Educated consumers

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

About Consumer Education

Consumers are of course the final piece of the puzzle and an important part of “The Mattress Underground”. They are different from the other two parts however in that they are buying a mattress rather than selling it and that they can become a member by simply making a post in our forum. Consumers are the “target” of the sales practices that surround the purchase of a mattress with deceptive tactics, poor quality information, and “great sounding” stories. Unfortunately, the lack of good information about the different materials used and the differences in construction too often leads to the purchase of an inappropriate mattress or one that only lasts a few months or a very few years and which is sold at an inflated price. Brand recognition and the stories attached to it have in most cases become the dominant part of a mattress purchase rather than consumer knowledge.

Frequent comments made to customers during the mattress shopping process.

We have often seen comments during mattress shopping similar to those that follow and if you haven’t come across them in your mattress search, you soon will. They include …

“We are selling sleep” in the hopes that this will translate to buying what is “comfortable” in a store without regard to durability or long term suitability.

"This layer (usually buried deep inside your mattress) makes it so much more (fill in the blank such as “breathable” or “durable” or “comfortable”).

“This half-price sale ends tomorrow and because we have only “two more left”, or “one more floor model” I can get you an even better price”.

“This mattress has a 25-year guarantee and you are fully protected if anything goes wrong”

"Buy this now while we still have it and if you don’t like it after a month we will gladly exchange it for another.

“This mattress is endorsed by … (fill in the blank with your favorite expert, celebrity, or organization)” and if it wasn’t any good they wouldn’t be endorsing it.

All of these and dozens more can only be countered with two things … knowledge, and knowing who makes better mattresses and where to find them. In other words, connecting with the other two parts of The Mattress Underground who make “off brands” of much higher quality and value and those who sell them.

Consumers deserve better information, better service, and better value.

This section of our website (The Industry) is about the manufacturers and retailers who make and sell these mattresses and give you the consumer better information, better service, and better value. Knowing who they are and where to find them is just as important as knowing what should be inside your perfect mattress. As a consumer, you also have your very own “mattresses” section of this website which covers everything you may wish to know about choosing your mattress, in any level of depth you may wish to know it. It has “overviews” or buying guides about every area of mattress materials and construction, guidelines for field testing that can produce meaningful information no matter where you choose to buy a mattress, and more detailed pages for those who wish to take their research to greater levels.

Every consumer who looks for greater knowledge, service, and value is already part of The Mattress Underground. Connecting with the retailers and manufacturers who share these values can make your mattress search much simpler and more enjoyable and perhaps even more importantly, one of the most successful major purchases you have ever made.

2

Hi, can anyone please tell me if there is a discount code that can be used at The Mattress and Sleep Company store (in Edmonton, Canada) if I buy a Berkeley Ergonomics mattress? Thanks

3

Hi Jlp.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The fastest route would be to call the company themselves and inquire about any deals, sales, or coupons that may have at this time. We do not have a TMU discount for them, but they do carry Berkley Ergonomics.

Good luck with your purchase!
Phoenix

4

I was reading on your mattress forums - an old post re modifying a memory foam mattress to increase firmness. I was really glad to read that someone else has a similar issue. Over the years I have had most every kind of mattress without issue. But age is catching up to me. Last year I developed a lower back “thing”. Two herniated lumbar discs, slightly compressed spinal cord, bursitis, and the end result - intermittent sciatica. My dear husband surprised me with a new mattress in an effort to help. He got a sealy conform I think its called. It has the gel cooling stuff. I truly don’t understand how this is happening but I have a more than significant issue with the mattress. I am heavier than my husband so of course that sets off the problems. I feel like there is no edge to the bed. It’s like a big water balloon, bean bag, etc. So I lay on the bed, and my body is on an angle of about 15 degrees. I was being polite and didn’t say anything for a while. Then, one morning I got up and literally fell out of the bed over into the wall. Big ol’ lump over my eye and a dent in the wall. Not at all something I have ever done. I just couldn’t get a firm footing to stand up. So now I get concerned. Checked the various areas on the bed and frame to be sure there were no issues. Still feel like I am laying on an incline. A ramp even. I thought well, there are worse things, it was supposed to be a surprise. I didn’t want to hurt my husband’s feelings. Now it’s been since August. My leg that lies to the outside of the bed has developed some pain. I believe it is from compensating for this incline. It’s exactly the muscle I use to move myself to the middle of the bed. The pain is not muscle, but I think nerve pain. One mattress has created all this! I began to read other solutions on your site on how to sort of firm up the bed so there is an edge. I mean we didn’t have the money for the mattress to begin with. I had a memory foam mattress before and never did it feel like it had no edge. I put a piece of wood underneath the mattress and that helped some. I am going to try the trick with the runner from Ikea listed elsewhere in these forums. The last mattress was a cheap coil mattress and developed pressure point issues on my hip. Granted - the mattress was cheap and old. Now I am scared to death to try anything! My husband suggested just putting the mattress on the floor to see if it helps. I would return to the doctor but I already know - yes I have a back problem (and no insurance.) I don’t want to have to sleep on the sofa for the rest of my life. Any ideas?

On a side note, my husband specifically asked for a Queen size mattress. This mattress is on the old box foundation from the previous mattress which was a Queen. The mattress has a good couple of inches smaller than the box spring.

Any input is appreciated more than you know!

Lori

5

My 86 year old wife has peripheral neuropathy, bad arthritis and just diagnosed with dementia. Because of all of her ailments, it is necessary for us to use a transport chair since she has fallen too many times using cane or walker. We’ve had a casper mattress for several years, but now we are wondering if an innerspring would provide better edge support for her getting in/out of bed. Last Sunday she slipped off the edge of bed while transitioning to the transport chair.
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

6

Hi Nermal Lion,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).

I am so sorry about all of the issues you are having with your mattress, especially after such a nice gesture. And the falling down from the issue with the edge support. I am sure you have probably called about some things, but have you discussed with the retailer about the warranty, especially as the mattress is so much smaller than the “queen” size. They probably dont take back comfort returns but certainly push as much as possible. Clearly, this bed does not have the right quality/density of the foam to support higher BMI individuals. I looked at the Sealy Conforma line and no clear specs are given. I will continue to research this. The sleeping in an incline position is just simply unacceptable. Again I would try to file some warranty claim.

As far as sleeping on the floor, yes this can firm up the mattress, but of course, there are other issues with this, the mattress being too low, harder to get out of bed, etc. I am curious if you flipped the mattress over if you have the same problems. this is not a long term solution, and yes you would be putting sheets over the “bottom” of the mattress. Some people in the past have had a little success trying a very firm topper on top of the mattress. Like a 2" 40 or 44 ild latex topper or firm poly foam…sometimes very expensive. It is a tricky situation trying to firm up a too soft mattress. Also do you know what version of Sealy Conform collection you have? On their site they list the Sealy Essential, Sealy Performanc, and the Sealy Premium? The conform line has the zoned support that make the softer part at top and bottom of the foam. You can see a picture here on the Sealy site.

I hope things can improve, please let us know if anything changes, and look at some of our members products to get info on what may be better. Good luck.

Thanks,
Sensei

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I need a new mattress - bought a Dunlophybrid with what?? around 2005. too firm; using foam pads abd a mattress topper. Since my move 7/18, I had mattress flipped and I feel "springs "?? in some locations. Very uncomfortable and sinks in during night. I have a king and am only occupant. I have Sciatica bilaterally, ? fibromyalgia, a plate in my neck at C5-6-7, and a R shoulder replacement but have new damage in L shoulder with 2 torn RCuffs. My R hip is bad! Like Talay Zenh - ? worth the $.

8

Wow thanks for all the info! My husband got the mattress as a surprise. I think he got it from an overstock warehouse on Facebook so I don’t guess that warranty will help. It was probably defective or returned. Bless his heart for trying anyway. I am off to the information on this forum/site before buying another one. I have been sleeping on the sofa - ugh. After some screaming and hollering my husband checked the bed frame and said it was not tight in one corner, which didn’t help. Slats moved around, all that could happen did happen. But the mattress remains an irritant like no other, so I am now a shopper. Love this site!

9

Hi NermalLion,

You are welcome, keep at it, sleep is too critical for our overall health and wellness not to devote the time. Let us know when you have more questions. Good luck, it’s about to become more overwhelming… it’s normal in the mattress buying process.

Thanks,
Sensei