Exhausted in search, undecided and probably unrealistic - thoughts?

Thanks. So are the IKEA beds as bad as they say? Or is that just rumors and competitive noise? The 2 I have my eye on are in my price range and I’d be able to get a topper if I desired… it is just easier that way.

Hi tbonecopper,

Outside of the suitability of a mattress in terms of PPP (which is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress) … a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it and the name of the manufacturer on a label means very little so it would depend on which of the Ikea mattresses you are talking about and the specifics of the materials inside them.

They have some better quality/value mattresses and some mattresses that I wouldn’t consider at all. There is more about Ikea mattresses in post #3 here and some of the posts it links to about some of their new models.

Phoenix

Thanks so much!

I phoned Fox Mattress, as they are about 1-1.2 hrs from me and spoke with Mic for at least half an hour. We’re going to drive down this weekend and check things out :slight_smile: Hopefully I’ll have some more clarity.

On the way down, we’ll be stopping at Best Mattress Jax to see what they have, as well.

I’ll report back when I can with more details :slight_smile: Thanks again!

Hi tbonecopper,

It sounds like you are looking in some good directions and I’m looking forward to your feedback after your trip :).

Phoenix

Hello :slight_smile: Wanted to provide an update.

We’ve had a busy busy day! We did go to Fox Mattress and worked with Trena (Trina?). They are incredibly nice and super helpful. I did find 2 beds I liked:

The first was from Kingsdown, the Engleman Pillow Collection - Kingsdown . It was quite nice, and the only one, was on sale, etc. I didn’t go to Fox to buy another brand of mattress, however. The other bed they had was one of theirs. It was a tri-hybrid, memory foam on top of latex on top of springs. I’m not sure of the specs beyond that, other than they had 1 queen and 1 king, and were discontinuing that particular model. It was also a bit expensive, but oh my so comfortable.

Speaking with Trena (just going to run with that spelling, apologies in advance!) she was super helpful with clarifying information about construction of mattresses, foam types, latex (which isn’t my favorite when it’s just latex), etc. If you want high quality service, I’d recommend them for that. :slight_smile:

On our way home, we stopped at Best Mattress Jacksonville. There were 2 guys working, Juan and another. The other guy wasn’t my favorite, he didn’t seem to be forthcoming with info, but Juan was a nice guy and really tried to help. They have this odd brand of memory foam, Alasae or similar, I didn’t catch the proper spelling, it was comfy and priced well. However what really caught my eye was a Sherwood Lumina Encore Opus plush bed. Hybrid bed, so plush and comfy, I might not want to get out. As well as a Restonic Signature bed (though, it was a tad firm, which I attribute to their “marvelous middle” feature).

After we left there, we visited Mattress1, which is kinda like MattressFirm, but not as pushy. The manager was really nice and after about an hour, I found a Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid bed, The “resourceful” model. It would compare with the Lumina Oncore Opus from Sherwood in terms of comfort.

I’ve pretty much decided that I want a hybrid bed, it was what I was originally looking for. Now, I’m stuck between the Sherwood Lumina Encore Opus and that Sealy Hybrid. I don’t know much about Sherwood as a company though I’ve read you feel they tend to make a high quality bed from higher quality materials. And that Sealy, well, it’s a Sealy. They seem to be hit and miss in quality and that really makes me nervous. I couldn’t find much info on the Hybrid, how they are holding up, common issues with them, and Sealy isn’t very forthcoming with info. Not that I’ve asked them, but it would be futile I’m sure. Sherwood, no idea. They are a family company, not too far from me actually (Jacksonville, they are Orlando).

Any thoughts on that, or perhaps more insight you might be able to offer on Sherwood, Sealy’s “Hybrid” lineup, or even Restonic? :slight_smile:

Sorry this was long winded also, I’m one of those people who tends to over do it on explanations and setting up points of view.

Hi tbonecopper,

Post #13 here talks about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase.

I can’t speak to the parts that have to do with PPP or how a mattress “feels” to you since only your own testing can assess that part of “value” but if you can list the specifics of the materials and components of any mattress you are considering (see this article) I’d be happy to share my thoughts about the quality of the materials or help you identify any potential weak links in the design or construction.

Without this information there really isn’t any way to know the quality/durability of a mattress or to make any meaningful comments or comparisons with other mattress since the brand is just a name on a label and has little to do with the quality of the materials in a mattress.

Phoenix

There’s a better chance that I’ll wake up tomorrow with the ability to fly than there is of Sealy giving me that info :lol:

However, I’ll call Sherwood on Monday and see what I can squeeze out of them! I think we’re going to go back and look at the Sherwood bed at Best Mattress Jax tomorrow. I’ll see if the store reps have any more info on them as well.

Hi tbonecopper,

Unfortunately you’re probably correct and their lack of transparency and their use of lower quality materials in the comfort layers of their mattresses is the reason that I generally suggest avoiding them. They are much too common a source of buyers remorse.

Phoenix

I just signed in as a new member. We purchased our last mattress at Fox Mattress about 15 years ago. They sold us a great mattress and it’s basically still in great shape after all these years. Our bodies have changed, so we’re looking for s mattress not quite as firm. I’m here trying to educate myself in order to make an intelligent decision. I really don’t plan to shop other stores. The professionals at Fox Mattress know they stuff and they build quality beds. I read your post and thought I’d pass along my opinion. Happy shopping!

Mrsrats, if your 15 year old mattress really is still in good shape, you could try just putting a topper on top of it to make your sleeping system softer. A topper is just like a big thick pad you put on top of your mattress. And the thing is, firm mattresses (as opposed to softer, like pillow top mattresses) are really the ideal thing to put a topper on top of. Or at least it’s a very common well thought of strategy in piecing together a sleep system.

I know some links in the forum for this stuff, but I’m afraid I’ll start you off in the wrong place. If you’re interested in looking at toppers, I’m sure Mr Phoenix will be along to give you appropriate links.

Hi mrsrats,

Like you I certainly think highly of Rick and Fox Mattress and as you probably know they are one of the members here which means I believe they compete well with the best in the industry. I think you are certainly looking in a great direction and they are one of the manufacturers that still “make 'em like they used to” :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks for the advice! We shall see where this week takes me with regard to the mattress quest. :slight_smile: I’ll update everyone as soon as possible!

Hi tbonecopper,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course any questions and feedback you may have along the way :slight_smile:

Phoenix

MOVED: This post was split into a new topic and is in reply to post #16 here.

A mattress topper…hum, what an interesting idea. What do you think, Phoenix? My mattress is some kind of posturepedic firm mattress custom made by Fox Mattress. There is no sag or tear in it whatosever. I’ve always kept it covered with a mattress cover.
Lately, I have been waking up with a numb arm and my hubby with low back pain. I’m sure age has something to do with it too.
I just turned 60. I’m in good shape but am starting to feel my age, I’m sorry to say.
We both love the Cloud Nine beds provided by Hampton. I believe it’s a Serta Tranquility. After reading the posts on this forum, I think it’s comfortable because it has a pillow top. most likely made up of inferior quality foam that will loose its shape after a few months.
. I was all set to bite the bullet and order one on line, but changed my mind after getting a little more educated, thanks to this great forum.
Now, I’m thinking that a mattress with a high quality latex cover might be a better idea.
I have tried a mattress topper made out of memory foam I purchased at Sams Club. I hate it! It was hot, I sank in it and couldn’t move.
That was a terrible investment. To top it all, it stank, even after airing it out for a few days before putting on the bed.
Phoenix—are there pillow top mattresses that keep their shape for a long time?
Thanks for the reply. I’m delighted to have found this forum!

Well, the saga has ended! I’ve made up my mind and purchased (awaiting delivery) the mattress I like. It ended up being the Sherwood Bedding Opus Plush Euro Top in a Queen. After speaking with Sherwood and the owner of the store (Best Mattress Jacksonville, Mike), Sherwood uses foam and springs that meet my needs and quality standards.

I spent almost 8 hours writing a blog post about my entire journey through this, and even mentioned The Mattress Underground on the post. I’d love to share the URL here, but don’t want to seem like I’m “advertising” for my website. Despite the fact that there’s no ads and I don’t make money from “hits” to my site. :slight_smile: If that’s okay, let me know!

Hi mrsrats,

I split your post into a new topic of its own to keep the original thread from straying into a new subject :slight_smile:

If your mattress is still in very good condition and there are no sags or soft spots in the sleeping surface and you just need some additional softness and pressure relief then a topper can certainly be a good idea and can extend the useful life of the mattress. If you decide to go in this direction then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you to choose a topper that would have the best chance of success.

Most pillowtops that you will see in the mainstream industry or that are made by major brands use lower quality/density and less durable materials in the pillowtop which is the biggest reason that they tend to soften and break down relatively quickly. The quality/durability of the materials in the pillowtop will have more to do with how long they last than the fact that a mattress has a pillowtop although it’s also true that thicker layers of softer materials in the upper layers of a mattress will also tend to be less durable than firmer materials or the same type. In other words the useful life of any mattress depends more on the quality and durability of the upper layers of the mattress than on any other single factor. Latex (which is the most durable foam material) along with higher density memory foam or polyfoam in a pillowtop or the comfort layers of a non pillowtop mattress will all last for much longer than lower quality and less durable materials no matter what type of design (tight top, pillowtop, eurotop) the mattress uses.

This is why it’s so important to know the quality of the materials in a mattress (see the guidelines here) so that you can make sure a mattress has no obvious weak links (in the upper layers especially) that can affect and shorten the useful life of the mattress.

This is also the reason that it’s usually better to deal with smaller independent manufacturers (like Fox Mattress) that either sell factory direct or through better sleep shops because they tend to use higher quality and more durable materials in their mattresses in every budget range than the major manufacturers.

A mattress that lasts for 15 years and is still in good condition would be almost unheard of in the mainstream industry or with major manufacturers today.

Phoenix

Hi tbonecopper,

It’s always great to see someone ask all the right questions and do good research and end up making a good choice.

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’d love to read it and there certainly isn’t any problem posting a link since I don’t consider personal sites that share your mattress shopping experiences as “advertising” or “promotion”.

Phoenix

Hey Phoenix,

Sure! Just wanted to double check before dropping links here :slight_smile: The URL is http://www.disobeyers.com/blog/2014/6/8/hi-ho-hi-ho-a-mattress-shopping-we-go

(the site is safe, for inquiring minds, nothing out of the socially acceptable and ordinary there)

Thank you. I will read the link you suggested. I do appreciate all the wonderful advice and insight into this very interesting topic.

mrsrats, It’s so subjective, I have no idea if you wanna get a topper. But what I really like about the idea is it’s a lot easier to switch out toppers and try different things, like a wool topper vs a latex topper… And sleep on one for awhile, then switch to another. Not everyone’s gonna wanna switch that much though.

And there are other reasons to get a topper, like in your situation, extending the life of an existing mattress would certainly save some cash. But it’s been so long, you may be ready just to get a new one. Good luck with whatever you decide!