A recent class action claims that Select Comfort Sleep Number beds are nothing more than overactive allergen mills. According to the suit, the bed’s faulty air chambers allow moisture to form under the mattress foam, providing a perfect breeding ground for mold spores.
Select Comfort claims to have addressed the rampant mold problem, a claim that provides little solace to allergy sufferers whose beds are already infested with mold:
Margaret of Stanville KY (04/05/08)
Just found black mold growing under the foam top and on top of both of the air chambers. Purchased in October 2002 and notified Select Comfort today by email. I have allergies to mold and have been to Dr.’s concerning this. My husband has been coughing every night when he lays down in the bed. Just read the comments from others and hope we can reconcile this issue. The foam borders are flimsy as well as the bottom material of the top mattress cover. It has shredded and has holes in it.
Terry of New Lenox IL (05/04/07)
After less than 3 years of sleeping on our select comfort bed, we noticed a very bad odor coming from it. We proceeded to take it apart, piece by piece. The sheets were fine, the mattress pad was fine. But when we got down to the zippered comforter, it smelled terrible. Under the comforter, there is a foam pad, which was full of mold and bacteria. It smelled horrible. We are now sleeping on the floor, because we had to discard most of the bed.Mold and bacteria cannot be removed from the foam pad, and the zippered comforter would fall apart if it was washed. We got burned badly on this one!
Lana of Brooklyn MI (9/3/03)
The Select Comfort system allows mold and/or mildew to form on the convoluted foam topper and on the air mattresses. Select Comfort’s solution ‘use a light bleach solution to clean the mattress.’ It’s impossible to clean the foam. Their product is unhealthy for people like me who have allergies to mold/mildew.
According to the class action:
Purchasers of the beds are being told by Select Comfort to return the beds, often at a significant cost to the purchaser. The Class Action seeks not only to have Select Comfort provide notice to purchasers of its Sleep Number® bed of the potential for mold infestation, but also to have the class members compensated for their losses, including the costs of shipping they have incurred or will incur to return their beds to Select Comfort.
Do you have a Sleep Number bed? Tell us in the comments if your experience was a 0 or a 100.
Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed Class Action Litigation
Select Comfort – Mold [Consumer Affairs]
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$3,500. $5,000.
Holy crap!!!
Hollow out your old queen size mattress and stick an air bladder in there.
@karmaghost:
Real simple, when you do too much housework/Yard work/excercise or whatever, you change your number to suit you that night.
I know it is time to see the Chiro if it drops under 45 for me.
My wife, she has arthritic joints, specifically lower lumbar area. Depending on the weather, she needs to change the firmness.
Simply can’t do that with other matresses. Oh, and Temperpedic seems to use some latex in their manufacturing process, my wife is also allergic to it (related to the arthritis) so be aware of that.
@redrocksco:
You do realize that no air is ever dry? You breate out moisture when you exhale. Do you have an attached bathroom? Moisture in the air.
I’d bet money you’re sleeping on an overpriced moldbag.
People – this is OLD, OLD, OLD news. Our Sleep Number bed is about 5 years old and I took off the cover earlier this year, and saw the exact same thing- ON MY HUSBAND’S SIDE. Apparently, he sweats in his sleep. I called the company and they happily overnighted new parts, explaining that the newer models are treated and do not mold like the old ones. That said, I enjoy my sleep number bed because I like my side soft (almost deflated now that I am pregant) and my husband likes it more firm. Its been a great bed and if you’re young, moving from place to place the bed is ideal because the it’s incredibly portable, the largest piece is about 1′x3.’ Is this mattress The Answer? Hard to tell, but we’re happy.
These beds are terrible, we have owned it for 6 years and the seams on the top cover have split twice and the bed platform (kind of a box spring) has broken. I haven’t checked for the mold but I would not surprise me!
Don’t be all hatin’ on Lindsey Wagner!
Wow. That is truly gross. After reading this, I wouldn’t sleep in one of those beds if you paid me.
We’ve had a SleepNumber bed for about 4 yrs. now, and have loved it. My husband and I have never agreed on mattress firmness, so being able to set the sides differently has eliminated the mattress argument we’d had for years; to this day, any hotel stay or overnight visit with family leads to one or the other of us tossing and turning. However, the changeability is the important thing: I have back and neck problems and see a chiropractor, and both of us have sleep ranges rather than sleep numbers.
When we first got the bed, we were having the “trough in the middle” problem, but that was fixed and has stayed fixed by repacking the center foam. We open it up probably every 18 months to check it out and repack (I’ve never had to vacuum it out.)
And yes, I just went up and checked — no mold.
@FangDoc: Was that a comment or an advertisement…
I have a sleep number bed bought in 2005, I have /not/ noticed any mold in it at all. We’ve looked inside the bedding before for unrelated reasons [dog turned mattress into pool of urine] and didn’t see any issues months after either.
Being able to change the bed is the big plus. Normally I sleep on a softish bed, but when I have back trouble I turn up the hardness a bit and lay on my back and feel much better within a couple days.
If you are suffering from this mold issue I would call Select Comfort and request a new set of affected foam. My guess is people are asking for refunds under the warranty which are graduated and likely require you to pay for shipping — I bet most people get less than half to a quarter of the beds cost back this way, at best. Buuuuut, remember, like most ‘idiot’ mistakes, you signed the contract. (for my next trick: convince my wife to read contracts)
I’ve had a Sleep Number Bed for five years. The first time I heard about the mold issue was probably three years ago. I’ve heard that at the sight of mold, the beds are replaced. A family member did have her bed replaced for free as soon as mold was reported (hers is older than mine – still replaced for free). This isn’t a new issue and the company does what they can, as soon as they can. I love my Sleep Number and not only would I recommend it to anyone I know, but anyone who has laid on mine would like to own one.
My brother and his wife had a Nautilus bed and never had a mold problem. Instead, the seams on his gave out after eight months the first time. They replaced it free of charge with a year’s warranty. Exactly thirteen months later, the seams went again. Rather than buy a new mattress, he opted to use the frame and put in a normal mattress. Because of his experience, I’ve never been interested in any of those beds.
Re: All the Tempurpedic fans:
Try Bedinabox [www.bedinabox.com]
I first tried a Tempurpedic but the foam made my skin BAKE…so we tried the Bedinabox (not to be confused with an SNL skit!). The pacdown plus has a layer of down on top of the foam, which really helps get rid of the feeling-hot issues usually found with memory foam. Plus, the bed felt as great/if not better as the Tempurpedic, and only cost $550 for a Full size, shipped! It’s always nice knowing that 50% of the cost of your purchase didn’t go to infomercials and mall storefronts…
We looked at one of these and I wasn’t really impressed with it for the price. After finding out about the rampant mold issue a few years ago I am glad we didn’t get one.
We opted for an older style wood box framed baffled waterbed about 10 years ago. We have had to replace the bladder once at about $100 and have gone through one memory foam topper in that time. The topper lasted about two years. So in a decade we have spent $300 total since both bed frames were freebies.
I just went through the bed shopping experience – much worse than buying a used car – UGH!
Anyway, my wife was all hell bent on buying one of these Select Comforts. I tried pointing out that the cost of the bed was extraordinarily high for a gussied up camping mattress and that supporting the mall storefronts, infomercials and sleezy sales people pushed the cost way up.
We were attracted by the notion of being able to set each side’s firmness, so I humored her and we went to the mall to try one out. I quickly found the ‘Channel of Doom’ and pointed that out, where the snarky sales rep told me I’d get used to it (rolling eyes).
As we got closer to buying, my wife really fought to buy one of those silly beds until I started printing reviews from various sites, including the information on the mold issues and poor customer service. That shut her up…
We decided on a foam/traditional hybrid bed at a local mattress store and things have been a-ok since.
BTW, the mold issue in the select comfort mattresses is due to condensation moisture from the temp difference in the air in the air mattress and the foam.
Do many people have waterbeds? We had a waterbed once when I was a little girl in the eighties/early nineties. But I haven’t seen one yet. I don’t even know where one would buy one.
People, people! You should not get a foam mattress, ANY foam mattress.
A foam mattress breaks down and disintegrates over time, is made of petro-chemicals, and your body absorbs toxins from it when you sleep. It’s a piece of trash surrounded by marketing, and the marketing is what you pay for when you buy one.
Wool and cotton batting (organic if possible) are naturally anti-bacterial, keep you cool in summer and warm in winter, and are made by nature. Hand-tied craftsmanship and natural materials are what you want. Then you pay for quality, not advertising.
I’m currently sleeping on a starter mattress which is basically an organic wool and cotton pad on top of a basic JCPenny (poison) mattress, but I’m saving up for a McCroskey.
The pad (from Ikea) at least creates a barrier between me and the toxins. We have organic cotton sheets and organic goose down comforter. I can’t wait to make the last step! It won’t be cheap, but it will be worth it. [www.mcroskey.com]
Seriously, don’t fall for the marketing of petrochemicals.
@Consumer007:
Dearest Fathead:
Any moisture inside the (plastic) mattress remains inside (Las Vegas-like) the mattress. Any outside mold is the result of outside moisture.
Get it now, simple person?
===
Waterbeds are NOT good for any enthusiastic sex; good for cuddling after a romp on a firm surface, however….
We have had a Select Comfort bed for somewhere around 10 years now. Twice we have found mold inside — once when we moved from Florida and then again a couple weeks ago when we took our bed apart to move it. The first time, we could only see mold on the foam pillowtop; I emailed Select Comfort asking if I could order a new one and they sent me one free of charge. This more recent time, the mold was on both of the air chambers and the foam, so I emailed them again and they sent me all three parts, again free of charge. We like the beds and their customer service department has always been very good to us (during one of our moves the compressor unit broke and they also replaced that free of charge); in fact, last year we bought a second bed from them for our guest room. (And no, I don’t work there.)
Hey I heard back from Select Comfort – This is their response. Whether we are to believe it or not would require checking models from several different years – bottom line, if you own one, open it up and check to be safe.
Their direct email is below if anyone wants to hit up Thomas for a refund for mold or for the special-secret “anti-microbial treatment” he mentions.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Select Comfort Customer Service
Date: Sun, May 18, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: Buying a Bed [REF:31998989692]
May 18, 2008
Dear ,
Thank you for contacting Select Comfort. We understand your concerns about whether it is possible for mold to grow inside a Sleep Number bed. A small percentage of beds from before 2005 were reported to have mold growth on the air chambers, which sometimes spread to the bottom of the foam comfort pad. There is the potential for mold or mildew to develop inside most types of beds or upholstered furniture. Fortunately, Select Comfort has developed a special anti-microbial treatment for our air chambers which is effective in preventing mold or mildew from developing inside Sleep Number beds. Since March of 2005, all Select Comfort Sleep Number beds include the treated air chambers, and in the cases where customers with older beds have contacted us about mold, Select Comfort has replaced their old air chambers with the new antimicrobial chambers at no cost.
Please feel free to contact us again about this or any other concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Thomas Vessey
Select Comfort Customer Service
1-800-472-7185
customerservice@selectcomfort.com
@e.varden: Why don’t you try taking a reading comprehension course, kid. THAT”S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID, MORON.
@e.varden: Re: enthusiastic sex – Then you’re not doing it right! Please remove stiletto heels before boarding this ride, and keep your hands and all over your partner.
Speaking of enthusiastic sex, that’s my question about the Tempurpedic mattress. I laid down on one of those in the showroom, and noticed that when I sat up to get up, and my upper body was in line with my pelvis, my butt sank way down into the foam. Which made me wonder: has one of these mattresses ever eaten the person on the bottom?
Great bed. Had one 10 years. NO problems and best sleep I’ve ever had. Sleep # 45. Ahhhh. ZZZzzzz.
re: enthusiastic sex on a Tempurpedic mattress……
motion dispersion is minimal, thereby creating a significantly stronger lust-thrust.
Rumor has it that Jimmy Hoffa was on the bottom position beneath a young Roseanna Barr and has not been seen since.
We had to replace a mattress once when I was out of work and we didn’t have a lot of money. (Long story, but it involved someone being too sick to get out of bed.) Someone was going to give us a boxspring, so I went to Ikea to buy a mattress to go on top of it. Due to some miscommunication, the “boxspring” turned out to be another mattress. We shrugged and laid one mattress on top of the other on the full slat base of our Ikea bed (so sue me, I love Ikea).
I slept like a dead woman that night, and we both got up feeling terrific. I’ve been on business trips around the world since then and in five years I’ve only been as comfortable in a hotel that boasted top-notch Tempurpedic beds. Face it people, hard beds are for the birds.
I bought a Sleep Number bed after spending a year and a half sleeping on a cheap air mattress (long story) and being more comfortable than I’d ever been on a traditional mattress. Got the two-chamber model for my wife and I. We change firmness periodically depending on our mood. I’ve never been happier with a bed.
“Their product is unhealthy for people like me who have allergies to mold/mildew.”
You don’t need to be allergic to be worried about the “Dreaded Black Mold.” Seriously, if you see that stuff anywhere within your dwelling, take immediate action. That stuff is dangerously unhealthy.
@TWinter:
Twinter is right. Consumer Reports won’t even rate mattresses b/c they can’t.
[blogs.consumerreports.org]
“So buying a mattress should be a pleasant experience, right? (Watch our video report, right.)
But it isn’t, say many of our readers, who find buying a mattress frustrating and tell us that they are not sure they’re getting a fair deal. A big contributing factor to these problems, as we noted in “Why Consumer Reports Doesn’t Rate Specific Models of Mattresses,” is that the model names of the top mattress brands differ from one store to the next, so there’s no way to truly compare models. What’s more, even for mattresses that retailers claim are similar, significant differences exist in quilting, padding, and springs, according to our experts.”
Talk about irritating!
@themediatrix: I’m sorry, but I personally find any sort of mention of “it’s all natural” or “DANGEROUS CHEMICALS” to instantly discredit the person who posted it. If you can show me actual studies showing that foam chemicals leach into your skin while you sleep, then sure. But not everything that’s ‘natural’ is good.
I own one of the sleep number beds and have had NO problems with it at this point. We bought it in 2003 and took it completely apart to move in 2006. We saw no evidence of problems with it. What I am wondering is…1) was water spilled on the bed at some point and 2) does this only affect some of the bed models? You cannot account for poor up keep and I hope you take all the POV into consideration. Over time, the foam sides have softened, but we have adjusted the bed settings and still enjoy it. Overall, we are still happy with the purchase and love the sleep number bed. We can definitely tell the difference when we are on vacation!
A.
Just had my wife check ours from home. There was nothing visible on the air mattress side but she did notice black “particulates” on the foam side.
At what point do I begin to call Select Comfort for a replacement? Now?
I’ve owned a Sleep Number queen-sized mattress (top of their line) since 2000. I discovered mold in 2003 when I was moving and the bed was being disassembled to transport it to my new home. I called the company and they sent me a complelely new set of the “insides” of my bed, which included two new air chambers, and all new interior paddings, completely free of any charges. Since then, I’ve not had any more mold problems. I love this bed. I’ve never been more comfortable on a matress, never had a good night’s sleep until I experienced the Sleep Number bed, and I have recommended it to many of my friends. Some of these friends, who could not afford to buy a Sleep Number Bed, have asked me to leave them my bed in my Will when I die. They don’t want anything else from me, just my bed! Now, that’s an endorsement. And no, I don’t work for the manufacturer.
Hello, my name is Sarah Panus, and I’m the PR Manager for Select Comfort. I wanted to address your questions/comments about mold and correct some of the inaccurate information being shared.
Select Comfort stands behind the safety and quality of our products. We wanted to respond to let each of you know that Margaret of Stanville, KY’s email (which starts this blog posting) to us on 4/5/08 was responded to within 24 hours, and she was shipped all new foam, air chambers and a new cover. All at no charge.
If any customer has an issue with mold, we will do everything possible to remedy the situation, including replacing components of the bed, replacing the entire bed or providing a full refund. All at NO COST to the customer. If you have an issue, please contact Select Comfort Customer Care at (800) 472-7185. Our customer service agents will work with you to immediately address the situation.
All key components of the Sleep Number bed – including foam, air chambers and fabrics – are treated with a tailor-made antimicrobial agent to deter the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. For several years, Select Comfort has worked diligently with Sanitized AG, a global leader in developing antimicrobial agents, to create tailor-made treatments for components of the Sleep Number bed. In 2005, Select Comfort enhanced its antimicrobial treatment and, according to our data, there have been 0 confirmed cases of mold in Sleep Number beds sold after this enhancement was introduced.
A few other things it’s important you know is that mold growth in beds is a rare occurrence, and it can occur in ANY mattress or upholstered furniture. Select Comfort does not have a problem with mold. There is no evidence that mold occurs more frequently in a Sleep Number bed than other mattresses and upholstered products.
From wiki…
Because common building materials are capable of sustaining mold
growth, and mold spores are ubiquitous, mold growth in an indoor
environment is typically related to an indoor water or moisture
problem. Leaky roofs, building maintenance problems, or indoor
plumbing problems can lead to mold growth inside homes, schools, or
office buildings. Another common source of mold growth is flooding.
For significant mold growth to occur, there must be a source of water
(which could be invisible humidity), a source of food, and a substrate
capable of sustaining growth. Common building materials, such as
plywood, drywall, furring strips, carpets, and carpet padding are food
for molds. In carpet, invisible dust and cellulose are the food
sources (see also dust mites). After a single incident of water damage
occurs in a building, molds grow inside walls and then become dormant
until a subsequent incident of high humidity; this illustrates how
mold can appear to be a sudden problem, long after a previous flood or
water incident that did not produce a mold-related problem. The right
conditions re-activate mold. Studies also show that mycotoxin levels
are perceptibly higher in buildings that have once had a water
incident (source CMHC).
Both our indoor and outdoor environment have mold spores present.
There is no such thing as a mold free environment in the Earth’s
biosphere.
Spores need three things to grow into mold:
Nutrients: Food for spores in an indoor environment is organic matter,
often cellulose.
Moisture: Moisture is required to begin the decaying process caused by the mold.
Time: Mold growth begins between 24 hours and 10 days from the
provision of the growing conditions. There is no known way to date
mold
I’ve had a Sleepnumber bed for about 8 or 9 years. Honestly, it’s the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Since we bought it, my wife’s sciatica problem has almost gone away. The mattress supports you in a completely different way from a standard mattress, no matter how firm it would be. At first, I was concerned that the air mattress would burst, but we haven’t had any problems – the mattress is made from the same kind of rubberized canvas that they make military inflatable boats from. No, I’m not affiliated in any way with the company or its dealers; just a satisfied customer. I haven’t seen any evidence of mold, even though I live in Brasil.
We have had our Select Comfort bed since 2003 and have been very well pleased with it. Whenever I travel overnight away from my Select Comfort I am always reminded of what used to be a nightly occurrence of waking up with stiff, painful joints. My husband appreciates being able to adjust the firmness of his mattress when he is having extra back pain. A few weeks ago our compressor unit was fried during an electrical storm (no, we weren’t in the bed at the time.) When I opened up the bed to check things out I discovered mold on both air chambers. Select Comfort Customer Service told me they would send out two new air chambers along with all new foam padding at no cost to us. I was not asked to send back any of it. I was also told that since 2005 Select Comfort beds are treated with a mold inhibitor. The customer service rep was very courteous. We are satisfied with the service we received and hope Select Comfort stays in business for many years. I don’t want to sleep on any other mattress after having the sleep number. And, no, neither of us have any employment association or financial interest in Select Comfort.
–Sleep Numbers 35 and 45
I bought one- stupid move. The thing is two giant air mattresses in a zippered pouch. There is a valley that you fall into in the middle and it is of varying comfort overall- lousy support. I was an idiot when I bought one.
Dear Bloggers,
If you think that the mold problem only happens to Sleep Number beds you are
sadly mistaken.
This problem happens to EVERY type of bed, it is just not as widely known as
it is to Sleep Number Bed owners.
This is because they can actually take the mattress apart and see the mold.
Don’t think for a minute that this
does not happen to all other mattresses – it does! You simply aren’t able to
take the mattress apart and witness
it for yourself.
People who are sensitive to this type of mold and mold problem have known
this for years.
As a matter of fact, mold spores happen to be in most of your other
furniture as well. Anything that is made out of
man-made material and has some sort of padding for comfort is suseptible to
mold. Do you perspire in your car seat
while driving in the summer? This too is a perfect breeding ground for mold.
Ask any manufacturer on the market today and If they are honest, they will
all tell you the same thing.
Most manufacturers use treated materials in their products to REDUCE the
likelyhood of mold production,
but there is NOTHING that prevents it entirely.
Mold is a fact of life – people. We live in it, we eat it, it is all around
us, whether we know it or not.
When you purchase expensive products to make your life more comfortable,
take the necessary precautions
to limit your exposure to mold. If you buy an expensive bed, also purchase a
waterproof mattress cover at
the time of purchase. Then your bed is protected from the beginning.
We have a model 9000 king sleep number bed since 2003. The zippered topper has foam in it and soon after we purchased the bed the foam deteriorated. We purchased new foam from the Company this year, and again it has deteriorated to the point of grooves in each side of the matress. Now the Company is selling a memory foam insert for the topper for $334.00 plus shipping and tax. Also, the pump never did work right. This bed just keeps getting more and more expensive.
I have had my sleep number bed for over 10 years. I have never had a problem with it. I did place a matteres cover the one that came with the bed. I checked my bed today and found no problems with it. Best bed that I ever owned.
Had a Select Comfort 9000 for two years. It wasn’t bad or good. Recently purchased a Comfortaire GS 1100 with a POWER LIFT. What a difference .. now I sleep ALL night long & wake up ready to take on the day!
I have always loved my sleep comfort bed. Today, I found black mold. I called the company and they are sending replacement parts and someone to install them. They couldn’t have been more helpful. I was told this problem is only occurring in beds made before 2005, which mine was.
I have had a king size Sleep Number bed for years, with no problems with anything. However, from day one (like every mattress I have ever owned) I attached a quilted, non allergenic cover over the top of the mattress…(held on with just four elastic straps.) We send it to the laundry to be cleaned. So, the top of the mattress is fresh and clean, and the original mattress cover underneath is still like new.
Wow, just opened up my ten year old Select Comfort bed. Mold everywhere. Washed air cell with bleach mixture and bought a new memory foam topper at Sam’s Club ($120). Will be calling Select Comfort in morning. How do I get the mold out of the $850. mattress topper that we sleep on? After ten years the foam pad was gross. We love the bed but not the mold…