I’m currently following the mattress shopping tutorial on this site and was hoping to get some guidance on the choices I’ve made.
Out of the 5 mattresses I’ve chosen, does anything stand out as low quality, or overpriced?
So far I plan on revisiting all the stores again and laying on these mattresses for 10-15 minutes and hoping I’d be able to choose one by then.
I’m 5’ 7" 145 lb. I’m a side sleeper that sometimes switches positions during sleep.
I have allergies so I plan to cover it in hypoallergenic encasements, but anything that is natural/organic and OEKO-TEX certified or equivalent is desirable.
Off the top of my head I think I liked the Woodland Park Firm Latex Mattress the most
In order of how much I liked the mattress:
I’ve reviewed all of the mattresses and in terms of durability, they all fall within our guidelines/recommendations. I didn’t see any red flags in terms of quality.
As a side sleeper, you may find a firm mattress to be a little uncomfortable when on your side if the layers aren’t thick and soft enough to let you sink in properly. Do you tend to prefer firm mattresses, or is there another reason your feeling inclined towards the Woodland Park model?
I’d also keep in mind that a good starting point for a good comfort layer for a side sleeper is 3" and then depending on weight, body shape, preferences, and the firmness of the support layers, to go up or down from there. Most side sleepers will fall in the range of from 2" -4". Without an appropriate comfort layer, a side sleeper will end up with pressure points during the course of the night and could have symptoms of numbness, soreness, localized redness, or end up tossing and turning all night as your body tries to relieve the pressure.
Only reason I’m leaning towards the Woodland Park model is just because I remember liking it the most on initial feel.
The firm version was the middle out of the three firmness options they had.
But I definitely feel like their quilting layer made a difference in the feel/comfort and firmness. Is this something I should disregard in my testing?
I’ll go back and try laying on it for closer to 15 minutes and see how I feel. And maybe move up from there if I feel necessary.
Are any of the mattresses on my list an obvious bad choice for a side sleeper of my build? So far I’ll just be considering increasing the comfort layer to the 2"-4" range.
I’m curious if I should seriously consider coils or a full latex would be fine.
If your preference is based on testing, then this is the most important data point. What you find comfortable and supportive in your in-person testing is the key factor.
No, I don’t think so. If there were one with obvious red flags I’d definitely point it out.
Either or! It’s a matter of preference. Coils will offer the traditional springiness that people love in a mattress where all foam will offer better motion isolation. Generally speaking, coils offer a firmer sleeping experience in comparison with all-foam.
I just went back to Bedrooms & More to lay on the Woodland Park mattress for longer and realized that it was uncomfortable for my back! (I think I was hammocking).
My new choices are:
45th Street Winslow Firm with Elite 5 Topper
&
Vispring Elite Medium - Soft Edge (with maybe a 3" Latex Topper beneath the mattress)
I liked the Vispring the most but my shoulder hurt on it. We tried putting a 2" latex topper on top which helped my shoulder but hurt my back. We then tried putting it beneath the mattress which helped balance it out a bit but wasn’t enough to relieve the shoulder pain. We then tried a 3" latex topper underneath the mattress which I think made it more balanced but my back/hips didn’t feel as good as it did without anything extra.
My question is, is there an alternative to the Vispring Elite Medium?
It’s already getting out of my price range but my back and hips felt great on it. The only problem was my shoulder. It felt compressed and pressured and was uncomfortable.
I would love suggestions on a mattress like the Vispring but softer so my shoulder doesn’t hurt but supporting enough that my back and hips aren’t contorted.
And obviously cheaper if possible.
I wrote a reply and it was deleted when I went to submit :unsure: so I apologize for this second version which is not as amazing as the first, haha.
Ultimately, it sounds to me like you’d greatly benefit from a zoned mattress. Of our Trusted Members, My Green Mattress offers a zoned option in the Natural Escape. Many mattress brands offer zoned mattresses to give a better balance for what the shoulders need vs the hips, etc. There are anywhere from 3 to 7 zone mattresses, with 5 zones being the most common.
