I have spent a lot of time on this forum absorbing the wisdom here and am very appreciative of the knowledge. I also am somebody who doesn’t want to spend hours on research - but still want to make an informed decision. I am on the fence between these two mattresses (I have tested them both personally and they pass the “feel” PPP test) - but I’m curious as to your expertise and analysis based on the specifications of these mattresses, which are noted below. I tested these both at Jordan’s Furniture in MA and the sleep technician was knowledgeable and able to spell out the details of each mattress. His opinion is that the Beautyrest is “in another league” than the Prana - but I’d be curious as to if anyone here has a comparative analysis that they could share on the two contrasting mattress build/specifications. I’m most appreciative of any insight from you kind, knowledgeable experts. Thanks!
Name: Moon Plush
SKU: PRAN-60026
Mattress:75"L x 39"W x 10"H
Foundations:75"L x 39"W x 6"H
Mattress and Foundation dimensions are approximate
Quilt: 100% Polyester cover
FR Fibers
1" Soft HD Foam 1.5LB
1" Soft HD Foam 1.5LB
Comfort Layers: 1" Everlast foam - 3.75LB density
Support System: Individually Wrapped Coil Design
Patented Wall Wrap for Max Flex
15 Gauge steel with 13.75 gauge edge
Twice Tempered Steel
T/480 F/690 Q/832 K/1056
BOTTOM UPHOLSTERY (Below Innerspring)
1" density foam 1.45LB
Power Base Compatible
Mattress Type: Innerspring,Power Base Compatible
Name: Nighttime Galaxy Ultimate Plush
SKU: SIMM-80110
Mattress:75"L x 39"W x 13.5"H
Foundations:75"L x 39"W x 5.5"H
Mattress and Foundation dimensions are approximate
Quilt: Evenloft Stretch Knit Cover with
MyClimate Technology
FR Sock
Comfort Layers: 1" AirCool Max Diamond Memory foam 2.8
2" AirCool Memory Foam 3.5LB
1.5" AirCool Memory Foam 3.5LB
Bottom Upholstery (BELOW INNERSPRING)
1.5" Prestressed Energy foam 1.2LB
Support System: Single Sided Sleep Surface
Beautyrest Pocketed Coil
1000 Coil Density
T/594 F/825 Q/1000 K/1296 (Pre-edge)
T/450 F/660 Q/825 K/1089 (Actual)
15.5 Gauge Steel
Ventilated foam encasement
Power Base Compatible
Mattress Type: Hybrid Memory Foam,Innerspring,Power Base Compatible
Unfortunately, making an informed decision without doing a bit of research isn’t really possible, but it doesn’t need to be hours and hours. Start by reading the mattress shopping tutorial here. In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress (see the durability guidelines here).
Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Regarding the Simmons Beautryrest NIghttime Galaxy Ultimate Plush, if you refer to the foam quality/density guidelines here you will see that they are all either low or very low quality materials, and having 6" of low or very low quality/density materials in the upper layers any mattress would be an obvious weak link in the mattress in terms of the durability and useful life of the mattress and would certainly be a good reason to avoid it.
As for the Pranasleep Moon Plush, the 2" of 1.5 lb polyfoam in the quilt would be a concern, being a little more than an inch or so that I recommend being within for lower density foams in the upper layers. The 3.75 lb. Everlast is a high quality polyfoam. The 1.45 lb polyfoam underneath the spring layer is a firm polyfoam and is also a lower density but this would be fine in a 1" layer on the bottom of a mattress and wouldn’t affect durability. All the Pranasleep mattresses tend to be in a significantly higher budget range than other similar mattresses, and I would make sure you make some very careful value comparisons with this and other similar mattresses.
There is also more information about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
Thank you so much for your response! You convinced me to do some more research (all on this site) - and I actually came to understand more about mattresses and why the Simmons is really not a good option - but I am still considering the Prana because of the higher quality materials used. However - being that I’m in New Hampshire - I came across some information on this site pertaining to Gardner Mattresses. I went to their store in Salem, MA and tried out a couple of their beds. Their general manager was very helpful and knowledgeable - and I appreciate their no frills/no gimmick approach. Their mattresses are hand-made and seem to be of pretty high quality. I was curious as to your opinion of them and in particular - if you have familiarity with two mattresses that really stuck out to me and of which I’m considering purchasing:
You’re welcome! And I’m happy that I inspired you to do some extra research – that’s the goal!
Gardner Mattress is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a mattress from them.
I don’t see a listing for this item on their web site, but I’m assuming it’s a version of their Nature’s Soft mattress, just with a different amount of wool being added, or perhaps an increase in the number/tightness of the tufting. This product would use higher quality materials.
Wool is a great material that is a strong preference for some people and there are certainly some good benefits to sleeping on wool. It will be different and firmer than sleeping on a soft foam material (and it will also get a little firmer as it compresses over time). An “old fashioned” two sided tufted innerspring mattress with natural fiber comfort layers would certainly be a very durable choice but it will also tend to be firmer than most mattresses that use foam materials in the comfort layers and natural fibers will tend to become firmer over time as they compress and pack down to some degree while foam layers will tend to become softer (particularly under the heavier parts of the body) over time. Some of the comments in post #4 here and post #2 here may be worth reading as well.
The complete specifications are not listed on their web site for this item, and there are variations that can be had. It does list the memory foam as 4 lb, which meets the minimum I would recommend for a two-sided product. This certainly would have a different feel from an all-wool mattress.
Aside from the basic comments I’ve added here, your best resource for comparisons of durability to help manage your performance expectations would be a more detailed conversation with Gardner. And of course, your own personal testing! While I can’t comment completely about the Visco Pocket Coil until I know all of the layers inside, it appears as if you’re certainly considering items of a high quality.
I’ll be interested to learn of any decisions you make or future questions,
