Tempur-Pedic Tempur-ProBreeze Mattress and Ergo Smart Base review: Our sleep reporter says this $6,000 mattress-base combination is worth every penny

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Your bed is one of the most important purchases you can make. After all, it is where you spend a third of your day. When you buy quality, you can expect your mattress to last for decades.

The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-ProBreeze Mattress with Ergo Smart Base is for people willing to spend extra on their sleeping experience. The ProBreeze offers luxury comfort and support for a broad range of sleepers, especially if you overheat at night. I paired it with the Ergo Smart Base with Sleeptracker, a high-tech adjustable frame that tracks and analyzes your sleep, neutralizes snoring, and massages you.

My wife and I slept on this mattress-base combination for a year. Read on to hear why I consider it the ideal model for back sleepers in our best mattress guide.

Design

What distinguishes the Tempur-Breeze mattresses from previous beds is how cool they stay. There are five different styles to choose from. The ProBreeze is designed to remain 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than Tempur-Pedic's most popular mattress, the Tempur-ProAdapt. It's available in medium firmness all-foam and medium hybrid. It's made with original Tempur material memory foam and is 12 inches thick.

Also in the product line is the LuxeBreeze mattress, which is supposed to be 10 degrees cooler than the ProAdapt. It's available in soft or firm, and a medium-hybrid. The LuxeBreeze has a support layer of ventilated Tempur-APR and is 13 inches thick.

The most advanced ActiveBreeze Smart Bed, which debuted this year, features a dual-zone climate control system that makes your bed up to 30 degrees cooler or warmer than the ProAdapt, depending on your preference. It's pricey — $10,000 for a queen — but it comes with an adjustable base.

All the styles feature a washable SmartClimate cooling cover, and the ProBreeze and LuxeBreeze have PureCool+ phase change material and the Tempur-CM+ comfort layer, which is meant to be breathable by cycling out the humidity and heat normally trapped in mattresses. 

You can try your Tempur-Pedic mattress for up to 90 nights and return it if it's not right for you. However, a $175 return shipping fee may apply. The Tempur-Breeze beds are backed by a 10-year warranty.

Tempur-Pedic has four adjustable base models. The Tempur-Ergo Smart Base is the second most advanced option. It features

• QuietMode to combat snoring by tilting your mattress gently
• PerfectSeat settings put you in the ideal position for watching TV, working, and sleeping
• Head tilt range of 57 degrees and foot raise range of 46 degrees
• Two USB ports on each side
• Two zones, two intensities, and three wave modes for massaging
• Remote controls and app compatibility
• Underbed lighting
• Sleeptracker sensor that analyzes your sleep
• Adjustable lumbar support that raises six inches (new feature since we tested)

Tempur-Pedic's power bases are not eligible for return. However, the frame has a 25-year warranty, 5 years on parts only, and 3 years on parts and labor.

Delivery

In-home setup comes standard with most Tempur-Pedic mattresses, foundations, and Tempur-Pedic adjustable bases. This service includes the removal of your old mattress and foundation. Three people delivered the frame and mattress and removed my old pieces. It only took the team about an hour to set everything up.

Once the bed was set up, my family and I had a blast toying around with the remote, giggling as we played with the different massage functions. My kindergartener liked to adjust the head and foot tilt while I read them a bedtime story. The remote's functions were intuitive. We didn't need the manual to enjoy the Ergo's features. You can also pair it with your phone. 

What makes the bed stand out

This is the Rolls Royce of beds.

I appreciated how cool the bed slept. I generally sleep hot, but the ProBreeze neutralized the heat. At night, when I came back from using the bathroom, the heat dissipated noticeably. My wife sleeps under a weighted blanket with our rat terrier burrowed beside her. Even though the little guy is a furnace, Erin somehow avoided overheating, I attribute that to this bed.

I'm a heavier man who sleeps on his side and stomach, while my wife is average-weight and mostly sleeps on her back. Despite our different sleeping styles, the mattress was comfortable and supportive for both of us. I chalk this up to the proprietary foam Tempur-Pedic uses in its mattresses. As you lie on it, it slowly contours to your body to keep you comfortable and your spine aligned.

The ProBreeze's motion isolation is outstanding. Not only did I not notice if our dog or cats hopped onto the bed, but it also passed my tests with flying colors. I place a 12-ounce soda can in the middle of the mattress to test motion transfer. Then, I drop a 20-pound weight from 4 feet above the bed so that it lands about a foot from the can. If the can falls over, the motion isolation is inferior. If it stays up drop after drop, the bed has great motion transfer isolation. With this mattress, the can stayed upright after each drop.

We have an excellent projector in our living room to watch TV in a large format. Yet, with the Ergo Smart Base, my wife and I preferred to stream shows in bed on my laptop. The bed was just too comfortable. Consequently, when we were binge-watching "Letterkenny" or "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," we opted for lying in the "Zero G" position. I liked that the mattress didn't bunch up after repeated adjustments.

The massage functions worked exactly as advertised. Regardless of the bed's position, you can use the remote to adjust the massage zones. Choose between two intensity levels for the head and/or foot and three wave modes. The massage turns off automatically after 30 minutes.

The most innovative feature of the Tempur-Pedic Ergo Smart Base is the Sleeptracker. Using sensors installed on top of the base near the head, the Sleeptracker collects data, such as heart rate, breathing, air quality, and more, to analyze your sleep and recommend ways to improve your rest. I accessed this information on the stats-packed app (iOS and Android). I also received an email each morning summarizing my previous night's sleep.

Cons to consider

The biggest negative was that standard fitted sheets didn't stay on the ProBreeze when you adjusted it regularly. I tried a variety of high-quality sheets, and they all slipped at the corners. However, sheet strap suspenders did an impressive job of combating this problem. I bought these suspenders for $9.

The bed was hard to move. The mattress is heavier than most I've tested and difficult to rotate. The Ergo Power Base is also substantial. If you plan on moving often, you'll want plenty of help with the bed.

The edge support was subpar. The mattress sank significantly when I sat on the side of the bed. Also, I felt like I would fall off when lying on the edge.

What are your alternatives?

You have several options if you're dead set on a Tempur-Pedic mattress. The Tempur-Cloud is among the most comfortable beds I've slept on. Its body-contouring comfort and heat dissipation rival the ProBreeze, and it costs less than half the price. Each night of testing the Cloud, I fell asleep quickly. Read our full Tempur-Pedic Cloud mattress review for more details.

In our Tempur-Pedic LuxeAdapt Mattress review, Emily Hochberg details the LuxeAdapt's comfort, though it lacked edge support, a consistent issue with Tempur-Pedic mattresses. She tested it with the Ease, Tempur-Pedic's cheapest adjustable frame, which lacks the massaging and sleep-tracking features of the Ergo Smart Base. For more details, read our full Tempur-Pedic Ease review.

If you're open to other brands, I've tested five mattress-adjustable base combinations, and the best for most people is the Sleep Number i8 with the FlexFit 2 Smart Base. The set retails for $6,000 and comes with in-home setup. The i8 is an adjustable bed that uses air pressure to adjust the firmness. There are 20 different firmness levels. I like the impressive sleep tracker app and automatic firmness adjustments as you shift sleep positions at night. Read our full Sleep Number i8 Smart Bed review.

If the Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic beds don't interest you, we encourage you to check out our guide to the best mattresses.

The bottom line

The ProBreeze and Ergo Smart Base are among the best mattress and bed frame combinations I've slept on, but they're pricey at $6,000 for the pair. I think they're well worth it. 

The ProBreeze did a great job keeping my wife and me cool, but if you have a little extra to spend and staying cool is your top priority, go with the LuxeBreeze. It's available in soft and firm all-foam configurations and a medium-hybrid, though no medium all-foam. Go with the firm if you are heavier or sleep on your back. Soft will be better for petite individuals and side sleepers.