Sealy Posturepedic Mattress Review and Ratings

Based on 857 Actual Consumer Experiences

February 27, 2013

What You Need To Know

THE GOOD: In addition to being generally affordable, Sealy Posturepedic mattresses have slightly above-average owner satisfaction for an innerspring bed. Many firmness and comfort options are available.

THE BAD: Like innerspring beds in general, Posturepedics tend to have below average durability and longevity due to sagging and body impression development. They can be less than silent, and motion isolation for many Posturepedic models is average at best.

THE COMPETITION: Mainly Simmons and Serta. See the mattress comparison or innerspring mattress reviews – summary for how Sealy Posturepedic compares to competitor brands.

THE SEALY ALTERNATIVES: Sealy Brand; mid-level Optimum (memory foam); and mid-to-luxury brand Stearns & Foster (innerspring and latex).

Sealy Posturepedic Ratings Summary

Sample size: Over 850 consumers of the various Posturepedic models.

Owner satisfaction	d+	Sealy Posturepedic has 65% owner satisfaction (65 out of 100 based on 857 reviews). The many and various Posturepedic models tend to rate similar to one another. While the Posturepedic is one of the highest rated innerspring mattresses, it rates significantly lower than most non-innerspring mattresses (memory foam, latex, air).
Durability / longevity	c-	At least 18% of Sealy Posturepedic owners report significant sagging or body impression development. This problem can occur with any Posturepedic, but is more likely to occur with thicker, pillow top models. As the graph below shows, owners keep their Posturepedic on average for about six years.
Affordability / price	B+	Prices tend to range from $300-$1,400. Posturepedic models with minimal padding / construction tend to be the most affordable. Sealy is often priced in the same range as Serta and somewhat less than Simmons.
Less pain	C	Pain reduction (especially reduction of back, hip and shoulder pain) is generally not a long-term strength of Sealy Posturepedic. When the mattress is new, owners often report having good comfort and reduced pain, including a minimization of pressure points. But as the mattress ages and sags, at least 15% of Posturepedic owners report increased pain. Excessive firmness and excessive softness are other main causes of reported pain and discomfort.
Firmness options	a	Like most innerspring mattresses, Posturepedic is often available in a wide range of firmnesses to suit nearly any preference.
Back sleep friendly	c+	Medium and firm models tend to be best for back sleepers.
Side sleep friendly	c+	Medium or soft Posturepedics are likely best for side sleep, but sagging can cause poor spinal alignment and back pain.
Stomach sleep friendly	c+	Medium firmness models tend to be best for stomach sleepers.
Motion isolation	C	Motion isolation refers to how well the mattress keeps movement by one person from being felt by another. Many low- and mid-priced Posturepedic models tend to not perform well on this issue, but more expensive models can perform better, namely those with individually wrapped pocket coils and significant amounts of memory foam.
No initial odor / off gassing	B-	Posturepedics without memory foam tend to have few reports of off gassing / initial odor. At least 10% of owners of Posturepedic models with memory foam, however, report significant off gassing / initial odor. (See mattress off gassing for general analysis.)
No sleeping hot	B-	Sealy Posturepedics with memory foam may retain heat. About 10% of these owners report heat buildup to an extent that makes the mattress uncomfortable. Models with "gel" memory foam will likely sleep at least slightly cooler than models with traditional memory foam.
Good for sex	b-	Posturepedics receive somewhat above-average ratings on this issue. Complaints usually result from mattress sagging which can undermine the comfort and usability of the mattress. (See mattresses and sex comparison for general analysis.)
No noise	d+	Noise (creaking, squeaking, popping) coming from the Posturepedic when sat or lied upon is reported by at least 6% of owners making it a significant complaint.
No rotating / flipping	B-	Nearly all Sealys are "no flip." They can, however, be rotated which owners often report doing in an attempt to combat sagging and body impressions.
Lightweight	C	Thicker, more expensive Sealy Posturepedic models and those with a layer of memory foam and or latex tend to be heaviest.
Warranty	c-	Posturepedics usually come with a full non-prorated 10-year warranty. Some less expensive models may have a shorter warranty while more expensive models may have a longer one. 1.5 inches of sagging depth is required for the bed to be eligible for replacement. More info: mattress warranties: what you should know.
Customer service	c	Sealy customer service overall is considered no better than fair by Posturepedic owners. Most complaints regarding Sealy customer service involve an inability to receive adequate help / compensation regarding sagging and warranty coverage.
Better Business Bureau rating	a+	Sealy currently has an "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau. This rating is significantly higher than the current rating for both Serta (A+) and Simmons (C). Sealy had 181 complaints filed against it in the past three years which is about average for a mattress manufacturer of its size. Like virtually all innerspring mattress manufacturers, Sealy is not BBB accredited.
Better Business Bureau rating stability	c+	The stability of the BBB rating is often an indicator of a company's consistency and long-term commitment to the customer. Sealy's BBB rating historically has fluctuated somewhat.

Sealy Posturepedic Top Complaints

Mattress sagging, body impression development and pain (especially back pain) make up over half of the complaints from Sealy Posturepedic owners.

posturepedic complaints

Sealy Posturepedic Top Praises

Good comfort, improved sleep and less pain make up the clear majority of praises from Sealy Posturepedic owners.

sealy praises

Sleep Like The Dead Editor Discusses Sealy Posturepedic Research

About our unbiased Sealy Posturepedic review and research

Our ratings are based on the experiences of 850+ owners of the various Sealy Posturepedic mattress models.

80% of our Sealy owner experience data was collected from online message boards and 20% from a combination of review sections on retailer websites and product review websites.

Learn more about our mattress research methodology and sources.

Keep in Mind

– Posturepedic models are not standardized, meaning that different retailers sell basically the same models under different names. Owner experience data suggests that all Posturepedic models (regardless of price or retailer) tend to rate similar at around 65% owner satisfaction.

– About 20 percent or more of Sealy Posturepedic owners report sagging or body impression development. This problem can happen with any Posturepedic but is more likely to happen with thick pillow top models.

– Motion isolation and couple friendliness tend to not be strengths of many Posturepedic models, especially those that are lower priced.

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