Any suggestions for waterbed configurations. For decades the singuy and I slept on a waterbed and liked it. We started off with a king-size bag-o-water that cost all of $19.95 in the mid 70’s, water not included. Said bag just kind of gelated on the floor and was cold. Clothing it with sheets was difficult.
We later moved on to a giant bag’o’water in a wood enclosure with a heater underneath. This was light years better. But the sheets still resisted.
We eventually elevated the wood enclosure to make getting in and out easier, old timers disease. Sheeting it was still difficult.
In the 90’s we got a “soft” side water bed which leaked all the fucking time, grrrrr. But standard size sheets fit, w00t.
By the year 2005 we thought maybe we should grow up and get a real bed, which is where we find ourselves today. The sheets stay on w00t. The bed sucks, unwoot.
We are ready to go back to a waterbed. Unfortunately the water bed industry seems to be stuck in the 70’s. Has there really been no improvement? The furniture associated with water beds is atrocious. Should I really just buy another big ole bag o water and encase it in a simple wood frame? Aesthetics be damned?
The bag-o-water now comes with optional differing thicknesses of a foam layer inside if you want to reduce the sloshing to varying degrees. There are also now waterbed mattresses that sit on regular frames, sounds like what you had, but I hadn’t heard of them leaking from people I know who have them.
Many waterbed sheet sets come with poles sewn onto the edges to keep them in place. EBay often has the best prices for mattresses, heaters, conditioner, and sheets.
I just replaced my 21 year old waterbed because a) the mattress sprung a leak and there’s nowhere in Las Vegas to get any kind of waterbed stuff, b) it had been moved to 3 different states and 7 different homes and was pretty much held together by scab plates and screws and c) a couple of the hotels I’ve stayed at over the years when traveling for work had regular mattresses that were damned comfortable. Oh yeah, and because d) I’m tired of buying single flat sheets for the waterbed (I never liked the way “waterbed sheets” fit).
I got a W Hotels plush top mattress and then spent $300 more for a 4" pillowtop mattress pad, and I sleep pretty good.
Still, I wish I had the room for, and could find locally, a Cal-King waterbed. Waterbeds are even better than hammocks for sleeping. But the bed I have now is doing the job just fine.
If you’re really in the market for a waterbed, check out the stuff that Dave (or was it Dan?) has at http://www.waterbeddoctor.com. He’s got a great selection, and if I decide I don’t like this bed, I’ll be buying a new waterbed from him.
We had a soft-sider waterbed (which used regular sheets etc.) for a few years; originally bought it in 1988. We had a platform frame, though I understand they also made more traditional metal-type frames that worked well enough.
We loved it.
It leaked at 7-8 years old. We replaced the liner.
That leaked at 2 years old. We replaced it.
That one leaked at 2 years old.
Clearly, the quality had gone downhill.
We bought a Select Comfort airbed. Not loving that either, it’s been tough to find the right pair of settings; our two halves are completely different (as in, hard to move from one side to the other, it’s very lopsided).
I’d love to go back to a waterbed, if the quality weren’t an issue (plus we now have a Very Nice wooden bed frame).
I sleep in a queen-sized regular bladder style waterbed. It’s in an elevated frame and has a heater. I use king-sized sheets and don’t have a problem with it. I love my waterbed.
Thanks for all the replies! We tried a select comfort. Hated, hated, hated it, put it in the guest room where our guests hate it, hee, don’t stay so long.
Thanks for the link, it was just what I was looking for. If I was younger I’d buy the 7’ round one in a heartbeat and just throw it on the floor in the middle of the room:cool:
Heh how 80s, my first husband and I had the Matrix in oak, but back before they put glass in the cupboard doors. I actually still have the taller of the 2 dressers that came with it, the one with the thin jewelry drawer under the top regular drawer.