Adjustable base and mattress shopping frustration in Jacksonville, FL

My husband and I went out shopping for two days before I found your website. I swear, buying my last car was easier than this. I need an adjustable base because I have to sleep with my head elevated, and the wedge pillow that I use is not comfortable in the least, especially in combination with our 11-year-old Sleep Number mattress that is worn out. Our bed furniture consists solely of a headboard, and that is not going to change, so the way the bed looks is important to me. But trying to find a variety of adjustable bases in a showroom has proven to be an exercise in frustration, especially since we’re not interested in the “S” brands, Tempur-Pedic, Sleep Number, etc.

First, I’d like to give some update to the list of places to shop in Jacksonville, FL in this thread, just in case someone else searches for Jacksonville like I did.

The first one, Coleman Mattress Company, is located in an area of Jacksonville that I would never go to. It’s way too close to the areas mentioned on the nightly news where shootings and stabbings take place on a regular basis.

Sleep City in Orange Park: You can see on the website that the owner is retiring and the store is closing. I called them yesterday and they will only be open for another week or two.

Jax Mattress: I only contacted the owner via email and inquired about the adjustable bases he carries, expressing my interest in Leggett & Platt, and he steered me to Rize by Mantua, claiming that he prefers them because their motors are stronger.

Best Mattress Jax: My husband and I went there because we’re interested in a latex mattress. We tried to test the Pure Latex Bliss Nutrition, Beautiful, and World’s Best Bed.The owner, while a very nice man, talked incessantly about how the mattress was made, continued talking even after our eyes glazed over and my husband said it was going over our heads. We couldn’t even concentrate on how the mattress felt, nor did the owner attempt to try to match a mattress to us. He had a Rize Contemporary base but it was inside a headboard and footboard and I couldn’t tell what it looked like at all.

We utilized the Leggett & Platt website to find authorized dealers near us, and the first one they listed, AA Beds, was supposed to have a variety of models. Ugh. The place was nothing more than a small garage bay located behind a bodyshop.They had three Leggett & Platt adjustable bases, two S-Cape and one with a wired remote, and the beds were so filthy – it looked like people had been stomping all over them with dirty boots – that there was no way I was going to lie on them to try it out.

We went to the Ashley furniture store, also listed on the Leggett & Platt website. They had an S-Cape but we didn’t like the fabric at all. Naturally, they tried to steer us to an “S” brand.

Next we stopped at a Mattress Firm which had the Rize Contemporary which turned out to be pretty ugly.

After spending several hours reading this wonderful site, I started making phone calls. I called Mantua (Rize), and they admitted that they are only distributors of the adjustable bases, and the Rize bases are actually made by Customatic Adjustable Bedz. The person I spoke to at Mantua could not even tell me if there are are different size legs available, which is important to me because I will need our bed to be at least 25 inches tall. She told me I needed to call the actual manufacturer. So I called Customatic Adjustable Bedz, and after a laborious phone call, I was told that I “should” be able to get different size legs. Trust me, those phone calls did not inspire confidence.

Next I called the Leggett & Platt customer service line, and the very nice person there said she couldn’t help me but gave me the number to the corporate office and told me to ask for the sales department. The person I spoke to in the sales department was extremely accommodating. When I explained to her my frustration at not being able to actually see the different models and having to rely on a computer monitor to choose the cover fabric, she offered to send me samples via UPS. They will be here tomorrow. When I told her that the Premier model had all the features I want, but I absolutely don’t want to have to control it with a tablet, she told me that they are coming out with a regular remote control for the Premier models next month.

I have decided on the Leggett & Platt. While I’m not a made-in-America evangelist, the availability of parts is a major concern. My husband and I are in our early 60s, and I really don’t want to have to go through this buying process again. And I was so extremely impressed by the help I received from their corporate office.

I will most likely order the base from an authorized online retailer. I will need a split king due to the extreme difference in my and my husband’s sleeping positions. So now I will finally get to my question.

Is there any downside, to anyone’s knowledge, going with a latex mattress in a split king configuration? After pricing the Pure Latex Bliss – yikes! – I am seriously considering Brooklyn Bedding’s Best Mattress Ever. I’m not too concerned with longevity. Considering how my needs have changed in the past 11 years (the Sleep Number was perfect for the first 8 years when I was a stomach sleeper), it’s very possible that my needs will change again in another 5 to 8 years.

My husband’s concern is that with a foam mattress, whether latex or memory foam, our sleeping surface will be reduced and we will roll toward the middle and get stuck in a valley. We’ve been sleeping on a king size bed for 30 years! However, I don’t see how any kind of bed with side support could possibly work with an adjustable base.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

By “this thread” I’m referring to this one re Jacksonville, FL:
https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/latex-mattress

For some reason, I wasn’t able to insert the link.

Hi KayT,

Thanks for sharing your comments and feedback about your Jacksonville research. I appreciate it. Thanks for the heads up about Sleep City as well and I’ve added a note to their listing in the Jacksonville list for others in the area.

It sounds like you have already decided on your adjustable bed purchase but if you wish to expand your research then there is more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research and I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you contact the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at websites.

If you are referring to having two separate mattresses (such as two twin XL mattresses to make up a king size) then there are some comments in post #8 here and in this topic about the pros and cons of a split king mattress.

There are also component latex mattresses available which have a side to side split layering inside a single cover which have a different firmness level on each side of the mattress that can accommodate a couple that have different needs and preferences in a mattress although with a single mattress you would give up the ability to raise and lower each side of the mattress independently if that’s an important consideration for you. There are some comments about the pros and cons of a side to side split layered mattress in post #2 here.

The foam layers in the Sleep Number mattresses are fairly low quality and aren’t particularly durable so it’s possible or even likely that after 5 - 8 years they have softened or broken down to a point that you are outside the comfort/support range that is suitable for you. Of course if you have changed your sleeping positions then it’s also possible that your needs and preferences have changed as well and that could also change the firmness of a mattress that is suitable for you. Since stomach sleepers tend to need firmer mattresses than back or especially side sleepers … if your mattress is still in good condition and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then it’s possible that adding a suitable topper would provide any additional “comfort” and pressure relief that you may need (although again after 5 - 8 years I would guess that the top foam layers in your Sleep Number may no longer be in good condition and may need to be replaced as well).

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” would be higher as well.

This would depend on the specifics of the foam layers in the mattress, on how close together you sleep, and on the amount of differences in your body types (someone that is much heavier can compress the layers more deeply and create a valley that the other person can roll into if they are close together. If the comfort layers are soft enough to provide good pressure relief in all your sleeping positions and the transition (middle) layers and support (deeper) layers are firm enough for both of you then “roll together” in the middle of the mattress shouldn’t be a significant issue (although it’s a little bit more likely with a split mattress because the edge of a mattress without edge support will generally “act” a little bit softer than the rest of the mattress because of the “edge effect”.

Most foam mattresses don’t have or really need edge support for most people if it has a suitable design but there are always exceptions to every rule based on the individual factors that I just mentioned. There is more about edge support with foam mattresses in post #33 here and post #3 here but the only way to know for certain whether you will experience “roll together” in the middle of a mattress or “roll off” at the edge of a mattress will be based on your own careful testing (with both of you on the mattress in the sleeping positions that you normally sleep in) or your own personal experience.

Most foam mattresses that have foam edge support and most pocket coil mattresses that have foam edge support or that use firmer coils in the outer edges would be suitable for an adjustable bed but it’s always best to check with the manufacturer to make sure that any specific mattress would be suitable for an adjustable bed and that using the mattress on an adjustable bed doesn’t void the warranty.

The Pure Latex Bliss mattresses certainly use good quality and durable materials and there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in any of their mattresses that would compromise the durability or useful life of their mattresses.

There is also more information about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Outside of any other local latex mattresses that are available to you … the mattress shopping tutorial also includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of them (including Brooklyn Bedding) also sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that that would be well worth considering as well and that would work well on an adjustable bed.

Phoenix

Phoenix, thank you for your reply.

That’s exactly what I’m referring to, two twin XL mattresses to make up a king size. I appreciate those links - my search terms didn’t bring them up.

My Sleep Number bed’s “innards” - all foam plus the bladders - were replaced at 9 years, 10 months (right before the warranty expired) due to the mold issue. I had been checking for it several times a year, and just when I thought we wouldn’t have the issue, there it was.

I have to say that our experience with Sleep Number customer service was excellent. Our remote stopped working at year 8, and it was replaced at no charge. When I reported the mold issue, they not only sent all replacement parts at no charge, but when I pointed out that I paid for “White Glove” service at time of purchase, they sent a team to disassemble and reassemble the bed with the new components and remove all old parts and packaging at no charge. That said, if I was looking for an air bed now, I wouldn’t buy that brand because the value is not there. Plus, I stopped in the local Sleep Number store and tried their i8 mattress, and within 30 seconds felt the painful pressure point in my hip. My “repeat customer” price for that mattress in a split king, with their FlexFit 2 adjustable base (no wall hugging, no massage) was $6700!

[quote]This would depend on the specifics of the foam layers in the mattress, on how close together you sleep, and on the amount of differences in your body types (someone that is much heavier can compress the layers more deeply and create a valley that the other person can roll into if they are close together. If the comfort layers are soft enough to provide good pressure relief in all your sleeping positions and the transition (middle) layers and support (deeper) layers are firm enough for both of you then “roll together” in the middle of the mattress shouldn’t be a significant issue (although it’s a little bit more likely with a split mattress because the edge of a mattress without edge support will generally “act” a little bit softer than the rest of the mattress because of the “edge effect”.

Most foam mattresses don’t have or really need edge support for most people if it has a suitable design but there are always exceptions to every rule based on the individual factors that I just mentioned. There is more about edge support with foam mattresses in post #33 here and post #3 here but the only way to know for certain whether you will experience “roll together” in the middle of a mattress or “roll off” at the edge of a mattress will be based on your own careful testing (with both of you on the mattress in the sleeping positions that you normally sleep in) or your own personal experience.[/quote]

Part of my frustration is not being able to test the split king beds! The showrooms I’ve visited so far have only had king beds on their split king frames.

Thank you for the other links. Looks like I’ll be spending another day researching, and perhaps a visit to Fox Mattress - difficult because it’s a three-hour round trip, and that doesn’t leave me much time to shop because I have two small dogs with small bladders.

KayT:
It sounds like you’ve already decided on a power foundation base, but to help people who might read this post at a later date I thought I’d address a few of your questions/comments, as I’m an authorized Leggett and Rize dealer.

Rize does offer different sizes for their bed legs, being either a completely different leg or riser inserts. What may be accomplished depends upon the specific model. Mantua and HSM are distributors for the Rize product whose parent company is Customatic. Customatic also produces many of the “brand name” power foundations available domestically. Leggett also offers different leg heights, depending upon the model.

You’ll find that while some adjustable beds are “Made in America,” most of their electronics and motors are sourced from overseas. A more appropriate expression would be “Assembled in America.” I wouldn’t have too much worry with any of the major brands here in the USA for replacement parts, though. most of these units are “plug and play” for their motors and massage units, and while there may have been changes through the years, I haven’t run across issues the very few times we’ve had to get replacement parts for Leggett items.

When seeking answers to questions like leg height, your best route will always be to deal with the local retailer, not a call center or the manufacturer. The retailer should have all of that information available and they are prepared to handle questions from retail customers. When you call a customer service line you may get someone well versed in the product or not. Your call to Mantua sounds more like it was to their number for customer service for Rize (Uniters), which is a company that is set up for warranty issues and not questions on specifications (and I’ll agree that some of their “customer service” representatives are not very helpful and it’s an issue I’ve complained about to Rize). The actual manufacturing Mantua facilities do have staff who are completely familiar with the product and they wouldn’t generally reference you to Customatic, as Mantua is the one who actually sells and carries the leg extenders. I know it can be confusing with so many contact numbers out there when you’re searching for information online, so that’s another reason to deal directly with a retailer. It sounds like you contacted the Leggett sales department directly with your phone call, and that’s good that they were helpful. Their service center wouldn’t have been able to assist you with those questions, as they’re set up for warranty and service issues. Their sales department is generally very helpful.

Online or not, only purchase a power foundation, regardless of brand, from an authorized retailer. Otherwise, you’ll have no warranty. It can be tricky when you visit a store or online shop to determine if they are authorized, so you may wish to check directly with the manufacturer’s sales department to confirm you’re getting a new item that has a full warranty.

Jeff, thank you for your input.

Well, you would think that the retailer would know the answers. After reading your post saying that Rize does offer different sizes for their legs, I seriously reconsidered the Rize Contemporary II. I called the local retailer and asked him if there were different sized legs or leg extensions for the Contemporary II. He did not know the answer. He actually suggested that I should use after-market bed risers. He also said he had a customer who planned to make his own out of a block of wood. However, he said he would call Mantua to get the answer to my question and call me back. Since I work from home and there was a good chance I wouldn’t be available to answer the phone, I requested that he leave a voicemail or send me an email with the answer. He did call me back when I wasn’t available, and he didn’t bother to leave a voicemail.

About an hour later, I called Mantua again, this time getting a person on the line who was extremely helpful. I verified that this local retailer was authorized, and while I was at it, I asked the question about the leg heights and was told that there are, indeed, leg extensions for the Contemporary II. This all happened on Thursday, and I haven’t heard back from the aforementioned local retailer since.

Yesterday my husband and I drove down to Fox Mattress near Daytona Beach. We initially spoke with John, and I told him that I was looking for a mattress suitable for an adjustable bed that I may get right away or sometime in the future. I did not ask about prices, nor did I look at the displayed prices. I wanted to evaluate the mattresses without that information clouding my judgment.

My husband is the “can sleep on anything” type, so he listened to the description of what the mattresses were made of, while I tested them out for feel. The first mattress I tried, which I believe was a coil-type mattress, felt really good. The second mattress I tried also felt good but I preferred the first between the two of them.

Then I tried mattress number three, which was latex, and I felt like Goldilocks. It was just right. I immediately loved the bouncy feel – it made me want to bounce up and down on the bed like I was a child again – and it felt heavenly!

Just for good measure, I tried a memory foam bed, and I thought it was terrible. I didn’t like sinking into the mattress at all. I went back to the latex bed and knew it was the one I wanted.

Chelsea helped us with the adjustable bed selection. We chose two Leggett and Platt S-Cape Plus bases. I’m sure I could have gotten the bases for less money from an online retailer, but that would have meant two separate deliveries. I’m self-employed, and time is money. Plus, I don’t trust White Glove Delivery, having who-knows-who come in to set up the bases while not damaging my hardwood floors. So I would have had to hire my local assembly people. All told, I wouldn’t have saved all that much money going the online route.

We ended up going over our budget, but I think we made the perfect choice. I can’t wait to get them! I’ll update after I receive them and have had a chance to sleep on them.

Our experience at Fox Mattress was wonderful. John and Chelsea were extremely helpful and patient with us. There was absolutely zero sales pressure. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

Sounds like that retailer needs to invest some training into their sales staff. Using bed risers from stores or making your own isn’t something I would recommend with these heavy adjustable bed bases. Better to use something that was designed by the manufacturer to be safe.

Hi KayT,

[quote]We ended up going over our budget, but I think we made the perfect choice. I can’t wait to get them! I’ll update after I receive them and have had a chance to sleep on them.

Our experience at Fox Mattress was wonderful. John and Chelsea were extremely helpful and patient with us. There was absolutely zero sales pressure. I would definitely recommend them to anyone. [/quote]

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback about Fox Mattress and for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress and adjustable base :slight_smile:

You certainly made some good choices and I’m looking forward to an update once you’ve received everything and have had the chance to sleep on them for a bit.

Phoenix

Sounds like that retailer needs to invest some training into their sales staff. Using bed risers from stores or making your own isn’t something I would recommend with these heavy adjustable bed bases. Better to use something that was designed by the manufacturer to be safe.[/quote]

I was speaking to the owner! :S And the first thing I thought when he suggested that was, oh, heck no, not on a bed that moves and vibrates. That can’t be safe.

Thank you, Phoenix. I’m so glad I found this site!

[quote=“Phoenix” post=60246]Hi KayT,

[quote]We ended up going over our budget, but I think we made the perfect choice. I can’t wait to get them! I’ll update after I receive them and have had a chance to sleep on them.

Our experience at Fox Mattress was wonderful. John and Chelsea were extremely helpful and patient with us. There was absolutely zero sales pressure. I would definitely recommend them to anyone. [/quote]

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback about Fox Mattress and for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress and adjustable base :slight_smile:

You certainly made some good choices and I’m looking forward to an update once you’ve received everything and have had the chance to sleep on them for a bit.

Phoenix[/quote]

Update:

We received our mattresses and S-Cape+ on 1/22. The delivery experience was great. The men removed our old Sleep Number bed (I had already detached the pump and deflated the mattresses) and were very careful not to bump into anything on the way out. They were equally careful bringing the heavy S-Cape bases in and setting them up on the hardwood floor. They were extremely accomodating while I had them make small adjustments in the placement so it was “just right” and placed the furniture protectors under all the legs - not a small feat once it was in place, since two of the feet were in the middle.

It only took three nights for me to adjust to the bed (hubby adjusted immediately), and that was due to user error. It was delivered in the afternoon, and I didn’t let the mattresses air out before I made the bed. The smell was so strong that I had a hard time sleeping. The next morning, I stripped the bed, sprinkled baking powder all over the mattresses, and turned the ceiling fan on (it was damp and rainy, so I couldn’t open the windows). Right after dinner, I vacuumed up the baking powder and remade the bed, and the smell was hardly noticable.

Night #2 I used a pillow that was a great addition to my pile of pillows I had to use to elevate my upper body with my old bed, but completely wrong for an elevated adjustable bed. I woke up with such a stiff neck that I could hardly turn my head!

Night #3 I tried each of my pillows and chose the one (very expensive contour pillow) that felt the best. I woke up the next morning feeling much better, and I’ve used that one every night since with absolutely no neck ache.

I LOVE THIS BED!!! The latex feels incredible. It’s soft and cushy but also has support. Zero pressure points. Even my husband, who wasn’t at all concerned about which mattress I chose, woke up after night #2 and said, “Wow, this bed is comfortable!”

The adjustable bed is amazing. I’m so glad I got one with underbed lighting - no more flashlights to get to the bathroom! - and massage. I use the massage every night, and when I have time in the morning, I get my cup of coffee, crawl back into bed with my head and feet elevated, and have my morning coffee with a massage. Such a great way to start the day!

My husband, who swore he would never use the adjustable, now raises his head at night - no more snoring!

Bonus #1: One of our small dogs used to sleep between our pillows. With both heads raised at different levels, he can’t do that anymore. No more arguing over who got the wrong end of the dog!

Bonus #2: The cat used to get under the bed and (warning: it’s gross) hack up hairballs, which is extremely difficult to clean up. The first time the cat went under the S-Cape, my husband turned on the underbed lighting. The cat freaked and ran out, and hasn’t placed as much as a paw under the bed since.

The only downside: The cat, who hasn’t slept in our bed in years, came to investigate the “purring” sound coming from the bed, and discovered how incredibly comfortable it is. He now sleeps with us every night too. Two people + two dogs + one cat is a tad crowded. :slight_smile:

Hi KayT,

Thanks for taking the time to share an update with such detailed comments and feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

It’s great to see that all your choices worked out so well for both of you (and your pets)!

Phoenix

Thank you soooo very much for your entertaining and very helpful posts! You 2 sound like carbons of my husband and I, but we do have 1 less dog! We are in the midst of trying to sort this whole adjustable base and which mattress thing out now. Also many thanks to Phoenix and other contributors also.

Hi fairlite,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I’m glad that you found the information here on the forum assistive, and entertaining.

Phoenix

You’re welcome! It’s now a year and a half later, and I still LOVE my bed. I still use the massage every night. And the cat still won’t venture under the bed, and the dog is still sleeping at the foot of the bed like a proper dog should. :slight_smile: Good luck to you!

Hi KayT,

Thanks for taking the time for another update on your mattress and replying to fairlite. I’m glad you’re still sleeping well.

Phoenix