Hi TimothyP
Thanks for the photos and your detailed report. Very telling!
I am wondering if anyone knows (for sure) if the process of compressing a premium mattress to ship it in a box destroys or damages the mattress? Or what the actual effect of this method of transit is on the quality and lifetime of a premium mattress?
I ask because I recently had an Estate 5000 king size mattress delivered to Los Angeles from Charles P Rogers that was shipped compressed, bed-in-a-box. I purchased a mattress from them previously when I lived in New York and it came uncompressed, intact, on a truck. Up until this point I have only had good things to say about them, but the entire order and delivery process this time was a total nightmare, and in line with what you read online at BBB or elsewhere.
Even if this mattress mostly -or almost entirely- expands, I would love to know if anyone has any knowledge regarding whether or not I just paid $2000+ for a compromised mattress that I should return. It has not had the â4-5 daysâ to fully expand, but judging on what it has done so far today I am doubtful that it is ever going to get back to its original build quality
Ideally, it would be best to aim for an uncompressed mattress to get the longest possible use of your mattress. Practically, like with everything else, roll packing or compressing a mattress for shipping would affect to a smaller or larger degree its durability and performance. This will all depend on the time the item was compressed; the density and type of the foams being used and other factors. You can read this more detailed reply by @MattressToGo In summary - the higher-density foams tend to tolerate compression better than lower-density ones. Innersprings typically come already compressed from the spring manufacturer and they are quite resilient if they are tempered.
In your case the Estate 5000 in plush has
- Comfort Padding:
2x layers CertiPUR-USÂŽ soft cooling gel foam
Natural latex
- CertiPUR-USÂŽ certified bio-foam intermediate support layer
- Active Powercore 2⢠spring unit
The compressed spring is rarely creating issues in shipping but you are correct that any long-term compression of the entire mattress runs the risk of affecting its structural integrity. It is difficult to say how much, as this is also affected by the time the mattress was stored and compressed in a warehouse or shipping facility, or transport/storage temperatures, and other environmental factors (humidity, freezing conditions, dust, or pests in case of compromised plastic wrapping) Most memory foam, as well as latex, would be OK for a short period of compression. In the case of polyfoam, this would depend on its type, density, and firmness. Low-quality/density polyfoam or memory foam can be damaged more easily.
The mechanical properties (including elasticity/plasticity, tear, and resiliency) of the foams are given by the foam chemical formulation and cell micro-structure parameters such as cell size, cell morphology, and cell regularity of the specific foam. From the little I understand with a quick look into the strain-rate effect on the foamsâ compressive behavior, foam properties can be altered during the stress of âcrushingâ, and bucking of the foam cells under constant compression. During this process, it is very possible that some breaking of the cell walls and formation of some âhingesâ at the cell wall junctions may occur. The more durable, dense foams with irregular and open cells the less compressive stress on the foam as a whole.
Generally, damage through compressing is one of the common issues with less expensive âbed-in-a-boxâ type mattresses using lower-density foams that stay compressed for a long time. Your concern certainly makes sense as the Estate 5000 is considered a âhigher-endâ luxury mattress. Yes, it can take 4-5 days to âfully expandâ memory foam and poly would take the longest. The spring unit and latex wonât take that long. All in all, by day 5 your mattress should definitely be nearly as expanded as it will get.
Can anyone shed any light on whether or not this -now almost universal- trend in mattress delivery has compromised the quality and long-term performance of premium mattresses?
You are correct that many companies are moving in the âcompression directionâ due to ease, lowering the cost of shipping, and storage (less footprint for each product in the warehouse) as well as cost. Itâs a bit of a balancing act between the convenience of the roll packing (reducing the volume, shipping, and storing costs) and getting a more traditional mattress that comes with a higher price tag. If you do decide to return the Charles P Rogers mattress and look for another option you can look into the TMU directory of Trusted Members which have good quality value products. Most of these still roll-pack items but they tend to compress them layer by layer in separate shipping boxes.
For your peace of mind, hopefully, your Estate 5000 has quality components and will finish expanding to itsâ full expected volume soon! Iâd be interested to learn of the expansion outcome and your decision.
Phoenix
