Cheaper equivalent of the icomfort savant?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Phoenix (and anyone else reading this), I was browsing Reddit seeking advice on my upcoming mattress purchase, and 2 people mentioned this website and 1 of them mentioned you personally, so I came over and read some of your articles and posts, and wanted to ask you (or any kind soul who can speak to the subject) for thoughts on my plan of action.

I live in Tulsa, OK and I am 27 years old, 5’11 and 245 pounds. I am moving soon and I want to start fresh in my new abode. My current mattress is a queen innerspring which, while not horrific like one that is at my parent’s house, it is not good by any means. It is quite firm and I often feel sore and aching when I wake up, although not as bad as the firm horror mattress at my parent’s house, which leaves me feeling like someone beat the snot out of me when I sleep on it. However, my parents also own memory foam mattresses, and when I have slept on those, I generally wake up feeling pretty good.

So, I am quite set on getting a memory foam mattress. I was set on a twin, but I have been persuaded that a Twin XL would probably be better so my feet do not hang off the end of the bed. I am single and I do not want my bed to take up a ton of space like my current one does. Also, I admit that I am a cheapskate would like to get as inexpensive a mattress as possible while still getting something decently comfortable. Over the past couple days I have visited 2 mattress stores, and at both locations I have tried and felt good on a Serta icomfort Savant soft/plush, one a queen and one a twin (not sure if the first was called soft or plush, but the second was definitely plush). At the first place, the queen was $1575 and that was after about 5-600 bucks off because it was refurbished (apparently it was bough and someone returned it). The sales-lady said she also had one refurbished Twin XL icomfort savant for $825. At the second store, the price for a Twin XL plush Savant was $1400 I think (which may have included the device that raises the head and feet of the bed). I also tried the Optimum Inspiration Gold plush and firm for about the same price, as well as the Tempur-pedic Cloud Luxe Breeze: Soft, which was $4000. All of those plush (and the one firm) felt good, so why pay $4000 when I could pay $1400? But then, if that is the case, why pay $1400 if I could pay, say, $300?

Which leads to my question. I saw these beds online (started out as seemingly best to worst, but I threw a few more in as I just looked through there. Prices range from $180 to $315):

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Comfort-Dreams-Select-A-Firmness-11-inch-Twin-XL-size-Memory-Foam-Mattress/3158658/product.html?refccid=RERA2DX7S53L4QKGJNDZG7Y3ZY&searchidx=4

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Comfort-Dreams-Select-A-Firmness-9-inch-Twin-XL-size-Memory-Foam-Mattress/4296036/product.html?refccid=RERA2DX7S53L4QKGJNDZG7Y3ZY&searchidx=8

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Bodipedic-Essentials-10-Inch-Twin-XL-Size-Memory-Foam-Mattress/8237479/product.html?refccid=RERA2DX7S53L4QKGJNDZG7Y3ZY&searchidx=30

https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Select-Elastic-Memory-Mattress/dp/B00739JESU/ref=sr_1_20?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1418109775&sr=1-20&keywords=mattress

https://www.amazon.com/Signature-Sleep-Contour-Inch-Mattress/dp/B004LQ1RJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1418109738&sr=1-1&keywords=mattress

https://www.amazon.com/DynastyMattress--Therapeutic-AirFlow-Mattress-Visco-Elastic/dp/B008744KGQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=furniture&ie=UTF8&qid=1418109775&sr=1-3&keywords=mattress

So, looking through those, I see “8-inch” up to “12-inch”, and I guess that is the thickness of the mattress? Would this matter much with memory foam?

I saw Comfort Dreams a few times there, but also mentioned on Reddit were Spa Sensations (Wal-Mart brand?), Novaform (supposedly a Tempur-pedic cheaper equivalent), and Tuft & Needle.

I guess I need to do some more research on sleeplikethedead.com after reading that, because that said that Comfort Dreams tends to be firm even with the soft models, and I am looking for a soft/plush mattress that would be a cheap equivalent to the Serta icomfort Savant (I saw Phoenix that you stated to avoid the big name brands because they do not offer a great value).

I guess I should get to my questions and then go to bed.

  1. Does anyone know of a cheaper mattress that would be comparable to the Serta icomfort Savant (Plush) for a cheaper price?

  2. I thought about just buying a mattress topper and sleeping on that if it was comfortable enough. If I found a comfortable mattress topper, why buy a mattress over a topper placed on the floor or a bedrest or a firm mattress?

  3. The sales-lady mentioned she could also sell me the machine that raises the head and feet of the bed for $799 for a Twin and only $50 bucks more for the queen-size machine. First, do the machines that raise the head and feet of the bed damage the mattress? Second, considering how small the price difference is, could I buy the queen size one and use it for a Twin XL?

I am not concerned about the heat retention, I plan on covering the mattress with a waterproof cover anyways (Like this Luna brand cover, unless anyways knows why I shouldn’t: https://www.amazon.com/Luna-Hypoallergenic-Waterproof-Mattress-Protector/dp/B002AQNXR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1418109950&sr=1-1&keywords=luna+mattress+protector)

Considering how cheap some of those memory foam mattresses are ($180), I feel like any of them would be better than what I currently have, and that even one that might not be perfect would still be a good place to start. I completely understand the point about how important one’s mattress is and that penny-pinching is foolish when it comes to mattresses, but at the same time, if I can get a great mattress for as little as 1/5 of what I would pay for a name brand, that would be great.

Apologies if this got too long, and thanks in advance for any helpful advice and wisdom anyone has to offer.

Blessings

2

Hi AED,

The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

With your higher weight it will be even more important to make sure you know the quality of the materials in any mattress you purchase because lower quality materials will soften or break down more quickly under higher weights. There is more information about buying a mattress for higher weight ranges in post #3 here.

Post #13 here also has more information about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase.

As you can see … the most important part of any mattress purchase is your confidence that a mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, ad Personal preferences) and that you will sleep well on it. This would either involve your own personal testing on a mattress or if you can’t test a mattress in person then a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced online retailer that can help talk you through the options they have available that would have the best chance of being a good match for you and that is more interested in helping you choose the “right” mattress for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences than they are in selling you anything you are willing to buy.

If you aren’t confident that you will sleep well on a mattress then the exchange and return policy and the costs involved would become a much more important part of your purchase decision so you can use your sleeping experience to decide whether your mattress is suitable for you and still have good options available to exchange or return it if it doesn’t work out as well as you hoped for. As far as I know overstock doesn’t allow returns on mattresses and they are certainly not knowledgeable about mattresses or in a position to give you good guidance on the phone so for me that would rule them out as a source for a mattress purchase in most cases.

There is more in post #2 here about the different ways to buy a mattress and how to minimize the risks involved with each of them.

While the thickness of the mattress itself is more of a side effect of the design than an important issue by itself … the type, quality, and thickness of the memory foam layer or layers will be one of the most important factors in whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP. A mattress that only has an inch or two of memory foam will tend to be quite firm and a mattress that uses cheaper lower quality/density memory foam will tend to soften and break down relatively quickly compared to higher quality/density memory foams. A quick scan through all the mattresses you listed seemed to indicate that the quality of the memory foam is lower than I would consider (see the foam quality guidelines here). Your budget range is probably too low for a good quality memory foam mattress that would be suitable for you and it may be worthwhile either raising your budget or considering other types of materials where you would be able to purchase a mattress that would use higher quality materials that would be more durable.

Some of the better lower budget online choices I’m aware of are listed in post #4 here.

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can match another one in post #9 here. I don’t know of another manufacturer that makes a mattress that they have designed to be an close approximation for the iComfort Savant (and it’s unlikely that there would be one in your budget range anyway) so the only way to know whether another mattress would feel similar to the Savant to you (regardless of the quality of the materials) would be based on either a more detailed conversation with an online retailer that was familiar with the Savant and how their mattresses compared to it or based on your own personal testing or sleeping experience. Outside of how it feels … you can compare the quality/density of the materials by finding out the quality/density of the materials in the Savant (which may be difficult to find out) and then comparing the quality/density of the materials inside the mattress you are comparing. Overall … I would tend to avoid using another mattress as your “target” and compare all the mattresses you are considering to a common set of criteria that are part of your personal value equation.

If you have a mattress that is still in good condition and there are no soft spots or visible impressions and all you need is some additional comfort and pressure relief then a topper can be a good idea. If you have a mattress that is past the end of its useful life and has soft spots or impressions then a topper isn’t the best idea because it will just “follow” the soft spots or impressions in the mattress underneath it. If you do decide to add a topper to your mattress then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you decide on the type, thickness, and firmness that has the best chance of success.

Most foam mattresses (either memory foam, polyfoam, or latex foam) are flexible enough to use on an adjustable bed although once they are thicker than about 12" or so they may not bend as easily (depending to some degree on the specifics of the mattress) so you would need to check with the manufacturer or retailer to confirm they will work well on an adjustable bed.

Using a queen adjustable bed under a twin XL mattress may be a little awkward when you are getting in and out of bed but it wouldn’t harm the mattress. I would make sure that the retainer rails are positioned to keep the mattress from shifting (if they are in the corners it probably wouldn’t work). It would probably look a little odd as well if that’s important to you. If you are considering a queen size mattress at some point in the future the the tradeoffs may be worth it to you but these are the types of questions that only you can decide. There is more about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the adjustable bed thread it links to.

If I was in your shoes I would consider using the extra money to buy a better quality and more suitable mattress than the ones you are considering.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Tulsa, OK area that I’m aware of (subject to the guidelines I linked about suitability, durability, and value) are listed in post #2 here.

Phoenix

3

First off, I’m new to this website and forum. It is FANTASTIC! I’m helping a friend find a new mattress. He leans to a plush mattress and loves memory foam. We’ve been all over the Dallas metroplex trying out different types and brands. Each store had something nasty to say about the next, with Golden Mattress getting the worst reviews.

So far, he’s liked the following:
Serta iComfort Savant Everflow Plush
Beautyrest Comforpedic IQ Ingenious Luxury Plush (extremely expensive)
Beautyrest Comforpedic Nourishing Comfort

I know brand names are a no-no. Can anyone recommend another equivalent in the DFW area (like THERAPEDIC)? We have a budget max of $1500. What are your thoughts on “outlet” stores selling brands that cannot be sold at big brand stores? We stopped by LoneStar Mattress Outlet in Lewisville and there was a nice selection there, but they have no warranty and were about $300 less than Sleep Experts.

Thanks!

4

Hi glennk,

Just in case you haven’t read it yet the first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice.

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can approximate or “match” another one in post #9 here. I certainly wouldn’t consider a mattress that used similar quality materials to any of the mattresses you are considering because most major brand mattresses tend to use lower quality materials in their comfort layers than I would be comfortable with considering … see this article) but quality and durability aside … how a mattress “feels” is the most subjective part of comparing mattresses and a mattress that “feels” the same for one person may feel very different to someone else.

Most manufacturers don’t make mattresses that are designed to be equivalent to mattresses made by another manufacturer so I don’t know of another mattress that is specifically designed to feel similar to any of the mattresses you listed so the only way to know whether any other mattress would feel the same to you (regardless of whether it would feel the same for someone else) would be based on your own personal testing either in “real time” or with very little elapsed time in between testing both of them (our memory of subjective comparisons such as “feel” don’t last very long). When you spend time testing mattresses where you aren’t able to find out the quality of the materials inside it then in most cases the time you spend testing it is mostly wasted (see this article) unless you plan to buy the specific mattress you are testing (which I would definitely avoid if you can’t find out the quality of the materials inside it).

I would also avoid using another mattress as a “target” (which may not even be the best match for you in the first place) and rate every mattress you consider against a common set of criteria based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.

Some Therapedic mattresses may be worth considering on a “mattress by mattress” basis and the odds of being able to find out what is inside one of their mattresses is higher than many other larger brands (see here) but this will also depend on the knowledge and transparency of the retailer that is selling them. The brand name of a mattress is mostly meaningless though because outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it … regardless of the name of the manufacturer of the mattress on the label (see post #5 here and post #12 here).

You can see my thoughts about liquidation outlets that sell used mattresses without a warranty in post #8 here and post #2 here and post #2 here. I would tend to avoid them.

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (subject to the value guidelines I linked) are listed in post #4 here.

Phoenix

5

Excellent feedback! With your direction to other posts and generally reading the forum, I believe I have my roommate considering either:

Novosbed Aria
Novosbed Harmony

He is more price sensitive than I originally thought (max $1000). We went around trying several shops recommended here (two in Ft Worth) and found that he really disliked latex and loved the memory foam the best. Novosbed answered all of his questions and made some good recommendation. I think the Return Policy is what really won him over, as not having a showroom to test the bed bothered him.

I’m posting here to get feedback on this choice and any further information y’all can provide before he “pulls the trigger”.

6

Hi glennk,

The Novosbed Aria is similar to the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme and the Harmony is simiilar to the Sealy Optimum Inspiration so you can try these mattresses locally to help you with your choice between them.

Other than that … as long as you aren’t in a higher than average weight range (where I would tend to reduce or minimize the amount of 4 lb memory foam) there would be no weak links in either mattress (see post #4 here).

Novosbed is one of the better online options that are available to you (which is why they are included on the online memory foam list in the tutorial post) and they have a great return policy and would certainly be well worth considering as one of your finalists or as a final choice.

NOTE ADDED JAN, 2016: They have now introduced their new simplified choice mattress which has replaced their previous models and have also become a member of this site.

Phoenix