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Tempur-Pedic
After being disappointed in a relatively new mattress that was too soft, leaving my husband and I with back and hip pain the next morning, we started considering replacing it. I was interested in Tempur-Pedic because of the brand's reputation for comfort, support, and durability among the best mattresses, but we were leery over its high price tag.
Tempur-Pedic is renowned for its proprietary Tempur-Material, an adaptive foam originally developed for NASA that responds to your body's temperature, shape, and weight to provide pressure relief. It differs in feel from the memory foam used in many popular mattresses. I figured if the material is good enough to cushion astronauts as they hurl into space, it's probably helpful in getting a good night's sleep.
Earlier this year, Tempur-Pedic revamped its Adapt line, which gets its name from the adaptive material used in this line, and invited me to try its new version, which emphasized breathability and enhanced support. These mattresses are especially good for those who seek pressure relief to help ease aches and pains.
My husband and I have different sleep preferences. I prefer a very firm mattress, and he prefers mattresses with a little more give. We had initially tried an older version of the Tempur ProAdapt in firm, which I loved, but he decided was too firm after a couple of weeks. We settled on the ProAdapt in Medium Hybrid with the optional smart base to see if we could finally find a bed that we both agreed on. I am happy to say that after years of looking, we finally have a bed that allows us both to get a good night's sleep.
I go into further detail on my experience with the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt medium hybrid mattress below.
Tempur-Adapt mattresses use a patented Tempur-Material that Tempur-Pedic says was created by NASA to cushion astronauts during test flights and then adapted for mattresses. Tempur-Material is a type of foam that provides pressure relief and motion absorption and is highly responsive to movement, cradling the body without any sinking. It responds to your body's weight, shape, and temperature. Tempur-Material feels very different than other mattresses I've tested, which include memory foam, latex, and hybrid mattresses. This took a few nights to get used to, but I don't think I could ever go back to a traditional mattress.
The Tempur-Adapt Mattress is available in three styles: Adapt, ProAdapt, and LuxeAdapt, which increase in price, thickness, and the amount of support offered. Each is available in a number of firmness levels.
The base Adapt has two firmness levels: medium and medium hybrid. The mid-range ProAdapt has four firmness levels: soft, medium, medium hybrid, and firm. The most supportive LuxeAdapt has soft, medium hybrid, and firm options.
In 2024, the Adapt Collection was revamped to feature a new cooling cover across the line, while the ProAdapt and LuxeAdapt now have a ventilated foam layer for better airflow. The LuxeAdapt got the most drastic upgrade, with a zoned support ergonomic layer in its firm and soft models and the introduction of a medium hybrid, which has double-stacked coils with enhanced edge support.
Tempur-Pedic
I tested the ProAdapt in medium hybrid, which consists of 6 layers.
The non-hybrid versions of the ProAdapt each have 5 layers because they don't have spring coils.
There are variations between the three types of mattresses in the Tempur-Pedic Adapt line. The base 11-inch Adapt features Tempur-Material comfort and support layers. The 12-inch Pro builds on that with a ventilation foam layer for added cooling and a washable cover. The top-of-the-line 13-inch LuxeAdapt builds on the Pro with an additional zoned ergonomic layer. Foam thickness and densities vary according to firmness type. All series are also available in a medium-hybrid edition featuring at least 1,000 coils.
Jamie Davis Smith/Business Insider
Tempur-Pedic offers free white-glove delivery service for the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt through FedEx. FedEx contacted me in advance to set up a delivery day and time. When the delivery truck arrived, the two-person crew was very efficient. They carried the mattress up two flights of stairs, took my old mattress off of my bed, and placed the new mattress exactly where I wanted it to go. They were in and out in under 10 minutes. I appreciated that all of the heavy lifting was done for me and that the crew took all of the packaging. There was no off-gassing, which meant I could sleep on the mattress the day it was delivered.
The crew offered to take my old mattress away as part of the standard delivery service Tempur-Pedic provides for the ProAdapt. I declined this option since I wanted to be sure I liked my new mattress before getting rid of the old one, but I appreciated the option.
Jamie Davis Smith/Business Insider
I'm a combination sleeper. I usually fall asleep on my stomach and wake up on my side. I haven't found many mattresses that work well for both stomach and side sleepers. Before I got a Tempur-Pedic mattress, I often woke up with back or hip pain. I chose the medium-firm mattress because I wanted a mattress with more support and pressure relief than I had been getting with my previous mattress. I also wanted a mattress that both myself and my husband, a side sleeper, would find comfortable given that I prefer a firmer mattress and he prefers a soft but supportive mattress.
The ProAdapt medium hybrid strikes a good balance. It is firm enough that I feel supported. I don't feel as though I am sinking into the mattress, something I find deeply uncomfortable. Yet, it is soft enough that my husband feels as though he is being cradled, which he finds very comfortable. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest, I'd put it at 7.
Tempur-Pedic says the mattress can take up to two weeks to fully break in, but unlike other mattresses I've tried, I found that the ProAdapt was comfortable starting on night one.
The ProAdapt mattress gently contoured my body, and after a couple of nights, my husband and I both noticed that we were no longer waking up with any pain. Previously, I often woke up with back or hip pain, and my husband woke up with back pain.
I used the Mattress Checker app to help determine how well the ProAdapt kept my spine in alignment. The results indicated that the mattress was keeping my spine in good alignment due to the highly responsive nature of Tempur-Material.
I found that I started sleeping much more deeply than usual. I normally wake up as soon as my alarm goes off or before. However, since getting ProAdapt I've slept through my alarm several times, as has my husband. I track my sleep quality and duration using a Garmin smartwatch. Out of 100, my sleep is usually in the mid-70s or low 80s. I slept my sleep score regularly went up to the high 90s when sleeping on the ProAdapt. Data from my smartwatch indicated that the quality of my sleep was better and deeper and sometimes longer.
Jamie Davis Smith/Business Insider
The mattress's cool-to-the-touch cooling cover, combined with a layer of ventilated foam, does an exceptional job of keeping it cool throughout the night. I am a hot sleeper, but I have not woken up hot or sweaty once while sleeping on the ProAdapt, even though I tested the mattress during a brutal heat wave with high humidity in Washington, DC.
Beyond taking my word for it, we tested how cool the ProAdapt stays throughout the night and how well it dissipates body heat. I used an infrared laser thermometer to test the surface temperature of the mattress before lying down to go to sleep, right after I got up, and two minutes after getting out of bed.
While I was sleeping, the mattress's temperature rose an average of 12 degrees, which is relatively low compared to other mattresses. This indicates that the mattress does not trap much heat and is good for those who sleep hot.
After about two minutes, the temperature fell an average of seven degrees. Other mattresses cool down faster after two minutes, with the average being a reduction of 14 degrees. However, because the mattress does not trap as much heat as other mattresses throughout the night, our recommendation that the ProAdapt is good for hot sleepers did not change after getting these readings.
Jamie Davis Smith/Business Insider
When a mattress has good edge support, it stays stable when sitting on the edge to get in and out of bed and gives more surface area to lay comfortably on. This is especially important when my young son joins my husband and me in our bed. Fortunately, the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt demonstrated excellent edge support.
To evaluate edge support on the ProAdapt medium I measured how far the mattress sank when I sat on the edge. The mattress only sank about 2.5 inches. Mattresses sink an average of 3.5 inches, making the Pro-Adapt well above average when it comes to edge support. Next, I laid down very close to the edge of the mattress and rolled off slowly. I did not start to fall off the bed until I reached the edge, and my back was nearly perpendicular to the bed when I fell. The firm I trialed also exhibited excellent edge support, too, if not better, at 2.25 inches
Comparatively, another Business Insider contributor reviewed an older version of the LuxeAdapt in soft and found its edge support lacking, which was likely due to the foam's softer density.
With good motion isolation, you're less likely to disrupt a sleeping partner if you toss and turn in your sleep or get in and out of bed at different times. If a mattress has poor motion isolation, your partner is more likely to feel the mattress shift every time you move.
To test the ProAdapt's motion isolation, I placed a soda can upright on the bed and dropped an 18.5-pound kettlebell a foot from the impact to measure the intensity of the vibrations on the other side of the bed.
I took five vibration readings using a vibrometer app. They ranged from a low of 2.65 to a high of 2.75, well below the average of 7.1. Anything under 6.6 is considered very good, so the Tempur-Adapt performed admirably on this test.
The can remained upright through a dozen drops. Although it wobbled a little bit when I dropped the weight, it never came close to tipping over.
In a real-life situation, since most of us aren't dropping weights on mattresses, my young son likes to crawl into my bed in the middle of the night, and I was not disrupted. My son moves around considerably in his sleep and usually wakes me up several times when this happens. However, I barely noticed his movements while sleeping on the ProAdapt, while on the medium-hybrid and the firm.
The ProAdapt has impressive motion isolation, making it an excellent choice for couples or people who often find a pet or young child in their bed with them.
Tempur-Pedic offers a 90-night trial period for its mattresses, which starts from the delivery date. If you are unsatisfied with your mattress within the first 90 days, Tempur-Pedic will offer a full refund minus a $175 return fee plus taxes. Exchanges incur the same fee.
Tempur-Pedic offers a 10-year warranty for defects including faulty materials or workmanship and does not cover normal wear and tear or abuse. Under the terms of the warranty, Tempur-Pedic may elect to replace the mattress or issue a refund. Only original purchasers are covered by the warranty. The warranty only covers mattresses that were used on a foundation capable of supporting the weight of the mattress and its users.
I tested the ProAdapt mattress alongside Tempur-Pedic's Tempur-Ergo Smart Base. The base, which sells for just under $2,000, is a splurge but one that is well worth the investment, especially for those with chronic pain. The base has several nice features, such as a two-zone massage, a built-in USB port, and sleep-tracking technology. All of those are nice to have, but the base's zero gravity, adjustable lumbar support, and head and foot lifts really stand out for comfort and can be used to make adjustments to help alleviate pain. It also has an anti-snore detection feature that adjusts the base position if snoring is detected.
Even after more than a month of testing, the ProAdapt still feels different to me than traditional memory foam or coils. I have gotten used to the feel and now prefer the feel of Tempur-Pedic. However, those who have a traditional memory foam mattress they love might take longer to get used to the feel of Tempur-Pedic mattresses. I found that the feel of the medium hybrid feels closer to a traditional spring mattress than an older model foam-only, firm version of the ProAdapt I tested.
After testing, I am happy with the firmness level but suggest carefully considering the level of firmness you prefer. Fortunately, Tempur-Pedic has widespread showroom availability with its own stores and authorized retailer relationships to see the mattress you are considering in person before purchasing.
The cost is another factor to consider. The ProAdapt medium hybrid I tested sells for over $4,000 for a king so it's not in everyone's budget.
James Brains/Business Insider
Tempur-Pedic offers the Tempur-Adapt mattress in various firmnesses and depths, depending on your comfort and support needs, so there are lots of options to consider beyond the medium hybrid.
Tempur-Pedic's most affordable mattress offering, the Tempur-Cloud is also rated as one of our best foam mattresses. It's recommended for all types of sleepers. Its lower price means it ships compressed in a box instead of coming with an in-home set-up, but it is one the most comfortable mattresses Business Insider's sleep reporter, James Brains, has ever tested. For enhanced cooling, look to the Breeze series, which can help you sleep up to 10 degrees cooler. The ProBreeze is a top choice for back sleepers.
If you're looking to spend under $1,000 for a mattress, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, is an affordable medium-firm option that is also effective at helping back pain. The Serta iCloudEco Comfort Foam is another firm mattress we recently tried that has excellent edge support and is recommended for all sleep positions.
Our guide to the best mattresses has suggestions for other alternatives if none of these suggestions meet your needs.
Jamie Davis Smith/Business Insider
If within your budget, the ProAdapt is a great choice for couples with different sleep preferences. It is especially good for those seeking superior pressure relief. It excels at motion isolation, making it an excellent choice for those who share their bed with a partner. The ProAdapt also does an exceptional job of staying cool, something that hot sleepers will appreciate.
