Bottom line: give it two weeks.Back story: my wife and I are 36 years old, 185ish pounds, and in good health. This is the first mattress we've bought since getting married (10+yrs). My wife typically likes her mattress on the firmer side, while I'm just the opposite; I want to be caressed by my mattress. Our previous mattress was a 14' conventional mattress with a built-in topper (and an aftermarket 3' memory foam topper on top of that...that bought us an additional year before we had to buy a new mattress). Both of us are using bamboo memory foam pillows (pretty firm).When I bought this mattress, I was under the impression that it was a medium to medium-soft firmness. This isn't the case, in my opinion. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 5 being a true medium and 10 being super-ultra-mega-firm, I'd say this mattress comes in at a solid 7.5, maybe 8.0. I HATED this mattress in the beginning. The first night consisted of tons of tossing and turning for me (and I woke up with sore neck and back muscles); however, my wife awoke, for the first time in forever, with ZERO neck and back pain - that was huge! Because of this, I decided I'd give the mattress a chance. So, I bought a Cuddlebed down-alternative topper, as some reviewers have said the topper transformed the mattress for the better; it made the mattress even worse for me (it also made it A LOT hotter). So, I returned the topper.A few more night of me tossing and turning, and then something strange happened - I started looking forward to going to sleep on this mattress. I don't know exactly when and why, but after a few weeks, I started getting GREAT sleep, and my tossing and turning reduced significantly. I'm sleeping so hard, I'm dream multiple dreams during the night and even, on occasion, drool on my pillow (TMI, I know). :-) This mattress has transformed my preference in mattress firmness, and comfort, and I'm looking forward to using this mattress for the next decade, or so. Give it two weeks, if you hate it - it may surprise you.Particulars, according to me...Mattress give: only a few inches, not a lot; The first couple of nights, I actually thought that the mattress was pushing my hips forward.Mattress heat retention: little, compared to the memory foam stereotype. It's very comparable to a conventional mattress, maybe a smidgen more, but it's negligible. I think because of the fact that you don't sink into the mattress, the heat retention is lessened.Mattress edge/side support: this is a memory foam mattress's Achilles heal. This mattress is no exception, but it tackles the problem like a champ; there's enough adequate support on the edges that you're not going to roll off the bed, if you don't want to. If you sit on the edge, it'll give more, but at no time do you feel like you're out of control, or in any danger.Mattress complaint: the ONLY complaint isn't really a complaint, but more of a 'it's different from a conventional mattress.' On a conventional mattress, you're supported by individual springs, so when you are ready to get out of bed, you're given a little push, via the springs. You don't get that with this mattress. When you 'push off' from a reclined position, to get off the bed, you'll need to 'push' a little harder. You get used to it and learn how to navigate 'the dismount.' The first morning, I had to take a mulligan. It was rather funny. Again, this complaint is more of a 'it's different.' I would not call it a negative, but more of a 'this is how you do it on a memory foam mattress.'The take away: if you give it a chance, you'll probably end up loving it...especially for the money.
