Tempur-Pedic vs. Sleep Number: What To Know (& Which Beds To Shop)

A lot of things could be messing with your sleep, but your mattress shouldn't be one of them. If you're willing to invest in your sleep—it's an investment in your health, after all—you'll find plenty of category-leading brands ready to offer your next sleep solution. While we could rave about a number of mattresses, especially in the nontoxic space, two brands dominate the luxury mattress space: Tempur-Pedic and Sleep Number. Both companies offer a fleet of high-quality products, each with their own pros and cons.

Tempur-Pedic is a luxury bedding brand that offers high-quality mattresses, bed bases, and a range of bedding products.

Materials

The brand is best known for its TEMPUR® material, a special type of memory foam that offers motion cancellation, weight distribution, and contouring benefits to the body. This proprietary material is used in each of the brand's mattresses, as well as its body pads, toppers, and pillow products. Cotton, bamboo, and other materials are used in its bedding products (sheets, comforters, blankets, and protectors).

Bed Bases/Foundations

Tempur-Pedic also offers adjustable bed bases and foundations, used in lieu of traditional mattress frames, box springs, and headboards. All bed frames are fully adjustable, with a wireless remote that works to elevate the head and foot of the bed. Depending on the model you choose, some frames also include USB ports, under-bed lighting, and Sleeptracker-AI technology, to track sleep patterns and prevent snoring.

Note: All bed bases and foundations are sold separately and are not included in your mattress purchase.

Mattresses

There are currently three types of mattresses available, each with varying thickness, support, and combination of materials. The mattresses accommodate a range of standard bed sizes and can be paired with any of the brand's bed frames or foundations, for a unique and customizable sleep experience.

Shipping, Trial & Warranty

Sleep Number offers a range of mattresses, bedding products, and adjustable frames and bases.

Materials

The brand uses petroleum-based polyurethane foam in its mattresses, with a latex and rubber blend for the air chambers. Additional bedding products (comforters, sheets, blankets, and duvets) are made from cotton, lyocell, and other textiles. Pillows, mattress pads, and mattress toppers are also available from the brand and are made with similar materials.

Bed Bases/Foundations

Sleep Number offers three adjustable bed bases. These bases/foundations can be customized to elevate head and foot positions and also offer under-bed lighting to users. Since the brand creates smart beds only, each of them has built-in SleepIQ technology, which tracks sleep habits and trends and provides detailed reports with tips on how to improve your sleep.

Mattresses

The brand has several mattresses to choose from—each with different benefits. Every Sleep Number mattress comes with a built-in pump, which controls the firmness of the bed by adding and removing air from the chambers. The pump has sensors to help monitor time in bed, heart rate, and movement.

Shipping, Trial & Warranty

For back or neck pain, pressure relief, and motion isolation: Choose Tempur-Pedic.

While both brands offer a range of mattresses for all different sleepers, Bridget Chapman, a certified sleep science coach, says sleepers seeking pain relief will benefit most from a Tempur-Pedic mattress. "Tempur-Pedic mattresses offer better motion isolation, contouring, and pressure relief, making them ideal for combination and heavy sleepers, sleepers with neck or back pain, and those who want a hybrid option," she explains.

Hot sleepers, back sleepers, and side sleepers: Choose Sleep Number.

Chapman adds that because mattresses from Sleep Number offer customizable firmness levels and cooling properties, they are ideal for hot sleepers, back and side sleepers, as well as couples with different sleep preferences sharing a bed.

For sleep insights & tracking: Choose Sleep Number.

In case you didn't know, all bedding products are susceptible to mold—mattresses included. If mold is of high concern, Alaina Ross, a registered nurse and sleep coach, warns that mattresses from Sleep Number are more susceptible to this bacteria, due to the air chambers. "Most Sleep Number beds come equipped with either one or two air chambers, which allow sleepers to control and adjust the firmness profile of the mattress," she says. "While this certainly may be a benefit for certain types of sleepers, the internal framework of the beds also allows for more moisture to accumulate, which may promote mold growth." It's worth noting here that Sleep Number hasn’t had a confirmed case of mold for any bed made after 2006, and the materials used in the brand's products are required to pass a standard test (ASTM G-21) to demonstrate resistance to mold/mildew growth.

Like we said, finding the right mattress is crucial to your health and well-being, and Eichelberger agrees. "You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on a new mattress—there are lots of affordable options out there," she says. "But if money isn't an issue for you, then go ahead and get the best one possible—you'll never regret having spent that extra money on something that will help keep your body healthy and happy!"

Eichelberger suggests simplifying your search, by prioritizing factors like price, size, and mattress type. "You'll definitely want to think about how much space you have, what kind of mattress you're looking for, and how much you're willing to spend," she explains.