Sleeping is a controversial topic in our household, and one that has dominated many conversations between my husband and I. We’re very different sleepers: I am early to bed and can usually fall asleep quickly. And though I barely move a muscle throughout the night, noise or movement can wake me. My husband is a night owl and tends to toss and turn when he is asleep. (In his own words, he’s a “bad sleeper.”) Add our two cats to the mix, and our queen bed was not cutting it. Tim felt like it was too close of quarters to get up in the middle of the night without waking me; I felt cramped and claustrophobic. We’ve been in our house for nearly three years, and always thought due to our bedroom’s small size, upgrading to a king size mattress was not in the cards. In a hopeful moment, we added a thick foam topper and splurged on new sheets. While it was really soft and plush, we both started having lower back pain and joint aches.
Long story short, I didn’t want to buy a new mattress if it wasn’t a bigger size, but we desperately needed a change. A few months ago, after a few rough nights in a row, I broke out the measuring tape and realized that a king size bed would fit perfectly fine. And if we ditched our bulky bed frame, the room may actually seem much bigger. You may be laughing at my “a-ha moment,” having taken so long to do the math. Blame it on being exhausted after years of bad sleep!
We both agreed we wanted a plush mattress, but not so soft it cause joint problems. We wanted something eco-friendly and toxin free. We wanted something that would feel cool, as the hot Los Angeles summers can be brutal. Finally, it was important that this be something of really high quality that would last years and years. When we found Zenhaven by Saatva, we knew it was our best bet.
The Zenhaven mattress is constructed of natural latex, 100% organic New Zealand wool, and organic cotton. These materials mean that it’s hypoallergenic, resistant to dust mites and mold, and that it’s naturally breathable — AKA it stays cool. The Talalay latex that they use has elastic properties, and that offers support without pressure points. I wasn’t sure about the hype of the Talalay latex process versus more traditional methods, but the more I read, I realized that the extra steps resulted in a more buoyant sensation — so we’d get that plush feeling without the pressure on our bodies. Since it’s all natural, this mattress won’t break down as quickly and should last Tim and I at least 20 years. I chose a new headboard from Target and got my favorite bedding from Crane & Canopy — sheets and a quilt — and scheduled a delivery with Zenhaven. If we hated it, they have a 120-day home trial so we could send it right back.
Spoiler alert: We did not hate it. We both were (honestly, truly, no exaggeration) thrilled the first night we slept on this bed! It was initially a bit firmer than we expected, but that was because we’d come from the world’s cheapest and thickest foam pad. We both fell asleep quickly, and if Tim moved around, I had no idea because I feel like the mattress absorbed any movement. After a few months of sleeping on it, my back and hip pain is totally gone and we both agree we feel more rested. At the very least, we’re not waking up mad or exhausted or ready to give up the cats for adoption. I think we mostly just feel foolish for having waited so long to do something about our old bed.
It’s important to also mention that as I decided on this mattress, I was a few weeks out from a major surgery: a preventative mastectomy with reconstruction. I saw that Zenhaven also had an adjustable base, Lineal. It wasn’t something that would have ever crossed my mind beforehand, but now that I’m mostly through recovery, I know it’s an asset we’ll be using for years to come. The Lineal operates with a remote control, and has settings to lift up the head or feet. There’s a button to illuminate under the bed, which we use to avoid stepping on any cat tails or paws when getting up in the middle of the night. There’s also a massage feature, though we haven’t used that as often.
When I previously thought of adjustable bases, I thought hospital bed — I did not need one at home! Until, of course, I did need one at home. During my recovery, this base was absolutely crucial because I couldn’t sit up or lay down on my own. But now that I’m healed, we’ve been using it literally every day. We prop the head up in the mornings to have our morning coffee and read the news. My husband is an artist, so he will use the base to sit up in bed and draw — his version of heaven. We use the “zero gravity” feature, which balances the head and feet so you feel weightless, when we’re winding down at the end of the day or meditating. The motor is surprisingly quiet and because the base attached to my new headboard with ease, it looks just like any other bed. And on that note, I’m really happy with how our bedroom looks now. Our old bed frame was right at home in our vintage-inspired San Francisco apartment, but our place in LA called for something more soothing and calm. I feel like we’ve absolutely got that now!
Start the slideshow to see the mattress + adjustable base in action. DISCLAIMER: Zenhaven graciously provided a mattress and adjustable base for review. The opinions were not swayed by this and opinions are all my own.
