Sleep to Live Beds

redkipper

Okay then, so here's ANOTHER first time post (long time lurker) from someone who had a good experience with the retailer mentioned in this thread and would like to share it to enrich the forum, answering the question posed. You see unlike some previous responders I still have the wish to praise good service and / or product when we see it so others may come to an informed decision when they ask for advice.

Honestly, I do despair when some people's own petty little prejudices and banal attempts at humour get in the way of people seeking advice and details of good or bad experience. I mean what is a forum like this for if it is not to share experience; good and bad? Come on then, how many of you have bought a bed and had a genuinely bad experience with either this mattress or this retailer? Hmmm? Any of you? Well, if not, perhaps you should !!!!!! then or at least share your story rather than just sarcasm and derision – some of us actually do want to hear what others have said, rather than the sarcastic and unhelpful comments of those with more opinion than intelligence or good manners.

Incidentally, I would like to extend my thanks to those who did share an honest experience here. I read this thread before going to look at beds so as to understand what to expect from this retailer, and those with positive contribution, both good and bad, helped - my thanks go to you.

Anyway, rant over, and if you were looking for another opinion from someone who has used Bensons for beds, please read on....

My girlfriend and I have been out looking for a bed frame and a mattress. We have been to some independents as well as Dreams, Bensons, John Lewis and IKEA. I’ll start with Benson’s here, as that, and the ‘Sleep to Live’ range, were the subject of the original post. My reviews of the other retailers we tied are more perfunctory but then I’d like to keep it factual, objective and to the point.

We used the Benson’s for Beds in Shrewsbury and I have to say that we had an entirely positive experience. Firstly, the shop shuts at 6 during the week, but the gent in the store was kind enough to keep the store open for us until gone 6.45 as I had to travel from the other side of Coventry to get there and due to the glorious six lane car park that is the M6, I was later than the 5pm I had been aiming for. He was patient, knowledgeable, not in the slightest bit pushy and did not try to sell us any particular mattress or bed frame, rather he gave the best advice that anyone could give (granted this isn’t rocket science....); ‘This is an expensive purchase that should last a long time, so make sure that you are completely happy with whatever you buy and take your time.’ He explained the merits of each mattress in a factual way, rather than his own opinion, and didn’t mention the ‘Sleep to Live’ range until I asked. He was then keen to point out that if this was not the most comfortable mattress in the shop for you, then you shouldn’t consider buying it; the greatest advantage that you had for the extra money was that you could choose your desired support individually and so didn’t have to have a bed that was a compromise in comfort between you and your sleep partner. He added that as we were both looking for the same firmness, then the extra money wasn’t really worth it unless the comfort factor was so great that we just had to have it.

In the end, and after one and a half hours going from one mattress to another, we made our choice. All I am going to say about what we chose was the most comfortable mattress for us, at a price we could afford, and perhaps rather than looking directly at a brand, perhaps this is what you should be looking at. I would say that it wasn’t a ‘Sleep to Live’ though; I didn’t find it comfy at all! J

The last part of my positive experience was that rather than take the order there and then, which we would have been happy to place, he said we should really come back, or call up, tomorrow as in addition to the 50% off sale (he did explain that this was pretty much perpetual and not a real indication of the true cost of the mattress or bed frame) there would be a further 20% off everything we had been looking at.

In terms of the other retailers we tried, I wasn't so impressed.

I already have an IKEA bed and think their range is now ugly, okay - just not to my taste at all. I also didn't think that my current mattress was particularly good and has sagged badly after just 5 years service. Yes it is guaranteed, but I’d rather have had the thing right in the first place and not have to lug a Super King Size mattress back to a shop to have it pulled apart and questioned by a load of strange people, somehow this just feels like an invasion of privacy. And what does one do whilst this is happening? Sleep on the floor? No thanks!

John Lewis, Birmingham? If you thought that Benson's was expensive do go here, you'll have your eyes opened! Great choice and service for those with so much money they don't have to do the shopping around thing... (I wish!!)

Dreams, Sheldon, Birmingham. Not terribly helpful, very pushy and everything was a real effort; Very much the ‘Well if you buy it today....’ kind of sales and I really do resent that kind of thing and left very quickly. I guess each branch an salesperson have a different ethos on customer srvice - I could have just been unlucky here.

As for the independents, well they’re good if they have what you want. The ones I visited were great, mostly really nice people –and some were cheaper that the stuff we bought in the end, but your choice here is normally limited and you will have to have what they can get (rather obviously!). We didn’t find anything in the few shops we tried that was to our taste or comfort requirements – and I am not a patient shopper who like endlessly trawling the backstreets of Birmingham (for so many reasons!!)!!!

As for the internet (‘It’s the future, you know!!’) I really wasn’t too happy buying something I had never tried out. Granted you can go see something in a shop and then search online to try and get a better price – great idea! But personally I wouldn’t be happy chancing that I got the correct mattress / bed frame and I would rather deal with a retailer that I can go in and ‘speak to’ directly if there is a problem – especially over a purchase of this value. Distance Selling Regulations are all well and good but the inconvenience that you can suffer whilst something is sorted out doesn’t make up for the savings you can make, in my opinion.

Now those were my experiences, and that’s how they happened and I would say that I work for a large electronics company and have no affiliation to Benson’s or any other bed manufacturer, before there are any more cheap shots.

Yup, I fully expect to be flamed now, that’ll be the mentality of those that can’t help themselves, but hey, I hope that helped anyone who was genuinely interested.

Tim_Deegan

redkipper wrote: »

Okay then, so here's ANOTHER first time post (long time lurker) from someone who had a good experience with the retailer mentioned in this thread and would like to share it to enrich the forum, answering the question posed. You see unlike some previous responders I still have the wish to praise good service and / or product when we see it so others may come to an informed decision when they ask for advice.

Honestly, I do despair when some people's own petty little prejudices and banal attempts at humour get in the way of people seeking advice and details of good or bad experience. I mean what is a forum like this for if it is not to share experience; good and bad? Come on then, how many of you have bought a bed and had a genuinely bad experience with either this mattress or this retailer? Hmmm? Any of you? Well, if not, perhaps you should !!!!!! then or at least share your story rather than just sarcasm and derision – some of us actually do want to hear what others have said, rather than the sarcastic and unhelpful comments of those with more opinion than intelligence or good manners.

Incidentally, I would like to extend my thanks to those who did share an honest experience here. I read this thread before going to look at beds so as to understand what to expect from this retailer, and those with positive contribution, both good and bad, helped - my thanks go to you.

Anyway, rant over, and if you were looking for another opinion from someone who has used Bensons for beds, please read on....

My girlfriend and I have been out looking for a bed frame and a mattress. We have been to some independents as well as Dreams, Bensons, John Lewis and IKEA. I’ll start with Benson’s here, as that, and the ‘Sleep to Live’ range, were the subject of the original post. My reviews of the other retailers we tied are more perfunctory but then I’d like to keep it factual, objective and to the point.

We used the Benson’s for Beds in Shrewsbury and I have to say that we had an entirely positive experience. Firstly, the shop shuts at 6 during the week, but the gent in the store was kind enough to keep the store open for us until gone 6.45 as I had to travel from the other side of Coventry to get there and due to the glorious six lane car park that is the M6, I was later than the 5pm I had been aiming for. He was patient, knowledgeable, not in the slightest bit pushy and did not try to sell us any particular mattress or bed frame, rather he gave the best advice that anyone could give (granted this isn’t rocket science....); ‘This is an expensive purchase that should last a long time, so make sure that you are completely happy with whatever you buy and take your time.’ He explained the merits of each mattress in a factual way, rather than his own opinion, and didn’t mention the ‘Sleep to Live’ range until I asked. He was then keen to point out that if this was not the most comfortable mattress in the shop for you, then you shouldn’t consider buying it; the greatest advantage that you had for the extra money was that you could choose your desired support individually and so didn’t have to have a bed that was a compromise in comfort between you and your sleep partner. He added that as we were both looking for the same firmness, then the extra money wasn’t really worth it unless the comfort factor was so great that we just had to have it.

In the end, and after one and a half hours going from one mattress to another, we made our choice. All I am going to say about what we chose was the most comfortable mattress for us, at a price we could afford, and perhaps rather than looking directly at a brand, perhaps this is what you should be looking at. I would say that it wasn’t a ‘Sleep to Live’ though; I didn’t find it comfy at all! J

The last part of my positive experience was that rather than take the order there and then, which we would have been happy to place, he said we should really come back, or call up, tomorrow as in addition to the 50% off sale (he did explain that this was pretty much perpetual and not a real indication of the true cost of the mattress or bed frame) there would be a further 20% off everything we had been looking at.

In terms of the other retailers we tried, I wasn't so impressed.

I already have an IKEA bed and think their range is now ugly, okay - just not to my taste at all. I also didn't think that my current mattress was particularly good and has sagged badly after just 5 years service. Yes it is guaranteed, but I’d rather have had the thing right in the first place and not have to lug a Super King Size mattress back to a shop to have it pulled apart and questioned by a load of strange people, somehow this just feels like an invasion of privacy. And what does one do whilst this is happening? Sleep on the floor? No thanks!

John Lewis, Birmingham? If you thought that Benson's was expensive do go here, you'll have your eyes opened! Great choice and service for those with so much money they don't have to do the shopping around thing... (I wish!!)

Dreams, Sheldon, Birmingham. Not terribly helpful, very pushy and everything was a real effort; Very much the ‘Well if you buy it today....’ kind of sales and I really do resent that kind of thing and left very quickly. I guess each branch an salesperson have a different ethos on customer srvice - I could have just been unlucky here.

As for the independents, well they’re good if they have what you want. The ones I visited were great, mostly really nice people –and some were cheaper that the stuff we bought in the end, but your choice here is normally limited and you will have to have what they can get (rather obviously!). We didn’t find anything in the few shops we tried that was to our taste or comfort requirements – and I am not a patient shopper who like endlessly trawling the backstreets of Birmingham (for so many reasons!!)!!!

As for the internet (‘It’s the future, you know!!’) I really wasn’t too happy buying something I had never tried out. Granted you can go see something in a shop and then search online to try and get a better price – great idea! But personally I wouldn’t be happy chancing that I got the correct mattress / bed frame and I would rather deal with a retailer that I can go in and ‘speak to’ directly if there is a problem – especially over a purchase of this value. Distance Selling Regulations are all well and good but the inconvenience that you can suffer whilst something is sorted out doesn’t make up for the savings you can make, in my opinion.

Now those were my experiences, and that’s how they happened and I would say that I work for a large electronics company and have no affiliation to Benson’s or any other bed manufacturer, before there are any more cheap shots.

Yup, I fully expect to be flamed now, that’ll be the mentality of those that can’t help themselves, but hey, I hope that helped anyone who was genuinely interested.

Thankyou for your very balanced review. Whilst there are a few things I don't agree with 100% (which I won't go into now), it was a very good review of your experiences, at the shops you visited.

Hopefully this is a sign that Bensons have improved their customers service rather than you just being lucky to have met a good sales rep.
:T:T:T:T

trumpton

Thanks for posting Redkipper. You gave a fair and balanced summary of your experience. Unfortunately, these boards are often overrun by spam postings fron new members, so it tends to make us a bit cynical of gushing praise when so many others have had bad experiences. I think in large chains the service can vary from branch to branch, but it's nice to hear that you were satisfied.

littlechook

We recently bought a Sleep to Live 500 series mattress from Bensons as the shop sample was very comfortable. We were measured as needing the blue/green option although my husband said he would prefer to have the green/green because we sometimes like to swap sides. Bensons persuaded us to initially opt for the one we were diagnosed for and if we didn't like it we would be able to change it within 40 days - part of the guarantee apparently.

The mattress arrived... we've now had it for 3 weeks and it is nothing like the the one we tried in the shop - it's uncomfortable and lumpy. Furthermore, we can feel a definite 'ridge' where the two halves meet which actually feels like it's rolling you onto the softer (green) side.

We have been back into Bensons and re-tried the beds in their centre and they are quite simply not the same - the one in the shop is very comfortable.
We spoke to Bensons about the distinct difference between the mattress we tried and based our purchase on to the one we now have. They reckon that the demo mattress in the shop will obviously be different because so many people are trying it out - bearing this in mind how on earth are you meant to be able to make an objective purchasing decision if this is the case?

We also told Bensons that we are not happy with the mattress and we want to change it for the all green option... but no, we have to wait until the 40 days is up before we can do this because apparently much can change in this time - yes, we will have gained another 20 nights will little sleep!

It seems to me that Bensons either haven't got a clue or they are just not interested in their customers. As for the mattress, we regret this very expensive and uncomfortable purchase and would suggest that there are better mattresses out there for the money!

Tim_Deegan

littlechook wrote: »

We recently bought a Sleep to Live 500 series mattress from Bensons as the shop sample was very comfortable. We were measured as needing the blue/green option although my husband said he would prefer to have the green/green because we sometimes like to swap sides. Bensons persuaded us to initially opt for the one we were diagnosed for and if we didn't like it we would be able to change it within 40 days - part of the guarantee apparently.

The mattress arrived... we've now had it for 3 weeks and it is nothing like the the one we tried in the shop - it's uncomfortable and lumpy. Furthermore, we can feel a definite 'ridge' where the two halves meet which actually feels like it's rolling you onto the softer (green) side.

We have been back into Bensons and re-tried the beds in their centre and they are quite simply not the same - the one in the shop is very comfortable.
We spoke to Bensons about the distinct difference between the mattress we tried and based our purchase on to the one we now have. They reckon that the demo mattress in the shop will obviously be different because so many people are trying it out - bearing this in mind how on earth are you meant to be able to make an objective purchasing decision if this is the case?

We also told Bensons that we are not happy with the mattress and we want to change it for the all green option... but no, we have to wait until the 40 days is up before we can do this because apparently much can change in this time - yes, we will have gained another 20 nights will little sleep!

It seems to me that Bensons either haven't got a clue or they are just not interested in their customers. As for the mattress, we regret this very expensive and uncomfortable purchase and would suggest that there are better mattresses out there for the money!

Unfortunately you have been a victim of the sleep to live gimmick that is used to make people pay way over the top for something that simply isn't worth it.

Also you need to reach a compromise between yourself and your husband, as mattress with different tensions on either side will allways have a ridge, as there are two sets of springs inside them. They also limit how you can turn the mattress, so it won't last as long.

hoonerbird

Stuyyy wrote: »

Me and the lady are looking to buy a new bed as suffering a bit from back problems, which brings me on to.....

Has anyone bought a 'SLEEP TO LIVE' bed????? They are by far the most expensive beds, and claim lots of things. They get you trying out a 'special' single bed that measures pressure etc etc and gives you an indication of what sort of mattress you should go for. Must admit i'm always a tad worried about these sort of things, wondering whether they are just clever (if u can call it that) marketing tactics.

Anyone who has bought one your feedback would be appreciated

:jyes you can buy them from benson beds,i brought a 700 yes it is great took two weeks to get used to it,only brought the mattress as the bases are to high

hoonerbird

:jyes you can buy them from benson beds,i brought a 700 yes it is great took two weeks to get used to it,only brought the mattress as the bases are to high

Tim_Deegan

hoonerbird wrote: »

:jyes you can buy them from benson beds,i brought a 700 yes it is great took two weeks to get used to it,only brought the mattress as the bases are to high

But why???????

restless

Worrying.
We shopped around for a long time before buying the bed - nearly buying another (but more expensive and it did not have the drawers I wanted) from John Lewis.

We bought a Sleep to Live 700 for £2249. Very comfortable but within two weeks the latex mattress has developed a 'swiss roll' across the middle. The worrying bit is that for over 3 weeks Bensons Cambridge shop and their Customer Service Department has not contacted us despite phone calls and the store telling me they have e-mailed the customer service people on our behalf.

Lesson learnt - stick to John Lewis. Almost everything comes from their, and even outside the guarantee period they have provided faultless service. I will not use Bensons again - but if they come back now with some kind of after sales care I will udate this page.

Tim_Deegan

restless wrote: »

Worrying.
We shopped around for a long time before buying the bed - nearly buying another (but more expensive and it did not have the drawers I wanted) from John Lewis.

We bought a Sleep to Live 700 for £2249. Very comfortable but within two weeks the latex mattress has developed a 'swiss roll' across the middle. The worrying bit is that for over 3 weeks Bensons Cambridge shop and their Customer Service Department has not contacted us despite phone calls and the store telling me they have e-mailed the customer service people on our behalf.

Lesson learnt - stick to John Lewis. Almost everything comes from their, and even outside the guarantee period they have provided faultless service. I will not use Bensons again - but if they come back now with some kind of after sales care I will udate this page.

I would stay away from all big stores including John Lewis. Instead buy on line from a seller who gives a proper satisfaction guarantee (that actually lets you unpack and use the bed). Also stay away from big brand names. Then you will get far more for your money.