Best OMF mattress to buy to add a topper later?

[phoenix]

Hi levander,

Well, I just looked at your post #32. The specs you list there are about the same specs I listed in this thread. But in post #32 you say these are high quality materials…

The “high quality” materials I was referring to are the higher density polyfoam … not 1.2 (low quality) or 1.5 (low/mid quality) foams.

Durability is also relative to many factors though (which you can see in post #4 here and the posts it links to) and in the right types of construction and design, even lower quality polyfoam can be a relatively durable material and perfectly suitable for lower budget ranges where costs don’t allow for higher quality/cost foams.

A detail I did leave out was that quilted onto the top fabric of the mattress is some of that baffled, egg-crate looking, polyfoam. Remembering what you said about putting a harder layer on top of a softer layer and how that adds to durability, I mentioned it to the salesman I was talking to (this wasn’t the main OMF factory store in Atlanta, but it was the guy that owned the OMF sales storefront I was at) and asked if that increased durability. His answer was “well, it’s really the fact that it’s a two-sided mattress that increases durability. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was a 2-sided mattress, I’d be worried about durability of that polyfoam too”. But even though he was an owner, he was also a salesman, so I don’t know how much what he said really flies.

I certainly agree with him that a two sided mattress is a bigger factor in durability than a firmer layer of lower density foam although both will have an effect (just like everything else). You can see an example of a two sided mattress design at the end of post #2 here made by a manufacturer that I know well and respect that uses 1.5 lb polyfoam where a reasonable expectation of longevity “on average” would be in the range of 10 - 12 years.

If it seems relevant, I’ll go back to an OMF store and write down what layers are in those mattresses by looking at the mattress cut-outs. I meant to do this before I bought a bed, but there was so much running around in my mind, I didn’t get it done. Since I bought a bed, I’ve got several friends and family who having mentioned they may buy a bed so I’m interesting in knowing what this means about durability.

Not only would this be relevant … it’s the only way to make any meaningful assessment of any mattress or meaningful comparisons between mattresses.

Maybe after the mattress “breaks in”, these problems will go away?

In the first 30 - 90 days the mattress will go through an initial break in period where foams lose their “false loft” and get softer, fibers will settle and compress, and covers will stretch and become more conforming. In addition to this you will also go through an initial adjustment period with any new sleeping surface in the same period of time. In most cases this is mostly in the first 30 days or so.

[quote]I’ve already bought a topper from Flobeds. The shredded latex one that looks weird online because it’s like a line of horizontal baffle rows. It’s here:

www.flobeds.com/products/2101ST[/quote]

Yes I’ve seen it and it’s in the list of toppers and components under “shredded latex toppers”

I saw Phoenix’s reviews of two competing shredded latex toppers, one of them was the Seven Comforts one. When I get it, I’ll have to see if it craters, if it’s too soft for me, and if the seams that connect the baffles together bother me. The customer support guy at Flobeds I talked to said they fill the baffles with so much shredded latex, they won’t crater and act like a feather-bed. He also said they don’t get many returns, but the returns they do get are because of the seams. Every time I talk to a salesman though, I’m always sitting there wondering what to believe and what not to believe. Once it comes in the mail, I’ll have to see then.

The last time I looked the Seven Comforts was no longer available either on Amazon or on their own site but it appears its back in stock on their own site which is good news.

In my experience you can trust what Flobeds tells you and it’s more 'accurate" information than “sales” information.

Phoenix, you recommend letting the bed “break-in” before adding a topper. Can you give me a general idea why this is?

Because the feel and performance of the mattress will change during this time to a longer term more “steady state” and a topper will interact with the mattress under it so if you choose a topper using the initial feel of a mattress as a guideline for what you need then the odds are higher of making a less suitable choice than if you base your choice on the longer term feel and performance of the mattress (after you have adjusted and the mattress has broken in).

[quote]Getting a mattress with a pillow top (from a store like OMF) is the easiest way to get a really comfortable bed for a good price.

If you want to put more work digging around the internet and a few hundred dollars more, you can get a firm, basic bed and play with toppers. The downside is you can’t test the whole combination before buying and you’ll end up paying return shipping for toppers you return. Plus, if you keep more than one topper, that’s even more money. But the upside is you can easily replace your topper to have a new cushiony feel even five years after you bought your mattress. And you can experiment with the feels of different of materials.

The distinction between these two options, I’m going to encourage them to get a pillowtop because I think a person should show some motivation and be willing to over-ride me if they want to go the topper route. It could have pay-offs, but there’s work to be done and they need to show motivation if they want to go that route.

If you want to spend more than that, you get into latex, memory foam, water-beds that I didn’t really look into, but I could show them a couple of places to look for information.

You think those are decent, very general guidelines to give somebody?[/quote]

As I have often mentioned … where you buy from and the knowledge and experience of the owners and staff can be a more important part of a successful mattress search than your own knowledge. Finding an expert is much simpler, less frustrating, and more effective in most cases than trying to become one

Pillowtops can be tricky and risky depending on what is in them and the design of the mattress so a more “generic” recommendation for a pillowtop without knowing what is in it or the details of its construction can lead to some poor choices if they are not able to tell the difference or aren’t dealing with a knowledgeable and experienced salesperson who will give them accurate information that is suitable for their specific needs and preferences.

I have spent thousands of hours of online research and thousands more talking with some of the most knowledgeable manufacturers in this country and hundreds more testing mattresses and I still only tell others HOW to choose … never WHAT to choose (with the odd exception where a choice is more black and white and there are specific reference points from their experience I can use). What is suitable for one may be completely unsuitable for the next. Mattress advice is notoriously unsuccessful unless it is focused on the process and sources of quality, value, and service along with their experience, knowledge, and integrity rather than the specifics of which mattress is best for anyone else.

So outside of your pillowtop suggestion (which can be good in some instances and not so good in others) … the advice is good “generically” as a guideline IMO but the danger of any advice is that they will take it specifically and replace their own careful and objective testing and research with someone else’s advice which can lower their odds of success because they will trust the advice more than their own “educated” judgement and personal experience.

But a lot of that depends upon the quality of the OMF pillowtops. If you’d like me to gather some more information about them, please let me know. Like if an OMF pillowtop is going to show horrible signs of wear two years down the road, even if you flip and rotate it religiously, I still wouldn’t recommend pillowtops at all, to anybody.

Each of their pillowtops have a different combination of layers but adding any specific information about any mattress to the forum database here can certainly help others who are looking at the same specific mattress and is always welcome.

Thanks for all the feedback … so far …

And most importantly of all … congratulations on your new mattress

Phoenix