Any experience buying from ebay?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Im located in nyc and have tried several mattresses at a raymour a flannigan. They seem to have a pretty extensive selection. Im a stomache sleeper and have narrowed my search down to a medium firm memory foam mattress.

My goal is to get a good mattress for as least as possible. The contenders for me are the

Tempur pedic weightless supreme
Tempur pedic contour supreme
Simmons iq180 luxury firm

These are not particulaly inexpensive mattresses so i took my search to ebay for them and noticed the prices are dramatically reduced there. However most do not come with any kind of warranty but i imagine if i paid with a credit card through paypal i would have that protection for possibly 2 months. My question for you guys is, have you ever purchased a warehouse refusal or open box mattress from ebay and if you have what was your expereience like and also wondering if 60 days would be suffecient to know that a mattress is not faulty. Thanks for any help.

2

Hi Thatg,

The first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps,and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

I would keep in mind that every manufacturer or retailer may have a different idea of what “medium firm” means. There is no specific definition or consistency with comfort ratings and they can vary widely between different manufacturers. In addition to this different people can have very different perceptions of the same mattress depending on their body type, sleeping positions, and individual preferences and sensitivities. What feels too firm for one can feel too soft for the next.

When you are dealing with an online supplier then the most important part of the purchase is their knowledge, experience, and willingness and ability to help you decide which of their mattresses have the best chance of success for you based on a more detailed phone call (not email) that includes the information you provide them about your body type and sleeping positions, your local testing and the mattresses you have slept on in the past, and any other information that can help them help you make the best possible choices.

No matter what the cost of a mattress … if it’s not a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) then it would have little value for you if you can’t sleep on it.

I would also make sure you only deal with manufacturers or retailers who are completely transparent about the quality of the materials inside their mattress (see this article). If you buy a mattress that uses low quality materials then no matter how it feels and performs … if the materials soften or break down in a matter of months and you lose the comfort and support that is suitable for you and you need to replace it then the mattress would also have little “value” to you (unless it’s just for temporary use).

The tutorial post also includes a link to some of the better online memory foam choices that I’m aware of.

I would be very cautious with this and if you have no recourse if the mattress isn’t suitable for you then I would be very hesitant unless there was a return policy that didn’t cost you almost as much or more than the mattress for return shipping or any return costs. If there is no warranty then the odds are high that you would be buying a used mattress, a comfort exchange, or a warranty exchange. All of these would be buyer beware IMO.

“Cheap” mattresses where you have no idea what you are really buying can be very costly in terms of the quality of your sleep, how often you may need to replace them, and the costs involved in returning them if they aren’t suitable for you to sleep on. Price is only one of the parts of the “value” of a mattress and consumers who shop based only on price are generally the easiest to take advantage of and sell a “junk” mattress to (that is worth less than they paid for it) because they often don’t look at anything else or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses or retailers based on all the parts of their personal value equation that may be important (and it’s important to use foresight rather than hindsight to decide what may be important to you). There can be a very big difference between “value” and price.

Who you deal with and their knowledge, experience, and integrity can be one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase.

Phoenix

3

thank you for the response, im not necessarily looking for a “cheap” option but get the mattress i want but for the best price.

i really like the tempur pedic contour but am looking at the lower priced options. this nova form mattress is considerably cheaper than tempur pedics but i have no idea which of the costco mattresses are firm. could someone recommend some firm memory foam mattresses sub-$2000

http://www.costco.com/Novaform-14"-Serafina-Gel-Queen-Memory-Foam-Mattress.product.100031221.html

4

Hi Thatg,

I would encourage you to read the tutorial post and some of the guidelines there. As you will discover … the Novaform Serafina uses low quality memory foam in the comfort layers and I would avoid it (see post #2 here as well).

I would also keep in mind that softness and firmness is very subjective and will vary with body type, sleeping position, and the sensations that each person experiences as being “soft”. What feel firm to one person may feel soft to another. This is especially true with memory foam which can vary with temperature and humidity and how much you change positions as well. The most reliable way to know what will feel soft or firm for you is either your own careful and objective testing and experience or in the case of an online purchase a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and can take into account the many variables that can affect how you feel on a mattress.

The tutorial post has a link to a list of some of the better online memory foam retailers and manufacturers I’m aware of and there are many good options available in your budget range.

Phoenix

5

i think i will be purchasing from bedinabox, they seem to have excellent feedback from their owners and a very good return policy. i was wondering if anyone on here remembers them having sales. wondering if its worth waiting for one, i was looking to get either the pacbed pacbamboo or tranquility models. thank you

6

Hi Thatg,

You can read a little more about bedinabox in post #2 here.

There is also more about why I would be very cautious using reviews as a way to choose a mattress in post #13 here and post #4 here.

I would be cautious about buying a mattress that used 3 lb memory foam unless you were in the very lowest budget ranges.

If you follow the steps in the tutorial post one by one you will have much higher odds of making a great quality/value choice.

Phoenix

7

Thanks pheonix. Your last post led to a little more research on my part. Im going to see if i can find some latex mattresses locally here in queens ny and see if i prefer that to a memory foam. Idealy id find the tempur pedic contour supreme on some kind of clearance. Not big fan of paying for name but found something i like and cant stand sleepingg on this sagging mattress anymore.

8

Hi Thatg,

Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York City area are listed in post #2 here and may be helpful :).

Phoenix

9

Thanks, i will go through them this weekend and make a couple of calls first.

Pheonix can you tell me if this mattress meets your criterea for a recommended foam mattress. i just visited a sleepys and they showed me several foam mattresses, i prefer the feel of a memory foam for the sink in feeling but like a very firm model for stomach sleeping and saw this firm model on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/DreamFoam-Mattress-Ultimate-Dreams-10-Inch/dp/B009SQK13I/ref=pd_sbs_hg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RD491BB9766QG7RBC5A

10

Hi Thatg,

[quote]Pheonix can you tell me if this mattress meets your criterea for a recommended foam mattress. i just visited a sleepys and they showed me several foam mattresses, i prefer the feel of a memory foam for the sink in feeling but like a very firm model for stomach sleeping and saw this firm model on amazon

www.amazon.com/DreamFoam-Mattress-Ultima...0RD491BB9766QG7RBC5A[/quote]

I don’t recommend specific mattresses because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to know with any certainty whether it would be a good match for you in terms of PPP and you would need a more detailed conversation on the phone to make sure it meets your criteria (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) but Dreamfoam is one of the members of this site which means I think very highly of them and they certainly compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, and service.

Assuming you are confident that their 10" gel memory foam mattress would be a good match for you in terms of PPP … it certainly meets the criteria I would generally suggest using for a memory foam mattress in its budget range (see post #4 here) and would be well worth considering as long as you aren’t in a higher weight range where the 1.5 lb polyfoam in the base layer may become a more important consideration.

Phoenix

11

lol every one of your posts i read makes me change my mind about which mattress to get.(in a good way) i was ready to purchase the 10" dreamfoam but i am 6" and fluctuate between 190-210lbs so perhaps a more dense base layer would be a good idea.

ive tried explaining to different sales reps from different retailers that im looking for a firm memory foam and they keep directing me to medium firms and softer mattresses. Phoenix are there any mattresses like the 10" dreamfoam with a more dense base that you know of. I love the tempur contour supreme i just think $2,600 after tax is way overpriced compared to other options.

12

Hi Thatg,

The tutorial post has a link to some of the better online memory foam manufacturers that I’m aware of and some of these use the Tempurpedic mattresses as a reference point for comparison. The Contour Supreme is one of Tempurpedic’s new mattresses so none of them may be using it as a specific reference yet but if you talk with them they would be able to tell you which of their mattresses would be the closest choice.

I don’t personally own any of them and firmness is also very subjective so they would be the best source of advice about which of their mattresses would be the most likely to “match” your criteria. I’m happy to help identify any weak links in a mattress and share my thoughts about the quality of the materials in a mattress or to answer questions about how different materials or mattresses may compare or provide guidelines and sources for buying a mattress but the best source of “comfort advice” is always a knowledgeable and experienced manufacturer or retailer of a mattress who has your best interests at heart and knows more about how their mattresses will feel “on average” for different body types and sleeping positions than anyone else.

For reference … the specs of the Tempurpedic Contour Supreme to the best of my knowledge are …

Quilt
Easy Refresh Stretch Knit Cover
Smart Climate System, moisture-wicking,
Cool to the touch

Comfort Layers
1" TEMPUR Comfort layer 5.3LB
2.4" TEMPUR Support layer 5.3LB

Support System
3" Poly foam Base 2.0LB
5.1" Poly foam Base 2.0LB

Phoenix

13

thank you for that information Phoenix. ive been trying to find a memory foam that comes close to those specs but they all seem to be advertised as medium firm. select foam is a good compromise because they have 5.3lb for their comfort layer and 2.5lb for the base but only their 8" is marketed as a firm.

i spoke with a Sales rep from select foam and they asked my height and weight 6 feet 200lbs i stated i was considering their 10" over dreamfoam because of the higher density base and comfort levels. he said this would not be enough support for my weight and that i should consider their regalis hd, which has a 1.5" 7.2lb memory foam but is compared to the rhapsody breeze which i found to be too soft for my stomach sleeping.

a couple questions i have are, can a memory foam be too dense? does density only increase longevity of a mattress or provide more support for higher weights, or both? and is there a firm memory foam anyone has come across with a higher density than the 10" dreamfoam but is not marked up as high as the tempur pedic models. thanks

14

Hi Thatg,

The density of memory foam has little to do with its softness and more to do with it’s point elasticity (contouring ability), compression modulus (how quickly it gets firmer as you compress it more deeply), and durability (up to about 6 lbs or so after which it makes little difference) so it would really depend on how the specific properties of a higher density memory foam “fits” with the rest of the materials in the mattress as a whole and with your specific needs and preferences. I don’t think that any of the memory foams on the market are inherently “too dense” no but some memory foams (regardless of density) may have some properties that in combination with the other materials and components in a mattress may mean a mattress that uses them may not be suitable for you in terms of PPP. Density is only loosely related to the properties of memory foam and there is a wide variance between the properties of different memory foams even if they are the same density (see post #9 here and post #8 here).

The word “support” can also be misleading when it’s used in the context of memory foam because memory foam is only used as a comfort or transition layer and not as a primary support material (it’s too soft to be used as a support layer) so describing memory foam as “supportive” is only relative to other memory foams in general and not to materials that are used in a support layer (such as an innerspring, latex, or the polyfoam that is usually used in a memory foam mattress).

The goal of a mattress is to provide different levels of support under different parts of the body because how much you sink into a mattress isn’t as important as how evenly you sink into a mattress and your spinal alignment in all your sleeping positions. 7 lb memory foams can be softer than 5 lb memory foam (the Tempurpedic 7 lb memory foam is an example of this) but it also has a higher compression modulus (gets firmer faster than lower density memory foams) so it can be both softer and more “supportive” (gets firmer faster as you sink into it). This can help provide the comfort/pressure relief that is needed but at the same time provide better support/alignment for higher weights. There is more about primary support, secondary support, and pressure relief and the relationship between them in post #4 here.

When you are a stomach sleeper then thinner comfort layers that keep you closer to the firmer support layers of a mattress can be important so that you have some initial softness and pressure relief but your heavier pelvis doesn’t sink too deeply into the mattress relative to the other parts of your body which can lead to sleeping out of alignment in a swayback position which can lead to lower back discomfort and pain.

There is really no “firm” memory foam (the firmness of memory foam is only relative to other memory foams) and when you are a stomach sleeper then the thickness of the memory foam comfort layers and how much of the firmness of the support layers “come through” may be more important than the firmness of the memory foam itself.

Most stomach sleepers also spend a significant amount of time in other sleeping positions and while I wasn’t on the call and I don’t know the specific reasons they may have made the suggestions they did … their concern may have been that the 3" of 5.3 lb memory foam in the Select HD may have been too thin or firm or not conforming enough to keep you in good alignment and not have enough softness and contouring to fill in the gaps in your sleeping profile and be evenly supportive enough in your other sleeping positions even though it would certainly be durable enough (you are in a weight range where 4 lb memory foam or higher would likely be suitable in the right thickness and design).

Phoenix

15

An update from a stomach sleeper.
I went with the 10" dream foam.
Here
https://www.amazon.com/DreamFoam-Mattress-Ultimate-Dreams-10-Inch/dp/B009SQK13I/ref=pd_sbs_hg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1RVQ42ZKCRCVCP1QM613

The feel is very similar to the contour supreme I just don’t sink in as much, which I wish I would but it’s not a problem. After 2 nights I’m sleeping very well compared to my previous mattress. I’m not sure if it is going to give a bit, I’m hoping it will because I feel very much like I’m on top of the mattress more than in it. Overall for the price and with the free pillow I am very pleased. Will report back if my opinion changes or I like the mattress even better.

Thanks again for all your help here Phoenix

16

Hi Thatg,

Thanks for the update and your feedback.

It will soften a bit over time as the mattress breaks in and your mattress protector and sheets will also make a difference compared to a “bare” mattress (see here) but it sounds like you did well :slight_smile:

Phoenix

17

Thanks for the update. I’m considering the same mattress due to its firmness. Let us all know if your opinions change.