Help...bought the wrong mattress!

Hi Folks, after doing a lot of research on this site, consumer reports, and talking to another guy on a different website, I bought the CP Rogers St. Regis latex pulse hybrid. I got it a week ago. It felt great the first couple of nights. It is exquisitely manufactured, and I like the bouncy feel of the latex over the pocketed coils (had memory foam before this but it really crapped out on me after about 5-6 years. I couldn’t sleep on it and up to getting the CP Rogers, I was sleeping on a foam mat on the floor as temporary sleeping and it was “hard.” Got the best night’s sleep I have had in years on this hard surface though… The CP Rogers started out great, but now, a week later I am waking up with bad sciatic pain and my piriformis muscle is spasming painfully every morning. I don’t think I am going to be “testing” this St Regis mattress much longer bc I can’t take much more of this. Question: Also talked to Brooklyn Bedding and they keep recommending a “soft” based on my 120 pound weight. This is after telling them I prefer a firm mattress, don’t want to sink in too much. Now thinking of going to a latex fabricator that lets you pick you layers and adjust. I just, frankly, don’t know how to proceed. Everyone looks at my weight and suggests something that probably won’t work for me. Help! How do I find a mattress I will love for 7-10 years?

You need to contact Charles P Rogers within 7 days if you want a refund. I would recommend trying something that offered a generous trial period and also a real good return policy. which is mostly online. Most of the local mattress makers at least around here offer comfort adjustments but you would have to pay a fee for returns .

Brooklyn Bedding should know their product best and have an idea what should work best for you although I am sure there could be exceptions. If it did not satisfy you they have a great return policy.

Hi Renaissanceelady46,

I’m guessing you were talking to the Old Bed Guy and you can see my comments about him and his website (and some of the very strange comments he makes) in this topic… There is “some” good information on his site and some information that is questionable at best and misleading, inaccurate, or deceptive at worst.

He tends to recommend Charles P Rogers mattresses a lot … most likely because his daughter is the CEO there.

You can also see my comments about the Consumer Reports mattress ratings and recommendations in post #2 here and in this topic. While they may be a good source of information about more “objective” purchases … as you can see I would consider them to be an unreliable source of information or guidance about purchasing a mattress and their “ratings” are somewhat nonsensical and meaningless. My thoughts are also shared by most of the more knowledgeable people in the industry (see post #5 here for an example).

I would keep in mind that there will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here). This could typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials can take longer) and it can be surprising to some people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the first few weeks.

I would try and give any new mattress a few weeks so that any “symptoms” of pain or discomfort you are experiencing have become a clear and consistent pattern before deciding what to do unless your symptoms are severe enough that it’s really not possible.

Your next step will also depend on the options you have available to either exchange your mattress for a different model or whether you are able to return it for a refund and start all over again.

I believe that you may only be able to exchange your mattress for a different model that is sold by Charles P Rogers (see their mattress exchange policy near the bottom of the page here) but this is only available after you have slept on the mattress for 30 days and I don’t know whether they make exceptions. At one time I believe that they also offered a return and refund policy for their local customers that had tried the mattress in person at their showroom but I don’t see any information on their site that indicates that this is still one of their current options so you will need to call them and find out about the exchange/return options that are currently available.

There are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

An online retailer or manufacturer will generally suggest a mattress that they believe has the best chance of success because this is in both your own and their best interests but at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress your purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress but outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs relative to your weight range that are suggested in the quality/durability guidelines then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines I linked earlier in this reply relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.

If you are able to receive a refund and can start all over again without being restricted to another Charles P Rogers mattress then if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area if you wish to test a mattress in person before a purchase.

If you are also considering online choices that you can’t test in person before a purchase then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering a well.

If you are considering latex or latex hybrid mattresses then one of the links includes a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that would be well worth considering.

Many of these are component mattresses with loose layers and zip covers that allow you to fine tune the comfort and/or support of a mattress after a purchase by rearranging or exchanging individual layers and some of them are finished" mattresses with glued layers. There is more about the pros and cons of a component latex mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.

Post #3 here includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well (with some overlap with the members list).

There are also many people who prefer latex/innerspring hybrids (see post #13 here) and I’m not sure if you are still considering this as an option but if you are … outside of any local options that may be available in your area … some of the better innerspring/latex options I’m aware of are listed in post #2 here and the post it links to. If you wish to test any of them in person rather than ordering online you would need to check their websites or call them to see if any of them have a dealer close to you.

In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

  1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

  2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

  3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Thanks… well, I may be out of luck on the return.

Phoenix: Any manufacturer I have contacted basically makes a recommendation based on weight or BMI (120 pounds, normal BMI). I have yet to see them come up with anything for me but the softest mattress they make. When I say “I don’t like the feeling of sinking into a mattress, prefer to feel like I am on top of it” then they say, "well, maybe try the medium. I mean, this doesn’t ever give me a lot of confidence that they are doing much more than guessing.

I do need a new set-up in my guest room, so I may move it in there. So far, I am just not comfortable on the mattress. I had another bad night last night. I can’t really explain why this bed is killing me. I am so surprised. I sleep better on an cheapo, 10 year old, firm inner-spring mattress in my elderly father’s guest room (I stay over there once a week to help him out).

I may try Brooklyn Bedding since they have a generous return. I don’t think I like the soft… I could try the medium and add a latex topper if it is too hard. I just don’t know what to do. I could also go to a local latex mattress place that puts layers together, but I don’t think they offer any form of return. I am guessing you just have to buy different layers if you don’t like it.

Hi Renaissancelady46,

Online manufacturers or retailers provide guidance and make suggestions based on their knowledge and experience with their mattresses over the years and the “averages” of their customers that are similar to you in terms of body type (weight or BMI) and sleeping style. They can’t feel what you feel or see you on the mattress so they would be “educated guesses”. They typically have a high rate of success and it’s in their best interests to provide guidance and make suggestions that are successful because of course they would all prefer that you are happy with your choice rather than having to have to deal with a return or an exchange but of course it’s not possible to have a 100% success rate because there are always some people that are outside the averages. The only way to confirm whether the firmness level you choose (either with or without their guidance) will be suitable for you will be based on your own personal experience when you sleep on it.

They are certainly a great quality/value choice but once again with any online mattress that you haven’t tested in person the only way to know for certain whether the firmness level you choose will be suitable for you will be based on your own personal experience. When you choose a mattress that you have never tested in person then a good return policy allows you to test the mattress in your bedroom instead of a showroom with little risk outside of the time you spend sleeping on it and/or returning it should that become necessary so the return policy can be a much more important part of the “value” of an online purchase.

I don’t know which specific manufacturer or retailer you are referring to so of course I don’t know but if you check their website or talk with them they would be able to tell you the specifics of their exchange or return policy.

If you are referring to a component mattress with loose layers and a zip cover then they also allow you to fine tune the comfort and/or support of the mattress after a purchase by rearranging or exchanging individual layers and some of them have a return policy as well.

Pheonix

Thanks for this Phoenix. Yes, did read your site and the initial advice on finding a mattress. One problem is there is almost too much info on this site and often conflicting info–not from you, but other posters. I live in Asheville, NC 28801. If I have to exchange the mattress, may pay a bit more and try their Powercore Estate 5000 firm which costs a few hundred more dollars… My one “out” is I was going to buy a new mattress for my guest room, so if I don’t like that one, it will go in the guest room and I will start all over. My other question is why do they make these things so deep? I can’t get over how high this thing is… I am only 4 foot 11 so I am probably going to buy lower platforms. All and all, this is getting expensive.

Hi Renaissancelady46,

Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Asheville/Hendersonville, NC area are listed in post #4 here.

The thickness of a mattress is just a side effect of what the layers and components that are used to make it and achieve the design goals and the feel and performance of the mattress add up to. Depending on the type of mattress and the materials and components inside it … different mattresses can range from about 6" thick (usually firmer mattresses with less padding) to much taller than your 13" mattress. If they used less layers or components (or different layers and components) then the mattress would feel and perform differently.

If you are shorter than average then it would certainly make sense to use a lower profile bedframe and foundation or a lower profile platform bed so that your sleeping surface is at a height that you are more comfortable with when you get in and out of bed or sit on the side of your mattress.

Phoenix

I spent an hour or so at Lake Mattress in Conover, NC. I located them on this site.They have a lot of mattresses to choose from, plus do a “build your own” mattress with a zipper cover. The good thing is, if it isn’t quite right, they will swap out the layers. Todd spent a lot of time with me, combining various foam choices–including latex-- until we got one that I felt was “right.” He explained that there is more to foam than just the density. He had my try two different foams of the same material with the same densities and they felt very different to me.

There are always trade offs, but in the end, Todd agreed, I need a pretty firm set-up to be comfortable. No online mattress retailer I talked with, or did the online tests with, got this at all. I was arguing with them and trying to explain I like a firm feel and good hip support, and they still insisted I need a soft-medium mattress based on my BMI and side sleeping. So, maybe these folks aren’t all so expert as people think? Anyway, we shall see, but I a pretty sure I am close to the right mix for me. Maybe it will be perfect! But if not, they will adjust at no additional charge! (They will also deliver the mattress to my door for free–about 125 miles, so that’s a deal.) BTW: They had some pretty nice latex pillows at half the price of the one I got in town. I might be buying a couple more.

Hi Renaissancelady46,

Not surprisingly because Todd is very knowledgeable and experienced about mattresses and mattress materials … he is certainly right about what he told you. The density of polyfoam and memory foam is the single biggest factor that affects the durability of the foam but it has very little to do with the firmness or “feel” of the foam. With latex on the other hand … density is directly related to firmness.

One of the advantages of a local choice is that you can try a number of different mattresses in the store and make side by side comparisons in real time and in person so you have better reference points based on your own personal experience instead of suggestions that are based on the “averages” of other people that seem to be similar to you because not everyone fits inside the averages of other people.

Most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

You certainly made a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix