What is your opinion, if any, of Custom Comfort by Winn, which is manufatured near Richmond VA? In the extremely frustrating mattress search, we have visited the national chains, liked the My Side Series 3, but don’t really need the customized his/hers as we both “scored” for a firm mattress with some cushion on top. We also liked the Simmons Beautyrest, Avondale Luxury Firm, but just didn’t like/trust the national chain feel. We were referred by a friend to a local, family owned furniture shop and saw/felt the Custom Comfort by Winn (specifically the Berkeley III) and it felt wonderful. It is a bit higher priced than the Simmons, but the manufaturer will apparently switch out foam layers to adjust the comfort level (for a small fee- covering their cost) after the mattress has been used for some time. I even saw an instance where this was done after 8 months of use.
Am I just suffering from mattress fatigue and now feel like I can trust a salesperson, or is this really a “better” mattress? Are there any other local stores you would recommend near Richmond, VA?
I would tend to avoid the chain stores and the major brands primarily because they really don’t compete with smaller factory direct manufacturers or with smaller wholesale manufacturers that are sold through local sleep shops like Custom Comfort by Winn.
I have talked with Custom Comfort (Winndom) on several occasions and I have been impressed with their transparency about the materials they use in their mattress. They also have a very good reputation and relationship with their retailers and can make custom adjustments to a mattress when necessary. If you were to look at the layer by layer comparisons of their mattresses and compare them with national brands … you would find that the value was much better. One of their retailers that is a particularly good resource and very helpful (whether you buy from them or not) is http://www.bedcraftersbymichelle.com/ .
The national brands are not very forthcoming about exactly what is in their mattresses and when this information is available and you make an “apples to apples” comparison … you will find that the value is just not there (the national brands using similar materials would be more expensive). I would never buy a mattress where the information about what was in each layer wasn’t available or from someone who couldn’t explain to me exactly what the “specs” really meant (or at least connect me to someone who could).
There are a couple of factory direct manufacturers in Richmond that offer better quality and value and I would certainly make sure that I included them in my research. they are …
http://www.layersbedcompany.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer who makes a range of mattresses, uses mostly good quality materials and has good information on their website. They are also very open and helpful on the phone. The only “issue” I would have with their mattresses is the use of lower density memory foam which I would avoid and some slightly higher prices than other local manufacturers. ADDED: It appears that they are out of business.
http://www.originalmattress.com/ Larger regional factory direct manufacturer who also makes a range of mattresses including latex, memory foam, and more traditional innerspring/polyfoam. They have good value and good information on their site. Also very helpful on the phone.
There is a more complete Richmond list in post #5 here.
There is one other factory direct manufacturer that would be well worth a visit for those that are comfortable with a little longer drive. They are …
www.cozypure.com/ Norfolk, VA. Local factory direct manufacturer. They are a member of this site which means I believe they are among the “best of the best”. They make a range of very high quality and beautiful natural latex mattresses and a latex innerspring hybrid along with a complete range of natural and organic bedding products. Options include various layering choices and side to side split layering as well (each side customized for each person on the mattress). Cheryl the owner is passionate about all things natural, organic, and green and their factory is completely energy independent (solar, wind, and thermal energy). Their mattresses are higher quality and better value than what you would find in a major brand or chain store but are also in a more premium range than some of the other members here. They take a more holistic approach to a mattress purchase however and a mattress purchase gives you membership in their cuddle up club and a lifetime discount on all their bedding products so their value is ongoing long after the mattress purchase itself. They are a great choice for those who prefer high quality natural and organic mattresses and bedding products made by one of the greenest manufacturers in the country. You can see a review and some pictures in this thread.
Thank you for tyour response. I, along with others, have found this site to be most helpful in what could be the most frustrating consumer search ever. I have been to The Original Mattress Factory, really like the store manager, have bought some bunk bed mattresses there in the past, and been happy. When we went recently, I felt like there was more motion transfer on their beds than I wanted for my primary, everyday mattress. This makes sense based on their innerspring construction and traditional box spring rather than wood foundation. I wanted to like their product the best, but it just doesn’t have the feel (both comfort layer and “livliness”) of the Custom Comfort. After my post yesterday, in trying to comparison shop the Custom Comfort, I called around to the few retailers that carry their lines. I found the same labeling issue, though a little easier to understand - each retailer calls the same mattress by a different name, but they all have III at the end, thereby making an accurate comparison a little easier. I called the manufqacturer directly since they are local and asked for some guidance and was very happy with the advice I receieved - no high pressure anything, just a man willing to tell me anything I needed to know to make an inofrmed decision. Wherever I go, I will be most liekly going with Custom Comfort.
My quesiton, is this, the few locally owned retailers I spoke with don’t use the same foundation/box spring with what is supposed to be the same mattress. One uses a standard wood foundation with no spring and another uses a traditional box spring. Is thiis just a matter of overall personal preference. I’ve heard a little reasoning for each choice, but woudl like your opinion. What are your thoughts, given the mattress is the same (with different covers for each retailer)?
This brings up an interesting point. Motion transfer is a function of the materials used in a mattress rather than a function of a brand. For example … in terms of support layers, polyurethane foam, latex foam, and porket coils all transfer less motion than innersprings that use helicals to connect the coils together. In the comfort layers … memory foam, softer latex, buckling column gel, and microcoils all can help with motion transfer. Different types of ticking and quilting also can affect motion transfer as can different types of construction methods. In addition to this … the type of box spring or foundation used can also have an effect (as you mentioned) which is either enhanced or reduced by the mattress above it.
In the case of Original Mattress Factory … as with most manufacturers … they produce a range of mattresses which have a wide range of motion transfer. It’s also true that they tend to use “active” box springs which can increase any motion transfer of a mattress but this is not a function of the mattress and an alternative box spring can be used instead of the one that they typically sell with their mattress.
In general … foam core mattresses do better with a rigid base while innerspring mattresses tend to do better and are often designed for use with a more shock absorbing base. The key is in knowing which types of materials and constructions are more or less motion transferring rather than which manufacturer makes mattresses which are more or less motion transferring. In the case of OMF … their memory foam over polyurethane mattress and their latex models would be the least motion transferring (they don’t offer pocket coils). The motion transference of both could be reduced further if necessary by using a firmer base (and I believe this would be a good idea anyway for optimal mattress performance).
For some reason … OMF seems to go against the grain of most other manufacturers in making a non rigid base their standard practice for all their mattresses rather than just on their innerspring mattresses. Their mattresses have good value but I would go with a base (innerspring or rigid foundation) that was more in line with most other manufacturers. These are widely available in many places.
The different types of box springs and/or foundations also would apply to Custom Comfort mattresses. Most manufacturers are fine in terms of warranty protection with what they call a “suitable” boxspring or foundation and most mattresses made today do fine on a generic version … although this generic version may have springs, be semi rigid (more shock absorbing), or rigid. Some higher end mattresses especially are actually designed as a sleeping system and do best with the boxspring that they are “mated” with. In general though a “shock absorbing” foundation is best for an innerspring mattress and a “rigid” foundation is best for a foam core mattress. Of course there are also “tension adjustable” bases which have their own value particularly with thinner foam core mattresses and position adjustable bases are also popular with mattresses that are OK with “bending” (some specially designed innerspring models and most foam core models)
So all in all … the materials and construction determine the motion transfer rather than the “brand” and any base or foundation can be chosen which is suitable for both the warranty requirements of the manufacturer and the needs and preferences of the customer.
Thanks for youtr detailed answer. I do understand that the motion transfer is a function of both the mattress and the foundation option. I think we’ve honed in on the CC. As one salesmans stated (at a national chain), “wait for that 'ahhhh” feeling". I laughed and didn’t believe it, but after probably 15-20 mattresses, the CC sort of does it. We went to another local shop yesterday to look at THEIR version of the Custom Comfort " (insert individual store line name here) III". This store sells a version on the wood foundation and it feels great. When I asked if I could get it on a box spring, they said it would be about $1,000 more. I find that very hard to believe. Night before last, I went to the other store and their version of the same mattress is sold on a spring, as they say their clientele tends to be more traditional and wants that. That feels great, too, and only about $100 more (not $1,000). This store also customizes their cover for the mattress. Is it safe to assume that the only items that are likely “customized” or differnetiated for the 3 local shops that carry CC are the cover and the foundation/spring, rathert than the internal components? I know I’m pushing the envelope by trying to compare apples to apples, but, well, isn’t that fair? I may call CC directly and see what they will share. All in all, I’m very impressed by CC’s willingness to make it right, if somehow we’re not completely satisfied. There’s no 21 day time limit. JUst a reasonable expectation of fairness and customer service, which is sometimes tought to find these days. Thanks for ant additional tips you can provide when deciding between similar, if not identiical (aside from covering and foundation) mattresses. You have already been a huge help!
That “ahhh” feeling is great but I would also make sure you are testing specifically for pressure relief and alignment as well. The ahhh feeling can sometimes be the result of a really soft mattress in combination with mattress shopping fatigue and other factors. The “feeling” (including ahhh or even OMG this is amazing) is important of course but with regular use and for long term satisfaction, testing for pressure relief and alignment are very important. I like to think of mattress shopping as PPP. Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Preferences and feel. If you “nail down” all of these … and the materials and construction is durable and have good value … then you will be happy for a long time.
I know that Custom Comfort by Winn provides every one of their retailers with a spec sheet that has the layering of each mattress so to know for sure if each mattress is comparable would depend on seeing the spec sheet. The odds are good though that if the mattress is the same model then the only real differences are minor with different tickings or other minor differences which differentiates them (and gives an outlet the appearance of “exclusivity”) and helps to keep customers from making the very comparison you want to make.
There are also many different kinds of bases and a wide variety of prices. Here too it’s important to make an apples to apples comparison between them. Some have actual flexing springs inside. Some high end manufacturers actually hand build these and they can sometimes be as expensive as the mattress they come with. Some are "semi-flex_ which are meant to be shock absorbing but not as flexing. They are usually metal on a wood base and the quality of the base can vary widely. Finally there are rigid foundations which can also be made of wood of various kinds or have a metal rigid grid pattern on a wood base. Here again the quality and price can vary widely. Which one is “better” depends a lot on the type of mattress that is going over it but it would surprise me if any of the ones that you were looking at were worth an extra $1000. Foam mattresses of course do better on a rigid base and if they are made of wood they can vary from really cheap to “built like a tank” and last forever. How much wood and the type of wood used will make a difference in the price and the number of slats and the amount of gap between them is also important.
I don’t think you’re pushing the envelope at all. One of the key ways of knowing better outlets from worse is how transparent they are about what is in every layer of their mattress and their willingness to educate you about the materials in each layer. These are the outlets that know they have better value and actually want you to compare to similar models elsewhere because they want you to know it as well (based on comparing similar materials). The worse outlets will do what they can to replace education with stories and also make it more difficult to make meaningful comparisons.
CC is very good at answering questions when an outlet may not know the answer. Like many smaller manufacturers … they are what I call “mattress people” and there’s a night and day difference between dealing with people like this and dealing with the other side of the industry which are more “money machines” and story tellers.
So stick to your guns and don’t be shy about asking about what is in every layer of a mattress … including the type and/or density of any foam so that you can make sure that any comparisons you make really are “apples to apples” and you can make meaningful value comparisons … as well as find out who really has your best interests at heart.