Hi Jenna88,
Outside of your own side by side testing … it’s not likely you will be able to “translate” the feel and performance of one mattress design or combination of materials into another based on specs alone. You can read more about matching one mattress design to another in post #9 here. In terms of feel and performance … without personal side by side testing in real time you would be dependent on how familiar a retailer or manufacturer was with how their own mattresses compared to another one you have tested in terms of feel and performance. Of course it would also be important to make sure you know the specifics of the layers so you can also make more meaningful comparisons in terms of quality/durability and value as well.
In general … if you are testing mattresses where you can’t find out the specifics of what is in the mattresses you are testing then most of the time you spend would be wasted. In these cases … even if you like a mattress … there is no way to compare it to other mattresses that may interest you in terms of its feel and performance or in terms of its quality. The only “value” of testing mattresses where you don’t know the specifics of what is in them is that they may give you some generic sense of the types of materials you prefer (if you at least know the types of materials in the mattress). Other than this … most of this kind of testing is wasted time unless you actually decide to purchase the mattress that you are testing.
You would need to know the specifics of all the layers in the Curiosity 2 to be able to match it to another iComfort that may have a different name. The Brick doesn’t provide this information. If you know the thickness of the mattress then you could compare it to other iComfort mattresses that are the same thickness but these may still not have the same layering.
Again … Simmons is the same thing and it’s unlikely you will be able to find out the specifics of what is in it or use it as any kind of meaningful reference point to compare it to another mattress. This is why I generally suggest avoiding major brands and chain stores in these guidelines which are linked in the basic mattress shopping reference post in post #1 here.
I would follow the steps in the reference post one by one and only test mattresses or visit retailers where you have confirmed beforehand (on the phone) that they are willing and able to provide you with the specific information you need about all the materials in any of their mattresses you are interested in testing … and specifically the thickness and density of any memory foam or polyfoam layers or the thickness, type, and blend of any latex in any mattress you are considering. This type of information is not generally available on the spec sheets that many retailers have.
If your initial “phone interview” of a retail store you plan to visit indicates that they know very little about foam types or density or have little meaningful knowledge or information about their mattresses … then it’s probably best to avoid them completely.
It’s a good idea to use a mattress protector with any mattress you purchase regardless of the type of materials or foam used. It will help protect your mattress from the normal body fluids and oils that each of us lose each night and also from accidents and even dust mites. It’s easier to wash a mattress protector than a mattress cover to maintain good mattress hygiene and any kind of stain on a mattress (even a slight watermark that remains if you try to remove a stain) will void the warranty. You can read more about the pros and cons of different types of the more common types of mattress protectors in post #89 here.
It’s not surprising that you are hitting a wall if you are considering major brands or visiting chain stores. The BC interior is a big place and if you let me know the specific city or postal code where you live I’d be happy to let you know about any better options I’m aware of in your area (or time permitting scan some of the retailers near you to see if any of them may be better “possibilities”).
Phoenix