Hi all,
I am revisiting innersprings as a possible option, and was just wondering if anyone has an innerspring bed that they love, and what brand it is? Just looking for some quality brand ideas–I’ve read about Saatva, and other ones online.
(By any chance has anyone purchased one of Royal Bedding’s (Pelham, AL) innerspring beds? Am going back there today to check theirs out.)
Hope I don’t bother you guys with all my questions–I am of course reading Phoenix’s knowledgeable posts about what to look for in a quality innerspring mattress
Just curious!
thanks.
There are probably hundreds if not thousands of forum members that have successfully purchased a good quality/value innerspring mattress thaqt they are happy with over the years that the forum has been in existence in one version or another (there are thousands of different innerspring mattresses) and innerspring mattresses are by far the most common type of mattress purchase in the industry as a whole.
I would also be very cautious though about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on either in terms of suitability or durability (see post #13 here).
Brand shopping can also be among the most risky ways to choose a mattress because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and all manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Most of the most heavily advertised and most commonly available brands that you would recognize are the ones I would avoid anyway (see the guidelines here) and many of the better manufacturers are smaller and are only available locally or regionally. The name of the manufacturer on the label also won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here).
The most reliable way to know whether any innerspring mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (regardless of whether it would be suitable for anyone else) is with careful testing and your own personal experience using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post.
There is more information in post #2 here about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them.
There is also more about the most important parts of the “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, durability, and value.
Phoenix,
I was asking Tom today about the type of foam in his innerspring mattresses and he said in the premium ones (2-sided) he uses 1.6 or 1.8 lb polyurethane foam. Didn’t ask how many inches. Would this be acceptable? You had posted elsewhere “Never buy a mattress with more than around an inch or so of lower density polyfoam (less than 1.8 lbs or so in one sided or 1.5 lbs in two sided)” which sounds like this might be acceptable?
Just trying to weed out the “weak link”.
thanks
Also, are there any innerspring mattresses that DON’T use any foams in their construction? I found Royal-Pedic, that makes all cotton mattresses, online. Not to advocate one brand over another, but surely there are still mattresses being made without foam?
[quote] he uses 1.6 or 1.8 lb polyurethane foam. Didn’t ask how many inches. Would this be acceptable? You had posted elsewhere “Never buy a mattress with more than around an inch or so of lower density polyfoam (less than 1.8 lbs or so in one sided or 1.5 lbs in two sided)” which sounds like this might be acceptable?
Just trying to weed out the “weak link”.[/quote]
As you can see in the quality/durability guidelines here … their specs are above the minimums I would suggest and would be fine for a two sided mattress (where I would use 1.5 lb polyfoam as a minimum density guideline).
While they are certainly not as easy to find … there are still some manufacturers that make mattresses that don’t use any foam at all. Some of them are listed in post #4 here and you may also find some “old style” local manufacturers in some areas of the country that still make them as well.
Thanks Phoenix!
Sorry to be such a pain; thanks for answering so many questions. You know so much about all this! Wish you could go mattress shopping with me
It will all work out eventually, I’m just trying to stay positive!!!
I have a review in Royal-Pedic prescription mattress. I was going for a non-toxic route after 3 fails with poly foams and so called soy / bio based foams… Also have one on Saatva.
It all depends on what your needs are.
I took a huge gamble since RP don’t take returns… But in the end, it worked out.
Hi Incognito,
thanks for your reply. Sorry you had such problems with the foam in various mattresses. Glad you found Royal-Pedic, even if it is on the stiff side. Read the Saatva info too, it really helps to hear someone explain about the different materials used.
Well,
I managed to visit 2 stores today, Royal Bedding again & Ensley Fairfield Mattress. They are sooo nice at Royal Bedding. I tried their innerspring selections, very nice mattresses that seem good quality (1.6 lb polyfoam on those comfort layers). Yet the “plushest” they had seemed a tad firm for my aching hips when on my side. Also when on my back, my lower back seemed a little raised, like I wasn’t sinking down enough. Tried it with 3" latex topper, still not quite great. Guess it was a bit firm for my personal preference. I ended up gravitating back toward their Mountain Top Desire latex mattress, which their website describes thusly: “The Mountain Top Desire uses a 6” C3 firm latex core with 3" of C0 plush latex laminated to both sides." I know I had said I didn’t love it the other day, but darned if it didn’t feel amazing after trying the innersprings.
Tried the Pure LatexBliss Beautiful mattress at Ensley Fairfield, the softest version, and it was ok on my back, not super soft, not as comfy on sides. Tried an innerspring I’d never heard of, Legacy, the Crescent Moon plush model, 2-sided, and it was ok, still pretty firm to me but I would try it again. Nice lady that works there didn’t know the material specs so I got online & emailed the company for all the foam info… Hopefully will hear back next week.
So, back to just trying out and thinking. Don’t want to rush into anything, because neither store offers refunds. Royal Bedding will however alter your latex mattress after you buy it and try it, (didn’t ask how many times) adding latex or removing it to make softer or firmer. You can either get the mattress back to store yourself or they will charge a fee to pick it up and try to have it back that day, and they will charge for any foam they have to add.
I just don’t want to get something not supportive enough because I’m afraid of the too firm. I know it’s easier to soften a mattress w/topper than firm one up.
This is more common than you may realize. There are many reasons that could cause this but the biggest one is that human memory for softness, firmness, and “feel” is also very short term, subjective, and relative to more recent experience and is often unreliable. Most people have had the experience of testing mattresses say in the morning and then testing mattresses somewhere else and then going back to test the first mattresses again later in the day and finding they feel different from what they remember because their frame of reference has changed with the other mattresses they have tested. Testing for more subjective factors such as “feel” rather than more specific factors such as pressure relief or alignment in combination with the fact that many consumers don’t spend enough time on a mattress once they have fully relaxed (like they would be when they are going to sleep at night) to really be able to predict what it will feel like when they actually sleep on it also leads to many of the “inconsistent” feedback and reviews that you will see.
Thanks for the feedback and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding
Went back to Royal Bedding today, narrowed it down to an innerspring bed I like. It’s actually not a top of the line model, called Dream Rest Pillowtop (2-sided). The “Pillowtop” is not a separate piece sewed on top, but rather an extra layer (1.5 inches) of softer foam added. There’s also a layer of firm foam wrapped around the innersprings. 416 coil count (Queen), 13 guage coils. Not fancy, but it seems fairly comfy compared to EVERYTHING else I’ve been trying. For some reason I like the lower coil “springier” feel, guess cause it’s just me in the bed. However, it’s only got a five year warranty. I tried to like the “firm” model, and even tried it out with a latex topper, but it was just too firm. I’m wondering if toppers will be too much for the “pillowtop” model that already has 1.5" of foam. And no returns or refunds.
Found another bed I liked at a store called My Ultimate Mattress. The sales guy was really nice, not pushy, and seemed to take my questions seriously & seemed to know more about beds than a certain chain store I won’t name. The bed is by Superior Sleep Solutions, an Alabama manufacturer. I think the bed is called Superior Sleep; it’s 2-sided, plush I guess. I asked about materials and the sales guy called the manufacturer and asked, and the inch of foam in the quilting? is 1.25 lb poly, which made me a little sad as it was not at least 1.5. He mentioned some other materials I didn’t catch, but at that point I was mentally dismissing the bed. Although the salesman did give me the manufacturer’s phone number, so I could call them myself next week. It was fairly comfy too; so maybe I’ll call next week. Only there’s no returns or exchanges; but the prices are pretty low. Hence I did not make any purchases today.
My question: Does anyone know how many inches of toppers (memory foam, say) you can use before you lose support? If I get the Dream Rest PT, and add say a 3" 4lb density memory foam topper (which is sitting in a box by my bed) to its already 1.5" of soft foam, is this going to mess up my support?
The reason I ask, is that the outside of my upper thigh/hip bones, & sometimes bony part of rear end, are just plain sore when I lay on my side now, no matter WHAT surface I’m on. Every. Single. Bed. In every store. Even the latex. I don’t know if this will subside, or if it will be the new normal for my aging body (my 44th birthday was yesterday!!!) So I’m probably going to HAVE to use some sort of topper with whatever bed to keep the pain to a minimum. I just hate to have to choose between support or pressure point relief, as either one can cause pain and sleeplessness!
This would certainly be a good quality/value choice compared to other similar mattresses in its budget range that would be available in the mainstream industry and it’s also two sided which means that it would be more durable than a similar one sided mattress as well as long as you rotate and flip it on a regular basis (see post #3 here).
In theory you can use a topper on any mattress that is still in good condition and doesn’t have any soft spots or visible impressions and just needs some additional softness and pressure relief but your own testing or personal experience is the only way to know whether a topper would be “too much”, “just right”, or “not enough” and whether a topper would be a good match for you on a specific mattress in terms of PPP.
If the only lower quality material in a mattress is 1" of lower density polyfoam in the quilting then by itself it wouldn’t be a “weak link” in the mattress (see the guidelines here) but if there are other lower quality materials in the comfort layers as well so the total is more than “about an inch or so” then it certainly would be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability. If you can find out the information listed here and post it on the forum I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress as a whole.
There is no specific number that would apply in general because each person and mattress would be different and it would depend entirely on the specifics of the mattress and the topper and on the body type and sleeping positions of the person. The only way to know whether any mattress/topper combination is a good match for you in terms of PPP is based on your own testing and personal experience.
I would tend to avoid buying a mattress with the intention of buying an additional topper where you can’t test the combination in person unless you have no other options available because of the additional uncertainty and risk involved (see post #2 here) compared to buying a mattress that doesn’t need a topper that you can test in person.
If you do buy a mattress that unintentionally turns out to be too firm then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline for choosing the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success and also includes a link to a list of some of the better sources for toppers I’m aware of as well but I would use this as a “backup” just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t work out as well as you hoped for and needs some additional softness.
If this is happening on every mattress at every possible firmness level available (some mattresses would be softer than some mattress/topper combinations) then it would generally be pointing to some kind of physical or health issue rather than an issue with the mattresses themselves.
Hi Phoenix!
Thanks for offering to give comments on the “unknown” mattress–I will call the manufacturer & ask the questions you indicated, and post here what they tell me.
You’re right, what works for one may not for another, so I apologize for asking all the “would this work” questions–there’s no way to know!!! I’m just so unconfident about the whole mattress buying process.
And II remember you telling me one shouldn’t buy a firmer mattress with the intention of getting a topper when you can’t test them out together. Makes sense, of course; it would be better if the mattress itself was right from the start. I will read the links you provided about choosing appropriate toppers for a “just in case” scenario, I will not purposefully buy a too-firm mattress.
Perhaps you are correct, and I seriously should go the doctor and see if there is something physically wrong. It’s just that I NEVER had that pain until 5 days after that first Sealy mattress in March, and it has not gone away completely since. Pain got a little better after the Simmons exchange before the pillowtop pooped out after a few weeks, but then it was all downhill. That is why I firmly believed that the pain was the result of my poor mattress choices. But, maybe not!!! I’m no doctor.
Hope you had a great Saturday. The weather was wonderful & sunny in B’ham today and I took a really nice hour-long walk
