Assistance Needed in NJ

Hi Stevio,

I think you are probably wise to hold up just a bit because you will probably end up with a much better mattress at a better price.

Your wife is much lighter so will probably need a mattress that has softer foam in the comfort layers than you will. She may also need and or prefer a slightly softer support layer as well. The lighter a person is … the firmer a specific foam will feel compared to a heavier person. The “curviness” of a person, the overall body shape and weight distribution, and the relative width of the hips and shoulders can also make a difference in the best choices in terms of the thickness and softness of a comfort layer.

This may mean that some couples that are very different in their weight distribution and body shape will often do well with a “side to side” split construction which allows each side of a mattress to be custom layered to each person’s needs and preferences within the same overall thickness. Another alternative is the use of materials that can adjust to a wider range of different weights and sleeping positions (such as latex in either the comfort layers of the layers immediately below this).

It would probably help to know which of the iComfort models you both preferred as they are very different in terms of their layering and feel.

There are also many mattress manufacturers and better outlets in the NJ, NY and the surrounding area and when I do a search for someone I also usually take a look at any local retail outlets that may be worthwhile including in your research so it would help me a lot and save me in some cases several hours if you could let me know your zip code or the closest town or city to where you are so I can limit what I include to 50 miles or so from a certain zip code or city.

Thanks for your post … and as soon as I know where to begin looking from I will let you know any better outlets that I am aware of or discover in my ongoing research.

In the meantime there are a few threads which may be of interest and list some New Jersey manufacturers and outlets. They include Post #4 here (centered on Trenton, NJ.), and Post #2 here, and Post #2 here (centered on Butler, NJ.).

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

Phoenix,

Both of us preferred the iComfort Revolution King Plush.

We live in Monroe, NJ, about 10 miles east of Princeton and about 10 miles south of New Brunswick (zip code 08831).

I look forward to hearing from you.

SteveO

Hi Steveo,

I can see from your iComfort preference that you both prefer very “plush” mattresses since the Revolution has the thickest softest comfort layer of all their models.

I would personally hesitate to choose a mattress with a comfort layer that was this thick and soft (5 3/4") mainly because with comfort layers this thick made of memory foam you would be taking quite a risk with alignment … particularly after the initial softening that memory foam (4 3/4") and polyfoam (1") goes through in the first few weeks of use. I would personally tend towards thinner layers of materials that allow you to sink in as easily as memory foam so that the support layers underneath can hold up your heavier parts (pelvic area) and keep you in alignment more effectively. Of course your own personal experience is more “accurate” than suggestions made without seeing you on a mattress however I would certainly pay particular attention to this.

This may also be part of the problem for your wife. This mattress is very soft on top so the issue of pressure on her stomach would not likely be because it wasn’t soft enough but because her hips may be sinking in too deeply which means that there could be more pressure on her waist area than she is comfortable with (her waist is in firmer contact with the mattress because her hips are sinking in further than the ideal). Normally this is not an issue but in her case it could be the cause of the problem.

I would certainly experiment with other materials … particularly softer latex or thinner layers of memory foam to see if your pressure relief needs on your side can be accommodated with thinner layers of memory foam or with other materials. Comfort layers that are both soft and thick can also cause the issues with hills and valleys over time as well, particularly in a king size mattress.

There is also quite a weight differential between the two of you so it may also be worthwhile testing a “split” construction where each side of the mattress is made differently to accommodate the needs of different sleepers. Independent manufacturers will often offer this at little or no extra charge.

In addition to the links above for various outlets … this one which is centered on Trenton should also help and “complete” the list of manufacturers and outlets that are near you.

Out of the previous links (which has brief descriptions of the outlets) … these are the factory direct manufacturers that are closest to Monroe, NJ …

http://www.shovlinmattress.com/ Fanwood A member of this site.

http://www.chbeckley.com/ Bronx

http://www.croydonmattress.com/ Bensalum

http://keetsa.com/ New York

http://www.magicsleeper.net/ or http://www.mattressandfurniturestore.com/ Pottstown. A member of this site

http://www.mycustombedding.com/ Maplewood, Clark, and Manhattan

http://www.verlo.com/ Broomall

http://www.whitelotus.net/ Highland park

There are also some better retail outlets near you that are more retail direct in that they carry mattresses made by smaller independent manufacturers but don’t have their own factory. Of this list … Scott Jordan would likely be the one that was most worth talking to in terms of quality and value. Some of these offer high quality but also higher prices however their websites are also quite informative about the various mattresses they carry. NOTE ADDED: they are now a member of this site.

http://scottjordan.com/ New York. Retail direct outlet for Berkeley Ergonomics

Organic Bedding and Mattress Store Retail direct outlet for Green Sleep, Sleeptek, Naturepedic, Royal-pedic, and Savvy Rest (choose your own layering). (NOTE ADDED June, 2016 … The Clean Bedroom is now closed)

http://www.thebedroomgalleries.com/ Howell. Retail direct outlet for WJ Southard and Classic brands.

http://www.roomandboard.com/ Soho. Retail direct outlet for Restwell Mattresses.

http://www.chiromatic.com/ North Brunswick. Eastman House and Springwall.

I would probably first spend some time on their websites and particularly the factory direct manufacturers and scott jordan and then I would spend some telephone time talking to the ones that offered mattresses that were of interest to you and were in your price range. I would also ask specific questions about materials and prices on the phone to get a clear sense of which outlets were the most helpful and had the choices that you want to test. One of the most reliable signs of better manufacturers and outlets is their willingness to share good information with you over the phone rather than only providing information once you have become a captive audience inside their store.

From here … I would choose the ones that were most attractive to you and pay them a visit.

Your general area has a lot of high quality manufacturers and there is a big variety of mattresses here in a wide range of budgets, materials, and construction methods, but there is no doubt in my mind that the quality and value available to you is much better than anything you could find in a major brand (such as Serta who makes the iComfort) or the more mass market and chain store outlets.

Phoenix

Thanks for the advice, Phoenix. Yesterday, we went to Chiromatic, only about 15 minutes from our house. We were escorted by Debbie, who said that she was the wife of the owner. She led us on a confusing, vague odyssey through various brands - Chiromatic, Eastman House among others. When I asked to see the specs on the mattress materials, she was very vague. She offered to speak to you if you call her. When we expressed some preference for an Eastman spring-based, latex pillow top, she offered to make it for us with Chiromatic specifications. Both of us were uncomfortable with the shopping experience. I won’t rule out a trip back, but I want to look into other local manufacturers first.

What is your opinion regarding Habitat Furnishings line of all-latex mattresses (3 models)?

Regards,

SteveO

One additional request. Could you please take a look at Croydonmattress’ line of latex/foam mattresses at http://www.croydonmattress.com/shopsite/foam-mattresses.html ? This seems to be the only company in the area that gives a pretty complete set of info re prices/specs on their offerings. I would like your advice as to which of the choices might fit us the best. I’m planning to call two other locations from your list as well to get further info.

Thanks,

SteveO

Hi Steveo,

This will be a longer post and I thought I might help you narrow down the list a bit :slight_smile:

Re: Chiromatic, North Brunswick, NJ

I have talked with Chiromatic on a few occasions over time and the conversations I have had were also on the confusing side and less than fully transparent. They take the more “medical” approach to mattress shopping and tend not to go into any specifics on the phone and in my experience when an appointment is required to visit a showroom that it’s usually a sign for “expensive”. It certainly sets up an environment that feels more like a doctors visit than mattress shopping. While I listed them because they can make custom adjustments to their mattresses, they are more a “retail direct” outlet. They would not be my first choice and I am not particularly comfortable with their approach.

Re: Habitat, Online

A quick comment would be “good quality but I would make some careful value comparisons”. While they may compare well to national brands or mass market retailers … they are more than many local manufacturers or other online manufacturers or retailers (including several of the members of this site) that use either similar or higher cost materials, have more options available both before and after a purchase, and sell them at a lower price.

Re: Croydon Mattress, Bensalum, PA

They seem to me to be producing good quality mattresses but I would have some questions that I would want to answer before before I could form a better opinion about their value. In a brief conversation with them I got the sense that they are not as materials focused as I would personally like to see and I would want to know the density of any polyfoam they are using, the type of latex they are using, and the density of any memory foam they are using. While they would IMO represent better value that similar mattresses that were available at mass market outlets … they don’t seem to be in the same value range as many other factory direct manufacturers that I have talked with and I would want to talk with him more and ask some further questions (that I had some difficulty getting answers to) before I felt completely comfortable with them. I personally don’t understand why a mattress that is selling for well over $2000 (queen) would use 2" of 1.5 or 1.8 lb less expensive polyfoam in a quilting layer over either memory foam or latex. I am also curious why they are in some cases adding thick layers of polyfoam under a mattress that doesn’t seem to need it (as in the Heavenly Sweet Dream). Overall I would want more information than I currently have to understand their design ideas and justify their prices in comparison to other factory directs.

In terms of a specific recommendation on a mattress … testing a mattress for pressure relief and support is a far more accurate method of knowing what is most suitable than more generic suggestions based on what I call “theory at a distance”. Some general guidelines that may help you are in the overview here, in the sleeping positions page here and in the personal statistics page here.

If you have any specific feedback or questions from testing a certain mattress and need any help in translating what it may be “pointing” to … I’d certainly be happy to help but most local manufacturers are very good at this and can do it in “real time” while you are in the showroom. The most important part is to make sure the person you are working with has your interests and long term satisfaction in mind more than their desire to earn a profit and commission. Because personal needs and preferences are so unique … actual testing with the guidance of someone who knows how their mattresses are made and how to “fit” a mattress to a person is always the best way to decide “which model” may be best once you have some basic guidelines of where to start.

This first group includes the members here that would include many of the better quality/value choices within about 50 miles of Monroe Township and would be a good place to start your research.

http://www.shovlinmattress.com/ Fanwood, NJ. Factory direct local manufacturer that makes a wide range of latex and innerspring mattresses that use high quality materials. They are knowledgeable and transparent and are a member of this site.

http://scottjordan.com/ New York, NY. Retail outlet for Berkeley Ergonomics mattresses which are high quality mattresses that include latex, pocket coil, and microcoil options. They are knowledgeable and transparent and they are also a member of this site.

www.urbannatural.com Paramus, NJ. They are also a retail outlet for Berkeley Ergonomics mattresses and are knowledgeable and transparent as well and are also a member of this site.

Nest Beding New York, NY. They are a member of this site and are knowledgeable, experienced, and transparent and carry a range of mattresses including latex, memory foam, and latex and memory foam/pocket coil hybrids that have good quality/value.

From the list I posted earlier …

http://www.chbeckley.com/ Bronx, NY

http://www.mycustombedding.com/ Clark, NJ

These are more premium manufacturers who specialize in old style construction techniques that use a lot of natural fibers, hand tufting, and other more labor intensive hand building techniques in their mattresses. They are very high quality but are not for everyone and their prices will reflect this. These are the types of construction methods and materials (like horsehair) that you don’t see a lot these days and while they are certainly in the higher price range … for those who are looking for this type of mattress it’s really nice that they are being made locally and they represent good value compared to some other larger manufacturers of similar mattresses who charge much more for this type of construction.

Some other options with a wide variety of choices and materials (and price ranges) include …

Other Manufacturers:

http://www.charlesprogers.com/ New York, NY and East Rutherford, NJ. Local manufacturer that makes a line of innerspring and memory foam mattresses (and make their own innersprings) including a latex/innerspring hybrid. They have told me that they are transparent about the materials they use but unfortunately when I asked for specifics I confirmed they don’t disclose the density of the polyfoam they use in their mattresses so there really isn’t any way to know the quality/durability of their materials or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. This lack of transparency is fairly unusual with smaller independent manufacturers. Some of their mattresses are made in China and some (the Power Core mattresses) are made at their factory in NJ.

www.helixsleep.com/nycshowroom New York. NY. They make a single mattress that can be customized in many different ways to suit the needs and preferences of different people. They are normally sold online and you can see some comments about their mattress in post #2 here in the simplified choice mattress topic but they also have a showroom in New York City where you can test the different combinations in person.

https://www.wrightbedding.com/ New York, NY. They make a single mattress that is normally sold online but they also have a showroom in Lafayette so that those that are in the local area can test them in person. They use 1.5" of 5 lb memory foam on top of 2" of 3 lb high performance polyfoam on top of 1.5" of 4 lb high performance polyfoam (the high performance polyfoam layers have similar properties to memory foam without the slow response) on top of a 6" 2.4 lb polyfoam base layer which are all very high quality and durable materials that would be suitable for any weight range.

https://caspersleep.com/ New York, NY. They make a single simplified choice mattress. They are usually sold online but they have an office in New York so those that are local can test their mattresses in person.

http://www.whitelotus.net/ Highland Park, NJ & other NY Retailer locations. They produce some very high quality mattresses and futons using mostly latex, cotton, and wool. These are a much more legitimate “natural” choice but because of their extensive use of wool and cotton with their latex, their prices are more than some latex only styles of mattress which only have a wool quilting. They very nice and have good value and are well worth considering given the materials that they use but are not a “budget” mattress.

Shop Affordable Home Furnishings & Home Goods - IKEA Elizabeth, NJ. Brooklyn, NY. Makes a few “better” value mattresses including some mostly natural Dunlop and some innerspring latex hybrids. See post #3 here for more about which may be better quality/value.

http://www.comfortbeddinginc.com/ Brooklyn, NY. Mainly a wholesale manufacturer in Brooklyn but has a factory direct showroom in Brooklyn. They sell a range of innerspring mattresses in low/mid budget ranges. No latex and their memory foam is mostly low density.

http://keetsa.com/ New York, NY. A smaller national manufacturer which is part of the Zinus group which are manufactured in China. They have a somewhat exaggerated “green” focus and are certainly using materials such as polyfoam and memory foam which IMO can’t legitimately be called natural or green in any variation. They also use mid grade foams in their mattresses and their pricing, while better than some, is also not in the same ballpark as most local manufacturers and seems to include a premium based on their questionable “green” story.

Retailers:

https://www.thecleanbedroom.com/ Summit, NJ. New York, NY. They are a retail outlet that carries several very high quality premium latex mattresses but also have some premium prices. The Savvy Rest and some of the others including Green Sleep are “choose your own layer” mattresses and are a great way to test out the feel of various different types of latex layering. (NOTE ADDED: They closed in June, 2016 but they are now under new ownership and have reopened their New York store and will gradually open some of their other stores as well)

http://www.thebedroomgalleries.com/ Howell, NJ. The WJ Southard here are somewhat comparable to white lotus in that they also tend to use more natural fibers in their mattresses. Their Classic Brands mattresses are more of a “budget” smaller national brand although they can also have good value depending on their price.

http://www.hibernatebedding.com/ Bernardsville, NJ. Retailer that carries Savvy Rest component latex mattresses as well as OMI and Paramount mattresses.

http://www.longsbedding.com/ New York, NY. Retail outlet that carries a wide range of mattresses including premium (and some ultra premium) and their own house brand. There are some very high quality choices here but also some very high prices so make sure you are making good “value comparisons” if you go here.

http://theorganicnest.com/ Retailer in Bernardsville, NJ. Carry several high quality latex mattresses and an innerspring/natural fiber mattress made by Land & Sky.

http://www.roomandboard.com/ New York, NY They are also a retail outlet that sells Restwell mattresses which have a range of memory foam, latex, and innerspring mattresses. While they too offer better value than most national brands and chain stores IMO … they are also not in the same value range as most local factory direct manufacturers. Make sure you check foam density with any mattresses that use polyfoam or memory foam in the comfort layers.

http://unitedbedding.com/ Wholesale manufacturer in Plainfield, NJ that makes Ditex and Rex brand mattresses and many house brands in the area as well. They make some better quality/value mattresses including memory foam (and gel memory foam), innerspring/polyfoam, and polyfoam mattresses. They will provide foam specs to their retailers so consumers can make meaningful comparisons with their mattresses and have a retail store finder on their site.

http://puretalalaybliss.com/ Is a national manufacturer of some high quality Talalay latex mattresses and their retail store finder can provide you with the retailers that carry them that are closest to you.

Other nearby lists (with some overlap) are post #2 here which includes the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the larger New York City area, post #4 here which includes the Philadelphia/Wilmington/Trenton area, and post #2 here also includes some other good options in the south CT area.

For most consumers and more “typical” budgets … the first group of 5 likely represents the best selection and value on the list and is where most people would probably do best focusing their efforts. They all use good quality materials, have good service, are knowledgeable about the materials they use, helpful with their customers, and offer good value. The others may have some good options as well depending on each person’s specific criteria, preferences, or budget range.

I hope this helps to “narrow down” the list.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix !

I’m looking for a latex mattress retail store near South Brunswick .
Thanks to this forum I can see 2 options “The Clean Bedroom” and “Sleepworks”, both in NY.
Would you please tell me if there is another good store to consider and who would be offering more manufacturers to try and choose from?

Thank you so much in advance for your help and congratulations for such a good job !

Carlos

Hi Petreape,

Post #7 here (which you may have already seen because its in this thread) has the better options I’m aware of.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix. There is a place in No. NJ called Westwood Sleep Center (2 places … Westwood and Midland Park NJ) that I want to visit - they ‘say’ they have several latex mattresses to try – will let you know. And the place in Fanwood may be the most convenient for us after that. More and we learn more!

Hi prettyfleurs,

I took a look at the Westwood Sleep Centers site and they seem to carry mainly Serta, Simmons, and Tempurpedic and don’t have any latex mattresses listed on their site but it’s also not unusual that websites are not up to date.

I’m looking forward to your feedback after your visit.

Phoenix

This thread was extremely helpful! It gave me a great starting point for places to look in Northern NJ! We ultimately ended up buying from Shovlin Mattress Factory in Fanwood. They were helpful and provided ILD information on their own without me having to push for it…as it is so often said here, the folks at Sleepy’s weren’t able to answer any of these questions about the Serta we were considering, much less volunteer the information!
I did not feel pressured by the sales people (our salesman’s name was Mark), and after talking with us and answering questions, they left us to try the mattresses we were considering. It was super helpful to be able to lay on a mattress for a while without having someone continuously talking to you.

1 Like

Hi TripleP,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

As you probably know … I think highly of Ron and Shovlin Mattress Factory and they are knowledgeable, experienced, and transparent and I think you made a good choice.

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had the chance to sleep on your mattress for a bit.

Phoenix

Moving to an apt in Jersey City - what a great thread to come across!
Thanks for all the great info; I look forward to reporting back.

Hi s.tuliebitz,

Good luck in your research … and just in case you haven’t read it yet the tutorial post should also be helpful.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course any comments, feedback, and questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

[quote=“Phoenix” post=30196]Hi prettyfleurs,

I took a look at the Westwood Sleep Centers site and they seem to carry mainly Serta, Simmons, and Tempurpedic and don’t have any latex mattresses listed on their site but it’s also not unusual that websites are not up to date.

I’m looking forward to your feedback after your visit.

Phoenix[/quote]

hi phoenix,

i emailed westwoodsleepcenters and this is the response i got back:

“Hi one of out manufacturers, Therapedic/Eclipse, makes this mattress as part of it’s Pure Touch line. The mattress is 8” high with 6" base of Talalay 34 ILD and 2" of Talalay ( mid 20s ILD). The set price is $2400. We can deliver by next weekend(26th). Where are you located? Dion"

i then looked at http://www.therapedic.com/mattresses/puretouch/ but didnt see anything that matched up with the 6" & 2" on http://www.therapedic.com/mattresses/puretouch/puretouch-ii/ or http://www.therapedic.com/mattresses/puretouch/puretouch-collection/

additionally, it seems that http://www.dynamicmattress.com/PureTouch_Latex_Mattress_Review.html carries the same mattress from therapedic for significantly less.

if someone could help me w/ the below questions, id greatly appreciate it:

  1. what follow up questions should i be asking dion from westwoodsleepcenter (other than haggling on the price)
  2. is the therapedic talalay mattress worth investigating, or should i stick with az premium mattress co, or can someone recommend an nyc area store they have experience with? im considering visiting thecleanbedroom in nyc to check out the savvy rest (but they seem overpriced)
  3. anything else i should be doing/asking?

thank you to anyone who can weigh in.

Hi a2b1c3z1,

Therapedic is a licensee group of independently owned factories and they make different mattresses in different areas of the country and in some cases the specs of a mattress with the same name can be different. Many of them also make private label mattresses that are unique to certain stores. This is why most licensee groups (see the top 15 list here) don’t list most of their mattresses that are available across the country on their main website.

Eclipse and Eastman house are owned by Mattress Development Co. and their main factory is Bedding Industries of America which is also a Therapedic licensee so Eastman House, Eclipse, and Therapedic are all made at the same factory.

If the mattress you are looking at is 8" thick (so you know there are no polyfoam layers above the latex), then the mattress would be roughly comparable to any other mattress that used a similar 6" + 2" latex design that used the same type of latex and had a similar cover regardless of the manufacturer (although another mattress may have different firmness levels for each layer). If the mattress is more than 8" thick then there may be some additional layers (possibly polyfoam quilting layers above the latex) which could be a weak link in the mattress if they are more than an inch or so of lower density polyfoam.

Their website lists the following layers for this mattress …

Natural Serenity Plush:

Cover:
Natural bamboo stretch-knit fabric cover is healthy, anti-microbial,
sustainable, organic & breathable

The quilt layer:
safeguard fiber
1 ½" high-density convoluted foam
1" enhanced plush foam
2" of talalay latex for extra plushness
firm 7" talalay latex core.

If this mattress is about 11.5 - 12" thick then these would include all the materials. As you can see … there are 2.5" of polyfoam above the latex and if these are lower density layers then it could be a weak link in the mattress. It’s also unlikely that the Talalay core is 7" thick since Talalay is poured in 6" layers so it’s more likely that they meant 7 zoned rather than 7".

Either way … I would want to know the density of the polyfoam and would tend to look for thinner polyfoam quilting layers in a latex mattress.

With any online purchase where you can’t test the mattress before you purchase it I would make sure that you have a more detailed conversation with an online retailer or manufacturer so you are confident that a mattress would be a good match for you in terms of PPP and the firmness of the support and comfort layers. I would also make sure you are comfortable with any options you have both before and after a purchase to customize or exchange the mattress or individual layers in case your sleeping experience indicates that the mattress isn’t the best choice for you.

I would also compare these to some of the members here that sell similar 6" + 2" latex mattresses online (there is a link to a list of these in the tutorial post) that you can use as a “value comparison” based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the New York City area are listed in post #2 here.

If you follow all the steps in the tutorial post one at a time without missing any you will be fine :slight_smile:

Phoenix

thanks this list is helpful as a starting point. I am brand new to the site today and am glad I found it. I was tryign to convince my wife to get a bedinabox but based off the information on here I decided it is better to look elsewhere. She is very hesitant about memory foam since we have always used a traditional bed. But I am tired of the sagging in the middle issue and have heard so many great things about memory foam or latex. We do tend to perfer a more plush and softer bed and memory foam seems like it may be too firm. We are also both stomach sleepers. Though it seems liek you really prefer latex on here due to softness but also strength. What would be your advice for us to consider? Are hybrid beds a decent and viable option or are they more gimmicky and also prone to sagging? I want a quality bed that is comfortable, will last (why I was shying away from traditional coil), and is somewhere in the $1000-$2000 range including box spring or foundation. Is this reasonable and any suggestions? Thanks for any help

We are in NJ and I am going to look into The Mattress factory in fanwood, nj they are on the way up to her parents house
I will also look at Verlo since my parents don’t live too far from Broomall in PA. though it seems liek some of their stuff is a littler pricier…

Hi brooksdj7,

Welcome … and I’m glad you found us :slight_smile:

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones. Most of your questions will be answered there.

The sagging in the middle issue is from the use of lower quality foams in the comfort layers of a mattress (which are the weak link of a mattress) not from the type of foam used. While all latex foam would be a durable material (although there are different types as you can see in post #6 here) … there are many different densities and grades of both polyfoam and memory foam and lower quality/density versions of both will soften and compress much more quickly (sometimes in just a few months) than higher quality/density versions with both polyfoam and memory foam. You can see some of the density guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here. There are some innerspring mattresses that use very high quality polyfoam in the comfort layers that can last for a very long time (especially if they are two sided).

While the type of mattress or material that is best for you is really a preference choice … as long as you make sure that any mattress you are considering and that is a good match for you in terms of PPP uses good quality and durable materials (in the comfort layers especially) and if you follow the steps in the tutorial post one by one you will have the very high odds of making a great choice … no matter which type of mattress or materials you prefer.

Phoenix

First thanks for the earlier help. We ended up visiting the magic sleeper in pottstown today and had a good experience. very low key, no pressure and helpful. me and my wife are deciding between two beds and one is a hybrid type bed that has a quilted top comfort layer followed by foam and then a pocketed coil system. She prefers this bed as it has a softer feel and more similar to what we have now which is a traditional mattress. I am leaning more towards their response gel 11" mattress and i have attached the link below. she also thought this was nice.
http://www.mattressandfurniturestore.com/Mattress-sale-pottstown/mattresses-that-sleep-cool/response-gel-11"

I prefer the foam bed for multiple reasons I have listed below. But i do have a question for you on the comfort layer and appreciate any comments that you have on anything else as well. The bed does have a 4.5 inch comfort layer which I am unsure if that qualifies as too thick. I read that you said you should choose the least amount of comfort layer as possible but I am unsure what to use as a guide for that. Can you provide some details or something as a guide? ( I am about 195 lbs and my wife is about 115lbs)

Tell me if I am wrong in my preference and thoughts for the memory foam:

  1. My wife sleeps hot and the gel infused foam was much cooler than the soft hybrid mattress (it was hot and their factory/showroom didn’t have A/C) she even admitted this
  2. I felt the bed was much more supportive and gave me a nice supportive cocoon to which allowed my muscles to relax and took off pressure points. (occasionally i will wake up with a sore back but its not a frequent occurrence)
  3. the bed will also be much less prone to the sag that i have endured with traditional mattresses i have used and should last much longer
  4. of all memory foam beds i have laid on it was the most comfortable ( as I mentioned my wife is nervous about the switch), it was a great balance between supportive and also comfort. honestly i think i do a bit prefer at least initially the feel of the hybrid mattress or a traditional soft mattress but i really like the supportive feeling of the memory mattress after a laying in it for just a bit.

2 final thoughts

  1. my wife earlier admitted she could sleep on “anything” and found both to be comfortable at the store and said she would be fine with either, but has changed her tune a bit and has expressed preference for then hybrid mattress
  2. if my wife isn’t 100% happy with the foam bed we could always buy some some of topper to soften it or change the feel of it…

Hi brooksdj7,

You may be making this a little more complicated than it needs to be.

When you are considering a mattress there are things you can feel when you test the mattress and things that you can’t feel. The things you can feel include things such as pressure relief, alignment, motion isolation, motion restriction, being “in” or being “on” the mattress, slow or fast response, sleeping temperature (to some degree), and just the overall subjective feel of the mattress. For this part of your choice I wouldn’t worry about any of the “comfort specs” (such as layer thickness or ILD) and would completely rely on careful and objective testing.

Then there are the things that you can’t feel and this is where knowing the “quality specs” of the materials comes into play. You can’t “feel” the quality and durability of the materials in a mattress and no matter how well a mattress matches your needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) … if there are lower quality materials in the mattress and there is a “weak link” then the lower quality materials can soften and break down much too quickly relative to the price you paid and you can lose the comfort and support that was the reason that you purchased the mattress in the first place.

There is no “right or wrong” or “correct or incorrect” when it comes to preferences … only what both of you prefer.

You can read more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.

All you need to do is make sure a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP based on your testing and preferences, check to make sure that the mattress uses good quality and durable materials and confirm there are no “weal links” in the mattress, and then compare your finalists with each other based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

I would keep in mind that almost all mattresses use some type of foam in the comfort layers (regardless of the support system underneath them) but there are three main types of foam (polyfoam, memory foam, and latex foam) so a “foam” bed doesn’t really say much about the mattress. The choice between them (or the type of support system that you prefer underneath the foam comfort layers (such as an innerspring, polyfoam, or latex) is a personal preference. “Foam” is just a generic and non specific term that describes many different materials that have “bubbles” (just like “fruit” describes many different types of food that can be very different from each other).

When it comes to preferences … there is no right or wrong. Only what you prefer. In most cases memory foam tends to sleep warmer than other types of foam that are used in comfort layers but this is only a general guideline and there are many versions of every type of foam material that can be more or less breathable. There is more about the variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here. You are using very “non specific” terms (“hybrid” is another one that doesn’t say anything about the mattress because almost all mattresses are some type of hybrid that uses more than one type of material or component) so it’s difficult for me to make more specific comments when I don’t know the specifics of a mattress (see this article).

Again … your own testing is the most reliable guide to which mattress is the best match for you in terms of PPP.

The durability of a mattress will depend on the quality of the materials … especially in the upper layers of the mattress … not on the type of material that it uses. All materials have lower quality and less durable versions and higher quality and more durable versions. Durability is the part of a mattress choice where you need to know the specs of the mattress so you can compare them to the guidelines here.

This is also a personal preference but with memory foam I would make sure you spend at least 15 - 20 minutes on the mattress so that the memory foam has a chance to warm up and you can be in a better position to predict how the mattress will feel and perform in “real life” when you sleep on it.

As you can see in the guidelines here (#10) … I would choose a mattress as if you only had one chance to make your choice … even if you have good options available after a purchase. This will help you put more emphasis on the importance of good testing. If you can’t test a mattress/topper combination in person then choosing a topper that works well on a specific mattress and for a specific person can sometimes involve almost as much uncertainty as choosing a mattress in the first place. The “best use” of a topper is to add some additional softness and pressure relief to a mattress if in spite of your “best efforts” you choose a mattress that is too firm but it may not be an effective way to “fix” other issues.

I would keep things very simple and I would trust your body and careful and objective testing using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post. The only “specs” you need are the ones that will tell you the quality/durability of the materials … not how they may feel.

Phoenix