Can you point me in the direction of an inexpensive mattress that is good for hurting shoulders (torn rotator cuff in one shoulder and rotator cuff surgery on the other shoulder)? I would prefer cotton or wool innerspring with a lower price tag. I am even leaning toward mattress with a separate topper. Course, ever minute I am blowing a different direction in my quest. I am really skiddish of the foam mattresses. I am just lost in a sea of internet and mattress store hype trying to locate a good mattress that doesn’t bankrupt me and will let me rest while sleeping. Help?
Hi lostshopper,
The first suggestion I would have is to read “how to look for and find the best mattress for YOU” which will point you in the direction of some of the most important basic information on the site and give you a step by step process that will greatly increase the odds of ending up with the best possible mattress for your needs and preferences.
A wool/cotton/innerspring mattress is not so common these days and they are mostly made by custom or specialty manufacturers and tend to be quite expensive. Two of the manufacturers of this type of mattress that are closest to you in NJ are listed in post #4 here (one in Jersey city and one in Clark, NJ).
In the other direction … the better choices in the Baltimore area are listed in post #2 here.
There are different types of foam and all of them have a wide range of different qualities and properties. The overviews in the post I linked earlier has more information about them but in general they are polyfoam, memory foam, and latex foam. The advantage of a good quality foam is that it is much more cost effective to make a softer more pressure relieving mattress than using thicker layers of more costly natural fiber materials which also require more specialized or hand building construction techniques. Natural fibers also tend to compress and become firmer over time.
So the first step I would take is to do a little reading to get a more clear sense of the type of mattresses you are likely to be happiest with. This means learning to think of a mattress as a combination of materials used in either the upper comfort layers (which provide mainly pressure relief) and deeper support layers (which provide the support of the mattress to keep you in alignment). The most common support layers would either be an innerspring (there are many different types but all of them perform a similar function as a support component), polyfoam, or latex and the most common comfort layers will be polyfoam, memory foam, and latex (although there are other less common comfort layer options such as microcoils or natural fibers such as you were mentioning).
Once you have read some basic information … you will be in a much better position to ask better questions and recognize the better retailers or factory direct manufacturers that will help you make the best possible choices based on materials rather than marketing information and hype. This basic information should (hopefully) keep you away from the major brands and the mass market outlets that will confuse and frustrate you more than help you find a great mattress.
Phoenix
Phoneix,
I have read you website and visited the 3 local mattress stores in town. All are chains but one claims to be local for 35 years. I want a good quality mattress and have narrowed the search down to interspring plush top (no European Pillow or Pillow top). All are on sale. I like Stearns & Foster Estate Shantel, Posturpedic Gel Fate, Sealy KingsBridge, & Beautyrest Black Analeigh. Yep they are all what you say to stay away from because they are big name brands with inferior insides. Is there anyplace nearby (north Baltimore or Philly ish) that you would recommend.
So far as my preference and stats - 5’4" 130ish, side sleeper with pain in shoulders & collerbone (rotator cuffs), sometimes back sleeper.
I just want a good night’s sleep most every night with the caveats that the mattress last ‘forever’ and not wipe out my pocketbook.
Thanks again.
Oh shoot, I forgot to mention that my current hard as concrete bed has a memory foam topper that REALLY retains body heat. I hesitate to go memory foam even with the hype about temperature control. I realize that plush mattresses have some kind of foam so am trying to focus on temp control or latex options.
Again, help?
Hi lostshopper,
Two of the links in my last post (one for the Baltimore area and one for the Philadelphia/Wilmington/Trenton area) includes the better options in your area that I’m aware of.
There are also some body type and sleeping position guidelines in the links I posted earlier (in the overviews) but I would only use these as very general guidelines because trying to “design” a mattress based on the specs of the layers is never as accurate as personal testing and can be more complex and frustrating than most people would suspect. It’s much simpler and more effective to work directly with people who can help you make good decisions both in terms of quality materials and in terms of helping to “fit” you to a mattress that provides the best possible PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal Preferences).
Given your lower weight though and the fact that you are a side sleeper … it would make sense to go with softer foams (either latex if you prefer fast response or higher quality memory foam of 4 lbs or more if you prefer slow response materials). There are many types of memory foam and some sleep cooler than others. You can read more about memory foam and temperature regulation in post #6 here) but in general … latex is the coolest sleeping of the foam materials.
The upper layers of the mattress, the quilting and ticking (cover) of a mattress, how deep you sink in to the mattress, the mattress protector you use, and your sheets and bedding can all have a significant effect on how cool a mattress sleeps and they are all pieces of the puzzle that can either enhance or reduce the temperature regulation of layers below them. In general terms … natural fibers in the ticking, quilting, and the bedding will be cooler than synthetic materials.
Hope this helps.
Phoenix