better than Boyd Gel Enhanced?

I noticed in a previous discussion that a comment was made that the Boyd Gel Enhanced Memory Foam was not a particularly good quality mattress. I was wondering if anyone could make a suggestion for a similar mattress that would be comparable in feel (softness) and price (under $1000 for a queen size). I would like to “test-drive” it in the Austin area, as I don’t really feel comfortable buying a mattress on-line.
Thanks!

Hi only1emme,

I can’t make recommendations about finding a similar mattress in the Austin area (I’m sure Phoenix can make some great suggestions) but I wanted to speak to your point: “I don’t really feel comfortable buying a mattress on-line”.

The problem with buying in a retail environment is that you’re paying for unnecessary things like rent, showroom displays, sales commission, etc., none of which will give you a more restful sleep (in fact, this study suggests that customers are less likely to find their “perfect” mattress in a retail store). The result is one of two things:

  1. You pay more, or;
  2. You pay the same for worse quality (lower density foams, cheaper fabrics for the covers, etc.).

The ONLY way to maximize value is to cut out these extra costs, and this can only be accomplished by buying online.

Don’t get me wrong: buying a mattress from some unknown importer on eBay would equate to playing Russian roulette with your sleep, but there are reputable online-only mattress companies out there that take the satisfaction of their customers extremely seriously, and offer tremendous value.

All the best with your mattress hunting!

Novosbed

Hi only1emme,

Knowing the quality of a mattress is completely dependent on knowing the quality of the materials and components that are inside it. Once you have this information then you don’t have to go by the name of the manufacturer to assess the quality or value of a mattress because knowing the quality of the materials gives you the ability to make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses regardless of who makes it. Boyd mattresses are no different and once you know the quality/density of the materials then you can assess the quality of any mattress you are considering. Every manufacturer makes low and high quality mattresses in different budget ranges and Boyd would be the same.

There is more about this in post #1 here and the basic information, steps, and guidelines it links to that can help you make the possible choices.

I can only speak to the quality and value of a mattress because the feel and performance of a mattress depends on many variables and can be very subjective. Because of the many differences (smaller and larger) in the design and components in two different mattresses … it usually isn’t possible to “match” one mattress to another except in very general or approximate terms and two mattresses that feel identical to one person may feel very different to another depending on their body type, sleeping style, and their own perceptions. You can read a little more about the difficulties involved in trying to match another mattress in post #4 here and in and in most cases it would depend on your own ability to assess and compare them in person. although this can be very subjective. it’s usually more effective to “match” each mattress against a common set of criteria than trying to match the subjective" feel" of one mattress to another unless you can test them side by side in real time.

Some of the better options I’m aware of in the Austin area are listed in post #2 here.

While I agree with Novosbed that for most people the odds of making a suitable mattress choice can be very low because most consumers don’t know how or take the time to carefully test the suitability of a mattress for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) … I also believe that for those who do careful and objective mattress testing (using the guidelines in the previous post I linked) then the odds of making a suitable choice are dramatically improved.

Online choices can be a good option for those that don’t have access to good quality and value available locally but compared to “good” testing and working with knowledgeable and experienced local people who can help you in person, they also carry more risk than a local purchase where you can test the specific mattress that you buy. There are many ways to lower the risk of an online purchase which of course includes the knowledge and experience of the retailer or manufacturer you are dealing with, their ability to provide you with some good guidance, the options they provide and the cost involved to either exchange a mattress or exchange or re-arrange individual layers if you make the wrong choice, and of course their return policies.

There are many local manufacturers and retailers that have equivalent or better value than many online manufacturers (depending on the parts of each person’s personal value equation that are most important to them) and either direction can result in very good choices. My approach is that each of them have a different set of strengths and weaknesses that can be more or less attractive to different people. You can read a little more about online vs local in this thread as well as post #2 here and post #2 here.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I’m finally heading out to do a more thorough testing of mattresses in the next few days, but I’m unable to access the website for furniture row. Can you help me out for Austin area locations? I’m looking for north/northwest area stores - if you do a zip code search, mine is 78645. Thanks!

Hi only1emme,

The link to the Denver Mattress locations closest to you is here and if you can’t access this page either then the only Austin location is …

Austin, Texas 15.3 Miles
Furniture Row Shopping Center
Directions

Address:

9012 Research Rd.
Austin, Texas 78758
Phone:

Denver Mattress Co
512-453-9923
Hours:

Mon-Sat 10am-9pm
Sun 12pm-6pm
Directions:

Research & Burnet, Behind Olive Garden

Phoenix