First Mattress for Apartment

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Hi, I’m going to be moving to Pittsburgh, PA very soon and I am looking for a new mattress. Through numerous rabbit holes I’ve arrived here. I know there are a LOT of amazing resources here, but I am having trouble narrowing down how to make a good decision.

I am 5’ 10" at 135lbs, fairly athletic, and expect to continue growing as I am in my early 20’s. I don’t really have any physical health issues that hinder my ability to sleep, and I sleep in practically any position. However, I find that I sleep most frequently on my stomach or back.

I am looking for mattresses that:

  • Provides support for stomach and back sleeping primarily
  • Medium to Medium-Firm (I am going off some very brief testing at a local Mattress Firm near Beacon, NY)
  • Will last for 6+ years and much longer
  • Great return policy and warranty in case I find it is not working well for me.

I am trying to avoid getting a mattresses that:

  • Contain fiberglass as I’ve been reading about the issues that can cause recently
  • Run particularly warm during sleep (but I’m sure this is personal preference)
  • Mattresses that are too heavy since I foresee myself moving frequently (i.e. Latex being quite heavy)

Sadly, I don’t think I will be near any of the Mattress Underground partners before I move later this weekend, so I am trying to make this purchase directly online and to deliver to my future apartment by the time I arrive.

I have read through the tutorial post, but I am having a lot of trouble trying to digest all the information. So I did my best to speak on what I gained from each step.

STEP 1
I understand that most common mattresses are innerspring, memory foam, hybrids, and latex. I have currently narrowed down my choices to a hybrid mattress.

I am open to innerspring mattresses, but it’s lower on my list as I have used a twin innerspring for almost 10 years now (which isn’t terrible), and I want to achieve even higher quality sleep as I now begin to live on my own. I understand that these tend to have the best feedback of other mattresses and sleep much cooler than a fully memory foam mattress. Furthermore, you can always throw a topper/pad over it to increase comfort which is nice. I would like to avoid doing so as I move a lot when I sleep, and found that pads tend to shift often as a result.

I am not opposed to memory foam mattresses but from my reading it seems that they are not suitable for stomach sleepers, and that is the position I tend to fall back to if I have trouble sleeping.

I am focused on hybrids as they seem to bring the best of innerspring and memory foam mattresses.

I am avoiding latex mattresses due to their size and the high probability that I will be moving frequently within the next 10 years and would like the ability to move my mattress with me as needed.

STEP 2
As far as I understand the industry is not in a very good place. It’s all incredibly shady, lack useful information, and has the transparency of ice cream when attempting to determine the quality of products. This is mostly an issue with big/popular brands.

Nevertheless, as far as budget goes, I want to remain around $1,000. This is already fairly high for me, but I realize most high quality mattresses fall in this range, and I would be willing to make the investment in great and reliable sleep as I firmly believe this will pay dividends in my health and growth.

STEP 3
I have not done much research into the proximity of mattresses for a few reasons:

  • My car is not large enough to carry a mattress (probably even in a box) and I am trying to budget for my move
  • It is much easier to have the mattress shipped to my apartment
  • I move in less than a week and I have yet to really make a decision for my unfurnished apartment which has led me to post here

STEP 4
The only testing I was able to do was at a mattress firm, but it was very brief and the best I did not get much from it except I do not like super firm mattresses for any sleeping position. I found medium and medium-firm to be the most comfortable, and soft to be too soft as it felt my upper-body sunk into the mattress creating some tension in the lower back.

STEP 5
I feel like I am largely stuck here as I don’t know which mattress manufacturer to even begin looking for. As far as I know from my research, I have tried to select brands that have had a decent reviews on Reddit and around here, and have no sign of fiberglass in their current offerings according to some brief searching.

  • Brooklyn Bedding
  • WinkBed
  • IKEA
  • Helix
  • Tuft and Needle (Can’t find much info on if their mattresses contain fiberglass)
  • Nest

I am struggling to identify if there are other offerings that meet my requirements. I am tempted to settle on the IKEA HAUGSVÄR as it is very affordable, should it get uncomfortable I can add a mattress pad to increase comfort, and if it should inevitably begin to fail me, I didn’t invest too much money into it that I now regret the purchase and am suffering from it.

Any assistance would be really helpful, I did my best to offer as much information as possible, but if there’s anything else that’s needed I can respond ASAP.

Thank you all in advance!

EDIT: Added Nest to the list of mattresses under consideration

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Hi zen-sleep, welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile: - and welcome to Pittsburgh!

You have presented some interesting questions from your research in the site, but keep the basics in mind - any mattress you finally chose will be based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health condition - thanks for providing those! - and your PPP (Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). The good news is with your lower BMI you have a lot more options available that would be comfortable as well as supportive.

As you can see comparing the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, latex is one of the most durable mattress materials you can find, and a well made latex mattress could last for many years. You say you sleep ‘hot’ - which memory foam mattresses are known to do, but you want to avoid a heavy bed…you may need to try any different bed types locally where you are if possible, to get a better idea of what types of mattress you do and don’t feel comfortable on, so you can make a ‘short list’ of compatible types. For your body profile, a latex or foam hybrid would provide adwequate support. While latex may be heavier, it really comes Soren to the total weight of the mattress, and how many layers of latex over what other components (for example, a latex hybrid with a 2"-3" comfort layer would of course be less heavy than a solid latex mattress). It comes down to personal preferences as far as what you definitely want and what you can do without on your new mattress.

As far as your list…these are mostly big box brands, and while they may be popular, their general lack of transparency in materials and densities of components make it impossible to assess either their suitability or durability for your sleep profile. They will not likely ‘hold up’ for the duration you want your mattress to last, and are subject to the ‘marketing hype instead of concrete specifications’ that you touched on during your research. Keep in mind, we suggest any foam in a potential mattress has no more than an inch or so of lower grade foams (for memory foam no lower than 4 lbs/cuft for normal range weights, and 5lbs/cuft for higher range weights) and if polyfoam is used, with at least 1.8 lbs/cuft density, just to ensure you have support. If you don’t see these specifications listed, it’s a good sign to avoid that mattress! Again, with your lower BMI, you have a lot more options to work with than a larger sleeper.

While your budget is not high, there are a number of Trusted Members of the site which carry foam hybrid mattresses in your range: you mentioned Nest Bedding, while GhostBed carries a number of foam hybrids. BioSleep Concept has the De Luxe Comfort Memory Foam Mattress and Serenity Hybrid both of which check many of your ‘boxes’ and are under $1000; while Custom Sleep Technology has the Bronze, and Silver polyurethane modular mattresses you may also want to consider. Whichever Trusted Member of the site you choose, they ahave all been vetted for quality, transparency in materials and construction, excellent customer service and generous exchange and return policies. If you provide them with your Stats, PPP and mattress history, with what you want to achieve and your concerns, they can help you find a compatable mattressswhuch will provide many years of comfortable sleep. I wish you success on your new mattress journey, if you are curious about the suitability and durability of specific mattresses feel free to ask and we can comment on them…and good luck with your move to Pittsburgh!

~ Basilio

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Hi, and thank you so much for your response Basilio! This was incredibly useful information and I genuinely appreciate it!

I’ll definitely give these a much deeper look in making my decision. From a brief read through it seems the guide seems to cover more beyond what I was initially considering, which is really helpful!

I may have mistyped here, I think I meant to say I sleep warm sometimes. However, it’s not very often so it’s not a substantial issue for me. But when it does happen its not the most comfortable feeling haha.

Thank you for providing that final list of potential mattresses! I should’ve probably mentioned that I am planning to get a queen mattress, so I guess I don’t have much choice in spending a bit over $1,000, but I’m fine with that if I’m making a worthwhile investment.

As for the quality of these mattresses, I am confident that Nest does not include fiberglass in their mattresses, but I am not sure for:

  • BioSleep Concept (De Luxe Comfort | Serenity Hybrid)
  • Custom Sleep Technology (Bronze | Silver)

Is there a way to find out this information from these manufacturers? Or perhaps I’m not understanding how to identify it from their list of components?

I may be mistaken, but I did find that Ghostbed mattresses do contain some fiberglass. Is fiberglass a realistic cause for concern when searching for mattresses? I’ve read some pretty difficult things online, and I wanted to err on the side of caution in making a purchase.

I went back to Nest Bedding’s website, and was curious to see the Raven Flippable Hybrid mattress on sale. It seems like it would be pretty solid for my needs and affordable, but I’m not sure how well it would fit for my comfort in comparison to the Sparrow Signature Hybrid.

At this point, I’ve somewhat accepted I’ll be sleeping in a sleeping bag temporarily for some time after I move into my apartment on Saturday, but I’d appreciate any feedback I can get in advance for some of these.

Edit: I also was considering an Avocado Mattress, but wasn’t too sure of their quality. If there’s anything I should be able to identify.

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Hi zen-sleep, glad you found the information useful!

Fiberglass is used in things like construction, furniture, textiles and mattresses as an inexpensive effective fire retardant. In mattresses, the fiberglass is added to the foam in the molding process, so it remains internal and suspended…BUT…any damage like a hole or tear or wear spot could possibly expose this. The danger of this process is still in debate, but many consumers want to understandably avoid this it’s a fairly good bet that any good mattress marketed as ‘green’ or certified organic, would not have this additive. Many manufacturers are moving away from this material due to the public concern over it’s possible dangers…as you say, many consumers want to err on the side of caution but there’s no firm consensus on the dangers that I’ve seen yet.

I checked with BioSleep Concept as well as Custom Sleep Technology and both said they do not use fiberglass in their products…when in doubt, asking is always the most direct route, as a manufacturer may or may not state what FR solution they are using.

As for the Nest Bedding Raven Flippable or Sparrow this would be a matter of preference with your lower BMI; flippability will allow you to even out the wear you put on it, but again with your lower weight, the foams shouldn’t really experience too much wear. Things like 8" coils vs. 6" coil, and the density and thickness of the foams would be more of a personal taste matter, though the Raven is over 3" taller as well, so there’s another data point in making your decision.

The Avocado mattresses are fine as they are certified organic and reasonably well made, though you would be contending with the weight of latex with these mattresses.

It sounds like you are zeroing in on the ‘final candidates’! You are almost there- a bit more consideration and you should have it. Wishing you a safe and speedy move to ‘Iron City’!

~ Basilio

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Basilio,

NOTE: In the process of writing this post, I believe I made my decision and will be getting the Nest Bedding Raven (priced at $849.50 for a queen at the time of writing). However, I still wanted to post this in case I may be missing something, or maybe it’ll help someone, in the future who’s in my shoes. My final decision came right at the second-to-last paragraph and I started thinking about it a bit more.

Thanks again for all your support and responses, especially on the topic of fiberglass and getting that information on my behalf from BioSleep Concept as well as Custom Sleep Technology. In the future, are there ways for me to contact them directly through TMU Forums, or would reaching out by email or support number be better?

Last night I was looking through some of the specs on Nest Bedding across the Raven, Sparrow, Owl, and Finch. I noticed that for some components it included an ILD, and I noticed the same when I was looking through the resources here, but I’m not sure how to interpret these values on the Nest bedding website, or even know if it’s significant for my purpose. For example, the Raven mentions the following as a component:
1" - V250-101 ILD Cooling Visco Gel Support Foam

But I’m not sure what the 101 ILD means since that seems much higher than the list I saw on one of the posts here.

For the Nest Bedding Raven Flippable I was considering it for the following reasons:

  • Being flippable I feel allows for flexibility but as you mentioned this isn’t a huge problem for my BMI
  • If I decide to upgrade my mattress later when I purchase a home, I could relegate the Raven to a guest room mattress that would be flexible for a guest’s needs
  • It’s currently very cheap at a steep discount (over 50% which would be very kind on my wallet)

Cons:

  • Doesn’t seem to be as modular as the other offerings which is really an incredibly minor nitpick for an already great mattress.

I was a bit confused by what you meant here:

  • How is it 3" taller exactly? Or rather, 3" taller in reference to what? I interpreted the thickness to be 8" and not actually 10" since the top and bottom 1" that the website mentions is the 1" - 4 lb. Quilting Foam Cover, which I interpreted as the cover that goes around the mattress being counted as a component which I thought was strange.

The Sparrow was my top choice when I found Nest since it seemed to be their most popular, and I was in a hurry, and I really liked the fact that you could open the mattress to replace the top foam.

However, after considering your comment here:

I opened up my horizons to latex again as an option and found that the size differences on some models aren’t overwhelming. For example these Nest mattresses in queen clock in at the following weights:

  • The Owl Hybrid Latex - 100lbs
  • The Sparrow - 105lbs
  • The Raven - 95lbs
  • The Finch - 120lbs (This is the outlier since it’s full Latex, but I included it for scale/references)

My only concern now with a latex or latex hybrid is that I’ve never actually owned or slept on a latex mattress before, so I’m not sure how/if I want to take the risk of that dive while I don’t currently have a mattress to sleep on. I want to be able to test, but also take advantage of current prices so I can still save a good amount for my move, which the Raven is crushing right now.

On the other hand, I feel like a latex mattress (since their covers seem to be easily unzipped) is very modular as I can remove layers and adjust as needed, but I don’t see myself changing comfort for 6+ years (ideally), and by that time, I’ll likely be getting something new for a new home. I also realized you can purchase a latex topper/pad, so maybe I could buy one to try out latex for the foreseeable future.

I decided not to opt for Custom Sleep Technology, but not due to quality, only to cost and weight, so I plan to save it for reference in the future when I decide to buy a home and want a much more customized option that won’t be moving much from apartment to apartment.

Wow… what a lengthy process of mattress research, thank you so much @Bastilio and Mattress Underground for the incredible resources and direction.

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Hi zen-sleep,

Glad we could be of service! I would say if a Trusted Member has an expert forum thread you can ask there, but the customer support numbers on their profiles will get you a quicker answer, most likely.

The Raven is 10" inches in height, while the Sparrow is 13.5" - it really depends on what you are used to, as with your body profile both will provide good support. The ILD range is a bit confusing: ILD (Indentation Load Deflection) is commonly used to signify latex density. It’s the amount of pressure it takes to compress a 4" square of latex rubber by 25%; though lighter and denser foams are available, this typically runs from around 14 ILD (plush) to 50 ILD (firm) meaning 50 lbs of pressure is needed to compress the latex by 25%. The component you are looking at is a visco-gel foam; suppliers vary in the type and style of labeling of their foams…In simple terms, firmness is a measure of how soft the foam is, how likely you are to “sink” into it. Whereas, density is a measure of how heavy (or dense) the foam is.
Foam firmness is a technical measurement indicating how easily a foam will compress. Lower firmness offers a more plush or “sinking” effect when pressure is applied. Wheras a firmer foam will not “give” as much and remain stiffer under pressure. All that being said, I would say the v250-010 ILD is a rating used by the visco foam supplier, so in short just consider the firmness - soft, medium, firm etc.

I agree on all your points on the Raven and Sparrow. The flippability is a big plus for the Raven.

All in all you have done a great job researching and considering your choices, bravo! It can be an exhausting process for sure, but you asked the right questions, and didn’t fall victim to ‘analysis paralysis’! Please report back with your experiences once you’ve had some time on the new mattress!

~ Basilio

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