Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
278

I have read this forum and all the great info as a guest for quite a while now and thought I would contribute as everyone else’s experience has helped immensely. The mattress buying guide and suggestions of what materials to look for had me finally deciding between Brooklyn Bedding The Best Bed Ever and the Nest Love Bed.

Truthfully, comparing them they both look like quality mattresses at very similar price points. For me, I have decided to go with the Brooklyn Bedding and just ordered the CA King in medium firmness. The website is very informative and yet sleek which after looking at way too many mattress websites online was appreciated. I decided to web chat instead of calling as it seemed easier. Keaton was very helpful with choosing the firmness based on my wife and I body configuration and also made sure I had the correct sale chosen for labor day to receive 5% off with (2) free pillows!

I will try and review how the mattress is after a few weeks as even though you shouldn’t base your decision off of others, it is always comforting to hear an opinion.

279

Hi newma253,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

As you know I think you made a great quality/value choice and I’m also looking forward to your comments and feedback once you receive it and have had the chance to try it out.

I certainly agree with you that a mattress that is a good choice for one person or even a group of people isn’t particular relevant to the type of mattress or firmness level that be suitable or preferable for someone else but I also agree that it’s nice to hear the outcome of each person’s choice as well and find out how well their choice worked out for them (regardless of whether the same choice would work well for someone else). Otherwise … it’s something like reading a book and finding out that the last chapter is missing.

Phoenix

280

Doesn’t the fact that My Green Mattress blends polyester in with their joma wool make it less breathable and obviously less green? I like so much about their product offerings but this piece of information scares me. I’m hoping you can shed some light.

281

Hi GreenMama,

I’m not aware that My Green Mattress uses wool that is blended with polyester fibers and it certainly doesn’t say so on their site but they would know more about the specifics of their materials and components than I would so I’m not sure if your information came from them or somewhere else.

Having said that … polyester fiber can be just as breathable as wool (depending on the densification of the wool or polester you are comparing) but it doesn’t absorb or hold moisture as well so it wouldn’t be as temperature regulating and as you mentioned it’s certainly not as “green” or “natural” as wool.

For those who are focused on more natural or green materials it also wouldn’t be as desirable as natural wool but I certainly wouldn’t consider polyester fiber to be “toxic” and it wouldn’t “scare” me to sleep on it.

Phoenix

282

Thanks, Phoenix. The information about using polyester came directly from the company. I get that they use it so it doesn’t clump, but it doesn’t sit well that it’s called a green mattress when polyester is used. It reassures me you wouldn’t be scared to sleep on it but polyester can be toxic. I guess the next step is to find out more about the fibers they use before jumping to conclusions. I already own one of their latex mattresses and didn’t even think to ask if anything was blended with the wool. I only thought to find out about the cleanliness and toxicity of the wool. I would love for complete transparency from companies! Thanks, again, for your help.

283

Hi Greenmama,

I called them today and while Tim was away until next week … I did confirm that their wool uses a small amount of polyester in their blend (about 12%). While polyester certainly isn’t a natural fiber … there is no specific definition of what “green” really means (it has a different meaning from “natural”) and in most cases in the industry it’s used more as a marketing term than a descriptive term. “Green” also isn’t a black and white definition (where a mattress is either green or it isn’t green with nothing in between) and can only be assessed as part of a range so “how green is green” really depends on all the specifics of a mattress and how the mattress and all the components and materials inside it are manufactured rather than on one specific component. There is more information about “green” mattresses and mattress materials in post #4 here.

While polyester would be toxic if you were to consume it … I wouldn’t have any issues with a quilting material that contained a small (or even larger) amount of polyester fiber being toxic to sleep on although I certainly understand that there are some people that wish to avoid it for more personal, environmental, or lifestyle reasons.

Phoenix

284

Thank you for looking into this so quickly!

285

Hi Greenmama,

When Tim returns I’ll call and talk with him about the polyester in their wool blend and post any additional comments and information on the forum as well.

Thanks for bringing it up on the forum.

Just for the sake of reference … there is also some good information about polyester in this article as well and while it’s clear that the risk with polyester is more in the manufacturing process and to the environment than with using the final product … it is certainly understandable that some people would wish to avoid it completely as part of their lifestyle choices.

Phoenix

286

For the past month I’ve been sleeping on a firm, queen Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever, and I have to say it is way, way, way too soft. I even called to make sure they hadn’t sent the wrong one. But the label definitely says “Firm.”

The mattress provides comfortable support and feels good when I am lying down. But when I sit up on the bed to read or sit on the bed with my legs over the side or move from one spot to another, I really sink into the mattress (by several inches) more than I expect for a firm mattress, and the mattress is also bouncier than I’d like – a bit like I’d imagine a water bed to be. I’m not a large person at 120 lbs and 5’5". If I were to be pregnant, I’m pretty sure getting out of this bed would be a real problem.

I’m sad to say this will probably be returned. I am now back to searching for mattresses and am considering the Ikea Morgedal in firm. Tried it in the store yesterday and it was the only mattress there that had decent support.

287

Hi knitty,

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

Their firm mattress would be too firm for the majority of people but I think that more than anything your experience goes to highlight how different people’s experience can be on the same mattress and how a mattress that is too soft for one person can be too firm for someone else (or vice versa).

Of course foam mattresses are designed to be used primarily for sleeping so it’s also not surprising that a mattress that works well when you are lying down is too soft when you are sitting on it because your weight is much more concentrated in a smaller surface area so you will sink in more deeply when you are sitting on the mattress than you will when you are lying down. The opposite is also true that a mattress that is good for sitting on may not be suitable for sleeping on.

You may find that the Morgedal has a similar issue because it’s also a foam mattress although it uses polyfoam which is less point elastic (contouring) than latex and it’s also thinner so it probably won’t sink in as far although it may not be as good a “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) when you are sleeping.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding next.

Phoenix

288

Does anyone know the density of the base foam that is used? It doesn’t appear to be listed on the website.

Thanks

289

Hi Jeff82882,

The base foam is 2.0 lb density which is a good quality material (see post #2 here in the simplified choice topic).

Phoenix

290

We got the King size mattress in medium firm. The customer service was great!
An update:
My husband who is 175-180 lbs (6’2") has no problems with the mattress. I am around 5’ 3" and between 115-120 lbs. Every morning, I get a backache after sleeping on the bed. I have no idea why. I’m not sure if the bed is too firm for me or if I am not getting enough support? I have been sleeping on this mattress for about a week. Do I need to give it more time? Is there a typical break-in period for beds. Thanks in advance!

291

Hi matwhich,

There is more about the break in and adjustment period in post #3 here. It can vary from person to person but it would normally be about a month or less … and sometimes much less for some people.

There are also some suggestions in post #2 here that may be helpful. I don’t know what type of mattress protector or mattress pad you have but it’s also possible that it could be interfering with the ability of the foam layers to contour to the shape of your body which could be firming up your mattress as well which could also affect alignment/support.

Phoenix

292

First, see the end for my questions if you want to skip all the other details…
Second, thanks for the info I’ve consumed prior to this post.

We’re ordered a King Brooklyn Bedding BME in medium firmness. We decided on this based on recommendations on this site (and other recommendations) and after testing some latex/other foam beds in a local store to ensure we like the feel of latex vs. memory foam and innerspring beds. We thought the soft might be too soft, not just for feel, but causing our 6 year old daughter who climbs in with us to roll into me (I’m 200lbs.).

Background: We’ve typically purchased very soft/plush beds and have enjoyed them. We’ve also spent many times more than the cost of this mattress. The Heavenly Bed and W Beds are okay (saved by the toppers/pads they use), but are too firm for our taste, for example. Our current bed is 11 years old and the indentations are too large/deep. At this time, however, we’re not looking to spend $3500 for a Dunlopillo or $6500 for the other brand I tried. One of the opinions I’ve developed is that nearly any bed will develop indentations overtime (unless we buy an expensive flippable such as a Vispring and really flip it) or buy a foam bedd with no topper. My strategy is to buy a less expensive mattress with the idea that I can replace a $900 bed three times in 10 yrs for the cost of a $2700 bed.

Anyway, so we like soft beds and need a foundation (we’re going from Cal King to King). The plan was to buy an Ikea storage bed (Malm) and buy the more expensive flexible slats (Lonset) which have a close spacing and have some flex for added comfort. The thought was that with a medium, a flexible base and the addition of a decent mattress pad/cover ($100ish cotton/poly/bamboo or some such, not a topper), we’d get a fairly plush feel, some good bounce with some underlying support.

We were about to buy the bed and then saw the foundations with legs. The Sultan Atloy is the most expensive. It is an upholstered foundation and you can add legs (so we can still slide storage drawers or bins underneath). It also looks more “grownup” than most other Ikea bed offerings (and it more expensive than most). The upholstery is padded underneath and is of a quality such that you can use exposed (it’s made to be used that way, without the need for a bed skirt).

From the top down, it is constructed as follows:

  1. Fairly substantial cloth cover, pulled taut.
  2. Bonnell Steel Coils. Can’t identify gauge or spacing. They seem to be about 2"-3" tall.
  3. Rigid wood slats at 2 1/4" spacing.

It has a wood from, of course, around the outside with padding and the upholstery over that. It has a 25 year warranty. For Ikea, it’s expensive. $450 for the king base, plus $80 for the legs we chose and $5 for a set of connectors (it’s a split base). It’ used as a base for their own most expensive, latex based, mattress.

So, to the questions:

  1. Is this an appropriate base for the mattress?
  2. Will it shorten the life o the mattress significantly? We don’t expect to get 10 years. If we get 3-5 years from the mattress, I’m fine.
  3. Will the coils give us a little more cushion, help with a coil mattress like bounce, without causing things like "roll-in’ up top?

Thoughts and advice appreciated.

293

Austin, your base for the mattress sounds fine. I’ll tell you something. I’ve been eyeing the Captain’s bed for awhlle myself. I won’t share a link with you because you will probably drool all over the computer screen.

Oh, and your mattress is designed to last for over ten years. If you get less then ten you can, and should call the company that you purchased it from. BB is guaranteeing ten years and, I suspect they are a company to stand behind their warranty.

Ok, I lied. Go ahead and drool. Now I need to find plans to make a similar one for me and my family.

http://www.ultimatebed.com/landing/?sesid=JHkrfKEAhBXeu78Sgos

294

Hi AustinOski,

I switched your post and the other replies into a new topic of it’s own since it is more about the foundation than the mattress.

The soft would be softer than most people in your weight range would choose based on “averages” and it certainly makes sense that you would be compressing the softer foam layers more which would cause your daughter who is lighter to roll into you.

There is some good information about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or the exchange return options that are available to you).

The most common reason for premature soft spots (virtual impressions) or visible impressions in a mattress (regardless of the price of the mattress) is lower quality materials in the upper comfort layers (a mattress will tend to soften or break down from the top down) but if you follow the suggestions in the quality/durability guidelines here and make sure that a mattress you purchase used higher quality and more durable materials and that it doesn’t have any weak links in the design then it would be reasonable to expect that a mattress (regardless of the price) will have a useful life in the range of 7 - 10 years and if the materials are higher quality and more durable than the minimum guidelines then it would likely be in the upper end of the range and possibly even longer.

I would keep in mind that the price of a mattress isn’t a good indication of how long it will last and there are many mattresses that are in a much higher budget range that use lower quality and less durable materials that will soften and break down much too quickly relative to the price you paid. There are also many mattresses in lower budget ranges that use very low quality materials that may only end up having a useful lifetime that can be measured in months or possibly a few years. The most reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people and other mattresses you are considering … regardless of the price … is based on the quality and durability of the materials and components inside it.

It certainly isn’t an ideal choice. There is more about the different types of support systems that generally work best with different types of mattresses in post #1 here. There is also more about support systems that would be suitable for TheBestMattressEver (or other mattresses that use a similar support core) in this topic as well. In general terms … a foam mattress will do best on a support system that has very little to no flex under the mattress and that has a large enough support surface area and small enough gaps in between the load bearing surfaces to prevent the mattress from sinking or sagging into any gaps in the support system over time.

It may shorten the useful life of the mattress to some degree because of the additional flexing under the mattress (although I don’t know how much) but the biggest issue is that the additional flex may affect the support of the mattress and the ability of your sleeping system to keep you in good alignment over the course of the night. The only way to know this for certain though will be based on your actual sleeping experience.

The coils won’t provide as much cushion as adding a topper because the mattress on top of the coils will absorb most of the weight of the people sleeping on the mattress and if you have a foam mattress that is too firm then I would use a topper instead of adding some additional flex underneath the mattress which you may or may not feel. It could add a little bounce to the mattress but latex is already a very resilient material so this wouldn’t normally be a significant issue and the box spring under the mattress could also add to motion transfer between the sides of the mattress as well.

Phoenix

295

Thanks Phoenix. I got the Luna mattress protector : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002AQPUW0/ref=twister_B00A8QZXC6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought a queen size to use with my older mattress as a test and it seemed fine so i got it to use with the BME. Does it look ok to you?
Thanks much!

296

Hi matwhich,

You can see my comments about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors in post #89 here. While the thin “membrane” type of protectors such as the Luna can have some effect on sleeping temperature for some people … it would be uncommon for them to have any significant effect on the “feel” or contouring of the mattress.

Phoenix

297

well lets try this again. last time i typed this all out last week and as i hit enter my interent crashed and lost it all.

So Ive had my medium firm brooklyn bed for a little over a month now so this is a follow up of my initial reaction.

Unfortunately not much as changed from how i felt the first two nights on this mattress.

I have a queen size and sleep alone so i have room to move around. Ive tried sleeping on both my back and my side. either way it seems like i wake up with my back aching in about 6 hrs. Normally i toss back and forth quite a bit before finally waking up all the way. when im on my back it across my shoulder blades ache and when im on my side its around the bottom of my rib cage.

To me the initial firmness of the mattress seems to hard. No gradual effect of being soft and then gradually firming up for support.

last week i went out of town and stayed in a motel that had an older coil mattress in it. the bed felt hard/uncomfortable when i layed on it on my back but when i woke up in the morning., i layed there for a minute trying to absorb how i lfelt… ( i was on my side) what came to my mind was i couldnt feel the mattress. its like it had vanished under me. in the last 40 days ive slept on this mattress that has been missing. im always aware that im laying on something and for me its not that pleasant.

quality wise…size wise…smell, heat, even sitting on the edge i have no complaints at all.

I really hate to send it back but at this point im seriously considering it. I went for about 3 years suffering on my old mattress and it doesnt make sense to pay out this much money just to be in the same situation.

its good to see that others are having a more positive experience tho. its amazing how subjective comfort is.

David