Saatva Mattress Review – Is It a Good Mattress?

We were not in the market for a new mattress when the opportunity presented itself to sleep on a Saatva mattress; however, we were not happy with the mattress purchase that we had made two years prior. As TTG readers know, being thrifty does not merely involve making acquisition decisions on the lowest price, but sometimes immediate financial circumstances and habits influence decision making.

A little back-story on our mattress woes

Two summers ago, we started looking for a new mattress. This was our 3rd mattress purchase in 20 years. Our very first large purchase as a newlywed couple was a mattress. We literally drove around looking for a mattress store in the city we had just moved. We stopped at the first store we found and purchased the cheapest full size mattress. Five years later, we picked up a very nice queen bed set simply by agreeing to haul it away. Since our first buying approach was so successful, we walked into a major department store and asked for the cheapest queen mattress. Fifteen years later, that mattress had endured many moves including three across country, but it was time for a new one. The third time’s a charm, right?

We had two criteria for our third mattress purchase: size and material. We wanted a king size and it needed to be made of natural products. We did not want chemical smells coming from our new mattress. When price is no longer the only criteria in a shopping exercise, purchasing options open up.

The mattress buying world was confusing. I was quickly overwhelmed and didn’t know who to trust. I was trying to sort through all the various mattress make and models to get to the base product, apart from the marketing name and outward designs. I was even learning about mattress construction and how to avoid the bad chemicals that can be part of some mattresses. I was struggling.

In my research, I came across an ad for a mattress company that I had never heard of, Saatva. I clicked on the ad and was attracted at the look of the mattress (I know, the mattress is always covered with sheets when it’s in your home). The marketing had at least worked on me in that area; however, it was the number of overwhelmingly positive reviews that kept me on the Saatva website. I read through some of the reviews and then examined what they had to offer. Surprisingly, they just offered one mattress, with three variations of comfort levels in the standard sizes along with two height options.

On top of that, Saatva had highlighted a New York Times article explaining why I was struggling so much in my research. I felt validated. I bookmarked the Saatva mattress in my mind but wanted to continue researching. I kept coming back to Saatva even after continuing my research by reading more reviews and looking for third party reviews as well. This mattress appeared legitimate and it was gaining my trust.

But, old buying habits die hard; which is one reason why TTG exists—to help break those habits. One day, I was in a large warehouse store purchasing non mattress related bulk items, when I saw a king size mattress for sale that was about one-third less than the Saatva mattress that I had been eyeing. I told myself, “I trust this warehouse for other purchases, I could trust them for this mattress purchase.” I was being thrifty, so I told myself.

Well, two years after that mattress purchase from the warehouse, we were wondering if that decision was a contributing factor to many ills that my wife and I were experiencing (waking up in the morning in pain, neck issues, and not getting restful sleep).

So we decided we needed a mattress topper. Just more money “on top” of a cheaper purchase (no pun intended). So now, the total cost of my mattress purchase was near the cost of the Saatva mattress not including the cost of lost sleep and medical issues. I was regretting my decision not to get the Saatva mattress in the first place.

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Our Saatva experience (and is it organic?)

So when Saatva mattress offered one of their mattresses for a review, suffice it to say, we were ready and excited to do so. We knew exactly what we wanted, since we had made these decisions two summers ago. We selected the luxury firm king, in a height of 14.5”.

Saatva confirmed the order via text but had incorrectly stated that we wanted the 8.5” height. I texted back and clarified the 14.5” height. Within a couple minutes, I received confirmation of the change and that my mattress was in production. I was told it would be completed in 9 to 18 days. I must say, to know that the mattress was being made because of my order and not being pulled off some warehouse shelf was impressive and worth the wait.

Exactly nine days later, we received confirmation that the mattress was finished and ready to be delivered (Saatva offers free delivery, by the way). The delivery company called and we set up an appointment for delivery. To our surprise, the delivery people were right on time (within 4 minutes). That mattress that looked so good was now in our bedroom. There was something missing however, no smell. So much so, that it almost went unnoticed. Here was a brand new mattress that had literally just been made and we couldn’t smell anything. You can forget about that new mattress smell with Saatva.

Before putting on any sheets, I sat and laid down on the mattress. One thing I noticed right away is how solid the side construction of the mattress is. There was no sagging as I sat on the side of the bed. Obviously, I’m not a mattress construction expert but I could tell this wasn’t like my previous mattresses.

My wife and I were both anxious for our first night’s rest on the mattress. Perhaps too anxious. We didn’t sleep well at all. I kept waking up and thinking, “soon I’m going to get a great rest.” But like my son said the other day when he lost his upper wire from his braces, “I couldn’t sleep at all last night because my teeth felt so good!” The Saatva mattress felt so good that we couldn’t sleep well that first night.

Final thoughts on the mattress

It’s been just over 30 days and while the improvement for us was not immediate, we are getting better rest and the pains that were once there in the morning are not. Another thing we’ve noticed is that the mattress doesn’t distribute movement from others. If my wife gets up in the night, I used to feel it. Even though we have our old roller base frame, the Saatva mattress is absorbing the movements. Impressive.

We were even away on a week’s vacation two weeks ago. The back pains returned from our hotel bed and despite the sorrow of an ending vacation, we were glad to return home to sleep on our Saatva mattress.

One thing I’ve learned through this process that being thrifty involves spending a little more money up front so can save you more in the long run.

Pros

• Customer Service: was able to communicate via email and text
• On-time White Glove Delivery (+ free delivery)
• 120-day trial
• 15-year warranty
• Allergy conscience materials
• Informative and easy to navigate website
• Sells only one mattress that eliminates the mattress buying confusion
• Solid edge construction

Cons

• Only web-based sales
• Prepare to plan ahead as mattress production can take anywhere between 9-18 days plus delivery

Have you ever tried a Saatva mattress? What do you sleep on and how do make a thrifty mattress purchase?

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Update 6/28/19: Get $75 off at checkout via this link. 

Comparison of other mattresses

Mattress Company	Starting Price	Firmness	Availability
Naturepedic	$1,199	Various	In-store / online
Nectar	$399 (when on sale)	Medium-firm	Online
Saatva	$1,100	Various	Online

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