I’ve just spent a few hours reading everything on this website including some of the forum posts – what a wealth of information!
Background: I’m 5’7", 185 pounds (need to exercise more!), and a side sleeper. I shift a lot a night, but I think it’s because I can’t find a comfortable position because I’m putting so much pressure on my shoulders at night. I wake up with a sore neck and shoulders most of the time. My girlfriend is 5’4", 165 pounds and is almost an exclusive front sleeper, which makes selecting a mattress that suits both of us very hard.
Our goal is to find a good quality mattress that will last a long time. From all the reading I’ve done, it seems like a foam mattress with HR support layers or a latex mattress would work. I know I’d want 3-4" of the comfort layer but my girlfriend will only need 1-2". I’m thinking a good compromise would be 2-3" with some “give” in the support layer so that I’m able to sink in a little more for my side sleeping; is this a correct assumption?
We’re located in McAllen, TX (zip 78504) and our mid-point price is $2,000 for a King set.
Are my thoughts on what we should be looking for correct or should I be considering something else? Also, any recommendations on good manufacturers that would fit the bill?
There is no “correct” or “incorrect” or any mattress that is “the best choice” … there are only mattresses that are “best for you” regardless of whether anyone else would make the same choice. Nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are far too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone else to be able to know which mattress is the best match for you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or theory at a distance (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
There is more about the most important parts of the value of a mattress purchase that you can use to compare the different mattresses you may be considering in post #13 here.
I would also keep in mind that if you prefer a “foam” support core over other types of support core (such as an innerspring support core for example) or “foam” comfort layers over other types of comfort layers (such as microcoils or natural fibers for example) that there are different types of foam (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam) that are all very different from each other so you may love one type of foam in either comfort or support layers and not be comfortable at all on another type of foam (not to mention that there are many firmness options and many different versions of each type of foam). All that “foam” means is a material that has air bubbles inside it and almost every mattress you will encounter has some type of foam in it somewhere … usually in the upper layers.
The most effective way to choose a mattress that is “best for you” is to follow all the steps in the mattress shopping tutorial one at a time which can help with “how to choose” (nobody else can tell you “what to choose”) and I would always make your choices based on your own actual testing and experiences and knowing the type and quality of the materials inside it instead of going by “theory” or by other people’s experiences that may be very different from your own.
There isn’t a list for the McAllen, TX area and the closest list would be in the Corpus Christi area in post #4 here which is some distance away.
The only “good” option I’m aware of in the McAllen area is Denver Mattress® - The Easiest Way to Get the Right Mattress in Pharr, TX. They are a regional manufacturer that makes a wide range of mattresses including innersprings and their iChoice models which include a “mostly latex” and a latex/memory foam hybrid. They are transparent about the materials they use in their mattresses and are good quality/value compared to most mainstream choices. I would avoid the major brands they also carry.
Over the course of the next few days and time permitting … I will take a look in the area to see if I can see any other options or possibilities that may also be worth considering.
I had the chance to look for all the retailers and manufacturers I could find in the area (over two dozen) and these are the better options and possibilities I could see based on their websites and on some calls I made about what they carried. I’ve also included the manufacturers they carry that I would focus on. Of course I would always make sure that any retailer or manufacturer you are dealing with can provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about any mattress you are considering (see this article).
Denver Mattress® - The Easiest Way to Get the Right Mattress Pharr, TX They are a regional factory direct manufacturer that makes a range of mattresses including innersprings and their iChoice which is a “mostly latex” mattress with either a memory foam or latex topper and several all latex mattresses as well. They disclose all the information about the materials they use in their mattresses and are typically good quality and value (and certainly better than mainstream brands). I would avoid the major brands they also carry.
Contact LFD Homefurnishings in Texas McAllen, Mission , Rio Grande City, Brownsville, Laredo, Eagle Pass, TX. They carry Spring Air and Sleep Designs including gel and latex and said that they would call the factory for any specs that a customer required.
I am in the 95678 area and am in need of a memory foam type king bed. I could go up to about 2500 for the bed, but its about comfort and value over actual price for me. I purchased the HEALTHYFOUNDATIONS bed about 5 months ago and it is not going to work for my wife and I. I really wanted to like this bed but in the end, it is too firm for me as a side sleeper. I thought the bed was quality and not hot to sleep in which was a worry. I am 240 pounds.
In reading your previous posts, I can tell you really care about helping!
I switched your post to a topic of its own so our conversation wouldn’t get mixed up with another member’s topic from another area.
I’m also sorry to hear that your purchase from Healthy Foundations didn’t work out for you but it’s good to see you had the foresight to purchase an online mattress where you had some good return options available if your choice didn’t turn out as well as you hoped.
The first place I wold start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
The tutorial also includes a link to a list of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) if you are still considering an online memory foam purchase.
More locally … if you want to test a mattress in person before you buy it … then the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Sacramento area (subject to following all the steps in the tutorial post) are listed in post #5 here.
I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding this time around and of course any comments or questions you may have along the way.
So after many trips to stores and a few return trips, I decided on European Sleep Design. I was able to spend a few hours laying on mattresses and my wife and I were able to customize it for both of our needs. If you want the right mattress, you need to spend the time feeling what feels good to you. There is no real way to find what you are looking for by descriptions unless you just plain get lucky.
Thank you for your help. 3 weeks and it arrives (they make each one from scratch).
:cheer:
