Let me know if you need any additional information. I am very petite (BMI is 17) so from your reading this site, I realized that matters a lot as well when selecting a mattress.
Using a total of 2.5" of 1.5lb polyfoam puts you on the “cusp” of what I would recommend for your lower BMI, but because the foams won’t go through as much compression, you may be able to get a decent comfort life out of the plush product. The .5" of polyfoam is stitched in the quilt, so this helps a bit with durability, but the 2" of convoluted polyfoam would be my main concern (convoluted foams can soften faster over time that similar solid sheets). My normal recommendation would be a product using 1.8 lb polyfoam (see this article and this article), but again at a BMI of 17 the potential tradeoff of durability may be manageable for you if you end up enjoying the comfort of this newer plush mattress that is being exchanged for you soon.
While I know you don’t desire the comfort of the firm model, that is just as well, as at 1.2 lb polyfoam I would advise caution against purchasing something using that low of a density of polyfoam for your personal mattress.
You have no idea how much I appreciate the information you’re providing.
The new mattress should be here next Tuesday and I think the 3.25 inches of polyfoam in the new softer mattress will be helpful for comfort, though I wished it had a density of 1.8 lb like you typically recommend. So a quick question, was the lower density in the firm mattress (2.5 inches with the 1.2 lb density) the reason for how extremely firm the mattress was? Also, they do offer an ultra soft version that has 5 inches of polyfoam at a density of 1.5 lb. do you think that might be a better option than the 3.25 inch polyfoam? Maybe too much plush?
Again, sorry for all the questions but truly know how greatful I am for your help. I was feeling a little stuck in mattress hell until I found your site.
Thanks again.
FridaDC
You’re most welcome. I’m happy the information here is useful to you.
No, this would be a combination of any changes in the spring unit (I don’t know if they use a thicker gauge steel in this firm version), and mostly a difference in the IFD/ILD of the polyfoam used. IFD (Indentation Force Deflection) is the amount of force needed to compress a specific sized piece of polyfoam (usually 15" x 15" x 4") 25%, and IFD (firmness) is independent of density. So you can have a lower density polyfoam that feels quite hard, or a higher density polyfoam that feels quite soft.
I would advise caution with a product using 5" of polyfoam in the comfort layers of 1.5 lb density, as I linked to in my previous replies to you, with a few inches of this “being on the cusp” of what I’d advise for someone even in a lower BMI. If you eventually decided you needed a softer surface comfort, you’d be better off beginning your mattress search again and choosing something using higher density materials that would be softer than what you’re currently testing, or placing a higher quality topper over your mattress (should you decide to keep what you have).
I just wanted to give you a quick update. I am enjoying the new, less firm mattress. I am still getting used to it but I do believe it is getting more comfortable as I sleep on it more. I have only been sleeping on it for a few days but so far so good.Thank you so much for your help.
One additional question. Because of the new mattress, my bed was a little too tall for me, I am very petite. And because my box spring needed to be replaced, I went ahead and stopped by a local mattress shop to get a low profile 5 inch foundation (the brand is Therapedic). I got it installed and I didn’t think much of it but I think I made a mistake. I started to feel some pressure points in my hip and lower back (I sleep on both positions) which I wasn’t feeling before the new foundation was installed and then I checked underneath and this new foundation has slats all across (correction, after talking to the guy at the local mattress store after I wrote this post, he told me that it does have slats across but they are underneath). I feel some big slats or beams on the top of the foundation so it’s not a 100% flat surface I guess (hope I am explaining this ok). My mattress is an encase coiled mattress, here’s the info : www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/ran...d-coil-mattress-soft
Is it possible that I got the wrong foundation? I didn’t think it would matter too much but I guess it does. Do you have any recommendations?
Additional information I gathered after I wrote this post: I called Restwell, the factory that makes the Room and Board mattresses and the guy I spoke to recommended a box spring which they make (Room and Board didn’t tell me they have box springs available). Anyway, the factory guy recommended I go back to the local store and have the foundation exchanged for a box spring. When I called the local store where I got the foundation, he told me they don’t make box springs anymore. So I am waiting to see what the local store can do for me, before I place an order for a boxspring with Room and Board.
Thanks for the update. I’m glad you’re sleeping a bit better, even though it’s been only a few days with your new mattress.
[quote]I went ahead and stopped by a local mattress shop to get a low profile 5 inch foundation (the brand is Therapedic). I got it installed and I didn’t think much of it but I think I made a mistake. I started to feel some pressure points in my hip and lower back (I sleep on both positions) which I wasn’t feeling before the new foundation was installed and then I checked underneath and this new foundation has slats all across (correction, after talking to the guy at the local mattress store after I wrote this post, he told me that it does have slats across but they are underneath). I feel some big slats or beams on the top of the foundation so it’s not a 100% flat surface I guess (hope I am explaining this ok). My mattress is an encase coiled mattress, here’s the info : www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/ran...d-coil-mattress-soft
Is it possible that I got the wrong foundation? I didn’t think it would matter too much but I guess it does. Do you have any recommendations?[/quote]
It sounds as if you purchased a typical wood slatted foundation from your local store, which would be common for most modern one-sided mattresses. There is more detail of the actual difference between true “foundations” and actual coil “box springs” in post #1 here. The term “box spring” is often used as a common catch-all descriptor for the piece under the mattress, regardless of the construction.
Room & Board lists that your mattress doesn’t need a box spring and can be used in a platform bed situation, which would be a similar support surface to the foundation you received at your local retailer. Room & Board does offer a “box spring” on their web site, but they offer no information about the construction on the inside of the product, so I’m unclear as to whether it is some sort of a foundation or a true coil “box spring” unit (which wouldn’t generally be as common).
If you feel that the slats on the top deck of the foundation you purchased locally are spaced too far apart and are allowing your mattress to “dip in” between these slats and you are feeling discomfort because of this negatively impacting your alignment, this could certainly be a possibility and you might want to replace the foundation. But I don’t know that this is necessarily the case, and you could do a comparison by placing your mattress directly upon the floor and see if there is an improvement in your comfort. Just to note, it would not be normal for a foundation to have a solid top deck. There would normally be a welded wire grid network or a slatted network of wood (spacing varies by manufacturer).
I would take a closer look at your foundation and evaluate the spacing and find out exactly what is inside of the Room & Board “box spring” before making any other decisions.
Thank you so much for your reply. A couple of things:
I spoke with Restwell, the factory that makes the Room and Board box spring and it is a true coil unit (Information updated as of 30Aug17=Room and Board box spring is not a true coil unit, it is a rigid metal box mounted on a wooden frame)
I inspected my foundation, the slats are about 3 inches wide and there are separated by about 10 inches in between. So like you mentioned in your message, I think they slats are spaced too far apart. I can’t find the foundation specs online, unfortunately, but the brand is Therapedic.
I didn’t have the discomfort before last night, I just got the foundation yesterday. I feel kind of discouraged that I didn’t put more thought into the ‘box spring’ situation, but I didn’t think that it would be an issue. I now wished I had my old box spring back.
Thanks for the clarification! So apparently they will provide a warranty with their product on an active (box spring), or non-flexing (foundation, platform bed) system.
The brand itself isn’t particularly important, as you can get variations from different licensees. The information that is needed is the interior construction, and this would be a wood foundation with an approximate 10" slat gap.
If your old unit was truly an active coil box spring, it would have changed the comfort of your new mattress. If that is the case, it may be the simple fact that you went from a flexing to a non-flexing surface under your mattress that is causing your discomfort, even though the gap spacing is larger than you would desire ion your new foundation. If your old box spring was a true active system, it may be that you would be best served by purchasing a new true coil box spring from Room & Board to achieve a feel similar to what you initially liked with your old coil box spring.
My old unit was indeed an active coil box spring, the guy who delivered the new foundation said he hadn’t seen one in years when he was inspecting it and setting up the new foundation. It was a Sealy unit from 2005.
Luckily, I contacted the local store and they were very understanding and will take it back on Thursday. I will set my mattress on the floor for now until I decide what to do next, but I will likely just call the Room and Board guys and get their box spring unit. The guy at the local store also recommended a bed with a flat surface if I didn’t want to get a new foundation, but he also said, that getting the box spring from Room and Board would be a better idea, just like you mentioned. He was looking into possibly placing a special order for me that might work best than what I have now, but he was honest and said to go with Room and Board.
I was feeling awful about this, I hate to waste things, but the guy at the local store actually donates mattresses/foundations that don’t work for his customers to one of my favorite local charities. So the unit will be on its way there on Thursday.
I will update you about what I decide to do and what happens next.
Thanks again for this amazing resource and to share your knowledge with people like myself who have no clue about what to do when looking for a new mattress.
In 2005 Sealy was using a three-fold torsion modular system. While an “active” system, it was not a true coil box spring, but it did flex and impart some comfort to the mattress (just not as much as a true coil box spring).
You’re welcome, and I look forward to hearing of your “success story”.
Me again. I called Restwell again today because after you mentioned that Sealy was not making true active coil box, it made me think that I wasn’t really asking the right questions then so I did some reading on your site last night. I realized that I might have made the wrong assumptions about the Restwell box spring. I am hoping I am getting more educated about this topic now.
As I talked to the guy at Restwell, I came to realize that the box spring that Room and Board is not a true active coil unit, I apologize for giving you the wrong information in my previous posts, I made the wrong assumption. So the right information about the ‘box spring’: it is a rigid metal box mounted on a wooden frame, slats are located at the bottom and there’s a wire grid on the top. I am not sure if I should order this box spring specially if I can’t see it in person as the Room and Board store in DC doesn’t have it.
My mattress is on the floor now and I slept there most of the night and while I was in less pain but my hip still hurt a little bit (I was in great pain the night before when I was sleeping with the foundation underneath my mattress).
So I guess I am starting over in terms of looking for a ‘box spring’. I came to realize (from speaking to people and reading your site) that a lot of people still use the term ‘box spring’. I think that’s why I was confused when I spoke to the Restwell guy. But now I have the right information.
The guy at the local store where I had bought that wood foundation with a 10" slat gap told me that he could order a flexible foundation from Sealy if I wanted to, he didn’t have one in stock at his store. Do you know if Sealy offers active systems now? I wasn’t sure if that was the case. I guess I am a little wary to order the unit because the guy said it would only be $25 more than the Therapedic foundation I got first (that one was $100). I am just not sure about the quality at this point. He also mentioned he could order a foundation that they use for Tempur-Pedic mattresses as well.
I wanted to see if you have any suggestions as to where I can find a find a somehow flexible foundation for my mattress. I spoke to Andy from Urban Mattress in Vienna, VA yesterday and I am hoping to go there this weekend.
In the meantime, I am going to keep my mattress on the floor and see how comfortable I am. That should be a very hard foundation for my mattress. Now I wished I hadn’t gotten rid of my old ‘box spring’.
Thanks again for all your help.
I went ahead and change the information on the previous post about Room and Board info on their box spring so if others come to read this thread, the information is correct.
Thank you for the correction. This certainly makes more sense. It is a rigid metal wire grid network (commonly called min-flex or semi-flex) that does not give at all.
Some of this may be from you still adjusting to the new mattress, some could be if some of the coils were “sinking in” slightly between the slats on the foundation, and some could be that the firmer surface under your mattress isn’t as comfortable to you as your old torsion modular system.
The Sealy StableSupport Foundation is a non-flexing wire grid network, similar to the Room & Board, but I believe the Room & Board uses more wood in the pallet part of the base. Both would not flex and be “similar” to the floor that your mattress is on right now.
That is a very firm and non-flexing foundation as well.
Your best bet would be to find something local, as in a “flexing” or “active” design, these tend to be finished units. You’d want to phone around and ask for something using a “torsion modular system” that flexes. Your best bet would be smaller manufacturers or independent retailers not carrying the more “typical” brands.
One thing you’d want to investigate is if you would void your Room & Board mattress warranty by placing your new mattress on a foundation system that flexes.
I’ve attached a photo of a torsion system (not exactly the same as your old Sealy one)
I spoke with a lady at the Urban Mattress online store and she said that some foundations with the European slat system can be more flexible depending on the wood that is used. They don’t carry any online, but she said that the stores might. She also suggested Vispring. I called Urban Mattress in Vienna, VA (the closest to me) and they told me that they carry Vispring (which makes traditional spring mattress units) but it’s not something they have in stock. I guess they could order it, but I am a little unsure to go that way because I haven’t seen it. If the unit was a little bit cheaper, Vispring is very expensive, I might take a chance.
Room and Board’s warranty is pretty generous, putting the mattress on a flexible unit would not void it. They basically just take it back no questions asked as long as you do so within the 120 day period from when you bought the bed (the beds and recycled or donated). I do have a question about the Room and Board ‘box spring’. Would rigid metal wire grid network be completely flat? Would this be as firm as the wooden 10" slat foundation I have?
I will continue to look around and see if I can find smaller companies to see if they have anything with the torsion modular system you suggested.
That’s a flexible slat system and not the torsion system you’re attempting to find. I would stick with what you’re attempting to duplicate and not further complicate things by adding in other variables about which you are unfamiliar.
The Vi Spring would be a divan system or box using a pocketed spring unit. Very expensive, and again not what you’re attempting to find.
What you’ve described is a comfort return period, not a warranty. Generally, if you place an item on a surface that is not commensurate in quality to what the manufacturer sells or recommends, they will not honor the warranty. For example, if you put a new mattress on an old coil box spring that was sagging tremendously and then contacted the mattress company in three years and complained that your mattress was sagging, they would not provide a warranty on your new mattress, as you had damaged it by placing it upon an inappropriate surface.
They would both be flat, firm and hard surfaces that would not flex.
There’s only a 120 day warranty, you’re correct, for the Room and Board mattress. There are no returns or exchange after that time unless there’s a manufacturer’s defect.
I’ll update you as to what I decide to do or if I find a torsion modular unit. It’s not looking very promising as I’ve been doing research all evening. I was looking at the Vi Spring option just in case I couldn’t find anything with a flexible system similar to what I had; I could at least get something with a flexible system. But they are very expensive.
I do eventually need to get something to put under my mattress (just keeping on the floor for now). And while it is not perfect, I might just go with the Room and Board ‘box spring.’ I know it’s firm and not flexible, but maybe the metal wire grid might be more comfortable for me than the wooden slats. I won’t know until I try it. But I will keep trying to find a torsion modular system first, this is just plan B.
Just for clarity, they have a 15-year warranty on their products - the return/exchange period is 120 days.
I did a little digging last night with an assumption of your home area, and you may wish to go to the Original Mattress Factory web site and find the closest retailer to your home, They offer a torsion-modular working box spring.
I found the OMF online (thank you) and the closest to me is about 2-3 hours away. I spoke to a lady there this afternoon and she gave me an estimate about delivery time, etc. It would be about 4 weeks or more before they can deliver one to me. I don’t drive (medical condition) so I need to figure out how I can get there to check them out. She was very nice on the phone and I would be willing to take a chance on them, though they do not take returns.
I have to do some thinking. In the meantime, a friend suggested I keep the mattress on the floor for a few days and see how that feels for me when I sleep (I slept on my couch last night). It’s basically going to be the firmest surface to try. If that is an improvement over having the mattress on the slat foundation I had before, maybe I can consider going with a semi-flex grid option, I know it’s firm and not relaly flexible, but I am trying to keep my options open. I guess I won’t know until I try something.
I’ll keep you updated.
Thanks again, you have no idea how much I appreciate the information you provide.
Sorry for the delay reply, I was trying to take a break from the mattress related stuff. I sent you a Direct Message last week not sure if you got it, with my zip code information. I’m located outside DC, Maryland side.
