Hi Dirk,
Thanks for the heads up … I appreciate it.
I checked all the links in the Baltimore list and you’re right that the list needed some updating (I hadn’t updated it since last year)
americanfoamcenter.com/ Their website isn’t working but I called their number and the answering machine came on that said American Foam Center so they are probably still in business but have an issue with their website.
The link for Mattress Fame changed from mattressfame.com/index.htm to http://mattressfame.com/
gaithersburgupholstery.com/mattresses.html changed to http://www.abbafutons.com/
mattresstraditions.com/products.htm changed to http://www.mattresstraditions.com/
discountmattressoutletonline.com/ They appear to be out of business and I’ve removed them from the list.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint 1: americanfoamcenter.com/ | Archived Footprint 2:
mattressfame.com/index.htm | Archived Footprint 3: gaithersburgupholstery.com/mattresses.html | Archived Footprint 4: mattresstraditions.com/products.htm | Archived Footprint 5: discountmattressoutletonline.com/
With the updates the list should be up to date now.
If you mean this list then it isn’t a “good list” as much as a list of the top 15 largest manufacturers with a rating that indicates the likelihood that you will be able to find out all the specs you need to make an informed choice.
All the information you need to know is in this article. While the specs that affect the quality and durability of the layers and components are important to know … when you are testing a mattress locally then disclosing “comfort specs” such as ILD/IFD isn’t really necessary or even an important part of transparency because with careful testing your body will tell you much more about whether any specific combination of layers or components or any specific mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than knowing the ILD/IFD of the individual layers regardless of what the actual numbers may be. In other words … I would consider ILD/IFD information to be a legitimate part of what many manufacturers consider to be “proprietary” information and it would be completely meaningless and only add to the confusion for most consumers anyway.
Unfortunately the specs you listed don’t include any information about the type and density of the foam layers in the mattress (which is the most important information that you need to know) and without this information it’s not possible to identify any lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses.
While I would want to know the type and blend of latex to make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses … in terms of durability any type or blend of latex is a durable material and wouldn’t be a weak link in a mattress. Having said that … these specs are also missing the density of the two polyfoam layers which I would want to know.
If you can find out the missing information and post it on the forum I’d be happy to let you know if there are any lower quality materials or weak links in either mattress that would be a reason for concern.
Phoenix