Youâd be amazed at the number of duplicate names I come across in my research. Of course they are much different and knowing the details of all the layers is the way to tell them apart. The issue with Bobs (like so many others) is that they donât list the quality of their materials (density) ⌠only the layering thickness ⌠and I would need to know that before considering them. I would also want to know that they meet the criteria I use for memory foam in post #10 here.
The goal is always to connect with the experts rather than trying to become one yourself. That way they already know what you would otherwise have to learn. Thatâs the goal of the âstep by stepâ post thatâs linked after my signature in all my posts. Gather just enough information to know the basics and then let the mattress experts do the rest once youâve identified who they are.
Again ⌠if you follow the steps in the linked post it will save you hours of driving, research, and mattress testing only to find you donât know or canât find out the information you need about the mattresses you are testing. Lots of the research before you test mattresses can (and should) be done on the phone.
Besides careful testing to make sure that a mattress provides the PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) that you need and want ⌠the rest of the job is to make sure that it uses good quality materials relative to your budget and that it has good value compared to other similar mattresses. The memoryworks certainly isnât junk and has 4" of 4.5 lb memory foam over an unknown quality 6" base layer (and I would want to know the density). Once you know the base layer density you would have a way to compare it to other mattresses. Macyâs sells lots of poor value mattresses ⌠but this is not the same as âjunkâ or poor quality. Some of these use some very low quality materials and some donât. Even great quality mattresses like the better Tempurpedics can be poor value if they sell for significantly more than mattresses that use the same or better quality materials.
The density of the memory foam they use is fairly widely available and 4.5 lb memory foam is reasonable quality if itâs true that this is what they are using (there are other sources that these may not be the correct specs). I generally suggest that people donât go below 4 lbs and lower density memory foams can have a feel that many people like because they are usually faster responding, often more open celled and cooler, and softer. You are lighter so this would certainly be suitable for you.
Iâm not sure what size you are looking at (which would make a big difference in cost) but if you are looking at a queen size set with delivery for $800 it certainly seems like good value to me (although I would still want to know the quality of the base foam). I donât think it will sag in 6 months no if it is suitable for your weight and sleeping positions. It will go through some initial softening like all memory foam but as long as itâs not already too soft or on the edge of being too soft (it should be a little firmer rather than a little softer to account for the initial softening) and the initial break in of the foam doesnât take you over the edge in terms of support/alignment then it should be fine and have a reasonable lifespan measured in years. My only other caution would be to do a google search for âmemoryworks moldâ so you are are of the issues they have had.
So assuming that you are looking at a queen size and the base layer is at least reasonable quality ⌠it seems to me that you are looking at good value.
Yes, itâs a Memory Works Queen including box spring (or whatever they call it these days) and free delivery for $800.
I got an additional $100 for opening a Macyâs charge accountâŚhahaâŚthey got me thereâŚbut a $100 is a $100!
I will pay it in full as soon as I receive the mattress, so I wonât incur any charges with that.
As a side note, Macyâs gets you to buy the Queen by offering the Full size for only $10 less. So of course you go with the Queen if your room permits.
One another annoying thingâŚonline they offer two higher quality options in this line, but they did not have them on the store floor so there was not way to try them out. I called different Macyâs locations and none of them had these other two mattresses on their floors.
So I just had to rule them out.
I did do an internet search on Memory Works after first trying out the mattress in the store. I did see the alarming and horrifying reports of mold. :ohmy:
But then I noticed that they have not sold that model or line for a while now. They have replaced with a new line with new name.
The reviews that mentioned that referred to the âOlivewoodââŚthis is no longer sold by Macyâs. Nor are any of the others from that same line.
For all we know it could be the same darn mattresses and they just changed the names due to the mold problem.
I am more apt to believe they fixed the problem and made some little changes or updates to the line as I do not see any recent reports/reviews relevant to the current line of Memory Works on the store floors and online now.
When I have time I will try to find out the quality/density of the base layer.I would like to know that.
Will let you know if I learn anything on that and how things go once the mattress is delivered and I am actually sleeping on it.
I hope you are able to find the density of the base foam as it would help add to the information on the forum (in many cases mattress specs are added âpiece by pieceâ)
I also hope they have solved the mold issues ⌠I sure wouldnât want to have to deal with them ⌠and itâs often there long before you notice it. I would also hope though that they took the issue seriously and made the necessary changes.
Iâm looking forward to your feedback when youâve received the mattress and have had a chance to sleep on it.
I just looked at the Sealy Canadian site and if you look here they list the density of the foams used in the memoryworks mattresses ⌠at least in Canada (and itâs likely that itâs the same in the US). The good news is that the support core for the memoryworks mattresses seems to be 1.9 lbs which is reasonable.
The not so good news is that the MD-3 memory foam appears to be either 3.0 or 3.5 lbs (it appears that they make it in both densities) which is not so good. This conflicts with some other sites (including the one you mentioned and some others Iâve seen) which list it at 4.5 lbs but this is from the Sealy site itself so its likely to be accurate.
The MD select may be a different density and perhaps this is 4.5 lb memory foam or it could be their name for one of the two lower densities listed but I havenât been able to track it down so I donât know for sure. If you look here ⌠it says that the MD select âoffers a lower density feelâ which implies it is a lower density than the MD-3 so itâs possible that it is the same combination of 3.0 and 3.5 lb memory foams that are listed on the Sealy Canada site.
I just thought Iâd post this in case it made a difference.
Thank you for the information.
Itâs kind of ridiculous that the information consumers need to judge the quality of a mattress is not readily available.
When you buy a computer, you can readily tell the quality of the processor ect.
When I have a moment, I am just going to call Sealy and see what they can (or will) tell me.
I am able to cancel my order before deliveryâŚmy card does not even get charged until it is delivered.
But I would want more information before I would do that.
It will be interesting to see what I can find out!
But not I know just a few simple questionsâŚwhich âshouldâ have simple questions to askâŚ
Sealy and perhaps Macyâs headquarters or whomever I need to call.
I wonder if there is a department of consumer affairs that requires this basic info be printed somewhere so I can know what is it that I am buying.
They âshouldâ ⌠but unfortunately in most of the mainstream part of the industry they donât.
The most basic âqualityâ information in the case of poyfoam and memory foam is its density (which is usually expressed in lbs/cu ft). With the polyfoam support layer I would be looking for 1.8 lbs and higher (which your mattress seems to meet). In the comfort layers which are usually the weak link of a mattress⌠I would be looking for 4 lb memory foam or higher unless the price you are paying justifies the use of lower quality materials.
.
There are other factors involved in durability as you can see in post #2 here but density is the single most important and basic and is the minimum information I would consider.
You have the advantage of being taller and lighter which means that a mattress will tend to last longer for you (there is less stress placed on the mattress with lighter weights) and the price seems fairly reasonable but your basis for comparison with other mattresses would be different with lower density foams and the âvalueâ in this case isnât as good as it would be if the density/quality was higher.
I had a nagging feeling that the 4.5 lb density wasnât right which is why I looked a little further (I normally donât do much investigation on major brands that have missing information because it usually leads to dead ends and the same lower value conclusion anyway) only to realize that I had discovered this before in another thread here.
You may still decide to buy the mattress of course but I thought you should know that the quality/value is not quite as good as you (or I) would otherwise have believed.
Hey Phoenix,
I donât know how much this means, but the Memory Works âCaramelâ on the Canadian Sealy site is part of the line they discontinued.
Of course that doesnât mean the line out is of different quality, though itâs is possible that itâs been upgraded in some way.
Unfortunately, I may need to be a detective to find out!
Yeah, on the Macyâs site for the âJunoâ Memory Works (which you provided the link to) they come right out and tell you itâs lower density foam:
âlay your head down with an innovative mix of lower density Memory FoamâŚâ
I will give them points for coming out and saying that. Though, as you know, many consumers have no idea that lower density means lower qualityâŚ
And the Juno is only selling for $540 for the Queen Set right now on the sale. And last week the price was closer to $500 for the Queen set.
The âJunoâ is the lowest quality/priced mattress in the current line. I layed on it and it could tell right away it wasnât decent âŚat least for for me. It is not a bed I would have considered.
The bed I ordered for the Queen Set including delivery is the Memory Works Serena PlushâŚit doesnât say anything about a lower density feel
Product Details
Wake up & sleep better! This smart choice combines layers of Memory Foam for an even greater response to your bodyâs needs & wants. A plush foundation provides gradual progressive support that wraps your body in a resilient comfort, while also relieving pressure points, improving circulation and balance a cool temperature all night long.
â˘Request warranty information
â˘Imported
â˘only@macyâs
â˘Comfort level: plush
â˘Mattress type: Memory Foam
â˘Quality: best
â˘Sleep style: back/side
â˘Mattress height: 10"
â˘No-flip mattress design
â˘Quilting layers: .5" MD-3 Memory Foam for optimum comfort & support, while also reducing pressure points and improving circulation & temperature balance
â˘Comfort layers: 1.5" MD Select Memory Foam & 2 MD-3 Memory Foam combined for even greater response with gradual progressive support
â˘Cover fabrication: knit picture-framed with chenille border
â˘Available box spring heights: 9" standard, 5" low-profile
â˘Boxspring construction: semi-flex
â˘Adjustable bed compatible
â˘Meets federal fire retardant safety standard
â˘20-year limited warranty
Either way $800 for a Queen Set with delivery isnât so easy to find in stores where you can actually the try the bed. Not in a 10".
This bed feels a little better than the Cirrus at Bobâs, but when you factor in delivery, I paid a $100 for what I got at Macyâs than for the Cirrus at BobâsâŚ
I will try to send out the density of the comfort layers thoughâŚ
But right now, this is what I can affordâŚand if it lasts 5 years without saggingâŚI will be happyâŚit is under warrenty and itâs Macyâs and Macyâs is pretty goodâŚso I can send it back and replace it with something else if worse comes to worse.
Right now I need to see that is is poor quality/low density to cancel the orderâŚbecause I am basically happy with the bed and the price.
Phoenix,
Also the Juno Memory Works that your provided the link for is only 6". And it only has 1 inch 3 MDâŚ
The Serena Memorory Works is 10"âŚand 4 inches of memory foam with different types of foam.
Looking at this and now looking at stats on the discontinued MemoryWorks line on the Sealy Canada siteâŚI think MD stands for Memory DensityâŚand the digit is the densityâŚso MD 3 means 3 poundsâŚectâŚ
I see on Canadian siteâŚtheir old model, the OliveWood used the MDâŚ
â˘Premium quilted to memory foam sleep surface aesthetics with ultra soft knit panels
â˘Responds to your bodyâs weight & temperature
â˘Bamboo rayon fibre has the ability to breathe and provide coolness
â˘CareShield liquid protection fabric treatment repels and resists stains
â˘3" MD-3 Memory Foam (3.5lb) + 3" MD-3 Memory Foam (3.0lb) + 8" High density Foam Core (1.9lb)
â˘10 Year Limited Warranty
I mention this because I believe the Olivewood was the high end of that line they discontinuedâŚso yeahâŚeven the higher end of the line may not stack up so well.
Iâm more focused on the quality information about the different foams than on the specific mattress because the same foams will likely be used in all their mattresses. You are right about being a âdetectiveâ and for me itâs generally not worth it because the outcome is almost always the same if you do manage to find the information you need. This is the job of the retailer ⌠not the consumer ⌠and I tend to only deal with retailers that can do what they need to do to help consumers find the best possible quality and value and find the information they need. If this type of research is up to consumers ⌠itâs usually incredibly time consuming and frustrating and itâs usually best to just pass by the retailers that donât understand the importance of this type of information.
This was just connecting the dots. The MD select is described in another mattress as having a âlower density feelâ which likely means that itâs an actual lower density. It would be the same material in every mattress that used it and the Serena uses 1.5" of the ME Select memory foam.
This may be true but donât forget that any quality of material can feel good (or not good) and that quality determines how long the âfeel goodâ will last. Itâs also important to make apples to apples comparisons with other mattresses that may be available. If you are considering a mattress with lower quality memory foam ⌠then itâs easier to find equivalent mattresses at other stores that use the same lower quality memory foam and will also sell for lower prices than if you are trying to compare them to mattresses that use higher quality memory foam (which sell for higher prices). Memory foam mattresses in your price range that use lower quality memory foam would be easier to find. Before I even considered Bobs or spent any time trying them ⌠I would make sure that you know from a phone call if their memory foam is American made and/or CertiPur certified and that they can tell you the density of the layers in their mattresses (or I wouldnât even go there at all).
I certainly donât share your thoughts about Macyâs when it comes to mattresses
The problem is that lower quality materials can feel good at first but will soften much more quickly than higher quality materials even though they donât have a permanent impression. This may happen after any comfort return period and it wonât be covered by any warranty because the actual impressions have to be deeper than the warranty exclusion before it becomes a warranty issue and this rarely happens ⌠even though foam softening may lead to the loss of comfort and/or support. Warranties are more about protecting the manufacturer against warranty claims than they are about helping the consumer replace a mattress that has lost its comfort and support and are mostly a marketing tool more than anything else.
Yes ⌠it could stand for memory density or medium density but either way itâs not likely that any of it is higher than 3.5 lbs.
None of this is to say what you âshouldâ or âshouldnâtâ do of course because only you can decide what is best for you and how much more research you are OK with but if you do decide to continue then at least you have some information that you can make more meaningful comparisons. Much of this can even be done on the phone so you donât have to spend time going somewhere where itâs clear that the value is no better than what you already have. I would suspect that there are more than a few mattress purchases made out of âshopping fatigueâ or frustration âŚparticularly when you are dealing with some of the less knowledgeable retailers and coming up with so many research dead ends.
I normally wouldnât consider memory foam mattresses less than 4 lbs (unless itâs an inch in the quilting layer or so and the rest is higher quality/density) but like anything else there is a point where low quality materials may be all that is available in a certain budget range or you may feel that itâs OK anyway or worth the risk. I donât think you are in budget range that is limited to this but the challenge would be finding something that is local (rather than online or further away) so you can go and test it in an area that is dominated by chain stores and major retailers which tend to sell lower value mattresses
So what do you think of one of the Ultimate Dreams for me? Perhaps the eurotop?
I love the feel of the tempur pedic cloude luxe.
I like a plush/comfy feel with lots of support.
They seem to be getting good reivews and the ability to switch out with the zip eurotop reduces risk
As you probably know ⌠I think the Ultimate Dreams (Brooklyn Bedding/Dreamfoam) is among the best quality and value in the country (which of course is why they were invited to be a member here).
Latex is a very different animal from memory foam though so you may want to make sure that you are comfortable with its feel and performance (itâs a fast response foam rather than the slow response of memory foam and has a very different âfeelâ to it). They also have a gel memory foam mattress that is similar in feel to the Cloud Luxe (just a little bit firmer apparently) which may also be worth considering if you prefer the memory foam feel.
As you mentioned ⌠the Eurotop has the advantage of being able to make a change in your comfort choice for a reasonable cost (see post #2 here) which can lower the risk or âfear factorâ of an online purchase compared to a mattress that canât be changed or returned after purchase.
All of these are good quality/value choices and if you are comfortable with an online purchase then they would be well worth considering and it may be well worthwhile to talk with them on the phone.
AgreeâŚam looking at the 13" Gel FoamâŚlike the cloude luxeâŚbut one review scared me that it may be too firm.
I saw about the sheets tightening the mattressâŚand in that case I would not use a fitted sheetâŚjust get a larger sheet and tuck it inâŚbut that has been a question of mine about a mattress coverâŚhow does that impact body heat getting through some water proof coversâŚ
I am trying to figure out how to reach the Chuck guy at Brooklyn BeddingâŚI donât see a phone number for him.
Body heat will go through the thinner membrane type mattress protectors quite well (although water wonât and they are not as breathable as other types of protectors so they can increase sleeping temperature for some people). You can see some of the different choices and tradeoffs between different mattress protectors in post #89 here.
I think in that budget, you can easily get amattress protector that you can use with your existing mattress. I also had the same problem of back pain due to my old mattress. After I started using a memory foam mattress pad, The problem is pretty much reduced.
Hi Jackflaming,
Yes, I was meaning a mattress protector.
Phoenix,
Thank you so much for the phone number.
Left a message the other day, but did no call back.
Regardless, I now think the hassle of trying to get a box spring separately would be too muchâŚplus to pay $ for the delivery on.
I donât have anything to put this mattress onâŚand just donât have time to research and shop for that at this point.
Otherwise, I might have pulled the trigger with Brooklyn Bedding.
The foundation thread here has many options and sources in a wide range of prices for different foundations that can be used under any mattress ⌠some of which include free shipping (which of course just means that itâs included in the price).