hello, Just like the re-acuring them here my girlfriend and I are looking for a new king sized mattress. I am 6’ and about 170lb and she is prob 5’7" and 120lb and both side sleepers. Ive been reading pheonix’s posts here for the last couple days and found them incredibly helpful. We are not sure yet if we want latex or gel memory foam. But we wanted to ask Phoenix or anyone else if they now of any good manufacturers, wholesale direct or suggestions in the Buffalo NY area…
oh yeah… sleeping cool is important to me, I dont like to be hot. But if a gel memory foam bed was really great i could prob deal with a little heat retention…
things we tried:
Optimum inspiration king (liked it but has a steep pricetag)
Icomfort (didnt love them and love them even less after everything ive read)
I would like to try Restonic. Dynasty mattress seems to get good reviews… We are just a bit overwhelmed. We would really like to find a good local manufacturer, or good wholesale direct to try out mattresses. Any suggestions of what to check out or try, experiences or help would be greatly appreciated.
The first place to start your research is post #1 here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and of course know how to avoid the worst ones.
I would be very cautious about using reviews to replace actual research. You can read more about mattress reviews in post #13 here and a forum search on Dynasty (you can just click this) will bring up more information about them as well.
You can read more about the many factors that can affect sleeping temperature just as much as the type of foam in the mattress in post #2 here
Once you are at step 3 … then post #29 here has some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Buffalo, NY area.
You give a TON of super helpful information here that we really appreciate and are continuing to read. I’m curious though, (you may have said this elsewhere but i couldnt find it) what kind of bed do you own? (I think you said you like latex) also if you were to buy a gel memory foam mattress, what company or bed would you go with?
Seems like asking someone who has so much knowledge on the subject would be a good place to start
You can see the details of my mattress here. I wouldn’t use anyone else’s preferences in terms of materials or the design of a mattress as any kind of guideline though because each person is unique and a mattress that works well for one person may be completely unsuitable for the next. The design of my mattress wouldn’t be a suitable choice for most people.
I don’t recommend specific brands or mattress designs because brand shopping or using other peoples preferences or mattress reviews are among the worst ways for anyone to choose a mattress (see post #13 here about reviews). Post #2 here also has more about the two ways to choose the most suitable mattress depending on whether you are buying locally or online.
Sometimes the basic premises or assumptions that consumers are working with based on the advertising or “hype” they have been exposed to also needs to be checked such as whether a gel memory foam mattress is cooler than a mattress that uses “regular” memory foam. This may not be the case even though gel foams are currently being heavily promoted. You can read more information about gel materials in post #2 here. There is probably more misinformation about gel materials being promoted than accurate information in the mainstream industry.
A mattress is only as good as its construction and the materials inside it and how well a particular design matches each person’s needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). From my perspective … the “best” brands are the ones that disclose the quality/durability of the materials that are inside the mattress regardless of the type of materials each person prefers. Some of the smaller manufacturers that make the best quality/value mattresses are only available in their local or regional area as well. The type of materials and components in a mattress is a personal preference (not a “better / worse” choice) but the relative quality of the materials or components is the biggest factor in the useful life of a mattress and one of the biggest factors in the cost of the mattress. Every manufacturer makes mattresses that use higher and lower quality materials in different budget ranges. You can read more about the factors involved in the durability and useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.
The focus of the site is on “how” to choose because there are so many unknowns, variables, and individual preferences that there is no formula where anyone can predict which mattress someone may do best with out of all the many thousands of options that are available.
The simplest approach is to connect with the experts that already know what you would otherwise need to learn rather than taking the time it would take to become one yourself. “Just enough” information to be able to recognize that someone “knows their stuff” and is providing the information that is important and allows you to make meaningful comparisons is generally the most effective approach. Too little information can lead to some poor choices in terms of durability and too much information can lead to “a paralysis by analysis” and some poor choices in terms of the suitability of a mattress that is focused more on technical information rather than your own personal testing and experience.
