Some Background: My partner (5’10” skinny) and I (5’5” fat) had been sleeping on a nondescript queen mattress with springs and a pillow top. This thing was secondhand from a relative and was already over 10 years used when we got it - and we used that thing another 6 or 7 years. It was decent for a while but had serious indents where we slept by the end (regardless of flipping) so when we moved this year we decided to scrap the bed and finally get one of our own.

We decided to pick up the Novaform at Costco during their Presidents’ Day sale (so about 4 months ago) due to return policy and a great price in store. We do regret not buying online (albeit for slightly more $) since now if we want to return we have to transport ourselves. That’s the trade off on cost, I guess.

I was nervous about buying an all foam bed in box; as a heavier person I didn’t have much faith in the longevity prospects, but we didn’t have much time to do all kinds of research and had a small budget. My partner is taller and skinnier than me and less picky in general. Online reviews seemed good, and lots of people said it was FIRM despite the medium claim, which gave me some hope it would be sturdy.

It fully expanded right away, and we slept on it that first night. No off gassing or weird smells. My favorite thing about it was the cooling cover and smooth top, and for the first few weeks we honestly loved it. It was very firm, but that wasn’t a problem, at least not at first.

Then, about a month in, I woke up one day in agonizing pain with my entire upper back/trap/neck area just frozen solid. For a few days I could hardly get up without help. The bed still felt as firm as day 1, it really hadn’t softened yet. I tried adjusting my pillows and sleep posture and eventually it got a little better. But it morphed from full upper back pain to a persistent pinched nerve/neck/shoulder/arm pain on my right side. Started sleeping exclusively on my left side with extra pillows etc etc.

After maybe 3 months, and walking on it/rotating and all, it did finally soften to what I’d describe as a more true medium feel. Alas, that hasn’t fixed my pain and now I’m looking into PT.

What sucks is that honestly, I still like the feel of the bed. We have it on a nice slatted frame and it sleeps neutral, not too hot for me at all. Claims to be memory foam but it feels surprisingly responsive and doesn’t do that “sinking in” feel much at all, even for me. The issue is just my shoulder/neck pain. I know it probably has to do with the combo of pillows and my body type/side sleeping. I just haven’t been able to figure out the source of pain. My partner sleeps “ok” and doesn’t have the same issues but also isn’t in love with it. My side is starting to feel extra soft already (compared to partners side still being more firm) and I doubt it’s gonna last us more than a year or two (if I can stand it that long).

Overall, I think we got what we paid for, for better and worse. What I’d like to try after this is a latex hybrid, possibly with zoned coils or sections for more targeted support. Really interested in the Engineered Sleep latex hybrid model. But that’s an investment for further down the line.

In the meantime I’d be interested to hear other’s experiences with this brand, or any suggestions on how to manage this pain better if you have any!

For the price and all I’d give it like a 3/5 rating. Which is a bummer cuz I genuinely like the feel of it.

Looking to buy the Nova foam mattress (king) from Costco.ca. Not too hard and not too soft is what I’m hoping to get. A. Looking for feedback. Good or bad. B. Do they go on sale. C. Anyone here have had to return it at any point? & why?