Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
98

Since receiving our new mattress on July 7th we have had the following experience with our new Best Mattress Ever size king medium from Brooklyn Bedding.

Disclaimer: I have not yet contacted the manufacturer since we have not had it long enough to give it the full benefit of the doubt. This is strictly a factual assessment. I decided to order mattress after following this thread and deciding this mattress would likely be a good replacement for a very old mattress and boxspring (30+years)

I opened the mattress in a different bedroom because the new base had not arrived yet. The mattress expanded for 3 days before attempting to move it to its new home. Based on reviews here and the fact that it didn’t look as big as the king bed I opened it on I decided to measure the bed. The mattress measured 81" X 71" compared to the standard 82" X 76"as ordered. I observed the sides of the mattress had some rather significant indentations in the area where the latex is supposed to be. The support layer of Poly reaches all the way to the outer edges of the cover but the latex appears to not have expanded to fill the voids between the top and bottom.
Moving the mattress to a different bedroom I had already anticipated might be a challenge since the nature of foam mattresses seems to be rather floppy so to speak.

I tried to stand the mattress on either the side or end and found both options unmanageable. I had to add some rigidity in order for me and my better half to be able to move the mattress. She does not have the strength to lift the mattress vertically and shuffle across the floor with it due to and unsteady foot from a failed surgery. I tried folding the mattress with no success from side to side. Since it appeared to be void free at the ends I decided to fold it in half lengthwise to attempt to move it. I went and got a 2x4 and some ratcheting tie downs from my truck. I placed the 2x4 in the middle of the mattress and used one tie down on each side to fold the mattress in half lengthwise. I left the packing clear plastic wrapped around the two folded ends so we could slide the bound and tied mattress across the floor to another room. The roller used to package these mattresses must have an incredible amount of power since it took a great deal of time to get the mattress folded in half enough to pass through the bedroom doorway using the tie-downs.
I am a fairly strong 60 year old individual and this move took a great deal more effort than I anticipated due to the bulk of this mattress. My better half whom I consider fairly strong had a hard time managing her end of the 2x4 to say the least.
We finally got the mattress to it’s new location after enlisting the help of a four wheel furniture dolly since sliding the package across the living room floor ended up not working so well.

Sleeping on the new mattress has been an experience. We are used to the softness of a memory foam topper which is very different from this medium hybrid latex with poly top.
I can tell I am sleeping on a very flat mattress since I no longer toss and turn and my pillow actually feels like it belongs under my head (the old mattress was so depressed in the middle I slept without a pillow). My better half is unhappy with the stiffness of the new mattress since she is used to the memory foam topper. We both awoke after the first night complaining of a sore back. The second night was a little better. The third night is about to be.

I feel like we got a different mattress than ordered since this medium has so little give to it and it feels extremely firm, I truly think there is something wrong with our order as received.
The bed appears to be the length of a regular king and the width of a California king. That said I have plenty of time to judge the mattress and will give it more time then measure again.

I will follow up with another post giving some more time and after talking with the company about the issues I have encountered so far.

Thanks
Bob

99

Hi B4Bob,

What size did you order?

82" x 76" doesn’t match any of the standard sizes so I’m not clear what the dimensions of your mattress should be.

Although different manufacturers can have slight variances in their standard sizing … the ISPA (International Sleep Products Association) standard sizes are listed in post #2 here and a California King should be about 72" x 83.5" (+/- an inch) and an Eastern King size should be about 76" x 79.5" (again +/- an inch).

There have been a few members that have commented that it took longer than they expected for their mattress to reach it’s final dimensions but your measurements are a little unusual because in most cases the initial dimensions were slightly less than the standard dimensions for the first few days but the measurements you posted are both longer and narrower than an Eastern King would normally be and are the right width (within an inch) but shorter than a California King would normally be.

There is generally a break in and adjustment period with any new mattress over the course of the first few weeks as the foams in your mattress lose any of their “false firmness” and the cover loses any of its initial stiffness and you get used to the feel of a mattress that is different from the memory foam you were used to sleeping on so your experience can change over the course of the first few weeks.

Having said that … there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels medium for one person can feel like “firm” for someone else or “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here). This is all relative and subjective and is as much an art as a science.

If your mattress is still firmer than you are comfortable with once you have slept on it for a few weeks then it’s possible that the firmness choice you made wasn’t the most suitable choice for you but of course that’s the reason for the 120 day trial period so you can test the mattress in your bedroom by actually sleeping on it instead of testing it in a showroom.

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback … I appreciate it. I’ll be interested in your follow up comments after you’ve talked with Brooklyn Bedding and of course about how the mattress feels to you once you’ve slept on it for a little longer as well.

Phoenix

100

Hi Phoenix (and others)–

I’ve begun my mattress search and I’m obviously encouraged by the good feedback (as well as the active response to negative feedback) I’ve seen given here by others, and by Mario at BB. I have a few questions with which I’m hoping I can get some help.

Did BB recently move away from a multi-line, 10-level firmness offering, to a single-line (Best Mattress Ever), 3-level firmness offering? While I see evidence online of other mattresses and firmness levels attributed to BB, these all appear to me to be “legacy.” I don’t have a problem with this, but if BB’s website currently supports a mattress option other than Best Mattress Ever, I don’t see it.

I was curious to know if there are any people with my general profile who have purchased from BB recently. I’m a guy who knows where to put his pizza (5’11", 300–hey, I’m working on it). But, thankfully, I’m also a guy who knows how to steal his wife’s pizza (she’s less than half my weight). This weight disparity concerns me as I’m looking at mattress options where the sides aren’t “split” in firmness. I get the impression that the BME cannot be ordered in a split configuration. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who purchased a BME that either has a significant weight disparity with their partner, or who loves pizza as-much or almost-as-much as I do, if that’s explicit enough.

Finally, we will be relocating to Phoenix (the city, not the forum participant) at the end of the month, and it is for these new living arrangements that I’d be looking to purchase a mattress. Unfortunately, I have a very tight (48-hour) window in which I’d have to receive, or supply, a mattress at my new location (will be there for 48 hr, then gone for several weeks). As I’ll have a moving truck already, I wonder if it’s possible for me to physically get a BME mattress either at the warehouse, or somewhere in the metro Phoenix area, on a particular day. (I probably should direct this question to BB, but thought I’d ask in case anyone got a BME mattress this way.)

Thanks for all the useful information on the site, and thanks to those of you who’ve contributed in this particular thread.

101

The ordered size was standard or eastern king. My mistake I meant 80x76 as ordered. The 71" width measurement was a real surprise and far narrower than expected. I have not had it long enough to allow our bodies to adjust.

102

Hello B4Bob,

Thank you for your order! Please keep me updated on your experience, and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Mario
Brooklyn Bedding
888.210.8751
480.323.8831

103

Hi FourAgreements,

Yes they did. You can see some comments about the switch and a link on the wayback machine to their previous lineup in post #1027 here.

Hopefully any of the members here who are in the same general weight range or circumstances will see your post and share their comments but I would be very cautious about using other people’s experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person (even if they are in the same weight range) may be completely unsuitable for someone else either in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or in terms of durability (see post #13 here). Reviews about the knowledge or service at a particular store can certainly be helpful but when it comes to the specifics of a mattress they won’t provide you with the type of reliable information you will need to make an informed choice about how well you will sleep on a mattress, how long you will sleep well, or the “value” of a mattress purchase compared to all the other options that are available to you either in your area or online.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs or firmness options to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.

As you mentioned … I think a phone call to BB would probably be the best way to answer this.

Phoenix

104

These words by Phoenix are so true! I’m still in the early days of my BME and the medium to me feels very soft. I’m giving it some time to be fair knowing that BB says 98% of people go with the medium, but I definitely expected it to be firmer, which just goes to illustrate P’s point because what is too soft to me is too firm for another. (My pelvis in particular does not feel supported and sinks down past alignment, but the live chat BB person said it could firm up more, so I’m giving it some time.)

105

Finally got around to ordering a King medium from BB. Coming from a worn out queen size sealy blue lake memory foam with amazon 3 inch memory foam topper, needless to say I cant wait. My current mattress has developed a crease in the middle that my fiance and I find our selves constantly trying to roll what feels like uphill out of, and it sleeps fairly hot. the support is good for the first 20 minutes your on it. Looking forward to this highly spoken latex mattress.

I will write back after receiving and trying it out.

106

Hi billynath1988,

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your comments once you’ve received it as well.

Phoenix

107

Don’t forget that Memory foam and latex feel very different to most and it may take several weeks to adjust.
Congratulations on making the decision to give quality a try.

108

So after 2 weeks my #BME still remains at 57x78 so I am going to return it. Probably for the best anyway as the soft is turning out to be a touch softer then I would like it to be. I do think I learned a lot from this experience and latex mattresses are the real deal but you definitely cannot compare your experience with one mattresses ILD to that of another. In this case I am guessing for me the 19ILD soft top layer and the near one inch of quilted polyfoam just made things a bit too soft for my liking. I think right now I am going to debate my options instead of just exchanging for the medium as I might just try to save up and go all latex in a few months when I have the money.

I reached out to Brooklyn Bedding today and they told me the person that handles returns is out until Monday. I will reach out to them then and can report back on the process as I know a few people asked about it.

109

Hi zexpress,

Thanks for the update and I’m sorry to hear that your mattress didn’t turn out as well for you as you hoped for. As you know firmness choices can be very subjective and one person’s “too soft” can be another person’s “too firm” (or vice versa) which is one of the reasons that when you are considering an online purchase that the options you have after a purchase to exchange or return a mattress can be one of the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase.

It’s also unusual that a compressed mattress doesn’t decompress to its full size but it’s always possible that a small percentage of mattresses that are sold by any manufacturer can have a manufacturing defect of some type which seems to be the issue with your mattress and of course in this case they would either replace it or you can return the mattress and they will issue a refund.

As you mentioned Mario looks after returns for BB and is currently away on holidays but I talked with Chuck at Dreamfoam who is one of their senior employees and he told me that if you call them tomorrow he will make sure that they can start the return process for you tomorrow so you won’t need to wait until Monday to get the return process started.

Phoenix

110

Hello,

We are looking to upgrade to a king mattress now that we have a kid and two dogs in bed with us our queen is feeling quite crowded. Buying online really appeals to us since that is how we do most of our shopping and once we found this website we decided on the BME. My husband wants to build our platform bed for the mattress, but he won’t have time to build it for a couple months. Would it be okay to put the mattress on the floor in the meantime or should we wait to purchase when we actually have the bed ready?

Thanks!

111

Hi mrstweedle,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

As you know I think you are making a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

It would be OK in terms of providing good support for the mattress but there would be no airflow under the mattress which along with any other risk factors that may be present could increase the odds of developing mold or mildew under the mattress (see post #10 here).

It should be OK in the short term as long as you check the bottom of the mattress on a regular basis and give the bottom of the mattress a chance to air out from time to time (say once or twice a week) either by flipping the mattress over for the day or by standing it on its side (without any sheets or bedding on the mattress) so that any moisture or condensation that is trapped in the mattress has a chance to evaporate.

It may also be a good idea to put a wool blanket under the mattress as well for the time you are using it on the floor.

Phoenix

112

Hello,

I had a question regarding sheets I needed to get something for myself and my son which sweats a ton. I’m not as concerned with myself as i do find our new mattress does feel much cooler then our last one, but I would like to know what type of materials feel cooler and also maybe a thread count you would recommend to help him sleep a little cooler. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thx,

113

Hi sjramos,

There is more information about choosing sheets in post #7 here and the other posts and sources of information it links to that should be helpful.

Phoenix

114

Thought I should give my take on Brooklyn Bedding’s BME as I’ve been sleeping on it for a little over a week now!

Prior to purchasing, I spoke to Mario for a firmness recommendation. I’m 5’0" 95lbs and a stomach/side sleeper, while my s.o. is 6’1" 175lbs and a back/side sleeper. He recommended medium for the both of us, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a medium firmness CA king.

It arrived within a few days from AZ to CA. Unpacking the mattress was pretty simple, and while I am fairly sensitive to smells I wasn’t bothered by the off-gassing. I had to press my face into the mattress to even get a good sense of the smell, and by now it’s dissipated completely. Also the s.o. and I both love the soft mattress cover and almost wish we could just sleep on that.

We were coming from an old spring mattress (him) and a med-firm Tempurpedic memory foam mattress (me), so latex foam is new territory for us. I hated his dented, uncomfortable bed, and he didn’t much care for my heat-retaining, body-swallowing bed. We’re both loving how cool the BME sleeps, and its sort of bouncy supportiveness. At first with the medium BME I was concerned it was a little too firm for my liking, as I prefer things soft and squishy (my Tempurpedic was always too firm to me). However I’ve had absolutely no trouble getting to sleep (and that’s after a lifetime of being a tosser and turner), and no soreness or discomfort. My s.o. is satisfied with the firmness too, so I guess the medium is working out after all.

Regarding the edges, they’re at least more supportive than my old Tempurpedic’s, so that’s good enough for me. There’s also little to no motion transfer - my s.o. and I rarely sleep or rise at the same time, but neither of us bothers the other getting in and out.

I just measured the mattress at about 70x84 (standard CA king 72x85), but my measuring might’ve been a bit shoddy. Regardless, we’re happy with the size. I could fit on just about anything (I actually even fit horizontally, lol), but the s.o. is thrilled to have a mattress that his feet don’t dangle off of.

Overall I think we made a really solid choice on the BME (especially considering we were previously looking into another $3000 Tempurpedic); they really make a solid product that I’d definitely recommend.

115

Hi Morokea,

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

It’s great to see that your mattress is working out well for both of you!

Phoenix

116

Thank you! As always the information on this site is incredibly helpful.

117

Just ordered a BME firm, pretty excited. Everything on TMU help me make a decision. Any thoughts on just laying this thing on the floor, is that okay for the mattress?
Thx J.