This is my first post and I have been lurking around for a while here trying to get as much info as possible… Thanks to the wonderful forum!
Based on all the reviews and reading so far, I wanted to give the Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever (BME) a try since they have a good trial window of 120 days and is the most affordable option for me (besides Tuft and Needle, but I feel it might be too firm for me)… I wanted to go with their medium mattress it is the most common option.
However, I decided to try out the Nest Beds today at my local store in CA, especially the “Love beds” as they are similarly priced. I wanted to share my experience with you so that I can get your feedback on which mattress to get.
I am a male, 6’1" tall, about 180 lbs, and like to sleep on my back most of the times, but also roll on the sides during my sleep. At the Nest store today, I found that the medium Love bed was a bit too soft with more sinkage than I would have liked, and the firm one was a little too hard for me with extra support for the back but not as much comfort for my side… So the nice store sales rep asked me to try a 2 inch bamboo foam topper on the firm mattress, and I found that to be a really good fit for both my back support and side comfort. I really liked everything about it and how it felt, but the topper adds up to a $100 to the price of the Love bed queen mattress. And then towards the end, I tried their Alexander medium mattress and absolutely loved it! It was the perfect balance of support and comfort and I just didnt feel any discomfort at all. But obviously it was over my price range at $1200.
I am now stuck in this dilemma if I should give the Brooklyn bed a try with medium firmness as this is well within my budget. Based on my experience with the Nest Firm Love bed + 2 inch bamboo topper, do you think I should do the same thing with the BME as well? Or should I just get the medium BME, try it out during the trial window?
There are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very 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 firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “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) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness as well and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
I would also keep in mind that latex is a completely different material than memory foam and while I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability and assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about how latex and memory foam compare in post #2 here.
While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP … 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 (which would certainly include Brooklyn Bedding) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) 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 or other mattresses you are considering 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 and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I would probably start with just a mattress by itself because it may be all you need and there is no reason to go to the extra expense of adding a topper if you don’t need it. You can always add a topper afterwards if your sleeping experience indicates that you need to.
Thanks for the detailed response Phoenix. I was just a little concerned about the BME medium being too soft and the hard being too firm, but as you said there are so many variables involved.
I will talk to the Brooklyn sales reps on the phone and see if I can make a decision. I would really like to give this a try and see if it works out for me,
[quote]Thanks for the detailed response Phoenix. I was just a little concerned about the BME medium being too soft and the hard being too firm, but as you said there are so many variables involved.
I will talk to the Brooklyn sales reps on the phone and see if I can make a decision. I would really like to give this a try and see if it works out for me,[/quote]
In the end the only way to know how a mattress will feel for you will be based on your own personal experience but that’s the benefit of a good trial period so that you can try it in your bedroom instead of a showroom without any risk outside of the time you spent trying the mattress or returning/donating it.
New here as well so my input will not be as valuable but I will say firmness is definitely subjective. While hunting for a new mattress I found a lot of people would rate my old mattress around a 5-6 in firmness. This led me to Casper as that seemed to be the general consensus there as well., and my friend was raving about it. After a week I absolutely hate it. In my mind I would have the firmness rated at about an 8 with me wanting more like a 4-5. Thank god for the good trial periods on some of these mattresses. Unfortunately i have to hang onto this thing another 3 weeks before they will return it. I am leaning towards the BME now but probably in soft. Good luck on your search.
I currently own the Brooklyn Bedding #BME and have tried the Nest Love Bed in store. A few thoughts:
The two beds, despite being latex over support foam, are quite different in feel. Some of the various firmness levels sometimes use foam atop the latex, and this makes the mattress feel different (as Nest indicates on its website). The firmness levels of the Love Bed change not only the latex ILD, but also include (or do omit) that small amount of foam on top. Did you try all of the love beds in store?
As a completely subjective measure, I think the #BME feels slightly more luxurious and plush – but this will likely vary for you. I personally thought the Love Bed was firmer, but I have a different body type, and only using the beds can determine this for you.
If you don’t think the Nest is for you, and you’ve tried it in store, is there a reason not to go with the #BME? Both places have a great return policy, and excellent customer service. You can’t go wrong with either.
Sorry to bump this thread but I bought a BME last week and have tried it and compared to a Love Bed. I’m a back sleeper so I prefer firm beds.
The BME Firm is definitely more firm than the Love Bed firm. The gf agrees, and so does the manager at Nest. Unfortunately he doesn’t have BME Medium vs Love Bed Medium comparisons. Personally, like the OP, I liked the Love Bed Firm + the 2" foam topper they have in store. Not sure if that corresponds to a BME Medium or whatever.
Not sure if I should look into a Latex topper or just go with the convoluted foam topper that Nest has. Basically Id be looking to soften up a firm mattress, so I think 1" or 2" should be sufficient.
I would keep in mind that here will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials can take longer) and it can be surprising to many people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the break in and adjustment period so I would tend to wait for a few weeks before deciding on whether to add a topper to your mattress.
Once you have slept on your mattress for a few weeks if the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress (which of course there wouldn’t be because your mattress is new) then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there is always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, preferences, sensitivities, physiology, and health conditions can all affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of and a link to the online suppliers that have good exchange/return policies as well (just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
There are also some suggestions in post #2 here that may be helpful if your mattress is too firm as well.