 |
Waterbed
Reviews
and Ratings --
Based on Data From Over 225 Owners
What You Need To Know
According to the data, waterbeds as a group have a better comfort
rating than innerspring beds and are comparable comfort rating-wise
to memory foam mattresses and airbeds.
The beds have three times more disadvantages than advantages,
according to owners.
Detailed Research Findings
SleepLikeTheDead.com
gathered reviews and comments on waterbeds from 229 owners.
The sources of this data were dozens of online message boards.
For more information on our research methodology, click here.
Our research and analysis does not include or evaluate specific
waterbed brands, but rather waterbeds as a whole. This is
mainly because most waterbed owners are not aware of their beds'
brand.
This page consists of four sections: Comfort; Negatives;
Positives and; Sex Issue.
Last updated: July 2008
Comfort
Out of the 229 waterbed owners included in the data, 179 said
the bed was comfortable and 50 said it was uncomfortable. In
other words, 78% of the owners found the bed to be comfortable
and 22% did not.
|
Comfortable
|
|
179
Owners |
|
Uncomfortable
|
|
50
Owners |
|
|
|
|
For perspective, the percentage of waterbed owners finding their
bed comfortable (78%) is higher than the top-selling
innerspring mattress brands, similar to airbeds
and memory foam
mattresses, and below latex
beds.
Waterbed
Negatives
This section lists and describes 15 negatives of waterbeds,
according to owners.
|
|
|
22
Owners |
|
|
Causes
pain
|
|
20
Owners |
|
|
|
|
16
Owners |
|
|
|
|
16
Owners |
|
|
|
|
16
Owners |
|
|
|
|
14
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
12
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
12
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
9
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
9
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
8
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
8
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
7
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
5
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
4
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
Leaked
The waterbed was punctured (often by a cat) resulting in water
leaking out of the bed which sometimes resulted in significant
water damage.
2. Causes pain
The bed causes back pain or sometimes another type of body
pain.
3. Maintenance required
A water conditioner needs to be added occasionally and the
water level in the mattress needs to be maintained.
4. Hard to move and set up
Moving the bed is difficult and time consuming since you must
drain the bed to move it and then refill it.
5. No motion isolation
The movements of one person are clearly felt by another person
on the bed.
6. Sheet come off
Finding sheets that fit properly is difficult, often resulting
in sheets that do not fit well.
7. Heavy
A waterbed can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds or more when
full with water.
8. Heater breaks
The heater used to keep the water warm broke, and discomfort
resulted.
9. Can't sit up
Sitting up is uncomfortable because one sinks dramatically
toward the bottom or foundation.
10. Hard to get up off
Getting out requires extra effort, especially for the aged,
sick, heavy or pregnant.
11. Requires a heater
The water often needs to be heated to ensure a comfortable
sleeping surface.
12. Cost of heating
Heating water requires much energy, often resulting in higher
electricity costs.
13. Causes sea sickness
The motion of the bed causes sea sickness-like symptoms.
14. Not flat if different weight
Having two people sleep on the bed who have very different
weights cause the lighter person to roll toward heavier person.
15. Swishes / sloshes
The water inside the bed can be heard when the sleeper moves.
Waterbed
Positives
This section lists and describes five positives of waterbeds,
according to owners.
|
|
|
30
Owners |
|
|
|
26
Owners |
|
|
|
25
Owners |
|
|
|
8
Owners |
|
|
|
8
Owners |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
Temperature control
The heater makes the bed more comfortable and can be adjusted
to suit one's temperature preference.
2. Durable
With good maintenance and the avoidance of punctures, waterbeds
can last for years and even decades without a loss of comfort.
3. Reduces pain
The bed alleviates or even eliminates body pain, such as back
pain.
4. Dust mite resistant
A bed that is dust mite resistant is made of materials that
are less likely to attract dust mites. (The shedded skin and
feces of dust mites are recognized to be the main cause for
asthma, hay fever and other allergies.) The vinyl surface
of a waterbed is dust mite resistant, unlike innerspring mattresses.
(Air beds and memory foam beds are also dust mite resistant,
although likely to a lesser degree than waterbeds.)
5. Adjustable firmness
Water can be added or removed which will result in harder
or softer firmness.
Sex
Issue
Below
is data from waterbed owners regarding how they regard their
beds' suitability for sex.
|
Bad
for sex
|
|
14
Owners |
|
Good
for sex
|
|
7
Owners |
|
|
|
|
Bad for sex
Sex is difficult, often because one can bottom out on the
hard foundation with knees, tail bone, hands, etc.
Good for sex
Sex is good or at least unique, especially if you don't
fight the bed but rather use its properties to one's advantage.
More Information
Innerspring
Mattress Reviews
Airbed Mattress Reviews
Latex Mattress Reviews
Consumer
Reports
Epinions
Head-to-head
Mattress Comparison Grid
|
