Iāve lurked here before a few times, but this recent Black Friday\Cyber Monday sales event brought me here again. Iāve been wanting a new mattress for the past year and looking forward to getting one soon with the help of this great site.
Thank you.
Hi Ranisis and symphonix,
Welcome to both of you 
Iām looking forward to finding out what both of you end up deciding.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix! Iāve spent the last month researching mattresses online, and this site has been the most helpful by far. After reading through all your articles and the forums, my husband and I have decided to make the drive from Maryland to Norfolk, Virginia to visit Cozy Pure. I will let you know how it goes when we get back. Thanks!
Hi Capsfan,
As you know I think highly of Cozy Pure and the mattresses they manufacture ā¦ and you are certainly heading in a great direction.
Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback after your visit.
Phoenix
We purchased a Novaform Serafina from Costco, per the CR review.
It is killing us!
I am a side sleeper and my arm winds up tingling.
My husband sleeps on his side and back and he now has shoulder pain.
I also was getting terrible headaches and suspect there was odorless off-gassing from the foam.
I abandoned ship for a guest bed-an old Serta that is fine, but not made anymore.
We are now on the hunt for a hybrid mattress as we are gushy about this foam and latex is too firm.
Any suggestions?
Hi samattes,
I switched your post to a new topic of itās own since your questions were outside the scope of the original topic you posted in.
[quote]We purchased a Novaform Serafina from Costco, per the CR review.
It is killing us![/quote]
You can see my comments about the Consumer Reports mattress ratings and recommendations in post #2 here and in this topic. While they may be a good source of information about more āobjectiveā purchases ā¦ as you can see I would consider them to be an unreliable source of information or guidance about purchasing a mattress and they are somewhat nonsensical and meaningless. My thoughts are also shared by most of the more knowledgeable people in the industry (see post #5 here for an example).
I would also avoid any mattress that used more than āabout an inch or soā of lower quality and less durable materials and the Serafina uses 3" of 3 lb memory foam which is a lower quality material that would be a potential weak link in the mattress. Itās certainly not a mattress that I would consider.
While the Novaform mattresses use CertiPUR certified materials that would certainly be āsafe enoughā for most people ā¦ unfortunately some people can be sensitive to some of the chemicals that are used to make some types of memory foam (or other foams as well) even though they would be fine with other types of memory foam that donāt use the same chemical formulation. It depends entirely on the individual person and on the specific formulation of the foam. You can read about my own experience with a sensitivity to a memory foam topper in post #2 here.
[quote]We are now on the hunt for a hybrid mattress as we are gushy about this foam and latex is too firm.
Any suggestions? [/quote]
While I can certainly help with āhowā to choose ā¦ I donāt make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first āruleā of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā or PPP or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, or ātheory at a distanceā that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice ā¦ and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youāve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here ā¦ the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a ābetter/worseā choice (see this article).
All the different types and categories of mattresses have a wide range of firmness levels that generally range from very soft to very firm but the best way to know which types of materials or mattresses that you tend to prefer in general will be based on your own testing or personal experience.
Latex mattresses also come in a very wide range of firmness options from very soft to ultra firm so while one or more latex mattress that you tested may have been too firm for you ā¦ it certainly wouldnāt indicate that all latex mattresses are too firm for you and there would likely be many other latex mattresses that are much softer than the ones you tested.
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that donāt involve what you will āfeelā on a mattress, and help with āhowā to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is ābest for youā regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Iām about to move to Downtown LA in about a week and decided to replace my current 10+ year old Tempur-pedic. I found this forum after hearing about the Casper mattress brand somewhere on the internet. Having almost zero knowledge of the latest mattress ātechā I quickly did a Google search comparing a Tempur-pedic to other generic memory foam mattress before I make another impulsive purchase, I am glad I found The Mattress Underground.
To be honest, I almost didnāt want to give this forum a chance because I figured, āIām just buying a mattress, why waste my time here.ā What actually kept me here and made me sign up were your posts. You are an invaluable asset to this community by keeping us informed and ensuring we have the information we need to make a purchase. Soā¦Thank you.
P.S. I am debating between the Ultimate Dreams Latex and the Brooklyn Bedding.
Hi sinned17,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! ā¦ and thanks for the kind comments. I appreciate it
You are certainly looking at two great quality/value options from two sister companies.
They are both latex/polyfoam hybrids but there are some differences between them.
The Ultimate Dreams latex has a simpler design with a single layer of latex on top of the polyfoam support core. It has a wider range of firmness options and is in a lower budget range but it also has a shorter trial period (45 days if you purchase through their website) and there is a $99 cost involved in returning it if for some reason it doesnāt work out as well as you hoped for.
The Brooklyn Bedding BestMattressEver has a more complex design with two layers of latex on top of the polyfoam support core, has 3 firmness options, is in a little higher budget range, and has a 120 day free return policy.
I would also keep in mind that latex and memory foam are very different from each other and if you arenāt familiar with it then it may be a good idea to test some mattresses that have latex comfort layers so that you are familiar with how latex feels and performs. There is more about how latex compares to memory foam in post #2 here.
The better options or possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Los Angeles region (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Hey guys. I plan on going to Flexus Comfort after having read through the overviews, and hopefully they will provide any additional information for me to get the best bed I can. I almost bought a bed from Sit n Sleep just last week, but thankfully I held off and decided to do some research. This site has been extremely helpful in that regard, so I give my thanks.
Hi coldness,
Welcome ā¦ and Iām glad the site has been helpful
As you know I think highly of Flexus and you are certainly heading in a good direction.
Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback after your visit.
Phoenix
We purchased the Novaform Serafina, based on the Consumer Report recommendation. It is killing us! Headaches for me, shoulder and back pain for my husband. We have been trying to āgive it time,ā but it has been over a month. It is going back to Costco-God bless their return policy.
Return policies now condition all my future mattress purchases.
Hi samattes,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own since it wasnāt related to the title of the original topic you posted in.
You can see my comments about the Consumer Reports mattress ratings and recommendations in post #2 here and in this topic. While they may be a good source of information about more āobjectiveā purchases ā¦ as you can see I would consider them to be an unreliable source of information or guidance about purchasing a mattress and they are somewhat nonsensical and meaningless. My thoughts are also shared by most of the more knowledgeable people in the industry (see post #5 here for an example).
While other peopleās comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful ā¦ I would also be very cautious about about using other peopleās experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range) and reviews in general certainly wonāt tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or āvalueā of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
You can also see some comments about the Novaform Serafina in post #2 here.
[quote] It is going back to Costco-God bless their return policy.
Return policies now condition all my future mattress purchases. [/quote]
Iām assuming that youāve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice ā¦ and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youāve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
There is also more about buying a mattress from Costco in post #4 here.
If you are looking at online mattresses that you canāt test ahead of time then I would certainly agree that for many people the options you have after a purchase to exchange or return the mattress (or in some cases individual layers or components in a mattress) can be one of the more important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase.
If you are looking at online options then the tutorial includes several links to lists of the better online sources Iām aware of (in the optional online step) that include a wide range of different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of designs, firmness levels and budgets and many of them have good return policies as well.
If you let me know your city or zip code Iād also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities Iām aware of in your area as well.
Phoenix
After extensive research on your site and others, we purchased from Sleep EZ. What began as a 3-layer latex ultimately ended up (after many weeks and much layer swapping) a 3-layer plus 3" topper. Weāve been sleeping soundly now for several months and are highly satisfied. The folks at Sleep EZ were very helpful every step of the way. Thanks so much for your very helpful site! We couldnāt have done it without you. Now, let me click on the āHow we surviveā link and make a contributionā¦
Hi jharvey,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so it wouldnāt get mixed in with a more general topic.
Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback ā¦ and congratulations on your new mattress
Itās great to hear that your fine tuning worked out so well and now that you have the layering combination that works for you it would be reasonable to expect that you will be sleeping well for many years to come.
Thanks for the kind comments and for the donation as well ā¦ I appreciate both of them!
Phoenix
Thank you for the forum. Starting my mattress research now.
Hi anandah,
Welcome ā¦ and Iām glad you found us
Just in case you havenāt read it yet ā¦ the best place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice ā¦ and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youāve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
Once you get to step 3 in the tutorial if you let me know your city or zip code Iād also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities Iām aware of in your area.
Phoenix
Hi,
Count me in as another one of this forumās admirers from afar who, after reading through many posts here for a while, finally signed up a few weeks ago and I am just now posting my appreciation for this site.
This site has really been a great help in guiding me on my ongoing journey to find a mattress. Now Iām just waiting on building up my budget so I can upgrade my current mattress in the near future (hopefully sooner than later).
And with all this researching, I am able to help my family members navigate their way through this Big Deal that is going on a hunt for a new mattress. Of course Iād recommend them to look at this forum, too, since mattress hunting is a very personalized search.
Thank you so much for creating this space so that we can all pitch in to encourage each other to continue searching, and to keep each other sane while looking to buy this basic necessity.
Hi mar705,
Itās great to hear that the site has been helpful and thanks for the kind comments as well ā¦ I appreciate them
Iām looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding ā¦ and of course any other comments or questions you may have along the way that I or any of the other knowledgeable members here can help with.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
I am hoping you have some advice - I ordered the Kiss king mattress in firm, and during the trial period, after having a week away sleeping on another bed, I came to the conclusion that this Kiss mattress was causing me to have back pain (I am a side sleeper and it doesnāt give me enough support). Back in Dec '15, within the 100 day return timeframe, I contacted SleepEz to return the mattress and found out they require me to donate it. However, I cannot find any charitable organization local to me in Shrewsbury Massachusetts that will accept a used King mattress. Iāve made a few phone calls to SleepEz about this over the period of a month but Iām not getting anywhere. Iām really worried Iām going to be stuck with the $950 mattress that hurts my back.
Are you able to help me at all? Any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.
They donāt require you to donate it.
According to SleepEZ FAQ.
If you decide that the Kiss Mattress is not for you, then just let us know and we will set up a time for a local charity to come pick it up. Itās that easy. Once your mattress is donated, send us a scanned or photographed copy of your donation receipt via email and weāll process your refund in full. Weāre experts at finding donation locations. If youāre unsure of where to donate or need help, just let us know by phone, or email [email protected]; weād be happy to help!
We recommend keeping the plastic to make donations or recycling easier. Instead of shipping it back to us, we work together to donate the mattress to a nearby charity. Send us a scanned or photographed copy of your receipt and weāll process your full refund. If no charity is available nearby for donation, weāll arrange a 3rd party pickup for the mattress.
Once we receive your proof of donation, our system processes the refund within 24 to 72 hours. If you do not see it back in your account within 3-5 business days, contact your bank or financial institution for further information.