Deciding between Berkeley Ergonomics models Oslo and Malmo

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi mattress underground, Ive been lurking around here for a while now considering a mattress purchase and doing brief research.

Our stats -
Wife: Back sleeper, BMI < 30, no back problems but tightness in lower back every so often
Myself: Side and back sleeper, BMI <30, no problems in back, tightness in lower and mid back every so often

Iā€™ve been doing window shopping in Edmonton, Canada, visiting tmasc, The Healthy Bedroom, Foam King.

With my budget of 3k (mattress only), I have narrowed it down to two mattresses. Berkeley Ergonomics models Oslo and Malmo.

Malmo:

Layers from top to bottom:
100% Organic Cotton outer fabric
100% Organic French sheep's wool quilted to outer fabric
1" Soft 100% Natural Talalay latex
    Manufactured by Radium Foam BV in The Netherlands 
European mini pocket coils
European honeycomb nested pocket coils - steel, wrapped in polypropylene; a high performance, durable, breathable, moisture-wicking, non-toxic fabric
Coil Counts:
    3,035 Queen Size
    3,882 King Size 
Zippered, removable outer cover
Zero synthetic flame retardants
Made in California, USA

Oslo
Layers from top to bottom:
100% Organic Cotton outer fabric
100% Organic French sheepā€™s wool quilted to outer fabric
2" 100% Natural Talalay latex
Manufactured by Radium Foam BV in The Netherlands
European honeycomb nested pocket coils - steel, wrapped in polypropylene; a high performance, durable, breathable, moisture-wicking, non-toxic fabric
Coil Counts:
1,484 Queen Size
1,908 King Size
Zippered, removable outer cover
Zero synthetic flame retardants
Made in California, USA

The wife and I took a bit of time, lying in different positions on the bed and both felt comfortable (at least for that hour of lying down).

Since both felt as good as each other, we wanted to find out which is more durable or longer lasting.

Essential difference between the 2;

The Oslo has 2 layers of pocket coils and a 1" talalay foam layer
The Malo has 1 layer of pocket coils and a 2" talalay foam layer.

The Oslo costs 3k.
The Malmo costs 2.3k.

Now, we both liked the feel of dual pocket coils but couldnt find info on how specifically this is better, but we also think the 1" layer of talaylay will compress within a shorter period of time compared to the Malmo that has 2" of talaylay, meaning wed most probably have to replace the layer within 3 years (couldnt find if that would be the case or not).

Is there much of a difference in durability and lifetime of a mattress considering the 1" difference in the talaylay, and is the Oslo worth that extra 700 for an extra layer of pocket coils (IIRC, the layer of pocket coils is 4").

Again, we both felt comfortable in our initial try of the mattress but just wondering which would be the better purchase for longevity and minimum maintenance or layer upgrade in the future.

Thank you for reading and Im looking forward to hearing your responses.

2

Hi JaiRo,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I think highly of Berkeley Ergonomics and they certainly make some very high quality mattresses.

Both of these mattresses use very durable materials and I would expect you to get a long comfort life out of either item. There are no weak links in the materials of either item to sway the needle in the direction of one versus the other.

Iā€™m not sure how you may have arrived at the assumption of having to replace a latex layer within three years, but that would be a very odd situation, as latex is one of the most durable materials and tends to last an extremely long time. You can read more about the durability of different materials in the mattress durability guidelines here. I wouldnā€™t personally have a concern between either Talalay layer.

The difference between the two items would be in the overall comfort and how that is achieved with the different componentry. The Malmo uses the microcoil unit as a comfort/transition/support layer as opposed to foam, and this has a different feel as compared to foam. There isnā€™t a right or wrong answer here ā€“ itā€™s strictly a preference of your own personal PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences).

I think that just about every person who buys a mattress or is a member of the forum has wrestled with a similar scenario which is all about how to choose between ā€œgood and goodā€ choices. At this point ā€¦ itā€™s time for me to step out of the way and I donā€™t think anyone can or even should tell you what to choose at this point but some guidance in how to choose may be helpful. I know it took me several weeks to narrow down my own final choices when I last purchased a mattress as I kept changing my mind about what was most important to me:) . Every mattress purchase includes more than just the ā€œmaterial valueā€ of the mattress that are all part of what I call your personal value equation . There is also more about the most important parts of the ā€œvalueā€ of a mattress purchase in post #13 here but in the end everyone will need to decide what is most important to them and attach a ā€œvalueā€ to all the objective, subjective, and intangible factors that are part of any final decision. There is no ā€œbest and worstā€ any longer at this point ā€¦ only best for YOU. And again at this point you are looking at two very good quality options.

As you may be aware, TMASC 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 wouldnā€™t hesitate to reply upon their advice and expertise as you decide between these two products.

Iā€™ll be interested in learning about what decision, if any, you eventually make.

Phoenix

3

Thank you for the reply Phoenix.

So, with your comment, especially in regards to the latex being durable and there not being a world of difference between the 1" of foam, and after discussing with Dan from TMASC, the differences between having 2 layers of coils as opposed to 1, I decided to go with Malm.

It should be delivered tomorrow and will definitely update this thread in few weeks regarding experiences.

Thank you Phoenix for your time to respond and also letting us know we have a 5% discount when mentioning this site.

Now, weā€™re just figuring out where to get a duvet from. TMASC have some but weā€™re trying to find out cheaper alternatives but at the same time, being natural (or as close to). Organic duvets, in king size are quite costly. We feel there isnt a great deal to be organic but at least pillows, duvets and covers to have minimal synthetic materials.

Thanks again and I will be sure to provide an update shortly.

4

Hi JaiRo,

Congratulations on ordering your new mattress! :slight_smile: As youā€™re already aware, you certainly chose a product that uses very high quality materials.

Iā€™m glad you were able to speak more with Dan from TMASC and come up with a decision. The Malmo certainly is a nice mattress.

Regarding the duvet, you may wish to look near the end of the component supplier list in post #4 here or also look at some of the natural fiber members and suppliers in post #3 here.

Iā€™m looking forward to your updates on your mattress once youā€™ve had a chance to sleep upon it for a while.

Phoenix

5

Hello,
Your post from January 2017 has caught my interest. Iā€™m in exactly the same position right now. Would you be kind enough to share your experience with me? Now that youā€™ve had the bed for 1 year, is it still as wonderful as when you first tried it out? Any regrets not going with the Oslo? This is where Iā€™m leaning, but I worry the bed may be too soft as I prefer a firm mattress. Iā€™d very much appreciate your input as I continue to struggle with the price/value equation.

6

Helo nanamaher.

Ohhh, what a journey it has been. Buying the mattress was and still is a great investment. Sleep is great and is just as wonderful as when we bought it 2 years ago (we flip and turn the mattress every 6 months for even wear), and still retains its medium firmness.

For me, it was a worthwhile choice and have no regrets.

We also went with an organic cotton down duvet too, great for all seasons I found.

If I were to buy again, given the budget, Iā€™d buy this again.

Any other questions, ask away.

7

Thank you, JaiRo. Iā€™m so glad itā€™s everything it promised to be. Youā€™ve made the decision much easier for me. And, with the replaceable components offered, hopefully itā€™ll be the last time we have to go through this!

8

Hi nanamaher,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!, :).

Thank you JaiRo for your quick update regarding your experience, I am happy you are pleased with your wonderful Berkeley Ergonomics Malmo.

@Nanahamer, good luck and let us know if you have any other questions, I am sure you read the links from my first answer to JaiRoā€™s original post. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Phoenix

9

I ran into a delivery problem when ordering my Berkeley Ergonomics mattress. Turns out the Mattress and Sleep Company uses a curb side delivery service. I would have to contract my own delivery company, at my own additional expense, if I wanted the mattress actually brought into the house. Since the king size Oslo mattress weighs approximately 175lbs., there is no way we could manage to bring it to our second floor bedroom on our own. After considerable time and frustration searching for a moving company willing to accept delivery of the mattress from the MSC delivery service and then bring it to me, I decided it just isnā€™t worth an extra $1000.00 just for tax and delivery of a mattress!

Today, I went to Mattresses of Muskoka who are having a ā€˜no taxā€™ event. We bought the Marshall Elite Distinction mattress and a separate 2.5" latex/gel topper. Although this mattress was my second choice, after the Oslo, I really think everything worked out for the best.

Our sales lady, Joan Glessing, was very knowledgeable and helpful. She had us try different models of the Marshall mattress with and without the topper. She even price matched a Toronto store that had the same mattress advertised at a sale price. I have bought mattresses from Mattresses of Muskoka in the past, though a very long time ago. I was just as impressed with their care to service this time as I was in the past. Free in home delivery and removal of my old mattress! I am happy with what we bought and have no regrets about the not meant to be Oslo. The new Marshall mattress is promised to arrive in 2 weeks. Iā€™ll let you know what we think of it once weā€™ve slept on it.

Thank you and JaiRo for your input. You were both most helpful in allowing me to narrow down my options and make a decision. My personal cost/value analysis couldnā€™t justify an extra $1000.00 that wasnā€™t even for the mattress itself.

10

Hi nanamacher,

Sorry that things did not work out with your first mattress choice but it seems that your second option seems to be doing just as well.

Congratulations on your new mattress and on a great shopping experience :)!

Sometimes ā€œcurbsideā€ delivery with no other help. can turn into a delivery issue/nightmare, this part of the ā€œfreight worldā€ can be most frustrating especially after finding a bed that seems to meet all your other criteria for you ā€¦ so itā€™s great that you had at least two finalists on your list. I am not very sure how delivery works in Canada but in the US these companies are consolidating, and it can be difficult for both small companies and the consumers to find viable solutions. The curbside vs white glove (especially with heavy latex products) can be problematic and the addition of ā€œwhite gloveā€ using a separate moving company at an extra $1,000 would be something that most mattress shoppers would not consider even if such delivery would be very high on their personal value equation list of criteria.

You did well with finding something you like (always helps to have a tax break event:) ) although Muskokaā€™s site does not list the complete set of specs for the foams used in the comfort layers of the Marshall Elite Distinction flip tight top mattress. I hope you had the chance to check with Joan all the mattress specs against the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase. itā€™s nice that you had such a nice experience at Mattresses at Muskoka, I have to say that it is clearly one of those ā€œsignsā€ of care coming from small, locally owned businesses that can gain consumerā€™s confidence and reassure them that they are on the right track. Thank you so much for that update, and the call out with the great service you received.

Good luck with your new mattress, I am excited for you and I hope that you can return with an update (and possibly the mattress specs) once you receive your new mattress and have a chance to sleep upon it for a while.

Phoenix

11

Our new Marshall Elite Distinction mattress with the latex/gel topper is the most comfortable bed weā€™ve ever had! Delivery was very quick. Weā€™ve been sleeping on it for 2 weeks now and we love it.

12

Hi nanamaher.

Thank you for your update. While just a short time, I am excited for your comfort with your new mattress. Fast delivery is good too! :slight_smile: Itā€™s always interesting " to watch" forum members go through their learning and selection process as you did.

Iā€™m looking forward to any future updates you might have once you slept on it for a while longer.

Phoenix