Chattanooga, TN area help please

Hello, it has been 2+ years since the information on Chattanooga area mattress retailers was posted, so I’d like to provide an update and get feedback on what I have found.

After reading your positive posting on Murmaid, I visited their showroom a few times recently. The salesman said their foam is manufactured here in Chattanooga. The support layer is the same as what is used in the Sealy Optimum line (1.5 lb density) - he said that Sealy gets that foam from the plant in Chattanooga. He said that since Murmaid does not have a middleman, they sell their mattresses for less $ than the major competitors at the same level of quality. This makes me skeptical about Murmaid because if their materials are the same quality as Sealy, Serta, etc - then their mattresses aren’t an improvement over the major brands.

The Murmaid showrooms also sell Sealy, Tempur-pedic (also Sealy), Westin Heavenly Bed and Stearns and Foster. I was told the owner of Murmaid also owns the “Mattress Outlet” store in Chattanooga, which sells the major S brands.

Two of the three locations you posted in Chattanooga have closed since the date of your 2012 post - so I am going to drive to the remaining open location in Cleveland, TN (www.mafe.us) to check out Corsicana, Bed Boss and Medipedic. Otherwise, it looks like I’ll have to resort to an online purchase.

Other actions I have taken:

I contacted the Therapedic rep and he sent me to Chattanooga Mattress and Futons. Worst experience so far. The salesman told me that Therapedic is low quality and they don’t want to sell any of that, and then pointed me to an innerspring Beautyrest. He had one latex model and said he didn’t understand why someone would want that. I did find one Therapedic hybrid model at Rooms to Go.

I visited E.F. Brannon Furniture who sells Jamison mattresses, but I found the foam mattresses in their showroom to be too firm. While trying out mattresses, nobody on staff spoke to me, which was kind of nice, but imparted the impression that mattresses aren’t their focus. Website: https://chattanoogafurnitureshop.com

Not against driving to Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville or Atlanta, but I’m not sure if I could get a mattress shipped at a reasonable cost, or returned if it didn’t work out.

Anyhow, my main point is that I am not sure Murmaid is making a quality product, without having sufficient information about what goes into their foam mattresses I can’t assume they do.

I have found in my search that I prefer a softer memory foam mattress such as the tempur cloud luxe series, but might consider buying a medium-soft version as I found some of them to be ok, and may be better in the long run.

Hi mb321,

Thanks for the update on Chattanooga … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Your post was a good excuse to update the list so over the course of the next few days I’ll add any other options or possibilities I come across as well (and I’ve already come across a few others that weren’t on the list that I would consider) and I’ve removed the two that are no longer in business.

[quote]After reading your positive posting on Murmaid, I visited their showroom a few times recently. The salesman said their foam is manufactured here in Chattanooga. The support layer is the same as what is used in the Sealy Optimum line (1.5 lb density) - he said that Sealy gets that foam from the plant in Chattanooga. He said that since Murmaid does not have a middleman, they sell their mattresses for less $ than the major competitors at the same level of quality. This makes me skeptical about Murmaid because if their materials are the same quality as Sealy, Serta, etc - then their mattresses aren’t an improvement over the major brands.

The Murmaid showrooms also sell Sealy, Tempur-pedic (also Sealy), Westin Heavenly Bed and Stearns and Foster. I was told the owner of Murmaid also owns the “Mattress Outlet” store in Chattanooga, which sells the major S brands.[/quote]

When you are dealing with a manufacturer that has multiple stores then it’s not unusual to come across a salesperson that isn’t as well informed as others and you may not have been getting accurate information. If their mattresses use the same quality materials as a major brand mattress but are in lower price ranges then I would still consider them to be better value. For example … they have a latex hybrid mattress listed here that has 2.75" of latex over a polyfoam support core and 1.5" of quilting and an organic cotton cover which sells for $1359 in queen size. I don’t know the density of the polyfoam in the support core (they list it as “super high density which I would suspect is more than 1.5 lb density) but for most people in average weight ranges even a 1.5 lb polyfoam support core with more than 3” of good quality comfort layers on top of it would be a durable choice. You can compare this to the Sealy Optimum Latex Dreams here which uses 3" of latex (possibly a lower cost type and blend of latex) and a 1.5 lb polyfoam support core that sells for $1474 in queen. Of course I would want to know the specifics of all the materials in each mattress if I was considering or comparing them but the Murmaid would have the same or better quality materials and is in a lower budget range than the Sealy.
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In other words … I would want to know the specifics of any mattress I purchased on a “mattress by mattress” basis.

I talked with the manager of one of the Murmaid stores asking about the type and blend of their latex and the density of the polyfoam in this mattress just to see if they will provide this information and I’ll post it here as soon as they call me back.

It’s not all that unusual that an independent manufacturer sells other brands as well because in many cases they are under a lot of pressure with their market share and “brand names” that people recognize can bring people into the store that otherwise wouldn’t even consider them (the vast majority of consumers just "follow the advertising and purchase a major brand not realizing that they are buying a “story”). They will also sometimes bring in other mattresses to “fill in” gaps in their lineup that they don’t wish to manufacture themselves. Having said that … it would be unusual if they were “promoting other brands” over their own mattresses and I would treat this with real caution (and I would avoid most of the major brand mattresses they carry).

Hopefully they will call me back so I can confirm that they are still transparent about the materials they use in their mattresses but I agree with you that I wouldn’t assume anything with any mattress purchase and I also would tend to avoid any mattress where I couldn’t confirm the type and quality of the materials inside it.

These are one of the retailers that I will be adding to the list as a “possibility” because Jamison (who have now been purchased by Solstice Sleep Products) generally uses higher quality materials in their mattresses than most of the mainstream industry. Another retailer that carry a mix of the Jamison mattresses including latex and memory foam is shopcochranfurniture.com/ in Ringgold and grossfurnituretrenton.com/ in Trenton also carries some of their latex hybrids.
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I appreciate all your feedback and acting as the “trigger” to update the list which should be complete in the next few days.

Phoenix

Thanks for the quick and thorough response. Looking forward to what you find out about Murmaid materials (hopefully the store manager will call you back) and other retailers in the area.

I’ll post an update if I find time to visit the Mattress Expo store in Cleveland this weekend or next.

Hi mb321,

I’ve updated the Chattanooga list with some of the additional “possibilities” I could see based on their sites and a few phone calls I had the chance to make but I would also keep in mind that these are only “possibilities” that I would consider on a mattress by mattress basis (subject to the guidelines here) and as always I would always make sure that you can find out all the information you need to make an informed choice about any mattress that you are considering.

As I make a few more calls I will add any others that may also be “possibilities” or add any other comments that may be helpful.

I didn’t hear back from Murmaid so I may need to call them back.

Interestingly enough I called their main number and told them who I was and that I had a few questions about their materials and talked to a customer service rep that told me she would try find out the answers to my questions. When she didn’t phone me back I called again and she told me that her manager had told her that “all the information I needed” was on their site". When I told her that what I was looking for wasn’t there she told me she “had to go” and became quite unfriendly. I asked to speak to the manager but she said he didn’t want to talk with me. I told her that this was a very strange and not so pleasant way to treat someone that had brought them business over the last few years and was “on their side”. I wasn’t impressed to say the least.

I then called a manager at one of their stores who was relatively new and told her about my experience with their head office and she said that they didn’t know a lot (and didn’t sound surprised) and that she would call someone that she was certain could answer what I was asking (the density of the polyfoam and the type and blend of the latex in their latex hybrids) and would call me back but this is the call I am still waiting for. She was much more “friendly” than the people at their main office but I still don’t have the information I was looking for.

Phoenix

Thanks for the follow up on Murmaid - hopefully they will call you back with the information you requested.

I drove to Cleveland this afternoon to visit two stores that you listed and the visit was encouraging.

  1. Mattress & Furniture Expo (https://www.mafe.us/) - salesman is Brent - they have floor models from Pure Latex Bliss, Symbol Mattress, Bed Boss, Medipedic (innerspring), and Spirit Sleep. Prices were very reasonable. they offer free delivery but no returns allowed. Bed Boss has a 10 year warranty, Spirit Sleep 20 year warranty, CertiPUR certified.

I don’t know much about Spirit Sleep but their model was comfortable and they give info on foam densities on their website: spiritsleep.com
The Bed Boss models were comfortable also. https://www.thebedboss.com
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  1. Scott’s Furniture (http://scottsfurniturecompany.com) - Sells Dutch Craft, Sealy, American Handcrafted Bedding. Once I got home I realized I am confused about the relationship between Dutch Craft and American Handcrafted Bedding. The memory foam model on their floor is priced American Handcrafted on the tag, with a foot runner and pillows by Dutch Craft. Not sure if the two companies are related. The model, Silver Bay, is on this website: https://www.ahbedding.com/ahbedding/About.aspx
    The price tag does not list the densities of the foam in the mattress. Sales guy did not know - he was a young collegiate. (I would add a photo of the price tag but the add file button doesn’t seem to work.)

Hi mb321,

I hope so too :slight_smile:

Spirit Sleep is a Zinus Brand that tends to use lower quality/density memory foam than I would be comfortable with. A forum search on Spirit Sleep (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and information about them.

Bed Boss is another Chinese manufacturer that is also CertiPur certified but they tend to use higher quality materials in their mattresses than Spirit Sleep. You can read some comments about them (and other manufacturers that get their foam from the same foam manufacturer) in post #2 here and a forum search on Bed Boss will also bring up more information and feedback about them as well. As with any mattress purchase in addition to careful testing for PPP I would always want to know the quality/density of all the layers in any mattress I was considering.

No they aren’t related. There are several manufacturers with “American Bedding” in their name but I believe the one they carry was an independent manufacturer that was purchased fairly recently by Corsicana (see post #5 here). Dutch Craft is an independent manufacturers that is a different company completely. They are probably just using the same runner on all their mattresses but the tag would be accurate. Either way though … the information you need about the specifics of the layers and components inside any mattress to make an informed choice (see here) is always more important than the name of the manufacturer.

Some browsers seem to have difficulty with attachments (see the help tab here) but if it doesn’t work for you then you can always email me the picture you wish to attach and I can attach it to your post for you.

Phoenix

IE WinXP is letting me upload the photos - one is of the American Handcrafted price tag, the other is Bed Boss. The only density reference is on the Bed Boss tag, which states “3-4 lb” density for the two topmost layers totaling 4 inches.


11" Eurotop with 4 inches of 3-4 pound semi-open breathable visco-elastic memory foam
-Soft blended bamboo fiber cover with aloe vera treatment, wave stitch
-1.0 inch layer of heat dissipating bamboo infused visco quilted into cover
-3.0 inch layer of visco memory foam
-7 inch base layer of higher resiliency poly foam

Smaller text reads “The bed that redefines affordable comfort with a distinctive euro top design. Bamboo infused memory foam is more breathable and dissipates up to 80% more heat than Temp-foam. Our foam’s semi open cells are more porous than Temp-foam while support is above or equal to others’ 5 lb density foam. The memory foam’s recovery of 4-6 seconds is the optimal balance of support and pressure relief.”


Support: 4" Gel, 2" Comfort Foam, 6" HD Base Foam
Warranty: 15 year

Hi mb321,

I would want to know the specific density information for each layer (see this article) … not just a “range” for the layers overall. If there is more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality/density materials in the mattress then it could be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability. The information you attached isn’t specific enough to make any meaningful comments about the quality of the materials and I would ask them about the density of all 3 layers (two memory foam and one polyfoam).

All the rest of the information is just “marketing stuff”.

Phoenix

I will contact both and provide a follow-up when I receive responses.

Hi mb321,

Sounds good … and I’m looking forward to finding out what they tell you.

Phoenix

Response below about the American Handcrafted foam mattress - surprisingly it did come from a Dutch Craft representative.

Thanks for your interest in the Silver Bay. Here are the specs.
2" preserve 4 lb gel infused memory foam 12ild
2" 4 lb memory foam 15ild
7" 1.8 lb foam core with a 24 ild
Hope this helps!
Thanks!

Eli Schmucker

Dutch Craft Mattress Company
1012 Mitchell St.
Celina, Tn 38551
931-243-4425 Fax 931-243-4427
www.sleepdutchcraft.com

Also, a Bed Boss rep called me back. The specs for the Visco Heir ET are as stated:

  1. 1" bamboo infused visco top layer - 1-2 lb density
  2. 3" visco memory foam middle layer - 3-4 lb density
  3. 7" base foam - 4-5 lb density

She did not have numbers for ILD.
She also didn’t sound sure about density for the top layer.
I asked why she provided ranges instead of exact numbers. She said because in the manufacturing process the materials are liquid before pouring into a mold so they just have ranges. Not sure I get that, but she didn’t know any further information.

Third, I contacted InnerSpace Mattresses in Dalton, GA about local retailers. Their answer is below. It sounds like they are primarily an internet retailer.
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We do not sell direct, but you are welcome to stop by our warehouse in
Dalton and we can show you some of the items we carry. Is there something in
particular you were interested in?

Thanks,

Micah

Hi mb321,

[quote]mb321’s Avatar

Response below about the American Handcrafted foam mattress - surprisingly it did come from a Dutch Craft representative.

Thanks for your interest in the Silver Bay. Here are the specs.
2" preserve 4 lb gel infused memory foam 12ild
2" 4 lb memory foam 15ild
7" 1.8 lb foam core with a 24 ild
Hope this helps!
Thanks![/quote]

I guess that the “American Handcrafted” is the name of a line of mattresses made by Dutch Craft rather than the name of the manufacturer of the mattress.

In any case … the specs you listed don’t have any weak links in terms of durability and would be fine for most people that weren’t in higher weight ranges (you can see the more specific guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here).

[quote]1. 1" bamboo infused visco top layer - 1-2 lb density
2. 3" visco memory foam middle layer - 3-4 lb density
3. 7" base foam - 4-5 lb density

She did not have numbers for ILD.
She also didn’t sound sure about density for the top layer.
I asked why she provided ranges instead of exact numbers. She said because in the manufacturing process the materials are liquid before pouring into a mold so they just have ranges. Not sure I get that, but she didn’t know any further information.[/quote]

These specs would be “questionable”. If you are given density specs that are in a range that is that wide (ranges of about 5% to 10% would be more normal) then I would assume that it was in the lower end of the range and 3" of 3 lb memory foam would generally be a weak link in a mattress and I would tend to choose mattresses that have a minimum of 4 lb density memory foam unless you are in the lowest budget ranges or durability and the useful life of a mattress isn’t a significant issue for you (such as buying a mattress for temporary use of for a guest bedroom that is only used occasionally).

It’s also very unlikely that the polyfoam in the 7" base layer is 4 - 5 lb density since this would normally be in the density range for memory foam not polyfoam. If the only lower density layer was the 1" on top then it would be inside the guidelines I normally suggest which are “about an inch or so of lower density or unknown materials in the upper layers of a mattress” but with the lower density memory foam in the 3" layer below that and with the questionable specs in the base layer (which doesn’t give me confidence that the person that supplied the information you received are knowledgeable about foam specs in general) the durability risks involved in buying this mattress would be higher than I would be comfortable with.

ILD numbers are “comfort specs” and aren’t important to know because your testing will tell you whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). With memory foam ILD numbers aren’t particularly meaningful anyway because they can change with temperature, humidity, and the length of time the memory foam is compressed and they don’t compare well as a measure of firmness/softness to ILD numbers for other types of foam.

[quote]Third, I contacted InnerSpace Mattresses in Dalton, GA about local retailers. Their answer is below. It sounds like they are primarily an internet retailer.
www.innerspacemattresses.com/index.php

We do not sell direct, but you are welcome to stop by our warehouse in
Dalton and we can show you some of the items we carry. Is there something in
particular you were interested in?[/quote]

I don’t know how I managed to link innerspacemattresses who are a wholesaler and usually sold online as you mentioned. It was supposed to be in Trenton. I’ve edited the listing and thanks for bringing it to my attention :).
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Phoenix

Thanks for the feedback - I will put the Dutch Craft model on my strong possibility list. I plan to stop in Ringgold/Fort Oglethorpe and look at some of those retailers soon and will post on what I find there.

Hi mb321,

As always … I’m looking forward to your feedback after your visit :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi, I went to Ringgold, GA and Fort Oglethorpe, GA today to check out four stores.

  1. Linderman’s Furniture - Ringgold - mostly lower end range ($800 for a king), two memory foam models, a Bed Boss and Spirit Sleep.
  2. Cochran’s Furniture - Ringgold - very nice store with Jamison line, and I wish I could like their mattresses, but so far the only foam models I’ve found are quite firm, and I haven’t found a liking for latex either.
  3. Slaten Discount Furniture - Fort O - I talked to this guy on the phone first and he led me to think they had several memory foam models, but they had just one lower end “foam” model by Capital Mattress and I wouldn’t call it “memory”. He did have three nice innerspring Therapedic models.
  4. The Mattress Connection - Fort O - the sign outside said “Mattress Direct” - but I did match the phone number so it’s the same store. They had Symbol models among others. Bedding had “Sterling & Thomas” pillows and runners, which confused me. They had one model that interested me:
  • The mattress is made by Symbol but is listed as made by a company called “Master Craft Sleep Products” in Jasper, AL. The model of the mattress is “Freedom” and is a “13 inch Gel Memory Foam”. The sales person said it contains a layer of latex but I’m not sure that’s correct. I asked her if she knew the layer heights and densities in the model and she said no. So, I will call this manufacturer in Jasper on Monday. Her excuse was “It’s a new model so we don’t have that information yet.” Not sure that I believe that.

I’ll update if I can get in contact with anyone regarding this model.

Hi mb321,

Thanks for the feedback on the Ringgold and Fort Oblethorpe stores … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Capital tends to make lower budget mattresses where the foam quality/density would reflect the lower price but if they can provide the specs of the Therapedic mattresses (see this article) then they may be worth considering for those that prefer this type of mattress.

Sterling & Thomas is a line that is made by American Bedding which is now owned by Corsicana but it’s not so unusual for a store to use runners that have a different name from the manufacturers of the mattress they are on.

Whether they had the information available or not … it’s the job of a good manufacturer to call the factory to find out the information you need to make an informed choice and they should have offered to do so rather than having a customer do their job for them. In some cases a factory will only provide this information to their retailers. If you can find out the information you need about the Symbol 13 inch Gel Memory Foam and list it on the forum then I’d be happy to share my thoughts about the quality of the materials inside it. A quick way to check whether there is any latex in a mattress would be to check the law tag which lists the type of materials in the mattress by percentage weight (although it won’t tell you the type or blend of the latex or the thickness of the layer). Master Craft Sleep Products is the Symbol factory that makes Symbol mattresses in your area.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Phoenix

Follow up on the Symbol mattress I found labeled “Master Craft Sleep Products” “Freedom 13” Gel and Latex" model.

  1. I called the Master Craft Sleep Products factory in Jasper, AL. The guy who answered the phone was not friendly and would not answer my questions. He said he makes the mattress himself but did not know what kind of latex is in the mattress and then refused to answer any more questions.

  2. I called the sales person at Mattress Connection back and asked her if she could find information on the mattress. She said the display tag arrived this week and gave me this information - it has four layers: 2" high density gel foam, 2" latex, 2" memory foam, then 7" furniture grade foam. I asked her if she had any information on the type of latex - no. Did she have any information on the densities of the foams - no. And also “densities are scientific so customers don’t care about that stuff”. She also suggested that I go online and do some research on memory foam mattresses so I could see that they don’t release information about materials typically, and that if the price of the mattress is higher, it implies the mattress has higher quality materials. She said the “Freedom” model is store specific and that there maybe a similar model to review on the Symbol website, but I could not find anything like it on their website.

I’m pretty bummed because that model was the most comfortable to me so far.

So, after three Saturday afternoons and visiting approx 10 different stores in three different cities, I have one Dutch Craft model on my possibility list. Which leads me to think I’m going to have to order something online that has a full return policy if I decide I don’t want the Dutch Craft, and due to that store’s/brand’s no return policy, I’m nervous about buying something without a trial period.

My conclusion is for memory foam mattresses in Chattanooga area - if you don’t want to pay for Tempurpedic, you have either Jamison or Dutch Craft, otherwise you are SOL.

Hi mb321,

[quote]1. I called the Master Craft Sleep Products factory in Jasper, AL. The guy who answered the phone was not friendly and would not answer my questions. He said he makes the mattress himself but did not know what kind of latex is in the mattress and then refused to answer any more questions.

  1. I called the sales person at Mattress Connection back and asked her if she could find information on the mattress. She said the display tag arrived this week and gave me this information - it has four layers: 2" high density gel foam, 2" latex, 2" memory foam, then 7" furniture grade foam. I asked her if she had any information on the type of latex - no. Did she have any information on the densities of the foams - no. And also “densities are scientific so customers don’t care about that stuff”. She also suggested that I go online and do some research on memory foam mattresses so I could see that they don’t release information about materials typically, and that if the price of the mattress is higher, it implies the mattress has higher quality materials. She said the “Freedom” model is store specific and that there maybe a similar model to review on the Symbol website, but I could not find anything like it on their website.[/quote]

Unfortunately your experience is fairly typical in the industry. Most wholesale manufacturers aren’t set up to deal with consumers (and often don’t do a great job with consumer inquiries) and it’s also very common in the mainstream industry to encounter salespeople with very little knowledge who will tell you that “you don’t need to know that” only because they don’t know themselves. As sad as it may be … most people who spend more than about an hour or so on this site will know more meaningful information about mattresses than the large majority of people who sell them in the mainstream industry.

The Symbol Freedom mattresses aren’t “store specific” (see the bottom of this article) and are a new line of mattresses that Symbol has introduced that is available to any of their retailers.

Furniture grade foam typically refers to 1.8 lb polyfoam or higher (which would be a suitable density for a support layer) and latex is also a high quality and durable material (regardless of the type or blend) relative to other types of foam but I would want to know the density of the memory foam layers to make sure there are no weak links in the mattress and as you and others have discovered this can be difficult to find out with some manufacturers or retailers (see post #4 here for another example).

Just as a “tip” … it can be a good idea to call any store you plan to visit before actually going there to make sure they will provide you with the specs you will need (see this article) because it can be very frustrating to test mattresses at a store for PPP and find a good “match” only to discover that you can’t find out the quality/durability of the materials.

Both of these are more transparent than most other manufacturers and make some high quality mattresses that would be worth considering.

Phoenix

Thanks for the info on the Symbol mattresses. I contacted them via their website contact form - so if they reply I’ll post the info here.

If I decide to go to Nashville or Atlanta, I’ll definitely call first to ask questions and then eliminate the retailer if they are not knowledgeable on the phone, to save myself some time.

Hi mb321,

[quote]Not against driving to Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville or Atlanta, but I’m not sure if I could get a mattress shipped at a reasonable cost, or returned if it didn’t work out.

If I decide to go to Nashville or Atlanta, I’ll definitely call first to ask questions and then eliminate the retailer if they are not knowledgeable on the phone, to save myself some time. [/quote]

You’ve probably seen these already but just in case you haven’t …

The Nashville, TN. list is here, the Birmingham, AL. list is here, the Huntsville, AL. list is here, and the Atlanta, GA. list is here.

Phoenix