College Grad Looking to Upgrade

So I recently finished college and now have a decent job. I decided it is time to upgrade from my worn out twin-xl King Koil. I have some money saved up however I do not want to go too crazy since I still have student loans to pay off. My other concern is I am not sure how long I will stay in my current location so portability is a plus.

I am thinking of getting a queen size memory foam mattress. For a while I slept on my ex’s bed who had a queen size iComfort (I forget which model). It was a little stiff and seemed to never finish off gassing however it was a vast improvement over my current mattress set.

I am about 6’1" and 185 lbs. I tend to be a back or side sleeper. My other question is is it worth the hassle and expense to get a California King for the extra length to stretch out? I currently live on the third floor of an old factory. The stairs are wide and there is an elevator, however the hallway has some moderately tight corners. There is also a support column in the middle of the bedroom I need to work around (I haven’t measured the space yet).

TLDR: Seeking suggestions of soft, portable memory foam under or around $1000. Need help deciding between Queen or Cali-King.

Hi NiceGeoff,

The first place to start your mattress research is post #1 here (in case you haven’t read it yet) which includes all the basic information, steps and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices (and exclude the worst ones).

Once you get to step #3 … if you let me know your city or zip I’d be happy to let you know of the better possibilities or options I’m aware of in your area (many of the “best” mattresses in the country are made by smaller independent factories and are only available locally or regionally). Once you have done some local research then you also have some good online choices that may also be worth considering depending on what is available to you locally.

An eastern king size and queen size mattresses are both 80" long and you are 73" long which means they would be 7" longer than you are if you sleep fully extended and not at an angle on the mattress. You can see some size guidelines in post #2 here so you are “on the edge” in terms of whether you would benefit from a mattress that is longer than a queen or eastern king size (a california king size is 84" long but is also narrower than a regular king at 72" instead of 76"). I think most people of your height would be fine with the length of a regular king or queen size mattress but it would depend on where and how you tended to sleep on the mattress and on how close to the end your feet are in your normal sleeping positions. It would also depend on the importance to you of having more width vs more length. Your choice could play a role if you are or plan to sleep with a partner and how much individual space you prefer when you are part of a couple.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks for the quick response. I’ve been doing my assigned reading. And am ready for the next step. I think I have decided to go queen size since it is just me right now and portability and cost are factors (I can just sleep diagonal if my feet get cold). Plus it seems there are considerable more, less expensive, options for frames and linens.

As requested, I live in Cohoes, NY 12047 (think Albany). I read your post on what is available in the region. I am just a little overwhelmed with options, hoping to narrow it down a bit. Assuming I can find something in my price range progress construction with foam layers (latex and or memory) sounds appealing.

Hi NiceGeoff,

I know you’ve read this but for the benefit of others that read this post … the factory direct manufacturers that are within reasonable driving distance of Albany are in post #2 here which also includes a link to some of the retail “possibilities” that are closer to you as well but will require a little more research and more careful comparisons.

The best way I know to narrow down your options is to start your research on the phone talking with the retailers and manufacturers that are within your driving range. If you give them your criteria (memory foam or latex mattresses) and your budget range then they should give you a good indication of what they have on their floor that may be suitable for you in your budget range to test. I would specifically make sure you tell them that you are only interested in testing mattresses where you are able to find out the quality of all the materials in any mattress you test (including the density of any memory foam and polyfoam and the type and blend of any latex) and confirm that they are able and willing to provide this information. If they are fully transparent and have some mattresses that you are interested in testing on their floor and appear to be knowledgeable and helpful on your phone conversations, these are the ones I would visit in person.

Phoenix

PS: While most factory direct manufacturers are transparent, I would ask twice about a retailers ability and willingness to provide the quality specs of their mattresses because you will often find that they will say “oh yes we have spec sheets with all the information” only to go there and discover that their spec sheets don’t include the most important information you need (such as foam density with memory foam and polyfoam and type and blend in the case of latex) and just include more generic information about the type of materials rather than the specific quality. This limited information which is by far more common in the industry is not enough to make informed buying decisions or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses.

A retailer that has the ability and willingness to provide this information is much less common and is usually a good indication that they are more knowledgeable and experienced and are much more likely to be worth a visit.