I finally may have convinced my wife to forget about innerspring mattresses, that took some convincing, and to think about a latex or memory foam mattress.
Next prolonged step was to drive around town trying them. My preference to not go with a major chain or big box store led us to a store with a small showroom that was very helpful and patient. Very long story short is that we(she) finally found one that she really likes.
My problem is that it is on the high end of our budget and I can’t find too much information about the company and any views. The salesman was extremely informed and applied no pressure at all. But, it seems like a brand that only they and a few others carry. The bed is the:
Evo Sleep Conforma Cool 5.0 @ $1649. I have found well reviewed and cheaper models online, but I don’t know how to compare them and really don’t think I can buy sight unseen no matter the return policy. I know foam density is extremely important and have checked the company website, but it doesn’t show it.
So, really, is this a good bed for the price? It passes the comfort test after many, many tries. I’ve done a ton of research on a bed and it all seems to come down to preference and comfort. Both of which are different for everyone. Now that I’ve found one that passes those tests the question is whether or not it is a good value with the specs?
Any information or experience with this mattress or any comparable mattress is extremely welcomed.
the first place to start your research for a new mattress is the tutorial post #1 here. It has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices.
A mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it so I would need to know the specific details of all the layers from top to bottom to make any meaningful comments about it. If the retailer or manufacturer can’t or won’t provide you with this information then I would pass the mattress by because the risks of making a completely blind purchase where there is no way to make any meaningful comparisons or assess the mattress for any potential weak links is much too high.
You can read a few general comments about Sherwood Bedding who makes the Evosleep mattresses in post #2 here and post #2 here but the most important part of knowing the relative quality or value of a mattress is by knowing exactly what is inside it.
Super Heavy Weight Lycra Knit ticking with outlast technology
A Layer of H.D. Gel-infused cool Memory foam
A Layer of H.D. transitional Memory foam
A 6" foam encased Soy-Based H.D. foam Support core
100% natural and chemical free fire Barrier Sock (wraps the entire foam core)
Which isn’t a whole lot really. No information concerning density. I’m planning on calling the company directly for more details today.
Looks like the number one fact to find out from your posts is the density of the foam in each layer.
Like you said, without that information there is no point in moving forward. Will update today.
Most of the consumer mattress purchases in the industry today are based on the “shorwoom feel” of a mattress which in most cases has less than random chance alone of choosing a suitable mattress (see this study).
Careful and specific testing for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post here has much higher odds of being able to predict your long term experience actually sleeping on the mattress every night.
Even this isn’t enough though because low quality materials or foams can feel the same as high quality materials because you can’t “feel” the quality of the materials in a mattress. This means that outside of testing for the things that you can feel, it’s also important to know the quality and durability of the materials so that you have some reasonable assurance that your mattress have a reasonable useful lifetime and so you can make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses that use the same type and quality of materials.
While the odds are good that Sherwood Bedding would be a higher quality and value choice than most of the major brands … it’s never a good idea to make a blind purchase or to buy a mattress where you can’t identify any potential weak links in the mattress … especially in the comfort layers which are the most likely to soften compress, or break down most quickly. There is little value in a mattress that is “perfect” initially but a year or two down the road has lost its comfort or support because of the use of lower quality materials (and the loss of comfort and support isn’t covered by any mattress warranties).
I agree that it would be a good idea to find out the specifics of what is in the mattress (the thickness and density of any polyfoam or memory foam and the type and blend of any latex in a mattress, and the type of cover and quilting) so you can make an informed purchase.
Providing this to you is the job of a good retailer and if they don’t have this information they should be calling the factory to find out and provide it to you. If the mattress is particularly attractive to you then of course you can also phone the factory directly and find out if they will provide the information you need directly to consumers (some factories only provide it to their retailers and some don’t provide it at all).
Hopefully you will be able to get the information you need (one way or another) and if you post the information here I’d be happy to make some comments or helpyou identify any potential weak links in the mattress.
So, the retailer has been all over tracking down the specs for me today. I have been hitting them with more questions every phone cal and they have taken them all and returned every call. It really has been a great experience for me with most of my questions answered.
There is the first “cool” layer that consists of 1" of gel infused foam 3.5lb-4lb
There is then the next 3 layers that consists of 3 layers of 5lb Visco foam.
All of that combines for 5" of the “comfort” layer.
Then there is the 6" soy based core that I think rates @ just under 2 lbs with a 28ild.
The retailer is pretty proud of the brand and encouraged me to take my time in comparing.
The experience so far has been great, but it’s just a matter of brand confidence and mattress construction.
Both of which seem solid in comparison to others. I have most of the applicable posts that were recommended and feel at least slightly more confident with the buying process. Especially with the questions I’ve been able to ask. This site has been awesome and will be encouraging others to read.
Thanks for sharing the specs and it seems that you’ve been doing a great job tracking them down
A few comments about the mattress …
There is the first “cool” layer that consists of 1" of gel infused foam 3.5lb-4lb: This is in the range of “medium” quality/density memory foam (which is about 4 lbs and up) but it’s also a very thin top layer that is more for surface feel and if a single layer on top of a mattress is in the range of about an inch or so or less then it wouldn’t have a significant effect on the durabiity of the mattress and I wouldn’t consider it to be a weak link
There is then the next 3 layers that consists of 3 layers of 5lb Visco foam: This is a high quality memory foam (5 lbs and up) and would be a durable material.
Then there is the 6" soy based core that I think rates @ just under 2 lbs with a 28ild: This is a polyfoam base layer and anything above about 1.8 lbs would be good quality. This would also not be a weak link in a mattress. the ILD is a comfort spec that rates the softness of the material and isn’t an important part of the quality of the materials (every type and quality of foam has firmer and softer versions)
Overall there are no obvious weak links in the mattress so if it matches your needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and is also a good match for your personal value equation then it would certainly be worth serious consideration IMO.
I’m impressed that you (and your retailer) had the perseverance to make sure you had the information you need to make an informed buying decision.
Hi clymb1,
If you would…please come back and give a more in-depth review after you have had it for a month or two.
Thanks in advance and congratulations,
Jeff
