Hi Nemix,
[quote]Dreamstar Monaco Limited $430:
3 Zoned Tempered Pocket Coils (682 Count)
Triple Edge Guard
1" Insulator Pad
3/4" Comfort Layer (very likely less than 1.5 lbs)
2" High Density Soy Foam (1.8 lbs)
1/2" Foam + Hollow Fill + Blended Cotton Fabric
IKEA Sultan Holmsta $565:
5 Zone Tempered Pocket Coil (380 Count)
360 Foam Encasement (1.5 lbs)
Insulator Layer
1" High Density Foam (1.5 lbs)
1/2" Comfort Layer (unknown density, likely less than 1.5 lbs)
1" Blended Latex (20% Natural)
1/2" Foam + Polyester Fill + Blended Tencel Fabric
-Both mattresses are very close to within your guidelines of having 1" of less of lower density foam is the comfort layers.[/quote]
Guidelines such as these have “fuzzy edges” because something doesn’t suddenly go from good to bad as soon as it goes over a certain threshold so the guideline I use is no more than “about an inch or so” of lower density polyfoam in quilting layers. The quilting process (or tufting even more so) pre-compresses the foam which makes it more durable so if a quilting layer has about 1.5" of polyfoam then I would still consider it to be OK. The density will also play a role because much of the quilting foam is in the range of 1.2 lb density or even lower which is less durable than 1.5 lb foam. Firmness will also play a role because firmer materials tend to be more durable than softer materials that compress more easily.
The Dreamstar Monaco has 1 1/4" of lower quality/density materials in the comfort layers so I would certainly consider this to be OK.
The Sultan Holmsta has about 2" of lower quality/density materials in the comfort layers so this would be a more risky choice.
I also tend to prefer steel edge support vs a foam encasement … especially if the encasement is only 1.5 lbs (see post #2 here).
The coil count is only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of the mattress (including the gauge of the coils and the number of turns in the coils) and that also affect on the amount of steel in the innerspring unit and coil counts by themselves aren’t particularly meaningful. Again though … the innerspring wouldn’t likely be the weakest link in the mattress and as long as a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP then the quality/density of the foam layers above the innerspring would be a much more important factor in the durability and useful life of the mattress than the number of coils. Assuming that there weren’t any obvious weak links in the mattress … I would choose a mattress that had a lower coil count but was a better “match” in terms of “comfort” and PPP over a mattress that had a higher coil count but wasn’t as suitable in terms of its overall feel and performance.
Phoenix