Coming to the end of a long search: Nettleton vs Aireloom...?

[phoenix]

Hi mg517,

So I think what I will probably do is buy one of Rocky’s Mountain’s memory foam beds, and they seem like good quality and have a zoned support layer like I think I need. I’m thinking the Sundance is probably my best option, I tend not to like the tall memory foam beds other companies make.

Outside of actually testing a mattress for PPP or your own personal experience … the best way to improve your odds that a mattress will be suitable for your specific needs and preferences is a more detailed conversation on the phone with a retailer or manufacturer who can use the “averages” of their customers as a guideline to help you make the best possible choice (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

They said they could push the support foam to 2.4 lb density if I wanted more support. I’m wondering if this is a good idea. When I’ve tried the MF beds from Macy’s or Bob’s, I tend to prefer the shorter plush (but not super-plush) ones, so I really wonder if upping the support density is the way to go. I’m a 130lb 5’6" backsleeper, I like a fairly firm bed, but I don’t want to go too far with it. (To sleep at all on my 36 ILD latex bed from Norwalk, I’ve had to layer 3" 5lb memory foam, then 3" soft Dunlop, and then a feather bed. It’s quite a mountain.)

The density of a foam is the most important factor in the durability of a foam material but all foam densities can be made in softer or firmer versions so density doesn’t necessarily indicate the level of support in a mattress … and is more about its durability. I would also keep in mind that alignment in all your sleeping positions is the goal and to do this a mattress needs to be less “supportive” in some areas (such as under the shoulders for side sleepers) and more supportive in others (such as under the heavier pelvis). Some higher density foams also have a higher compression modulus as well (which is the rate that a foam becomes firmer with deeper compression) so in that sense some higher density foams may also be more “supportive” under the heavier areas of your body that sink in more deeply but focusing on these types of detailed specs would be outside of the knowledge or experience of most consumers and would have little meaning. The specs you listed don’t have any obvious weak links and you are in a lower weight range so foams that are in a medium density range that would be less durable for heavier weights (such as 4 lb memory foam or 1.8 lb polyfoam) would still be more durable for you although higher density materials (particularly in the upper layers of a mattress) of the same thickness and softness level will be more durable for anyone so it always depends on whether the extra cost of the higher density foam justifies any higher cost that would be involved.

I would also make sure that changing the design or foam in one of their mattresses doesn’t affect the return policy because most custom mattresses can’t be returned. If changing the type of foam means that you would have no return policy then you would need to have a high degree of confidence that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP if you don’t have any recourse if you make a mistake and need to exchange or return the mattress. All of this is part of the conversations I would have with any online manufacturer you are considering so you can decide if a mattress is the best “match” for your personal value equation relative to any other final choices you are considering.

Phoenix