Selectabed Memory Foam Mattresses
Innovation with Memory Foam
Selectabed, which is now the mattress division of Relief-Mart, began as a Relief-Mart brand of memory foam mattresses with the SelectaBed 2000. The popular TEMPUR-Pedic mattress had 5.3-lb/ft³ visco-elastic TEMPUR-Material (memory foam) in the top layer. While it conformed to the body contours of the sleeper as it warmed up, it was slow responding when the sleeper first lay on it, Then, if the sleeper changed position, it took time readjusting to the new position, leaving the person to deal with uncomfortable ridges and depressions. The SelectaBed 2000’s 3” of 4.5-lb. foam on top had a quicker response. Later came the SelectaBed 5000.
Then Selectabed introduced the Tri-Pedic Mattress Series, which pioneered using multiple layers of memory foam to get quick initial response plus full pressure-relieving conformity. Until this time, memory foam mattresses had only two layers, a top one of memory foam over a thicker base layer of very firm polyurethane foam. Tri-Pedic got its name from having three layers, two of which were memory foam. The top layer was 4-lbs, and the second layer 5. This concept was adopted by TEMPUR-Pedic in their TEMPUR-Cloud.
Selectabed went on to combine latex and memory foam in their Latex Mattresses, with the latex layer beneath the memory foam. They also made an all-latex model, the Taluxe, which was discontinued in 2018.
Along the way, Selectabed developed new varieties of memory foam. The most innovative is Biogreen Memory Foam, which has an ultra-low level of volatile organic compounds, 1/13 the level allowed by CertiPUR-US and 1/5 the strictest standard, GreenGuard Gold.
Selectabed Sub-Divisions
Selectabed has two sub-divisions with memory foam mattresses, Tempflow and Snuggle-Pedic, which have their own websites. Snuggle-Pedic is the only one which sells through Amazon, where it is one of the top-rated memory foam mattresses with over 300 customer reviews. These are not part of this review.
Tri-Pedic and The Memory Zone Series
The memory foam mattresses currently sold on Selectabed are the Tri-Pedic Series, The Memory Zone Series (replacing the SelectaBed 2000 and SelectaBed 5000), and Flex-Tech Elite, the highest model in the Flex-Tech Series (separately reviewed). Although the latex mattresses Soft-Pedic and Fibro-Pedic may count as memory foam mattress, they are really all-foam hybrids.
The Tri-Pedic Series has three models: They differ in height and firmness, with Gold being the lowest and firmest, and Diamond the highest and softest.
- Tri-Pedic Gold
- Tri-Pedic Platinum
- Tri-Pedic Diamond
There are two Memory Zone models:
- Memory Zone Regular
- Memory Zone Deluxe
Mattress Construction
There are both similarities and differences between Selectabed’s two memory foam mattress series.
Cover
Both series now have Selectabed’s Kool-Flow covers. The Kool-Flow fabric is a blend of rayon from bamboo, polyester, and lycra. With its knitted-in micro-vents, it is a part of the Airflow Transfer System, which is an option for these mattresses. The top panel of the Kool-Flow cover is zippered for easy removal and cleaning.
Comfort Layer
The comfort layer in all five memory foam mattress models is memory foam. In all of these it has a 4-lb density. 4-lb memory foam has a quicker initial response to the sleeper’s body than the 5-lb foam first used in TEMPUR-Pedic mattresses. Although the 4-lb. memory foam is standard in these models, the 5-lb. foam with deeper conformity can be selected for the Memory Zone mattresses since they are made to order.
Transition Layer
This is a distinguishing feature between the two series. The transition layer is intermediate in firmness between the comfort layer and the base. The height of the comfort layers defines the models within each series.
The Tri-Pedic models have a 2” transition layer of 5-lb. memory foam. The denser memory foam has deeper conformity. It responds more slowly and has a longer memory. While the 4-lb material provides initial cushioning, the 5-lb foam has more pressure relief.
The Memory Zone mattress models have 2-inches of Selectabed’s PolyFlex HD Foam in the transition layer. PolyFlex is a resilient polyurethane foam which provides more support to the softer memory foam along with a little bounce. It is also less costly than memory foam, making the mattress more affordable. Also, the different feel is preferred by some customers. PolyFlex is less resilient than the Talalay latex in the Fibro-Pedic and Soft-Pedic and is less expensive.
Base Support Layer
The base support layer provides underlying support for the whole mattress and the sleeper. This is 6-inches high in the Tri-Pedic mattresses, and 5-inches in The Memory Zone mattress models.
Optional Airflow Transfer System
The patented Airflow Transfer System (ATS) is an option for Selectabed memory foam mattresses. It is designed to move air through the mattress for cooling and freshness, especially in memory foam. Air enters and exits the mattress through the micro-vents in the Kool-Flow cover, both at the top and on the sides. Air travels through vertical vents in the comfort and transition layers, and horizontally through airflow channels cut into the top surface of the base layer foam. The number of channels and vents allows for two-way passage of the air to bring cool air in while taking warm air out.
Marketing
Selectabed brand memory foam mattresses – Tri-Pedic series Memory Zone Series, and the Flex-Tech Elite – are sold only online on the Selectabed website and in the Selectabed showroom in Agoura Hills, California, as well as a handful of participating chiropractic clinics and health centers.
Both series are covered by Selectabed’s 120-night sleep trial, which also includes adjustments to comfort levels – the zippered covers allow replacement of foam layer with firmer or softer material.
Memory Zone mattresses have a 20-year warranty, while that for Tri-Pedic models is 30 years.
For more details on Selectabed’s two memory foam mattress series, see Tri-Pedic Series and Memory Zone Series.
Customer Response
We calculate our ratings in accordance with our Verified Review Policy.
Ratings
The limited distribution of Selectabed brand memory foam mattresses also limits the number of reviews submitted by customers to Reseller Ratings and Yelp. Both review sources are more about the sales experience and customer service. For these categories, Selectabed is highly rated in both venues. Among these are reviews evaluating Selectabed’s memory foam mattresses in general or the Tri-Pedic Series in particular. As of now, there are 19 ratings of Selectabed memory foam mattresses 9other than Tempflow and Snuggle-Pedic) on Reseller Ratings (RR) and Yelp. Two more RR reviewers has ordered Tri-Pedic mattresses, but had not yet received them at the time they submitted their reviews.
Of the 16 verified Selectabed memory foam mattress customers on Reseller Ratings, fifteen rated their mattresses with 5 stars and one with 4, for an average rating of 4.94. Three Yelp reviewers gave their Tri-Pedic mattresses 5-star ratings (one gave customer service after sale 4 stars) for a 5.0 average. The weighted average for all reviews is 4.95 (98.95%).
Endorsements
Additionally, the Tri-Pedic has been tried and recommended by writers for at least two publications (Terry Bannister of Highways Magazine and Simon Mansfield of Space Daily), and three brands of Selectabed memory foam mattresses (Tri-Pedic, Fibro-Pedic, and Tempflow) were used in a sleep study by the Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama (which uses these in their sleep study/therapy rooms).
Product Review by Terry Bannister of Highways Magazine, June 2003
Product Reviews
As reviewed by Terry Bannister of Highways Magazine, June 2003 https://www.selectabed.com/good-sam-club/
Tri-Pedic Mattress
Whether you are suffering from back or neck pain, or just need to get a better night’s sleep, this pressure-sensitive memory foam mattress may help. Created by a chiropractor, it is constructed with three different foam densities. It is soft enough to conform to the bumps and curves of your body while remaining firm enough to provide proper support, and it will never bottom out. It does not require a box spring, so you can customize it to fit your travel needs. The removable hand-stitched cover is made of hypoallergenic stretch terry cloth for easy washing, and has a breathable design that will ventilate to keep your body temperature constant.
[Comment by Dr. Rick Swartzburg]
More About Good Sam Club Member Discounts
*We have increased our warranty and trial period since the time of this article. The new sleep trial period is now 120 nights, and our warranty has been extended to 40 years! To learn more about our 120 Night Sleep Trial, click here. For more information on our 30 Year Warranty, click here.
**Although our retail prices have risen since this article, we are still offering Good Sam Club Members a discount below our best current sale prices. Please let us know when you call or fill out our price request form. As always, we appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to offer the Highways, Motorhome, and Trailer Life community the best quality beds and health products at the lowest prices possible. The Tri-Pedic mattress comes in short Queen RV sizing, as well as any custom size you need! Good Sam Club members will always receive the highest discount pricing we offer!
Space Daily Review of Tri-Pedic Mattress
Tri-Pedic Mattress Brings Further Innovation To NASA’s Technology
http://www.spacedaily.com/Memory_Foam_Mattress_Review.html
by Simon Mansfield Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 17, 2005 Updated January 27th, 2013
As the editor of Space Daily, I have always taken an interest in the technological advancements that NASA brings to the space community. However, I have to say that I never would have dreamed that one of these advancements would eventually find its way to my bedroom.
The advancement I am referring to is what many people have come to know as memory foam, a technological advancement that NASA developed in the 1970s that allows foam to mould to your body and then return to its original shape once your body moves to a new position.
I have been coveting one of these mattresses for years, but like many consumers was not ready to shell out the extra dollars for a new mattress, let alone one that I knew was bound to cost much more than a traditional spring mattress.
However, one recent uncomfortable and sleepless night, I found myself spending hours researching all there was to know about memory foam mattresses. While I may be a professional researcher by trade, I have to admit that at first I was a bit confused as to which company produced the best memory foam mattress.
I had already heard about the Tempur-Pedic™. They were the first company to use NASA’s technology for the purposes of consumer bedding. However, I had read that the use of their five-pound density foam was too temperature sensitive, and the overall feeling of the mattress was too hot.
From what I could gather, due to the high viscosity of the memory foam that Tempur-Pedic uses, it could feel too firm in cooler temperatures and even too soft for some people when it was heated up. Not being one to be easily discouraged, I continued my investigation and learned that there was a new innovation that solved this dilemma, but more on this in a moment.
What I did readily notice during my investigation was that there were other companies producing memory foam mattresses that were reported to be just like Tempur-Pedic, but a bit less costly. However, upon further examination many of these companies were using inferior quality foam and I did not feel comfortable that it would stand the test of time.
Then I came upon a new mattress that didn’t just try to use NASA’s technology and copy Tempur-Pedic. Rather, they were using innovation to improve upon the use of NASA’s technology in a design that could answer the concerns that Tempur-Pedic and other memory foam mattress consumers seemed to want addressed.
This mattress is called the Tri-Pedic®. At the time when I originally wrote this review eight years ago, the Tri-Pedic was still relatively new on the market, when compared to some of the older and well established names out there, but now that almost 10-years have passed since its inception, the Tri-Pedic has become an established brand. What made the Tri-Pedic more innovative than the competition, was that it found a way to address some of the previously mentioned Tempur-Pedic and other five-pound density memory foam mattress concerns. However, since the time I first wrote this article, the Tempurpedic Cloud and Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme came out on the market place, offering the same configuration as the Tri-Pedic mattress (but more on that in a minute).
The Tri-Pedic addressed the top-layer firmness issue by creating the first three layer memory foam mattress with two different densities. The top layer uses a softer four pound density memory foam that was not nearly as temperature sensitive, and had a more instantly plush feel to it.
Tri-Pedic® Innovative 3-layer System
Not wanting to lose support, they followed this up with a second layer of memory foam that has a firmer and more supportive five-pound memory foam. For the third layer, the Tri-Pedic used a very firm and highly durable base foam.
As mentioned, since the time of this review, Tempur-Pedic came out with the Tempurpedic Cloud and Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme mattresses. Both of Tempur-Pedic’s models use the Tri-layer system, but the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme is actually an exact memory foam layer replica, with 2 inches of 4lb. memory foam on the surface and 2 inches of the 5lb. density memory foam underneath. The comparisons in feel of the Tri-Pedic and Tempurpedic Cloud mattresses are very close, but 4lb. memory foam used on the Cloud mattresses is somewhat softer.
A recent innovation to the Tri-Pedic is the patented airflow transfer system that can optionally be added on. This helps solve the problem of heat build-up that occurs with contouring types of mattresses, where there is no outlet for the heat that is generated off the body. This optional system is able to accomplish this by many small surface holes that communicate with channels exit through the sides of the mattress. The result is a two-way exchange of airflow that allows the heat to dissipate and help you sleep cooler.
According to the National Research project, the biggest survey of Australian’s sleep habits ever conducted, to drop off, our bodies must cool off. That is why our body temperature and the brain’s sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. It is also why we find that hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. Therefore, this new innovation to the Tri-Pedic, may be a revolutionary change within the memory foam mattress industry.
Some other concerns with these types of mattresses were addressed in Baron’s recent mattress article Sex or Sleep?, but according to a survey performed by Memory Foam Mattress.org that was completed on 11-29-12, only 3.6% survey participants reported any sexual difficulties with a memory foam mattress.
When I first reviewed this mattress about eight years ago on behalf of Space Daily, I ordered Tri-Pedic mattresses for myself, as well as a member of my staff. I will readily admit that I selfishly was hoping to improve my own sleep while testing this mattress on a personal level and rendering an opinion.
Fortunately for Selectabed.com, my staff and I have been thoroughly impressed by how the mattress feels and the level of support that it gives. Back in 2005 we unanimously decided to give the Tri-Pedic mattress our Space Daily product innovation award. Now in 2013, Selectabed continues to innovate, with three different Tri-Pedic model’s now being offered. The Tri-Pedic Platinum uses the same configuration as the one I received eight years ago and is the mid-range model in terms of firmness and price. The Tri-Pedic Gold is their firmest model and the Tri-Pedic Diamond is the softest and most luxurious of the three. Eight years after our first review, it is good to know that Selectabed has not stopped innovating and continues to help find a way to improve upon the use of NASA’s technology. It also give goes to show that the Tri-Pedic was not just popular in response to some kind of NASA related fad or craze, but rather that is is a well built sleep system that has proven it can stand the test of time.
About Selectabed and Tri-Pedic
Selectabed.com is a division of the actual manufacturer, Relief-Mart, Inc., a 12-year old company that specializes in health and comfort products. They offer a 30-year warranty and 4-month sleep trial to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your mattress. You can order your own Tri-Pedic bed at Selectabed.com.
Mattress Sleep Study by Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama
Mattress Sleep Study
The following sleep study comes from the Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama. 149 sleep disorder patients were tested using three of our premier mattresses at their center. 70% of these already troubled sleep patients surveyed felt that they had a reduction in the need to shift around or toss and turn while sleeping on these mattresses. 91% of these patients surveyed stated that they would recommend these mattresses to someone who was interested in purchasing a new mattress and 94% of them said that they felt well supported on these mattresses. For detailed information, please see the study data below:
Mattress Questionnaire Data, October 2007
One hundred forty-nine of our sleep center patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their night of sleep on one of three different types of mattresses from Selectabed.com. The three types were Tri-Pedic, Fibro-Pedic, and TempFlow. The following was collected from January to October 2007.
