Any weak points in my final three mattress choices?

Talk To The Experts Luma Sleep
1

Hello

After suffering through the typical bs and intentional misdirection of the mainstream mattress industry, I stumbled across this site and finally got some good advice on what to look for and how to decide on a quality mattress, so I appreciate all the information found throughout the site.
We have narrowed our search down to three mattresses and all seem fine, and within the quality/durability criteria - I think! My main focus for this post is on durability, and secondarily, on perceived value of the mattress based on materials and quality when compared against cost ie, what the “better value”? All are in acceptable price ranges and all felt comfortable after spending time laying on them.
They all seem to be within acceptable standards when comparing to the Durability Guidelines on this site. And that is what I would like help with - are these as quality/potentially durable as I think they are? If someone could offer feedback on these three, and in particular, pick out the weakest link on each model (even if within acceptable parameters) so I know I am not overlooking something I thought was acceptable, but isn’t.

The specs listed below come from the Denver Mattress Company’s website and are for a Queen size mattress. We’re looking to buy a King, but since all three spec sheets are for a queen size, it should translate to be a pretty apples to apples comparison for the king size as well. My BMI is about 23, and I think hers is about 25 to 27 at highest (she won’t say)

Here are the specs -

A). Madison Luxury Firm Mattress - $950
Quilt Layers:
Double Knit Ticking
1 1/2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1" EF Foam
Natural Rayon Fire Barrier
Comfort Layers:
2 1/2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1 Flex Net Insulator
Support System:
Coil Density: 744* Foam Encased,
Individually Wrapped Coils
14.5 Gauge Tempered Steel

B ). Doctor’s Choice® Elite Firm Mattress - $1400
Quilt layers:
Luxurious Knit Ticking
1" Anti-Microbial Super Soft EF Foam
1/2" Anti-Microbial 1.8lb High Density EF Foam
Inherent Rayon Fire Barrier
Comfort Layers:
1" 4lb Gel/Visco Memory Foam
1" 2lb High Density Luxury Firm EF Foam
1 Flex Net Insulator
Support System:
The B.O.S.S.® (Balanced Orthopedic Sleep System)
Coil Density: 750 Alternating Checkerboard
Individually Wrapped Coils
14.5 Gauge Tempered Steel

C). Richmond® Luxury Firm Mattress - $1900
Quilt Layers:
Engineered Stretch Knit Ticking
Comfort Layers:
3" 2.5lb Serene™ Comfort Foam
1 Flex Net Insulator
Support System:
The B.O.S.S.® (Balanced Orthopedic Sleep System)
Coil Density: 744* Foam Encased Coils
14.5 Gauge Tempered Steel
4" 1.8lb Foam Base with Engineered Articulating Cuts

(from online google search) The Boss system (Balanced Orthopaedic Spring System) provides 7 zone support, helps assist in body alignment as you sleep and minimises partner disturbance by reducing sideways movement giving you a more restful night’s sleep.

Specific questions I have are -

1). On the Doctors Choice Elite Firm, is there a problem with the 1" Anti-Microbial Super Soft EF Foam in the quilt layer? They don’t state the density here. It’s only 1", so it seems to be not a big deal, but I also believe I’ve read that Eggshell Foam is not a good material for durability? Is EF foam a lower grade foam to be worried about?

  1. The Madison Luxury Firm mattress uses 1" EF foam in its comfort layer, so pretty much the same questions -any problem with this type of foam here, in this thickness?

  2. On the Richmond Luxury Firm, they use 3" of 2.5lb Serene Comfort foam in the comfort layer. Is there a problem with it being only 2.5lb and not 4 or 5lb? Its 3" thick, and its the only material used in that layer, so it’s kind of “all in” with just that material, so I want to be confident that it should perform and hold up well. Also, is “Serene” comfort foam anything special(or bad)? I see it has a trademark symbol after it, so I imagine it is the same as any other 2.5lb foam, or is there anything different about it?

  3. On the Richmond® Luxury Firm Mattress, what are “Engineered Articulating Cuts”? for the foam in the support system? Any good points/bad points to that?

  4. Is 14.5 gauge steel for the coil springs a fairly sturdy gauge, or what is typically used for coil springs? Will they likely be durable and what should I anticipate for effective lifespan?

Long post, and lots of questions, so thanks for bearing with me! Any feedback/input on this would be appreciated, we’re looking forward to getting off the foam pad on our floor as soon as possible!

2

I called Denver Mattress to ask about the products you are investigating.

Denver Mattress uses a number of unique terms (they likely consider the terms proprietary) to describe the components in their private label mattresses. This creates a process of implied exclusivity in the components, prevents comparability to other brands and can be confusing. For example, EF= Earth Friendly. It’s DM’s way to say the foam is Certi-Pur certified. The foams used in the quilt layer are super-soft, typically 1.1-1.2 # density foams of low IFD (15 or less). These foams will compress and breakdown over time due to the low density and location at the top of the mattress where there is the most direct pressure and moisture.

There is not enough information as 1” of Earth Foam (EF) does not tell us the density or IFD. It is located under a 1.5” layer of 1.8# convoluted foam. 1.8# is considered high density (think durable) but without knowing the dimensions of the convolution (egg-crate), it is difficult provide qualified input. The 1.8# will likely not break-down/compress. The 1” EF under it is TBD.

Denver Mattress describes Serene Comfort Foam as a “breathable memory foam”. The lower density means it’ much less durable and much less expensive than 4-5 lb. Memory Foam. I think you are safe in assuming its just like other 2.5 lb. memory foams

I have no idea what this means and neither did the Denver Mattress Salesperson. It’s a “factory thing”. Candidly, it sounds like a gimmick.

Yes, 14.5 gauge steel pocketed coil springs should be reasonably sturdy, provided they are tempered steel (which almost all US made steel springs are these days). 14.5 gauge would be a medium gauge, vs. 13.5 which is a firmer gauge and 15.5 which is a softer gauge. The additional info needed to properly qualify the coils are the diameter, # of coil “turns”, the total wire length and the % pre-set height. These factors will have more to do with the overall feel as durability is based on the type of steel.

Hope this is what you were looking for!

3

Thanks for the reply. The one thing I would like to ask is on the Richmond Luxury Firm and that 3 1/2" layer of 2.5lb Serene Comfort foam. After reading a few dozen more threads on here… it seems like the 2.5 lb is not going to be very durable for an upper level comfort layer, and should in fact be at least 4lb or higher to offer good durability. Would that be that correct?

4

You are correct. 2.5 lb. memory foam is the least durable version of memory foam. I am not aware of any memory foam products less the 2.5 lb in density. A 4.0 lb. memory foam will be much more durable. Tempurpedic, the category leader, uses a min. of 4.0 lb. memory foam