iDealBed 4i
This adjustable bed was a game changer for me. I am a 70 year old male who has suffered from chronic lower back and neck pain for nearly 20 years. It only impacts me when I am lying down (not standing or sitting) but wakes me up at least 4 times a night. I tried more than a dozen pillows, several mattress toppers, and even a new mattress, but none brought me significant relief.
An adjustable bed resulted in a meaningful improvement in my ability to sleep by allowing me to raise the head and/or foot of the bed to relieve the pressure that was causing pain. Neither a new mattress, nor the top-rated memory foam topper, provided the relief I needed.
Pros:
• Easy to put together – First you screw in the legs (8”, 3” and 2” parts allow you to create legs that are 2”, 3”, 5”, 8”, 10”, 11”, or 13” high – since the bed base is 3”-4” and my wife and I are short we combined the 2” and 3” legs to elevate the base 5” off the floor, but you get enough options that there should be a height that works for any height person). After you’ve screwed in the legs you attach the power supply, turn the bed over (the hardest part), insert the U shaped metal rod at the foot of the bed that keeps the mattress from sliding off the bed frame (easy to do), and plug it in.
• Well-designed remote – Buttons for everything that are backlit and well laid out. The remote includes three memory buttons users can set to their preferred positions as well as buttons to:
o Raise and lower the head;
o Raise and lower the foot;
o Return to the flat position;
o Put the bed in a “zero-gravity” position (my favorite) that minimizes pressure on the spine for people lying on their backs;
o Put the bed in an “anti-snore” position that raises the head but not the foot of the bed;
o Raise the bed for watching TV, use a laptop, or read a book;
o Turn the underbed lights on and off;
o Activate a flashlight; and
o Operate the massage features (which are nice but don’t come close to replicating a real massage – no adjustable bed really does that).
• It is quiet – The noise of the motors is very low and unlikely to wake someone who is asleep (although the movement of the bed might wake someone). The massage features are noisier (there is really no way to make them quiet) but not very noisy.
• It feels sturdy – While maneuvering the box and flipping the bed are challenges because of the weight (more than 100 lbs but I’m not sure exactly how much more) makes it feel sturdy.
• Range of height adjustments is good – I can’t imagine needing either the foot or the head of the bed to go any higher than the bed is capable of.
• There is an app you can use as a second remote – Very handy if you have misplaced the remote or if there are two people in the bed and both want the ability to adjust it.
• It has both USB-A and USB-C outlets on both sides of the bed – While I try not to use electronic devices in bed, I recognize that many people do. Most of the adjustable beds on the market only have USB-A outlets. This bed has both types.
• The manual is comprehensive and easy to understand – not something I take for granted these days.
• Sales and customer service were responsive – I had two questions I wanted answered before I bought the bed and I received replies within hours (on a Sunday!). When my invoice said I was receiving a 15% discount, but only a 10% discount appeared on my receipt, a phone call resulted in my being credited the additional 5% overnight.
Cons/Areas for improvement:
• It is heavy – My queen size bed frame weighed at least 100 lbs and felt more like 120-130 lbs to me (it was too large to fit on my scale). Unless you are a world class weight-lifter it will take two people to move the box (especially if it has to go up stairs) and more importantly to flip the bed over after the legs have been attached. It would be helpful if the bed came with built-in or removable metal handles that were easier to grasp for flipping it over. If you have the space and can afford it, get the split-King version of the bed if two people will be sleeping in it. With the split-King each half can be set to each sleeper’s preference, the individual pieces are significantly lighter, and you get two remotes.
• The remote could be improved – It could have either different shaped buttons or buttons with little bumps on them (like braille bumps) that help to differentiate the buttons in the dark. While it is great that the remote is backlit, it would be helpful if the backlights stayed on long enough to identify the button you want to push (10-15 seconds).
• It would be awesome if the bed was compatible with Amazon Alexa and/or Google home and/or Siri - Even more convenient than a backlit remote would be the ability to adjust the bed using voice commands. No more fumbling for the remote and finding the right buttons, just issue the right command. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any adjustable beds that could be a...
