Mattress Ratings > Waterbed Reviews
Waterbeds → Review, Ratings & Complaints Based on Data From 304 Actual Owners
Page last updated August 2, 2011
What You Need To Know
Owner Satisfaction: Waterbeds overall have 79% owner satisfaction.
Pros: Temperature control; contours to body; good longevity possible; fairly inexpensive; largely dust mite resistant.
Cons: Can be punctured; heavy; set up / assembly and maintenance; noise and initial odor possible; heating cost.
Learn more about waterbed pros and cons.
Competition: See how waterbeds compare to other bed types in the detailed mattress comparison.
Waterbed Ratings Overview: Hardside Vs Softside
Waterbeds consist of two types: hard-sided and soft-sided. A hard-sided waterbed consists of a water chamber(s) inside a rectangular frame of wood placed on a deck and platform. A soft-sided waterbed looks like a conventional bed. It consists of a water chamber(s) encased inside a rectangular frame of sturdy foam and fabric which is placed on a platform.
The ratings below describe and compare how these waterbed types overall are evaluated by actual owners.
| Hardside | Softside | Comments | |
| Owner satisfaction | fair | good | Waterbeds have 79% owner satisfaction. They basically tie with memory foam, latex and air mattresses and rate higher than innerspring mattresses. Softside waterbeds have at least somewhat higher owner satisfaction than hardside waterbeds mainly because of better comfort and durability. |
| Durability | fair | good | Punctures and leaks are the top complaint of hardside waterbed owners. Softside waterbeds generally have better durability because the water chamber(s) are more protected. Most punctures / leaks are caused by a cat, a zipper, or a pen / pencil. Also, about 8% of owners report that the heater used to keep the water warm broke and needed to be replaced. |
| Longevity | fair | good | Longevity is a top positive of the mattresses, say owners. Punctures / leaks can often be easily repaired, and with good maintenance, waterbeds can last for over a decade without substantial loss of comfort. |
| Price (queen) | good | fair | Hardside mattresses often are $100-$700, while softside mattresses often cost $800-$1700. Higher priced models have more features, namely wave reduction and lumbar support. |
| Energy use / cost | poor | fair | Hardside waterbeds are usually heated to prevent an uncomfortably cold sleep surface. Softside waterbeds are sometimes not heated or require less heating. Heating a waterbed can result in somewhat higher electricity costs, report owners. |
| Less pain / reduced pressure points | fair | good | Both types conform well to the body and minimize pressure points. Owner data suggests that soft side waterbeds provide more comfort and support resulting in somewhat better pain relief, including back pain relief. About 18% of owners report pain relief, while 9% complain that their bed causes pain. Also, the "hard side" of hard side waterbeds can be uncomfortable when getting on or off the bed. (See mattresses and pain relief for more analysis.) |
| Motion isolation | poor | fair | A mattress with good motion isolation absorbs movement from spreading across the bed and keeps one's partner from being disturbed. Single bladder waterbeds perform very poorly on this issue, while duel bladder models can perform fairly well. Owner data suggests that most hardside beds are single bladder resulting in a poor score on this issue. In addition, the motion of the bed causes sea sickness-like symptoms for about 3% of owners. |
| Dust mite resistant / fewer allergies | good | fair | Hardside waterbeds can often be cleaned more thoroughly and easily than softsided types, say owners. Waterbeds overall rate well on the issue of dust mites because the mites cannot enter into the water bladder(s). (See mattresses and dust mites for more analysis.) |
| No initial odor / off gassing | fair | good | A fairly common complaint for hardside waterbeds is that they have an initial odor, usually from the vinyl. Softside beds typically do not have this complaint because the vinyl chamber is encased in the bed. |
| No noise | fair | fair | Waterbeds are generally quiet if air is removed from inside; otherwise the water may be heard (swishing, sloshing). In addition, the heater may make some noise. |
| Ease of set up / assembly | Poor | Poor | A main disadvantage of waterbeds. Owners report that setting up a waterbed often requires considerable time and effort. |
| Ease of maintenance | fair | fair | 10% of owners complain about the need for maintenance. For example, a water conditioner needs to be added occasionally and the water level needs to be maintained. On the positive side, the mattress never needs to be flipped or turned. |
| Lightweight | poor | poor | Waterbeds are the heaviest type of bed and can weigh as much as 1,000 lbs when full. Moving the bed is difficult and time consuming because you must drain the bed to move it and then refill it. |
| Good for sex | Fair | fair | For the majority of owners, waterbeds are viewed as no better than average on this issue. See mattresses and sex for more info. |
| Warranties | fair | good | Most softside waterbeds have 20-year limited warranties. Hardside types often provide somewhat shorter coverage. (See mattress warranties: what you should know.) |
Owner Satisfaction and Wave Reduction
Owner satisfaction appears to be fairly closely linked to the amount of wave reduction a waterbed has. A mattress with a high percent of wave reduction will have only a few seconds of motion, while a free-flow mattress will have several seconds of motion. Keep in mind that the higher the wave reduction, the higher the price tag.
| Owner Satisfaction |
| Free flow | 67% |
| 70%-85% reduction | 78% |
| 95%-99% reduction | 82% |
Waterbed Manufacturers / Brands: Ratings & Comparison
As the chart below shows, the various leading waterbed brands / manufacturers tend to be similar in many ways. We do not currently provide owner satisfaction data for each of the brands / manufacturers because most owners in our research did not mention or were unaware of their beds' brand / maker.
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| Brand / Manufacturer | Better Business Bureau Rating | In Business Since | Soft Side Warranty | Hard Side Warranty | ||||
| American National | A+ | 1974 | 20-yr ltd | 10-yr ltd | ||||
| American Sleep Collection | ? | ? | 20-yr ltd | 20-yr ltd | ||||
| Boyd | A- | 1977 | 20-yr ltd | 17-yr ltd | ||||
| Comfort Craft | A | 1975 | 20-yr ltd | -- | ||||
| Land and Sky | A- | 1973 | 10-12-yr ltd | 4-yr ltd | ||||
| Strobel Technologies | B | 1974 | ? | ? | ||||