High Efficiency Front Load VS Regular Top Load Washer

Keith is here to show you the difference between the new technology of the high efficiency front load washers and the older technology top load washers.

New HE Front Load Washers

With the new front load washers, one of the first things that you will notice is that there is a HE symbol where the soap dispenser. The HE symbol stands for high-efficiency. This tells you that the machine does have the new technology and that you need a certain type of soap with the HE logo. You will use less soap and use soap that is less dense. 

Front load washers use less water, your clothes will come out more dry after a cycle, and will ultimately save you money. Each cycle with a top load washer will use between 3-5 gallons of water. There are usually 2-3 cycles per load making the total amount of water used to about 10-15 gallons. People tend to use the extra rinse cycle as a way to really wash out all the soap in the load. This is good for people who tend to use too much soap. 

One question that we hear a lot is, will this amount of soap really clean my clothes? The answer is YES! Using less water means that it requires less soap and that you should stick to the manufacturer's maximum amount of soap.

 One other great benefit of using the high-efficiency washer is that it uses less electricity. The drum does spin faster, but with the newer technology, the appliance unit will use less electricity.

Old Top Load Washers

These washers have been around for 40- 50 years with really no new technology. These are the same washers that you grandma has used for years.

The big tub can hold from 10 to 30 gallons of water in each cycle filling it to the top. Each load takes about 2-3 cycles similar to the new technology. But when adding up all of those cycles, you are using about 60-90 gallons of water per load. That is a huge difference! With more water requires more soap to evenly distribute it out. This is why you use more soap.

Because of how much water you are using, requires more soap, more electricity, and costs you more money with this option in the long run. The convenient thing about the old top load washers is that the cost to buy them is going to be more affordable.

The Comparison

After comparing the new top load washers with the old front load washers, you can see a big difference between the two.. These differences are more clear when thinking about how much laundry you do, especially with a family. If you are looking at having to use less soap, less water, less electricity and want to save money in the long run, it is worth the upgrade to the new high-efficiency front load washes. 

What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments section or contact our store.

The Best Mattress Protectors and Why they are Important

Eric and Riley from Bedgear are here to talk to you about mattress protectors.



The big question that we hear is what is the purpose of a mattress protector? A mattress protector is a removable cloth that sits on top or zips around the mattress. The purpose of it is to protect your mattress. An old mattress can sometimes can build up dust mites, bed bugs, mold, and dead skin or dandruff in the mattress. These things can irritate and even harm people. The mattress protector can also help keep the mattress clean even from spills from spills or dirt. Let's say that you spill something on your mattress, you can just take it off and wash it.

You can clean the surface of a mattress with a vacuum cleaner, but it cannot remove things that are in the mattress which is where most of the grime goes. With a mattress protector, you can avoid substances from getting on and into your mattress. This will make your mattress last longer saving you money and keeping your safe.

Better technology protectors can protect the mattress, but also make it more comfortable the person sleeping on the mattress. Bedgear has a good, better, best program.

Their good mattress protector called the iProtect has performance technology that allows air to flow through to your mattress. Mattresses need to breath and you should allow air to transfer to it.

Bedgear's better mattress protector, Dry Tec, has the same technology as the iProtect mattress protector, but also has additional value that wicks away moisture from your body. Every night of sleep you actually loose a half of a liter of water. You may loose more depending on if it is hot and you sweat more.

The best mattress protector from Bedgear is called the Ver-Tex. This has the same technology as the Dry Tec, but as two more added features to it. This mattress protector can actually keep your body temperature regulated during the night. The material is actually cool to the touch.

The only real way to know which mattress protector is best for you is to check them out in person yourself. Stop by one of our locations and ask to see all of the different types of mattress protectors that we have. See you soon!

The NEW Tempur-Pedic Ergo Extend

Looking for what's new in bedding? Eric is here to show you the new Tempur-Pedic Ergo Extend which is an adjustable base for your mattress.



This base has new technology including:

• A more sleek and modern remote

This remote is wireless and are back-lit so that you can see the buttons in the dark.

• Anti-snore feature

The quiet mode tilts your mattress in a way that is anti-snore.

• Pillow tilt adjustment

You can lift your head to adjust to when you are reading a book or watching TV for maximum comfort.

• PerfectSeat™ feature

The PerfectSeat™ allows you to sleep in a more natural position by optimizing the mattress shape.

• USB ports on both sides

Under the base on each side are a couple of USB ports making it easy to plug electronics in.

• Inner-changeable legs for the perfect height

It is easy to adjust the height of your bed with the different leg lengths.

You have to try this base out in person to really feel the difference. With this adjustable base, you can have a better sleep experience.

5 Benefits of a 3rd rack in a Dishwasher

More and more appliance companies are starting to make a dishwasher with a third rack. From a first glance, it might seem silly to have a third rack; but in reality, the third rack is very helpful. The third rack was first seen in more high end brands like Bosch, but the rest of the industry is integrating this in a lot of their models. Once you go to a third rack, you will never go back.  Here are some benefits of why this dishwasher feature is so amazing.

1. Your spatulas, whisks and tongs have a special place in the dishwasher. The third rack is super convenient in that you know exactly where those extra cooking utensils are. You won’t have to worry about them falling to the bottom and melting. You also won’t have to dig around the dishwasher hunting for where you put your favorite whisk. It can now be organized and all be in one secured place.

2. Third rack dishwashers increase efficiency by providing more space to wash more utensils, dishes and glasses. On average, the third rack gives you 37% more room to utilize in your dishwasher to the fullest.  Without the random utensils in the way, you will have more room in your first and second racks to wash even more dishes. Your mind will be at ease knowing that you only have to do one load at a time.

3. The extra rack can be a great safety tool. You can place your cooking knives flat on the third rack. No one will have to worry about reaching around the utensil basket being overly cautious avoiding cutting themselves. Having a more secure place to put pointy objects is much more convenient and safer for the whole family.

4. The ability to fill your dishwasher with more kitchen items will cut down on the number of times you need to run your dishwasher. This means that you get to save on dishwashing soap, water, time, and energy. Over time, you will find your water and energy bill will be less which is also helpful for the environment.

5. Some of the dishwashers that have a third rack are removable so you can load tall glasses or pitchers on your second rack. This makes it convenient for holiday events all year round. After your special events with your extra large wine glasses or oddly shaped serving bowls, you will be able to wash them in your dishwasher rather than doing it by hand.

With the third rack becoming more popular in the appliance industry, you can find this feature in more brands and models than ever before. With these 5 reasons, the little extra cost of the third rack dishwasher is worth it. Let’s thank the engineers who invented this washing game changer!

Check out the dishwashers now and see which one you like for your kitchen.

4 Most Common Reasons People Purchase a New Mattress

1. Tossing & Turning

Tossing & Turning can lead to many sleepless nights. The most common reason being the type of mattress you own. It can be to soft or too firm, causing pressure and making you uncomfortable. You may be sleeping too hot or too cold also impacting your sleep.

2. Partner Disturbance
Having a restless partner to share a bed with can easily effect your sleep. Traditional spring mattresses do not isolate the motion transfer from your partner moving as great as memory foam & pocketed coil mattresses do.

3. Body Impressions

Typically you sleep in the same spot night after night causing your mattress to compress & conform to your body making an impression of your body. This could happen due to low quality material & inexpensive components leading to a less comfortable sleep. 

4. Old Technology

There have been much advancement in mattress technology you may not be aware of. Older mattresses like spring mattresses are the most common types used but are arguably the worst for your sleep. Newer mattress technology like memory foam & latex is designed with the consumer in mind by ensuring a better night’s sleep through comfort & little to none motion transfer.

We recommend you purchase a new mattress every 8 years! Over the course of this time-frame your mattress accumulates weight due to dead skin cells and bugs! Who wants that?

Stop by one of our 16 locations to take the mattress test to see which mattress type is best for you. Have any questions about mattresses? Leave them in the comments section.

All About Connected Kitchens

Connected kitchens and homes offer convenience and peace of mind. Using your phone as a remote control for your appliances, you are able to control and monitor your wifi-connected appliances from anywhere, using software that allows the machines to talk to each other. 

To get started with connected kitchens, we recommend having your refrigerator be the first connected kitchen item to add to your home. Here are a few things that you can do with your connected refrigerator:

• View items that are currently stocked in your refrigerator via your phone.
•  Stay organized by checking off items that you may need for recipes.
• Have the convenience of buying groceries online straight from your refrigerator LCD panel.
• Leave sticky notes electronically on your refrigerator and connect them to your phone.

Use your mobile phone and other connected devices to:

• Preheat your oven while you're heading home from work
• Schedule hot water to turn on for your coffee
• Set your washing machine to spin
• Keep your clothes wrinkle-free with an extended tumble feature app
•  Automatically order fabric softener
•  Place an order of dog food before your current batch runs out

Have peace of mind and get alerts when not at home though different apps:

• If you left your oven on
• The dishwasher sprung a leak
• The refrigerator door was left open
• An ingredient is expiring or running low 

Some wifi connected devices and apps to partner with your connected appliances:

• Amazon Echo
• Amazon Alexa
• Amazon Dash Replenishment
• Google Home

What Connected Appliance are you most excited about?

Meet the fridge that allows you to see what’s inside, without opening a door!

The greatest new thing in refrigerators are seeing what is inside your fridge without even opening the door. This can save you energy and more. Here is our review of the LG InstaView Door-in-Door Refrigerator (LFXS30796D)

Here’s the facts:

•        Smudge and Fingerprint Resistant Finish
•          7 Large Shelves to help optimize your storage
•          3 Pullout Freezer Drawers
•          30 cu. Ft. Interior- Perfect for larger families
•      Energy Star Qualified
•      Cold Saver Pannel

Our Review:

Glass doors on refrigerators are nothing new, however, LG’s new take get’s it right. The beautiful mirrored glass is darkened, so it blends very well with the unique look of LG’s black stainless steel. However, give the mirrored glass a knock-knock and the powerful LED lights illuminate the interior of the fridge. See an item that you just can’t resist? Use the now-popular door-in-door function to grab that perfect snack without the hassle or use of opening the full refrigerator door.

LG’s giving their customers a new choice on how to ma

ke decisions and interact with your refrigerator. While this feature is cool, and could be very useful; you cannot ignore the function of the LFXS30 line of fridges. The 30 cu. ft. interior is vast; not ready to part from Monday’s leftovers? LG says no worries! Additionally, with LG’s LoDecibel Quiet Operation function this refrigerator is much quieter than anything you’ve experienced in the past: no more sleepless nights because the kids think there’s a monster in the kitchen.

Take a look for yourself. Come knock on the glass yourself at one of our 16 locations.

TOP LOAD VS. FRONT LOAD WASHER

So your washer has just run its last cycle in its long and prosperous life and now you are, for potentially the first time, shopping for a brand new one. You walk in to an appliance store and you see an overwhelming selection of washers to choose from. There are top load with the agitator, there are top load without the agitator in the middle, and finally there are front load washers. What is the major difference between the three? Well I’m here to answer exactly that.

Lets begin with top load washers with

agitators. This is your traditional washer set up and generally at lower price points. The first thing to mention is that very few top load washers are built in the old school manner where they will last 15 to 20 years. Most modern washers on the market going to last 8 to 10 years, regardless of set up. The reason they don’t last as long is because the savings on energy efficiency over the 8 to 10 years of its life is enough money to warrant purchasing a new set. The down side of this washer design is water efficiency while the benefit is you don’t have to bend down to put clothes in. A great example of a top load washer is the LG 5.7 Cu.Ft. Mega Capacity Top Load Turbowash Technology Washer.

The top load without the agitator in the middle is a curious study. The lack of the agitator in the middle to pull clothes through the water to clean them means that the manufacturers had to get creative with the way the tub rotates. The benefit of these is that your clothes can’t get tangled around the agitator or get frayed, plus the capacities tend to go higher on them as well. The downside on them is water efficiency.

Now we get to the front load washers. The number one complaint I’ve heard customers have is that they tend to develop a smell over time. The manufacturers have fixed that issue by using anti-microbial material on the interior of the washer. The other thing to keep in mind is that front loads require ventilation, so keeping the door cracked is necessary. Now front loads are the best at cleaning clothes and here is why, the tub will spin out much faster than the top loads plus the tub itself is stainless steel on the interior. Now while they are generally more pricey, the amount of water savings you will have on front load vs. top load will pay itself off in two to three years. Check out the LG 5.2 cu.ft. Mega Capacity with On-Door Control Panel & TurboWash.

So in general, front load washers will clean the best and are the more efficient. The downside is having to bend down to load and unload, but they do have pedestal or stacking options. 

Selecting the Right Mattress for YOU

 Finding the right mattress for you can sometimes be a daunting task. There are so many choices and styles and so many companies paying millions of dollars for your attention through advertising. Here are some basics for your consideration:

• Innerspring:  The type of mattress that most people are familiar. Uses tempered steel coils for support in a variety of configurations. They come with different types of layers of upholstery which provide insulation and cushioning between your body and the springs. This results in a wide range of comfort choices.

•  Foam/Memory Foam: Foam mattresses offer a wide choice of sleeping sensations or feels. These can be made of a solid core or of several layers of different types of foam laminated together. Visco-elastic or “memory” foam is thought to be better at pressure point reliever. The knock on these types, has been that they sleep “hot”. The advance in technology and the addition of cooling material into the foam has all but eliminated this issue.

• Hybrids: These are just a combination of the above 2. Usually a spring unit with layers of foam on top. Giving you the traditional support feel of a spring and the adaptive comfort of foam.

There are many other mattress alternatives to address individuals’ needs, including airbeds, waterbeds, and adjustable beds to name a few. When choosing a mattress, evaluate it for comfort, support, durability and space.

When trying out a bed, be sure to lie down in your typical sleep position. Pay close attention to the level of support and comfort, especially the shoulders, hips and lower back. Do this whether you are a side, back, or stomach sleeper. Then try a different mattress, noticing the difference in support or comfort. You should spend at least 5 minutes on each mattress you try. This may seem a bit time consuming, but you will be spending about a third of your day in bed, every day that you own it. So, a little time spent when choosing can pay big dividends in the quality of sleep you are able to achieve.

Ready to test our a new mattress? Stop by one of our Colorado locations and find out what works best for you.

Your Guide to Smart Home Devices (Part 2)

If you are in the process of converting your house to a smart home, this is the article for you! Go back and read Part 1 of our Smart Home series to find out all about Alexa (Amazon Echo’s virtual assistant) and a few other terrific smart home devices available today. Here are a few more we recommend for your Home of the Future. Enjoy!

August Smart Lock, starts at $199 (August.com)

One of the best things about a smart home is the security that goes along with it. Do you tend to forget to lock your front door at night, or do you often forget your house key? Good news- with August Smart Lock, now all you need is your smartphone. August Smart Lock automatically locks your door and does not unlock it until someone either presses the Unlock button on their smartphone or watch, asks Siri (Apple’s virtual assistant and, I like to think, Alexa’s arch-nemesis), or keys a special code into the August Smart Keypad (sold separately). This means that you can grant access to anyone you authorize to unlock your front door, and you can also lock and unlock it remotely if necessary. Oh, and in case you are wondering if your key will still work in case you’ve forgotten your smartphone, the answer is yes.

Pros: Securely locks door without you having to think about it. Allows you to monitor who is unlocking and locking your door throughout the day.

Cons: Frankly, the lock itself is sort of huge and ugly, but it goes on the inside of the door, so don’t worry too much. Also, it works with Alexa but requires the sold-separately August Connect bridge, which is sort of a bummer. Alexa changes almost every day in terms of ability, so this may change down the road.

Ring Video Doorbell, starts at $199 (Ring.com)

Keeping with the home security side of things, wouldn’t it be nice if you could see who was at your door even when you’re not home? Never miss an important delivery again, tell the pesky salesman you don’t want any without even opening the door, and keep an eye on the comings and goings on your front porch all from your smartphone, thanks to Ring Video Doorbell. A nice extra feature of Ring is that it can double as a home security system, detecting motion in whatever range you choose and alerting you every time motion is detected. Also, for an extra charge, you can purchase stick-up cameras that work with Ring to secure the entire perimeter of your house so you can keep a 360-degree eye on it.

Pros: Great HD video quality, beautiful, futuristic design (the doorbell button glows blue, y’all!) and the always-entertaining ability to freak out the UPS guy by talking to him through it.

Cons: The motion detector can be a bit of a pain, since it seems to be ultra-sensitive to ANY kind of motion, including people passing by in cars.

Belkin WeMo Switch, starts at $45.00 (Amazon.com)

Tired of accidentally leaving the lights on when you go to work in the morning? Would you like to have a few lights automatically come on as you’re on your way home in the evening? Check out the smart switches from WeMo by Belkin. WeMo is compatible with your existing lighting system- just install a WeMo switch in place of your traditional light switch, connect over wifi, and get ready to control your lights from your phone or through Alexa. Best of all, you can program the lights to come on/go off at certain times of the day so you can be sure you’re never wasting electricity because you forgot to shut off your closet light. WeMo switches are also available as wall outlets, so you can plug virtually any appliance, lamp or other device in and control it in the same way. Perfect for Christmas lights!

Pros: Works with Alexa, works with existing lights and electrical wiring.

Cons: Design of smartphone app could be a bit more user-friendly. Also, WeMo seems to require more firmware updates than other smart home devices.

Logitech Harmony Remote Control, starts at $89.99 (hub only) (Logitech.com)

If you are enjoying using Alexa to turn on your lights, adjust your thermostat, and play music, why not take it to the next level of smart home living and let her control your entertainment center? Logitech Harmony allows you to program your TV, audio receiver, DVD/Blu-Ray player, Apple TV and more so that everything can be controlled by a single universal remote. Harmony will turn on your TV, switch to the proper input for the activity you wish to do (“play game,” “watch movie,” etc.) and power on the necessary device automatically. Though it currently does not directly work with Alexa, it is simple to create IFTTT recipes (IFTTT.com) to facilitate voice control with your Amazon Echo.

Pros: Works with an astonishing variety of makes, models and types of devices. Works with Alexa (using IFTTT).

Cons: Will not work with old tech, even if it recognizes the make and model during setup. If you have a device that is more than 6 years old, such as our old Sony receiver, Harmony will not be able to power it on/off, adjust volume, or work controls such as Fast-Forward or Pause.

If you’re super-excited about your smart home but thinking to yourself, “Now, if only I could control my oven with the sound of my voice!” we have got a great article for check out part 3 in our smart home series, all about smart appliances!

Your Guide to Smart Home Devices (Part 1)

We’ve all seen Hollywood’s visions of “The Home of the Future.” From Rosie the robot housekeeper on The Jetsons and the automated appliances in Lost in Space, to SARAH, the smart house on the TV series Eureka or J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark’s A.I. virtual butler on Iron Man, we have been obsessed with the idea of a house that can do things for us automatically for quite some time. Thanks to the latest smart home devices, the future is now! While you still can’t ask your virtual assistant to help you build a robotic flight suit (I tried), you can install devices that allow you to turn your lights on and off, adjust your thermostat, open and shut your front door, and much more, all with your smartphone or just the sound of your voice! Here is a comprehensive guide to the best smart home devices and how well they work with each other, to help get you started on building your own version of the Home of the Future.

Amazon Echo, $179.99 (Amazon.com)

Meet Alexa. The nerve center of your entire smart home, the Alexa Voice Service featured on Amazon Echo will help you control smart home devices with hands-free efficiency, all by simply speaking a trigger word or phrase. For example: want to raise your home temperature by two degrees? Simply say, “Alexa raise Hallway temperature to 74. Boom! Done! Alexa is also quite efficient as a music player and can play songs from the Amazon Prime Music library as well as Pandora, IHeartRadio, Spotify and more. Not only that but she is incredibly personable, for an A.I. entity. She’ll tell you a corny joke, share an amazing fact, and even sing Happy Birthday- all you have to do is ask! The Amazon Echo, and by extension, Alexa, works with a multitude of smart home devices and is adding compatibility with new ones every week, so she is your best bet for realizing your dream of talking to your house and making your appliances work.

Pros: Sleek, futuristic cylinder design with attractive blue light upon saying wake word. Good speaker for playing music. Works with most major smart home devices and appliances. (Bonus: You feel like a rockstar genius every time you tell Alexa to perform a task and she does.)

Cons: Alexa doesn’t always hear you. If you have the volume turned up and are playing music, it may take a few tries to get her to respond when you call her name. Also, while it is enjoyable to speak to Alexa in a conversational tone, it is far less efficient to have to say a lengthy phrase such as, “Alexa, tell LIFX to change brightness of kitchen lights to 60%,” rather than just, “Alexa, dim kitchen lights.”

LIFX bulbs, starts at $29.99 (LIFX.com)

If you want light bulbs you can control with Alexa, or via a well-designed app on your smartphone, look no further than LIFX. At just under $30 per bulb, they are an incredible value for the functionality they provide. Choose from white or colored bulbs and use the app to create scenes (“Morning,” “Rainy Day,” etc.) or moods with your home lighting. Best of all, each LIFX bulb is fully dimmable and can change colors and be programmed to work in a variety of ways, either individually or as a group.

Pros: Easy to install (just screw in the lightbulb, connect to wifi and you’re ready to go!), clever and easy-to-use app makes changing colors and brightness a breeze, compatible with Alexa.

Cons: Bulbs will go offline if someone makes the grievous error of flipping them off with a light switch like some sort of time traveler from the past. Putting them back online is as simple as flipping the switch back on, but if you are away from home you will be unable to control the bulbs until you return and manually flip the switch.

Nest Learning Thermostat, starts at $299 (Nest.com)

Being able to control the temperature of your home at different times of the day not only increases your comfort but also can help reduce your energy bills in the long run. The Nest Learning Thermostat, as its name implies, actually “learns” your temperature-control habits and house schedule over the initial two weeks or so after being installed, then uses that info to automatically adjust itself throughout the day. Best of all, the Heat-Cool mode will actually allow you to switch between using your furnace and your A/C unit, which can be perfect for those crazy days in the fall and spring when it’s freezing in the morning and scorching by noon.

Pros: Works with Alexa, gorgeous design actually makes you want to put it somewhere prominent on your wall, easy to control via well-designed smartphone app, allows you to save energy and money on electric bill.

Cons:We’ll let you know when we find one.

There are so many delightful, user-friendly innovations in the smart home arena these days, it is going to take more than one article to share all of them with you. Check out Part 2 of our series!

Brand of the Week: Samsung

In this day and age, the brand name Samsung immediately evokes images of outsize high-definition Galaxy smartphones. While it’s true that Samsung is holding firm as the leading manufacturer of Android smartphones, the brand itself has a long and storied history of developing and manufacturing diverse electronic products. In addition to the innovations Samsung has made in smartphone technology, the brand is synonymous with quality in TVs, home entertainment systems and computers. The household appliance division of Samsung is no exception: marrying form and functionality with technology, Samsung manufactures a variety of “smart home” appliances that turn any house into the home of the future.

Founded in Seoul, South Korea by Lee Byung-chul way back in 1938, Samsung was originally a trading company. Over the next 30 years, Samsung diversified into areas such as textiles, food processing and insurance. By the late 1960s, Samsung had entered the electronics industry and manufactured its first product- a black-and-white TV. Samsung focused primarily on TVs and other household electronics throughout the 1970s and 80s, and in 1974 manufactured its first refrigerator, opening the door to the household appliance industry.

Over the decades, Samsung’s commitment to technology and smart design have produced some very exciting appliances for the modern home. One such product is the Flex Duo Range with Dual Door™, a range that enables the user to cook two dishes simultaneously at different temperatures- a dream come true for Thanksgiving prep and other occasions that require an entrée and side dish to be prepared on the same timeline.

Another innovation guaranteed to make the modern homeowner’s life easier is the Samsung WA8700 Washer with activewash™. This top-loading washer is unlike any other on the market, boasting a built-in sink for pre-soaking and pre-treating stains. Additionally, the AquaJet® Deep Clean technology employed in this model cleans clothes deeply but gently, while the Super Speed cycle can cut wash time down to an unbelievable 36 minutes for a large load, without sacrificing the quality of the wash.

A 4-door refrigerator sounds like something straight out of The Jetsons, but the Samsung 4-Door Flex™ Refrigerator is for real. The energy-efficient, 23 cu. ft. counter-depth refrigerator features a Triple Cooling System which helps keep perishable fruits and vegetables stay fresh longer. Meanwhile, the Cool Select Plus is a bonus door to the right of the bottom freezer that can be used either as a fridge or a freezer, depending on the temperature selected by the user. This versatile door is ideal for storing frozen meats or casseroles, and then can be converted back to a fridge when the extra freezer space is no longer needed. A true innovation!

If you are in the market for new household appliances and your motto is “work smarter, not harder,” Samsung may be the brand for you! Check out the Samsung website for pricing and availability. http://www.samsung.com/us/homeappliances/