Hi oznefu,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
Thank you for posting some of the specifications of the Voila mattress.
[quote]The 12″ Plush Voila is composed of the following layers:
Stretch polyester cover – with breathable mesh side fabric
Flame resistant cover– 1633 / 1632 CFR flame resistant cover
2.5″ 3.0lb gel Visco foam edge to edge
.75″ 2.5lb support foam edge to edge
.75″ 2.5lb side wall edge foam, inside of this cavity is .75″ latex
fiber insulator pad
6.25″ five zone pocketed coils with edge support
6.25″ 2.5lb edge support foam with ventilator holes for airflow
fiber insulator pad
.75″ medium base foam
1″ firm base foam
Base Cover
[/quote]
Most of the specifications are listed. The top 2.5" of 3 lb. memory foam would be my greatest concern, as that is a lower quality than what I would normally recommend (4 lb. would be the minimum I would prefer to see), especially in the uppermost layer where the foam gets the most compression. The 2.5 lb. support foam of .75" is a good density. The .75" of latex (they don’t list the style – Dunlop or Talalay – or the blend) would also be a good quality material. They don’t list the density of the bottom two .75" and 1" layers of polyfoam, so you’d want to know that. Overall, for the layers that we know, the polyfoam is, at 2.5 lb., a goof quality of density, but the memory foam at 3 lb. is a weak link even for someone of a moderate BMI.
I would also read post #6 here about mattresses imported from Asia or China and which may have been compressed for long periods of time in either shipping or storage before being purchased. Being sourced in China would make this somewhat of a risky purchase IMO.
Suissly doesn’t list complete specifications on their web site. 2 of their 4 firmness options include a pocket coil with different types of foam layers on top of the pocket coil. These include what they call California Dream foam (which would be what I call a high performance polyfoam), memory foam, and organic Dunlop latex. The organic latex is a very high quality and durable material but I would want to know the density of the high performance polyfoam and the memory foam to make sure they meet the minimum durability guidelines before considering them.
It seems that you’re mostly interested in shopping online, so I would use the experience and expertise of the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices. There are a wide range of latex and memory foam and other options included in the choices there and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.
Brooklyn Bedding is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration. While you certainly can find negative and positive reviews for almost any company online, Brooklyn Bedding has excellent customer service. An issue with service or a return would be an anomaly and not the rule with BB. Regarding edge support, many of the online retailers using a polyfoam core with latex on top will not use an edge reinforcement system, as the higher IFD/ILD of the polyfoam base takes the place of such a system. In many cases, this foam is the same (or higher) firmness of the foams that would have normally been used for edge reinforcement around a typical innerspring system.
Regarding reviews…while other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
Your post certainly makes sense. B)
I would tell you to “rethink” a bit of how you’re going about picking out a mattress. 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”, firmness, 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 he will sleep), durability (how long he 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice 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 hope this information is helpful for you as you go about your selection process.
Phoenix