I found a spot in my mattress on the side of the “eurotop” panel where the quilt fabric overlaps but is not sewn shut (sort of tucked and folded). I can wiggle my finger in there and feel what the layering is. There’s a bottom panel separating the eurotop from the innerspring (and I assume a fiber pad on the other side separating the spring from the panel. It doesn’t feel like there is any sort of upholstery/comfort layer underneath the eurotop panel). I can also feel that there is one 2" layer of flat polyfoam (not eggrate foam) underneath the quilt panel, which is about an inch thick.
Let’s assume that the 2" layer of polyfoam underneath the quilt panel is 2.2lb density like the salesman said the mattress would be made with (obviously I can’t tell from feeling it. It feels substantial enough I guess. Not dense like memory foam, but not like cotton balls or whatever either).
The weak link of the layering would be the fluffy poly/dacron in the quilt panel yes?
Assuming that all of the comfort layers are in the eurotop (pillowtop since there’s a panel separating the layers??) and that’s a single layer of 2" 2.2lb polyfoam, and the mattress is doublesided and has the same construction on each side, does this seem like it might be okay in terms of longevity?
My guess is that there may be a little more foam in the mattress in between the springs and the insulator over them and the eurotop.
If this is the case … then it would likely be firmer than the upper layers and being deeper in the mattress it wouldn’t be subject to the same mechanical forces and wear and tear as the top layers (whch means that firmer lower density foam would hold up better in this layer).
So it’s likely that your mattress from bottom to top has layering similar to the following …
Innerspring.
Insulator pad.
Firmer foam of some type and thickness.
Inner eurotop panel (probably some type of non woven material)
2" of 2.2 lb foam
Quilt panel with 1" ? of poly/dacron fiber (this is thinner than the listed specs for the one sided tranquility and which uses 2" of quilting polyfoam not fiber). ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: sleepfactory.com/catablog-items/tranquility-euro-top/
If this is the case (and the quilting package is as you suggest) … then the fiber in the quilting would tend to compress (as fibers do over time) and become firmer as they packed down but because it’s only an inch thick this wouldn’t have as significant an effect on the a mattress as a thicker fiber layer (which can compress more unevenly and create impressions) or thicker layers of quilting foam which would tend to soften unevenly over time and if they were thicker this softening could have a bigger effect on the performance and feel of the mattress.
So overall … if this is really the layering that they used … then your mattress wouldn’t have a significant or obvious “weak link” but there may be layers that are missing or different in the actual description than what you felt.
Thanks for estimating the layering. I’m probably wrong about the quilt panel. It’s the same one as in the picture and on the floor model, so it’s probably the 2" poly one. It doesn’t feel like 2" between my thumb and forefinger (with careful attention not to compress it it feels like at most 1.5" inches) but it’s hard to estimate that without a ruler and seeing what I’m doing.
I’m pretty much stuck with this anyway, if it does fail in some way. Sleep Factory offers a 60 day guarantee, but they charge a 30% restocking fee on custom mattresses, which is $240 more than I’d want to spend on returning a mattress. I just want a good idea of what specifically would be failing if in the long run it does have a weak link.
Also, my friend is thinking about getting a new mattress (he’s close to 300lb and on a significantly smaller budget than me with my $800 mattress), so I can hopefully apply all the things I’ve learned here to help him avoid getting a dud.
I’ll post an update on how things are going in a few months or so. And if my friend picks anything out as possibilities, I’ll definitely be back to make sure he’s on the right track for his needs and finances.
Thanks again for this amazing service and info source!
Helping people sleep better is no small feat!
It’s probably 2" but the quilting compresses it down to 1.5" or so. This will make it a little more durable and while it’s probably the weak link of the mattress (quilting foam is usually soft and lower density and will usually soften further under the heavier parts of your body) … it’s not that bad especially considering that it has some very durable foam underneath it. While I normally wouldn’t recommend a polyfoam quilting layer quite this thick … it’s not much over the inch or so that I would normally consider to be OK and it’s not in addition to other lower quality polyfoam in the comfort layers which is more often the norm.
I totally forgot to ask – what sort of flipping/rotating schedule should I maintain to enhance the longevity of the mattress? The best info I could find was an outdated Martha Stewart page that said hotels follow a quarterly schedule of rotating and then flipping (ie. October rotate, January flip, April rotate, July flip). Is this adequate, or should it be done more frequently?
Martha Stewarts suggestions are actually good ones except she doesn’t mention doing it more frequently at first.
For the first three months or so I would flip it every couple of weeks (so that the initial softening is more even) and then after that I would do it once a season (3 months). If you want to be even more diligent you can gradually extend the time from 2 weeks (a couple of weeks at a time) until you reach every 3 months.
I would alternate side to side and end to end each time.
So, it’s been almost exactly a year, and I’m happy to report that my mattress is comfortable and hasn’t developed any sagging issues.
I’ve been trying to stick to a quarterly flip schedule, and unfortunately I’m pretty sure that the 2.2 lb foam is only on one side of the mattress, as one side seems to be softening more quickly than the other, with a more pronounced loosening of the quilt panel. Even so, it seems to be holding up fine. It’s supportive, with the right level of cushion for both my partner and I.
Today I put my wool topper back on because it’s been awfully cold in my apartment and I thought it might be good for thermal regulation. We’ll see if it’s comfortable to sleep on (looking back at my last posts, it wasn’t that comfortable).
Anyway, thanks again for all the wonderfully useful and helpful information!
Hope all is well with you. Here I am again, 3 years later, and in the market for a new mattress. Our double-sided continuous coil monstrosity isn’t cutting it anymore in terms of comfort. My lower back and hips hurt every night, whether I’m on my stomach or on my side. It feels like the foam layers on top have compressed a lot and, while I can’t feel the springs directly, it feels like there’s not much to sink into and that I’m laying on top of a rock. Is that the rigidity of that type of spring system? Too much support and not enough contour?
I think I’m over innerspring mattresses, It was an experiment that lasted 8 years and I think it’s time for something else. Our budget doesn’t allow for anything over $400 at this point, so latex is out. Memory foam isn’t my thing either (I sleep really hot and need a cool mattress).
My partner and I had slept on futons for most of our teenage years and some of our early adult years. The futon mattress we had before I bought my first poor quality innerspring mattress is still at my parents’ house on their guest bed. I sleep on it during holidays and I don’t have agonizing hip and lower back pain. I stayed with a friend recently and slept on her futon and it was the same deal – no pain. So I’m thinking a budget-friendly, cool-sleeping, stomach-sleeper-suitable mattress might indeed just be a basic futon.
The model I’m considering (I’ll go to the store and try them for feel because there’s a plush and a firm option) has the following components:
4 layers of cotton
4 layers of 1" -1.8lb firm foam
It’s about 8" thick.
Are there any obvious weak links? Would a mattress of this composition be suitable for a side sleeper and a stomach sleeper to share? Given its reversible nature, is it reasonable to expect a several-year lifespan or less than that?
I‘m sorry to learn that your mattress didn’t last as long as you had hoped.
Your assumption about the lack of elasticity of the foams and loss of comfort are probably most correct. It may have turned out that our concerns about the upper layers of foam in the mattress and the fiber layer not being of sufficient density were unfortunately correct.
[quote]The model I’m considering (I’ll go to the store and try them for feel because there’s a plush and a firm option) has the following components:
4 layers of cotton
4 layers of 1" -1.8lb firm foam
It’s about 8" thick.[/quote]
I’m not quite clear about the arranging of the product, but you stated that it is reversible, so I’m guessing that it contains the four layers of polyfoam in the center, with two layers of cotton on the top and two layers of cotton on the bottom?
While I don’t focus much on futons on the forum, there is some good general information about futons and a list (albeit not complete) of some of the manufacturers of which I am aware in post #4 here.
In general, futons tend to be more appropriate for stomach and back sleepers, as they are thinner items and have less ability to contour to your body, and cotton does compress and become firmer feeling over time. If this futon uses polyfoam in its core, this would provide a bit more ability for the product to potentially feel more comfortable when sleeping upon your side.
You’d want to check if the cotton is precompressed, as this will help prevent packing down over time. Extra tufts can assist with durability and minimize shifting of the cotton over time. A combination of staple cotton (a longer fiber cotton that is quite stable but not too fluffy) combined with linter cotton (which is fluffier but not so stable) can provide a nice durable product. First Cut (Shear) linter cotton (cut off cotton seeds before they go to the mill) is better and more fluffy and springy than Second Cut. A 70% First Cut / 30% Staple cotton is a common blend that tends to provide both good resiliency, comfort and stability. Having a good staple cotton in the blend helps prevent the futon from developing lumps. There are also different grades of cotton of varying degrees of “cleanliness” which can also be byproducts from the cotton cleaning process at the cotton mill.
Having cotton layers that are precompressed, made of a good blend of Staple and First Cut, tufted well, and of a sufficient quantity (weight) are all considerations in the quality of a futon mattress. Since you’ve had a previous positive experience using a futon, it might be a nice affordable alternative for you. The 1.8 lb. density foam in the center would be a good minimum. It would be reasonable to expect a comfort life of more than a few years form a good futon mattress.
