(I was not compensated for this post but our mattress was provided for free, for review, in collaboration with Leesa. More in disclaimer at end of post)
We're renters. We have been for some time, and the way Dublin house prices are going, we will be for some time more. We're also savers, but until we can get a deposit together to make our own mark on a house, we can do gentle updates on the 100 year old house we're currently renting!
We're renters. We have been for some time, and the way Dublin house prices are going, we will be for some time more. We're also savers, but until we can get a deposit together to make our own mark on a house, we can do gentle updates on the 100 year old house we're currently renting!
If my landlady happens to be reading, those updates do not include drilling holes in the wall, promise.
Those gentle updates started this month; we cleaned out our long suffering spare room and gave away about 13 bags and boxes of clothes, books, bags, shoes and household bits and bobs to charity or to the recycling centre.
We got a new TV for the bedroom to make cosy nights in that extra bit cosy.
We finally framed prints that we've bought over the years that have just been gathering dust (in the aforementioned spare room) and have hung some of them. Some are still languishing, waiting for me to buy more Command strips (no holes drilled here, remember!) and I found a glass and metal, grey touch lamp in Next that adds to the general snug feel of things.
Most importantly though, we got a new mattress. I've always included mattresses in that list of things you should spend money on; winter boots, a good coat, skincare, an umbrella, and mattresses. If you're putting it on your face, you're hoping it'll get you through bad weather, or you're trusting it with the care of your back, spend a bit more and make it an investment.
Weirdly, we had been talking about getting a new mattress a few days before I got an email asking me if I'd like to try a Leesa mattress for the blog*.
I've had a dodgy back for years; over a decade of nursing and midwifery have taken its toll and about five years ago I had back surgery on one of my discs. Since then, I've thankfully been good in that department but I have to take care of it; walking and yoga help, as do supportive shoes but I had been thinking about how often you're supposed to change your mattress. The Internet tells me 7-10 years, but that depends on how well you look after it. We moved into this house five years ago and the mattress had already been in the house a good few years at that stage. So, it was time for a change!
Leesa are an American brand that have recently launched in Ireland. Apart from rave reviews of their mattresses, I also really appreciated their brand ethics. There's a 100-night risk-fee trial period, so if you don't like your Leesa after sleeping on it for 100 nights, they'll collect it and take it back no problem. Amazingly, they also donate one mattress for every ten sold to charitable causes. So far they've donated over 30,000 mattresses, which is pretty cool! If you're interested, you can read more about that HERE. They do good work.
So how do you go about getting your mattress? Firstly, we measured our base. Ours is a King size (sizes range from Single to Super King). I placed the order, which takes on average 6-9 working days to build each one from scratch and get it delivered directly to your door. It arrived in a massive box that confused me slightly as this was not what I was expecting! I got Himself to lug it upstairs and unbox it; it's tightly rolled up and vacuum packed, so you unroll it and take off all the plastic covering. As soon as you do it starts to puff itself back up, as if by magic! We left it a couple of hours to fully re-inflate and also opened all the windows as recommended in the instructions- there's a strong enough chemical smell, kind of like glue, when you first use it. That smell initially eases but was still faintly there a few weeks after so it takes time to go completely. And then there nothing left to do but go to bed!
So how do you go about getting your mattress? Firstly, we measured our base. Ours is a King size (sizes range from Single to Super King). I placed the order, which takes on average 6-9 working days to build each one from scratch and get it delivered directly to your door. It arrived in a massive box that confused me slightly as this was not what I was expecting! I got Himself to lug it upstairs and unbox it; it's tightly rolled up and vacuum packed, so you unroll it and take off all the plastic covering. As soon as you do it starts to puff itself back up, as if by magic! We left it a couple of hours to fully re-inflate and also opened all the windows as recommended in the instructions- there's a strong enough chemical smell, kind of like glue, when you first use it. That smell initially eases but was still faintly there a few weeks after so it takes time to go completely. And then there nothing left to do but go to bed!
It honestly wasn't until we slept on the new mattress that we realised just how bad the old one was; bumpy with a dip in the middle and overall, it had started to lose its structure. I don't really know how we were managing on the old one, except that the electric blanket must have masked a lot of the problems.
There's three layers with the Leesa; a base foam layer that provides dense core support, a middle memory foam layer that provides relief from pressure and a top layer of cooling Avena foam designed to provide a better airflow so you don't overheat and adds a nice added bouncy-ness! After sleeping on it for four weeks now, these are my findings:
(puts on lab coat and exchanges glasses for more scientific looking goggles)
We both have found our respective old-crock issues (mine is my back, Himself's is his knee) have overall felt better and I think this is down to the increased body support we have for 8 hours (wishful thinking) each night.
Also, and this might be just a novelty thing cause it's still new to us but every night feels like staying in a hotel. Not just any hotel, but one of those fancy ones with those massive comfy beds that you refuse to leave. The other difference I've noticed is that I'm not waking up during the night feeling really warm or sweaty (sorry for the TMI), which I hadn't connected to the new mattress until I read on the site that the top layer is designed to be cooling! It all makes sense now!
Also, and this might be just a novelty thing cause it's still new to us but every night feels like staying in a hotel. Not just any hotel, but one of those fancy ones with those massive comfy beds that you refuse to leave. The other difference I've noticed is that I'm not waking up during the night feeling really warm or sweaty (sorry for the TMI), which I hadn't connected to the new mattress until I read on the site that the top layer is designed to be cooling! It all makes sense now!
So if you're furnishing a new home or renting like myself, I'd suggest being good to yourself and getting a new, properly supportive mattress. Even better, Leesa have given me a €100 off discount to pass on, using the code NURSEFANCYPANTS. You can have a look for your own HERE.
Wishing you all a comfy nights sleep! (smug, well-rested voice)
*I'm not being paid for my review, or to talk about it on my social media sites. I was provided with the mattress, free of cost and asked to give my unbiased, honest opinion on it, with no input from the brand on the content of my post. I think it's important to highlight this as I am always honest in my reviews and this is no different! I get asked regularly to review products or to accept sponsored posts, but I rarely do, unless it suits me and the blog. I made an exception for Leesa because I love the ethos behind the brand and the reviews I read online about the mattress made it obvious that it was a really good fit for us and the lifestyle section of Nurse Fancy Pants.
