering just that. They can benefit those who suffer from chronic pain or even snoring, since the bed tracks your movements and adjusts accordingly. Their comprehensive app can prove useful for those interested in tracking and improving their sleep habits at any given time.

Not Recommended For

If you’re a couple that likes to snuggle, you might not like the i8, as it’s said to have a rather obvious seam that can often lead to trenching in the middle. Since the air chambers are connected, this can lead to poor motion isolation, so if you or your spouse move around a lot in the night, this could lead to some interrupted sleep. Finally, if you’re a heavier weight sleeper, you may experience poor support in your middle section on the 360 i8.

Air-Pedic 800 Adjustable Air Bed

Best Mattress For

Couples looking to treat themselves to individually targeted comfort while sharing the same bed should love the Air-Pedic 800. It’s not only great for couples of all ages, but particularly older couples and those who suffer from chronic pain. If you sleep hot, you’ll be especially pleased with the optional airflow system, a well reviewed option on Select-a-Beds testimonial page. Lastly, if you’re concerned with off-gassing and material safety, Air-Pedic goes the extra mile to guarantee a safe product.

Not Recommended For

If you’re on a budget, then the Air-Pedic 800 likely isn’t for you, but that’s obvious. Despite being just slightly cheaper than the Sleep Number i8, depending on your options the 800 can cost you around the same price. Bed hogs who can’t help but take up most of the bed need not apply, as it turns the settings into a moot point. Ultimately, if you prefer a more traditional bed, definitely skip this future forward mattress that has its own app.

Side by Side Mattress Comparison

By now, you’re up to speed on both mattresses, but let’s go into depth about how each one feels. Always keep in mind that the firmness experience of a mattress is often subjective, and dependent on weight and body type.

The firmness of the Sleep Number 360 i8 arrives at a medium, around a 6 on a scale of 10, 10 being the most firm. Sleep Number uses a comfort scale from 1-100, the latter being the most firm, but the average Sleep Number owner ranges from 30-60 in firmness. The higher the number, the more the air chambers fill, increasing the firmness of the bed. With gel infused foam on the top comfort layer, it’s a nice option for those who prefer a medium-firm mattress with slight possible adjustments.

The Air-Pedic 800 has the same concept as the i8, and is also typically experienced as a medium-firm, featuring 89 settings that can be adjusted using the handheld remote or smartphone app. What makes the Air-Pedic 800 special is the ability to change the overall comfort settings in three different zones for the best spinal alignment possible. Its dense construction and zoned air chambers create a firmness that most should experience as the Goldilocks of beds: just right.

While both mattresses do approximately the same thing, the Air-Pedic 800 offers individual adjustments in the neck, hips and legs section, making it more suitable for heavier weight sleepers. If you sleep hot, the gel-infused foam on the Sleep Number 360 i8 might not cool you off enough, but the airflow system offered by Air-Pedic has an excellent reputation among hot sleepers.

The Best Mattress Reviews

At their best, the Sleep Number 360 i8 and Air-Pedic 800 are both described as cloud-like, with the perfect amount of support and room for adjustment. The innovative technology has the power to reduce and relieve pain exactly where you need it, especially on the Air-Pedic 800. Owners of the 360 i8 particularly enjoy tracking their sleep habits on the app, and owners of the Air-Pedic 800 love to brag about the cooling airflow system.

The Worst Mattress Reviews

While complaints about the Air-Pedic 800 are hard to find, complaints about the sleep number i8 smart bed include: poor motion isolation, poor temperature control, faulty firmware, poor edge support, molding in the hose, and trenching in the middle. At their worst, beds like these are described as glorified air mattresses. Depending on your wifi strength, you may have some trouble with the app connection. Owners of the Sleep Number 360 i8 have had to shell out extra cash to deal with faulty parts not covered by the warranty, though it doesn’t look like the Air-Pedic 800 has the same problems by any means. It seems the worst problem Select-a-Bed customers had was waiting for their Air-Pedic during the pandemic.

Comparing Trial Period & Mattress Warranty

Finally, you might be wondering how long you can try these mattresses out for, and what to do if you need to return them. The Sleep Number 360 i8 and Air-Pedic 800 have several major differences in their trial period and warranty terms you should be aware of prior to purchase.

Sleep Number Warranty

Sleep Number offers a 1 year full warranty with a 100 night trial period followed by a 15 year limited warranty, and covers defects in material or craftsmanship despite normal use.

The warranty is available exclusively in the United States, and covers an ownership transfer within the 1 year period. The full warranty only applies to the original owner, and you’ll be asked for verification details upon making a claim. There is a law label attached to all Smart Beds that you should not remove, as this may void your warranty altogether.

If you’re planning on making a claim with Sleep Number, keep in mind they don’t cover return shipping/delivery fees, and must authorize the return to begin with. The smart bed remote control, if purchased, is covered by a separate warranty, and the warranty doesn’t apply to the app technology at all. Lastly, if you’re caught using an inappropriate base or foundation, Sleep Number reserves the right to void your warranty completely.

Air-Pedic Warranty

Select-A-Bed offers a 30 year limited warranty for their Air-Pedic mattresses, with the first 3 years from date of purchase covered, and the rest prorated at an increasing percentage as the years go on.

Air-Pedic will cover the cost of shipping up to two years after the purchase date for orders within the United States, but the customer is responsible for shipping costs beyond that period.

Their warranty is valid through Air-Pedic only and applies to the original purchaser from the original purchase date, and cannot be transferred. The warranted product or component must be returned in sanitary condition to Air-Pedic, and they reserve the right to substitute products of equal or better quality in the repair or replacement. The mattress, foundation (if purchased from Select-a-Bed) and/or pump processor and hand control are warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 years from the original purchase date.

As with most mattress manufactures, neither warranties cover physical abuse or damage such as burns, cuts, stains, tears or liquid damage. Since the owner is responsible for the use and maintenance, it’s important to take excellent care of your mattress to get the most out of it. Always go over your warranty before making a claim with customer service. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before the purchase of any mattress, and keep any receipts and records of purchase in a safe place at home.

Sleep Examiner’s Review Process

Here at Sleep Examiner, we consider ourselves expert reviewers of all things sleep. However, we believe that ten opinions are better than one, so we take on the task of opening twenty different browser tabs and digging deep so you don’t have to. We painstakingly comb through reviews on multiple sites for every mattress, pillow, and sleep accessory we can find – so you don’t get fooled by fake, biased, or limited points of view.

Using a combination of verified customer reviews, we put together in-depth research on the exact composition and materials used, as well as comparisons and ratings from expert sites. Once our research is concluded, our system automatically generates an overall performance score for each mattress based on the collected data in the following categories: Comfort, Back Support, Edge Support, Affordability, Cooling, Trial Period, Warranty and Customer Service. Learn more about our review process here.

Comparing the Pros and Cons

Both Tempur-Pedic and Tempflow Similarities

It should be noted that both mattresses use far superior materials to the much cheaper bed-in-a-box memory foam mattresses that don’t seem to compare in feel, support or longevity, so don’t get fooled into thinking you can buy a real Tempur or Tempflow type mattress on the cheap and get the same quality!

Tempflow Elite Contour Medium Mattress

Best Mattress For:

If you’re concerned about the safety of mattress materials, you should appreciate the lengths Tempflow has gone to to ensure the lowest off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (aka VOCs) possible and proved it with their Greenguard Gold Certification, making this a great option for those looking for a truly non-toxic experience. If you’re a heavier weight sleeper, the construction of the EliteContour is likely to provide more stability than the ProAdapt, where edge support is lacking.

Not Recommended For:

Those who prefer a more responsive mattress may need to opt for a hybrid model or something else entirely instead. While the top layers of the Elite Contour are said to respond slightly faster than the ProAdapt, both mattresses are meant to give the ultimate in pressure relief by enveloping your body with a more deeper contouring. Those on a tight budget will also need to look elsewhere, because although Tempflow’s prices are lower than Tempur-Pedic’s, a good high quality mattress, but will still cost a pretty penny.

Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Medium Mattress

Best Mattress For:

If you don’t sleep hot, you won’t mind the pro-adapt occasionally insulating heat and might even appreciate it! Since there’s no outright cooling feature in the construction, mattress users often report that it sleeps a little warm. However, those who have previously owned a Tempur-Pedic mattress and are loyal to the brand, will not be disappointed in another well made, high density (though perhaps not as high of a density as their past models), mattress from a company they can rely on.

Not Recommended For:

Those with allergies or sensitivities to mattress materials might need to consider shopping elsewhere, as the safety certifications of the Pro-Adapt are more minimal and reviews contain complaints about the off-gassing seem to abound. If you sleep close to the edge, be aware the ProAdapt is said to be lacking in the edge support department. Those on a budget may not be able to swing the price of a ProAdapt, especially if you’re in the market for a new foundation as well, though even at a significant saving, the Tempflow may not hit their budget mark either.

Side by Side Mattress Comparison

Now that you know some basic facts about both mattresses, let’s go into depth about how each one feels. Bear in mind that the firmness experience of a mattress is often subjective, and dependent on weight and body type.

The firmness of the Pro-Adapt medium falls in a neutral range on the scale. If rated from 1 to 10, 1 being the softest, the Pro-Adapt medium would fall anywhere from a 4.5 to 6. Tempur-Pedic mattresses are known to soften a little over time, so keep this in mind when contemplating the Pro-Adapt medium. This mattress is especially fitting for back and side sleepers.

The EliteContour medium from Tempflow is often described as “soft, but firm.” If rated on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the softest, the EliteContour would likely fall at a 6.5. The foam in the initial layers is said to contour slightly faster than the Pro-Adapt, but the density of the support layer ads firmness and structure. This mattress is suitable to a majority of sleeper types.

Both mattresses are perfect for those who prefer to “sink in” rather than lay “on” their bed at the end of the day. They’re particularly well matched for average weight back and side sleepers, but the Tempflow EliteContour is likely to be more accommodating for heavier weight and combination sleepers. If you sleep hot, the Tempflow Elite Contour is the superior choice, no questions asked.

The Best Mattress Reviews

Owners of either the TEMPUR-ProAdapt Medium or Tempflow Elite Contour Medium say they work exactly as advertised. Both mattresses contour to relieve pressure and allow deep undisturbed sleep. The medium firmness is a crowd pleaser in general, and are both described as “soft, but firm.” Happy customers enjoy these mattresses for very similar reasons, although customers of Tempflow go out of their way to mention excellent customer service on top of their high quality product.

The Worst Mattress Reviews

While it is difficult to find negative feedback about Tempflow’s Elite Contour, disgruntled customers from Tempur-Pedic don’t hold back. The most common predicament unhappy customers faced was not enjoying the firmness level of either mattress. However, many Tempur-Pedic customers say the ProAdapt is an overhyped and lower quality model than the brand has previously released. If you don’t opt for the cooling system offered by Tempflow, the Elite Contour might sleep hot, but the ProAdapt is an almost guaranteed heat trap for those who overheat at night.

Comparing Trial Period & Mattress Warranty

Last but not least, you might be wondering how long you can try these mattresses out for, and what to do if you need to return them. The Elite Contour and ProAdapt have several major differences in their trial period and warranty terms.
Let’s take a look:

Tempur-Pedic offers a 90 night trial period, requiring a minimum of 30 nights before a return claim is made. All Tempur-Pedic mattresses are covered by a 10-year full replacement limited warranty, meaning for up to 10 years after purchase, any confirmed defects covered under the warranty can be claimed for a repair or replacement with no deductible.

A natural increase in softness of the Tempur material that does not affect the overall quality of the mattress isn’t covered, and neither is overall comfort preference, meaning if you simply find the mattress uncomfortable after the trial period you may be stuck with your mattress.

Tempflow offers a 120 night trial period, or four months to decide whether or not you’d like to keep the Elite Contour. Tempflow offers a 40-year limited warranty, second best only to the Lifetime warranty offered by other companies. In the first ten years of mattress ownership, Tempflow will take responsibility for any defective parts, labor and materials and perform repairs at no cost. However, shipping and handling fees during the return process will be the customers responsibility. From the 11th year of ownership on, defect repairs are available at a pro-rated amount, plus shipping and handling fees.

Both warranties do not cover physical abuse or damage such as burns, cuts, stains, tears or liquid damage, and reserve the right to void your warranty if you’re caught using an improper base or foundation. Be sure to read the terms and conditions before the purchase of any mattress, and keep any receipts and records of purchase in a safe place at home.

Sleep Examiner’s Review Process

Here at Sleep Examiner, we consider ourselves expert reviewers of all things sleep. However, we believe that ten opinions are better than one, so we take on the task of opening twenty different browser tabs and digging deep so you don’t have to. We painstakingly comb through reviews on multiple sites for every mattress, pillow, and sleep accessory we can find – so you don’t get fooled by fake, biased, or limited points of view.

Using a combination of verified customer reviews, we put together in-depth research on the exact composition and materials used, as well as comparisons and ratings from expert sites. Once our research is concluded, our system automatically generates an overall performance score for each mattress based on the collected data in the following categories: Comfort, Firmness, Edge Support, Affordability, Cooling, Trial Period, Warranty and Customer Support.