Does this sound like a decent mattress/build?

hi, first post here, been reading it like crazy to make sure and buy something worthwhile

I emailed a local manufacturer to get some info and I’ve posted it below.

One other thing, they’ve got a 5 year warranty on their cheaper mattresses (still ~$750) should that be a sign it won’t hold up?

Here’s what I got from them.

Thanks for the site/help

Mr. Ramsey,
Good afternoon, my name is Tracy and I am writing this in response to your online inquiry regarding coil counts. There are a lot of things that are important when it comes to an innerspring aside from the coil count. A lot of companies over rely just on the number of coils more so than on the overall quality of the spring system. We carry three types of springs all manufactured by Leggett and Platt which is one of the largest manufacturers of bedding components in the country. Some things to take into account when looking at spring systems is the number of turns each coil has and what gauge the coil is. Our 805 spring system has 6 turns and a wire of 13.75ga which is a great spring system. Our 390 spring system holds over 300lbs. with 5 turns and 13ga wires and last but not least we carry the 704 pocketed coil which is a 15ga coil unit and designed to mimic the benefits of memory foam and latex. Both standard springs have a 6ga border rod which improves edge support. The most important thing when looking at springs is to try some mattresses out to ensure it does not cave in under pressure. Also, it is very important for the longevity of the mattress to have a high quality foam especially since that is what you will be sleeping on directly. Mattresses are much thicker than they used to be and therefore most of the time very little pressure is really being applied to the spring system. You want foam to have a density of 1.5lbs. or higher versus a lot of companies that only use 1 -1.2lb density. Feel free to stop by one of our stores to try out some options or call or email me with any other questions that you may have.

and then in a follow up email

Mr Ramsey,
We currently make three models with the 704 pocketed coil, the Duchess, Royal Comfort, and Princess. The Princess is soft, Duchess is medium-soft and the Royal Comfort is firm. The Queen, one sided (non flippable) sets in these options start at $1099.99 and go up to $1549.99 in the two sided (flippable) set. You unfortunately wont find them on our website as they are new to our line but they feel great and since we make everything to order you can customize your bed to suit your needs. We look forward to seeing you in one of our stores.
Thanks again, Tracy

Hi ramseyarthur,

Mattress warranties only cover defects in the materials and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or when you may need to replace it and longer warranties are more about marketing than anything else. If there is an actual defect in the material it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress are a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.

The most reliable way to assess the durability of a mattress or know whether it has any potential weak links is to make sure that you find out the type and quality of the all the materials inside it (see this article). There is also more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here that can be a much more reliable indicator about the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of the warranty.

I would avoid coil counting as a way to determine the quality, durability, or value of a mattress because an innerspring isn’t normally the weak link in a mattress and the number of coils is only one of many factors that determines how an innerspring will feel and perform inside a specific mattress design and can be more misleading than helpful. There is more about the different types of innersprings in this article and in post #10 here but I would pay much more attention to your own careful and objective testing which will tell you how the innerspring performs in combination with the other layers and materials in a mattress and to the quality of the materials above the innerspring which is normally the weakest link in a mattress than I would to the number of coils in a mattress which by itself isn’t particularly meaningful.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses.

Without all the information about all the materials and components in a mattress it’s really not possible to make any meaningful comments about it or identify whether it has any “weak links” in its design. If you can find out the specifics of all the layers and materials in any of the mattresses you are considering that are listed in the “mattress specifications you need to know” article that I linked and post them on the forum then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality/durability of the materials or the mattress as a whole.

Phoenix