Don't forget to ask for your "The Mattress Underground" forum member discount/bonus

Thank you!! Looking forward to my freebies :slight_smile:

Hi PrincessandthPea,

There really isnā€™t a minimum thickness that is necessary for a mattress (outside of for esthetic reasons) because it would depend on the type of material, the design of the mattress, and the body type and preferences of the person. If a mattress provides the PPP that you need (pressure relief, Posture and alignment,and Personal preferences) ā€¦ then itā€™s thick enough for that person. The material inside the mattress would also make a big difference. For example 6" of a very high quality foam (such as latex or HR polyfoam) may be absolutely fine for many people but in a lower quality material that doesnā€™t get firm as quickly with deeper compression you may need something thicker to prevent heavier people from bottoming out. Many designs also use multiple layers of foam to achieve their target performance and ā€œfeelā€ so they need more thickness to accommodate the design goals of the mattress. There is more about the effect of layer thickness and the potential benefits of a thicker mattress in some cases in post #14 here.

As you mention shape (and body type in general) plays an important role the ideal design for any person and has a lot to do with how weight is distributed on a mattress. Shape also plays a larger role in the more ā€œcurvyā€ sleeping positions (such as on the side). There are some guidelines that includes weight and shape in the ā€œyour statisticsā€ article here and in ā€œtips and tricksā€ article here as well. There is also a lot more discussion about the effects of body shape in various posts around the forum. A forum search on ā€œcurvyā€ for example (you can just click this) will bring up about 150 posts :).

The ā€œbestā€ way to address this IMO would be the use of an adjustable bed rather than in the design of the mattress or the use of a topper, both of which arenā€™t designed for a position other than lying down and donā€™t offer the even support that upright positions require for the longer term. For a lower cost alternative yet than a ā€œbasicā€ adjustable bed, something like this would also be a much better solution.

Youā€™ve probably read this already but the first place I would start is post #1 here and the information it links to. The next step would be some local testing. Your budget is very low so I would make sure you included any factory direct manufacturers in your area who may have (or could build) a mattress in your budget range that uses better quality materials than you would normally find at this price. I would also consider a single layer of HR foam covered with a reasonable quality cover that is generally available at most foam shops. This can produce a very comfortable mattress if the ILD and thickness is ā€œrightā€ for you and it is also bendable and can be used in any position.

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

Hi again- I did visit 3 mattress places 70 minutes away from me (nearest small city in eastern Wa. state) last summer and was not happy with what I found though admittedly I didnt know much about what I was looking for. I have never found prices lower in my area than I can get online for ANYthing so I am very comfortable buying even a bed. After spending the last several days (and through the web for many weeks) I did decide on the Ultra Plush Latex mattress. I have not heard from them yet and will probably spend much of the weekend deciding on the softness level (ok, hopefully not that long). I am happy with the decision all things considered. I did look at the link which you suggested, for a back support system while sitting up in bed however I have an unusual but perfect headboard (now sleeping on them) I use tri-folding camp mats which folded are at least 9 inches thick and provide thick annd soft back support while sitting in bed as well as a ā€œperchā€ for my small dogs and insulation from a window. I then use a very firm pillow against that and with various other pillows (I have 2 of the standard myPillow- will be happy to give my thoughts on them here for others perhaps) Iā€™m set. I was concerned about wearing out a mattress if I sat in one place too much but you know? I looked at my old mattress in garage and may still be of use to someone else; it simply was no longer suitable for me due to age and health.

I am very happy I found this site and will move my further concerns, specifics and details to another Forum category? I will post later on today. THANK YOU Phonenix.

Hi PrincessandthePea,

They are quite good at making helpful suggestions in terms of selecting a comfort level that may be appropriate for you based on ā€œaveragesā€ or on any other information you can provide them. You may be able to speed up the process or go into a little more detail about your choice if you call them (if you havenā€™t already) and talk to Chuck on the phone. Their phone number is at the bottom of their detailed seller information page here.

They certainly are among the best quality and value in the country and are a great choice for those that are comfortable with an online purchase that is not refundable but is customizable.

The system you use sounds like it works well for you and there is no arguing with success. Hopefully it will be helpful for others in similar circumstances as well.

Post #20 here has some information about the mypillow and the quality of materials and the design it uses. It would be great to provide your feedback on the mypillow though in the same pillow thread because I know that there have been others on the forum that have looked at them as well and would be interested in how it performs and feels for someone else (even though the ā€œfeelā€ or someoneā€™s preferences for a pillow can be very subjective and may be different for each person).

This is often the case where a mattress may not provide for the needs and preferences of one person but may stillbe perfectly suitable for another with different ā€œtolerancesā€ or even different needs and preferences. In many cases the durability of a mattress is not so much that the materials have completely ā€œworn outā€ but that they have changed more than someone is comfortable with.

Thank you as well for adding your feedback and experiences to the information base on the forum. Every new experience adds to the value of the forum for those that follow. Most of all ā€¦ congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks Pheonix for running this site with such great information and user experiences. I purchased a 6" firm core and 3" medium layer from FoamByMail and feel for what I paid, I received an OK setup. Of course, my only experience is with what I have and donā€™t know what the long term experience will be, and from what I have read, seems like I actually have dunlap and not real talalay (it is really firm). So I am now looking to purchase a soft topper, real talalay, from a quality retailer (a member of your site) and this site has been a great help. The 5% discount will be great too! Thanks again.

Hi Codacon,

Youā€™re most likely correct that what you have is firmer Dunlop.

Youā€™ve probably seen this but some of the better topper options Iā€™m aware of are listed in post #4 here.

I should also mention that the 5% discount or ā€œbonusā€ that the manufacturers here have agreed to provide to members of this site applies to mattresses only not any other products they may sell (although it never hurts to ask as long as itā€™s not an ā€œexpectationā€ :)).

Phoenix

Hey Phoenix,

Thanks for an awesome site. I think Iā€™ve spent way too many ours over the last couple weeks reading articles and the forum.

My wife and I decided to go with the Yamaguchi platform bed from tatamiroom.com and the latex 13000 from SleepEZ. So excited to get rid of our super old spring mattress.

Look forward to updating everyone on our experience once we have been able to use it for a while.

Hi rlwoolz,

I understand how easily a forum like this can lead to a LOT of time spend reading about mattresses. Iā€™ve been told by some people that the information just never seems to end!

The good news though is that you made it to the other side and ended up with some great choices. Iā€™m looking forward to your feedback about both of them.

Congratulations on your new mattress ā€¦ and bed :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thank you for all the information you share. Iā€™m afraid that all the information is kind of leading to decision paralysis, but I know for sure itā€™s kept me from making a bad decision!

Iā€™m trying to find a mattress that is suitable for bed-sharing with an infant, so Iā€™ve decided on latex and more likely one with wool. Iā€™m hoping to pull the trigger in the next few days or so!

But thanks again for this resource!

Hi anatayw,

I think that one of the most effective ways to bypass ā€œparalysis by analysisā€ is to put just as much importance on who you are dealing with as you do on which mattress you buy. When you are dealing with people that have the knowledge, experience, and integrity to help ā€œeducateā€ you instead of ā€œsellā€ you ā€¦ then you donā€™t need to learn what they already know and are willing to share. One of the most reliable signs of manufacturers like this are the ones that will disclose the details of every layer of their mattress. There is a great deal of information on this site that can be somewhat overwhelming but the best use of much of the information is to validate what a manufacturer or retailer is telling you to help you know which ones are the most knowledgeable and helpful.

This can make a very good choice for bed-sharing because latex is one of the ā€œsafestā€ materials along with natural fibers and innersprings. Even blended latex (which uses a blend of synthetic and natural latex) is a very ā€œsafeā€ material.

the subject of what is safe, natural, organic, and eco-friendly can be very complex and the edges between all these terms are often blurred even though they are all very different. Post #2 here has links to much more information about this that can help you unravel some of the conflicting and contradictory information you will be exposed with deeper research that can sometimes seem like you are going ā€œdown the rabbit holeā€.

In general though ā€¦ if you stick with more natural materials (natural fibers, natural latex, steel innersprings, fire barriers with no chemicals etc) then your odds are very good that you have a ā€œsafeā€ mattress that would be suitable for a baby, infant, or young child. If you decide to move into less natural materials ā€¦ such as blended latex, or polyfoam, or some of the semi-synthetic fabrics like bamboo or viscose, then the degree of safety that you can find out will depend on the certifications that have been done on them (such as CertiPur or Oeko-Tex) and on how much you ā€œtrustā€ the testing protocols.

The only thing I would exclude completely from your choices for babies, infants, or young children is memory foam because of the potential risks that are involved in its use with very young children. Several of the better post and threads about mattresses and children are linked in post #2 here that may also be helpful. In the end each of us needs to decide ā€œhow safe is safeā€ for ourselves because there are often no absolute answers to these questions and each person will need to decide for themselves the ā€œdegreeā€ of safety that they are comfortable with.

If you have questions along the way that i may be able to help with feel free to post them on the forum.

Phoenix

Thank you so much for this fabulous resource! Weā€™ve decided on a latex mattress, and are so excited! Weā€™ve learned so much from reading this forum, and feel like weā€™re making a great decision for ourselves, both for our sleep and health, and also for our pocketbook.

Hi chhcoach,

Thanks for the kind words ā€¦ and I hope you let us know what you end up choosing :slight_smile:

If you have any questions along the way of course feel free to post them here.

Phoenix

We did ā€œpull the triggerā€ and slept on our mattress last night. I think it needs some breaking in as itā€™s pretty hard right now! Hoping it will soften up well since itā€™s not ā€œsoftā€ or ā€œplushā€ right now ;]

Hi LisaB,

Iā€™m glad to see youā€™ve received your mattress so you can start sleeping on it.

As you probably know from reading the forum, it will take a few weeks for the memory foam to go through its initial softening (this is the case with all higher quality memory foams) so the more you sleep the faster this can happen :slight_smile:

Make sure as well that there is nothing over the foam that can interfere with itā€™s ability to mold itself to your body or interfere with its temperature response (such as mattress pads or other bedding which can reduce the temperature response of memory foam).

I hope you have the chance to give us your feedback from time to time as things progress.

Phoenix

This site is amazing.

I have been looking to replace my mattress for a number of years now and just havenā€™t been able to find enough credible information to make a decision. I have been reading over the site and although I still have not decided on the mattress I will buy. I do feel after reading a bit more I should be closer to making the decision. I have read many other sites and have always came away confused, resulting in me just giving up the pursuit of a new mattress.

Thank you for the site and information.

Hi Metalman,

Thanks for the kind words :slight_smile:

Feel free to ask any questions you may have along the way and if you let me know your city or zip Iā€™d be happy to let you know of any better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in your area.

Phoenix

Thanks for this site and all of the good information Phoenix. I decided to go with Sleepez and think I am getting a much better value than the flobed I almost purchased.

Thankyou for bringing a sense of clarity to such a seemingly obscure purchase decision.

Hi dinsley,

Thanks for the kind words ā€¦ and congratulations on your new mattress!

As you know I think SleepEz is a great choice and Iā€™m looking forward to your feedback once youā€™ve received it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks for all the great information on the site. It has been really helpful in learning about things I should look for when buying a new mattress. I have checked out a couple of DFW stores that you have mentioned on the site and am going out again today. Hopefully I will be able to find a great quality/value mattress that works for me!

Hi kmj,

Thanks for the kind words.

Donā€™t forget ā€œrule #1ā€ which is to always make sure that any retailer (whether they are on a list here or not) can provide you with the quality details of every layer of any mattress you are considering or testing (thickness and foam density for memory foam and polyfoam and the thickness, type and blend of any latex in the mattress). If they can and will cheerfully provide you with this information and understand what it means then this is one of the more reliable indicators that you are dealing with a more knowledgeable person.

Phoenix