For the past year or so, my husband and I have been looking for ways to get more sleep and make that sleep higher quality. It doesn't matter your stress level, your diet, your fitness, if you're not getting enough sleep nothing will work right. Last year I wrote about how we improved our sleep with new pillows, a gravity blanket, and products to stop snoring. This past year, since adding a regular exercise routine to my life and changing my diet, my snoring has drastically reduced.
We started thinking about replacing our mattress. Our current one is a few years old and while it's comfortable, we wanted to upgrade to king size. My husband is 6'4" and the queen bed and our tall footboard plus his gravity blanket made the bed feel a bit cramped.
We began researching mattresses and asking friends what they thought about theirs. We didn't want foam - too hot. No adjustable bed - we didn't want the seam down the middle and so many friends said after a couple years they no longer liked theirs. Based off our last mattresses, we knew we didn't like firm mattresses but still wanted structure and support. We liked having an innerspring mattress and the ability to sit on the side without it sinking. We began researching online, with Consumer Reports, and one of the top mattresses we were considering was Saatva.
Saatva mattresses are handcrafted in the USA made with eco-friendly ingredients like foam made with soy or corn oil, recycled steel, and organic cotton. It's an innerspring mattress, with individually wrapped coils and lumbar zone technology for spine support. They use high-end materials and are well-crafted but half the price of mattresses at the local store because the company is 100% online.
We decided to save up for a mattress and shop in a year when Saatva reached out and asked if I'd like to try one of their mattresses in exchange for a review on my blog. I confirmed I did not have to write a positive review, and I could write whatever I wanted. This review is completely my thoughts, words, and feelings. I was not paid in addition to receiving the mattress, but if you click on the links in this post and purchase a Saatva mattress I may make a commission. As always, I'd rather have your trust than the commission and am being completely honest.
Choosing a Saatva Mattress
Saatva has three options for their mattresses - Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. I figured we'd want Luxury Firm as it's the most popular and seems to be a middle ground between soft and firm. However, I did research beyond the Saatva website and found many individuals who found the Luxury Firm too firm. Some of them found the Luxury Firm great at first but after a few weeks found it too firm. We had a similar experience with a mattress we purchased just before our daughter was born and replaced it with a softer mattress which we preferred, so I decided to go with Plush Soft.
Saatva offers two heights of mattress; 11.5" tall and 14.5" tall. The Saatva website offers a guide to see how the height of the bed will be in comparison to a 5'4" person (only an inch taller than I am). Considering the height of my husband, we went with the taller mattress.
Ordering and Receiving a Saatva Mattress
We went through the same ordering and delivery process as anyone else would, and that service is pretty fantastic. Upon placing the order, I received a text from Saatva where I received a link to my order and confirmed the height of mattress I desired. The text wasn't automated, I could call or text back with questions and have them answered by a real person. Once I confirmed I received a text response, and was notified by email when my mattress was ready for delivery. I received a call a couple days before the mattress was to be delivered to schedule a window of time when the mattress would arrive.
Saatva mattresses come with White Glove Delivery included - this means they won't just shove the mattress in your front door and be on their way. They will set up your new bed, even your new bed frame if you order one, and if you desire, will take away your old mattress. They called ahead of time to see if they needed to remove an old mattress; we said no as we were passing on our mattress to my mom who had a foam-topped one she hated.
The delivery people are contracted and not Saatva employees but they were very professional and friendly. We hadn't broken down our current bed and mattress so we declined the White Glove service, but they still made sure to place the mattress and boxspring in a place in our living room where it wouldn't fall or damage walls or furniture. I regret doing this as it's not easy to get a king-sized mattress up a narrow stairwell in a 1940's rowhome. Even if you plan on keeping your old bed, break it down before the new one comes as the delivery people are experts and it will save your back and your walls' paint job.
After breaking down our old bed and delivering it to my mom, we got to setting up our new bed. A king-sized bed comes with a two-piece boxspring which was super easy to get up the stairs. The mattress was another story. Thanks to YouTube, we found by using straps that we have in the car for strapping the canoe to our roof, we were able to cinch the mattress in half like a taco and shove it up the stairs. This didn't damage the mattress; in fact it really let us see how well-crafted and durable the mattress is (way more than our current mattress which cost twice as much). It's well-sewn, really sturdy, both looks and feels quite luxe. Even the boxspring is better made than the one for our expensive mattress store mattress.
One Month Later: Our Saatva Mattress Review
The bed is tall; on the bedframe it's a few inches taller than our old bed but I like it. I feel like royalty in my big bed, and it's not so tall I can't easily slide in and out even when half asleep or after an especially rough leg workout at the gym. Since it's an innerspring mattress, you can sit on the side and it doesn't sink. It isn't a classic pillow-top where it looks as though they sewed a comforter on top of the mattress; everything is contained. I like this, it feels sturdier and we haven't had any issue with bunching. And while the mattress is tall, deep pocket sheets from any retailer fit very easily on the mattress and a standard fitted sheet fits great over the boxspring as a bedskirt alternative.
I am so glad we chose the Plush Soft option for our mattress. It is soft, like you feel cradled, but not soft like our very old mattress that didn't support and left me with back aches. We both sleep on our sides the majority of the time but occasionally sleep on our backs, and it's great for both. I often end up having an arm fall asleep and wake up with numbness and pins and needles; I have had that happen only once since getting the Saatva mattress. And while it's only been a month, I haven't experienced any sagging, no shape of our bodies on the mattress, no issues with construction, nothing. We are super happy with our mattress and look forward to bedtime.
Three Years Later Saatva Mattress Review
I'd like to say that this mattress has been amazing all the years we have slept on it. While the mattress still looks great and is comfortable, the mattress has sunk where our two bodies usually lie. This doesn't bother my husband; he is around the same weight I am but over a foot taller so his weight is more evenly dispersed. Also, he doesn't move much when he sleeps.
However, I am a 5'3″ woman who us usually around 190-200 pounds. I am 46 years old and have had lower back issues on and off my whole life. My side of the bed has a much more prominent dent where I sleep, and it's so deep that it makes it hard for me to roll over in the middle of the night. I also think by being stuck in the well, there is additional pressure on my hip when I sleep on my side, causing my back pain to flare up.
Researching online, such well/sinking seems common for king-sized beds. The reason is that instead of a single boxspring the same size as the mattress, a king mattress is on top of two twin boxsprings. Sinking can be prevented by putting a board between the mattress and boxspring, or buying a single-piece foundation in place of a two-piece boxspring.
Usually, one would flip their mattress when they start sinking. The thing is our Saatva mattress has a padded top, and the bottom side of the mattress is a gray industrial fabric that is not comfortable or breathable. Turning the mattress has helped because my deeper well is at my husband's legs and his well wasn't as deep, but what will happen when we have again created deeper wells in the mattress? Such a mattress at such a price should last longer than five years.
I believe if we had bought a queen-sized Saatva mattress we would still be happy with it. Or, if we had the mattress on a platform bed or single-piece firmer foundation. But I had to come back to share my honest Saatva mattress review after three years of use.
Switching From a Queen to a King Mattress
The thing we did have to get used to was having a wider bed. Measurements online don't make it seem like a big difference but it's huge. We measured and had exactly enough room on the same wall to do a king bed as long as the bedframe wasn't too wide. We have an eclectic style, a mishmash of different woods and styles in our room. We wanted a true headboard, nothing upholstered, definitely wood and something that didn't look too specific to a décor style or time period. Oh, and we didn't have a lot of money to spend. We ended up going with this bed from Wayfair; it got good reviews for being sturdy and we liked that it looked a bit distressed and handmade.
This was our second purchase ever with Wayfair and it went well. The website showed real-time when the purchase would arrive so we didn't have to twiddle our thumbs during a four-hour window. The driver called when he was a couple miles away. They brought all the boxes for the bed into our home, nothing left on the front porch, and waited as we inspected to ensure all the boxes were there and nothing was visibly damaged.
The bed was a bit of a pain to put together and we did some MacGyver-ing to make it sturdier. The bed is a headboard, footboard, two side rails, and three slats to hold the mattress in place. One siderail, the metal hook to connect it to the headboard was screwed on crooked and we couldn't get a good fit; good thing my husband is handy and was able to remove it and set it in the correct location. There were two pieces of wood as part of the packing material to protect the bed; my husband sawed them off to be the same length as the slats so we'd have more mattress support. The bed also came with three wood blocks to screw to the slats to make legs in the middle of the bed; we took the sawed-off parts from the packing wood and made two more legs for the new slats. But once we did all that, the bed was very sturdy, strong, and looked nice. It also juuuust fit on the wall, a tiny bit tucked behind each bedside chest.
With the mattress and boxspring on the new bed, it is tall, but I like it. We don't have nightstands, but a chest of drawers on each side. With our old bed, these chests were at an awful height and I often cracked my head on it when turning in my sleep. Now the chests are at a comfortable height not just for protecting my noggin but grabbing a glass of water or my book. But the bed is also wide. It's so wide I sometimes feel I am in bed alone. He can be on his side with the gravity blanket and there's so much space I don't even feel his body heat. At first this made me sad and I'd wake up in the middle of the bed as I kept inching towards him in my sleep, but now we find it's awesome. I set up my side of the bed the way I like it with lots of big pillows and my twin comforter and all that jazz, he's on his side with his single pillow and gravity blanket and we get amazing sleep. We do start the night spooning, but as we start to actually fall asleep we usually end up moving to our separate nests, though we usually still hold hands. It's also taken a while to get used to the width in other ways. Before bed I put on my hand cream, lip balm, and put almond oil on my neck, arms, and décolleté. I then reach over, give him a couple drops as he puts it under his eyes to reduce dark circles. I used to just reach over, now I have to actually get on the bed to reach him.
We also had king-sized blankets and quilt on our queen-sized bed to have more length... now we're a king and everything feels so short. It's far harder to wrap the bedding around you like a cocoon. We've learned to work with it by having a shared main blanket and quilt, but I have my own sheet and comforter and he has his gravity blanket.
Our Bedroom Reveal
When we got the new bed, we got new bedding as a holiday gift to ourselves.
I raved about our blanket before, I got it from Nordstrom because it was on sale and the color I desired. It's so incredibly soft and silky, it makes the bed feel so decadent.
My husband and I don't always agree on home décor, but when we saw this quilt set from Pendleton we both fell in love. We love the bold black and white pattern, and comfort wise we prefer a lighter-weight quilt to a comforter and each add what we desire for the right weight of bedding for a good night's sleep.
Above our bed, we've always had nine record albums and from time to time would change which ones were in the frames. With a wider bed that was also not centered in the same place on the wall we knew we had to change it up. We toyed with a large print, a gallery wall, but realized we would miss the albums so we just decided to rearrange them to have two rows of four each. The ninth frame is over my husband's nightstand.
Next to my bed is a variety of things that hold special meaning, and plenty of practical things as well. The Protection from Internet Trolls spell candle is from Etsy, the weird clay statue is of Buddha and I made it in Sunday School, the blue jar has dried rosebuds in it and belonged to my mom, the black candle is Haight-Ashbury from Colleen Rothschild and the only candle scent that my husband and I both like.
the tray was a gift from ; in it, I have all my lip balms, eye drops, and Colleen Rothschild hand cream. The top journal is my traditional diary/journal. It's from The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu, they were giving them out one day when I worked at The Wing. The cover says, "A word after a word after a word is power." The bottom one is my list book. In there I put ideas for blog posts, lists of what I need to get done, lists of future outfits, lists of outfits made from a capsule wardrobe, notes from conference calls, and other randomness. The pen is a favorite, a gift from a reader (this is the same set).
