Help deciding about Sealy Optimum memory foam mattress?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi,
I’m looking into purchasing a new full size mattress.
I have pretty much settled on the Sealy Optimum line of memory foam mattresses. The store where I’m purchasing my mattress in has promotions on the Sealy Optimum line. I have also tried them out in store and like their comfort and price range.

I have already settled the Sealy Optimum Luxuria mattress. However, it is not a full memory foam mattress. It has a eurotop topping and the mattress is constructed as follows: I couldn’t even find much information about this mattress online and looks like it is made specifically for the SeelCountry store here in Canada. Seems that all Sealy Optimum mattresses are actually full memory foam

1’ OptiCool Gel memory foam.
3" StayTrue high density medium firm StayTrue foam 1.35 lb to 1.8 lb
8.5" OptiCore Plus with CoreSupport

Price: $928 CAD or $737 US
http://www.sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/products/416/mattresses/sealy-optimum-posturepedic-luxuria/default.aspx

This mattress feels comfortable, but I was told it doesn’t support the body’s pressure points as a true memory foam mattress does.

My other option is the Sealy Optimum Destiny Gold. It is a truer memory foam mattress and is constructed as follows:

2’ OptiCool Gel memory foam with Outlast
1’ OptiSense Gel memory foam
7’OptiCore Gel

Price: $1,266 CAD or $1,006 US
http://www.sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/products/392/mattresses/sealy-posturepedic-optimum-destiny-gold/default.aspx

I’m not sure if I should go with the 2nd mattress or the first. It is about $300 pricier, but I don’t mind spending extra for a better quality mattress. The salesman at the store said that I should buy what I feel more comfortable on. I actually feel more comfortable on the first mattress, while it does not sink in as a real memory foam mattress does… However, I feel like I shouldn’t get a mattress if it is not a full memory foam. Like I’m paying for only the 1’ memory foam layer that I can get with a mattress topper. I view $900 as a bit pricey for a mattress that is not a full memory foam mattress.

Can anyone please make any recommendations? Should I spend the extra $300 for a better memory foam mattress? Should I just pick another brand of mattress even though its not on promotion? Is Sealy Optimum a smart choice at all?

Any replies would be appreciated.
Thanks.

2

Hi suspent,

The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and most importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

One of the links in the tutorial are the guidelines here and as you can see I would avoid the major brands and chain stores like Sleep Country or any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the quality and durability of the materials inside it.

[quote]1’ OptiCool Gel memory foam.
3" StayTrue high density medium firm StayTrue foam 1.35 lb to 1.8 lb
8.5" OptiCore Plus with CoreSupport

Price: $928 CAD or $737 US
www.sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/p…luxuria/default.aspx[/quote]

Unfortunately the specs you were given are incomplete and I would want to know the type and density of all the layers in any mattress I was considering. 1.35 lb polyfoam is a low quality material that won’t hold up over time and would be a weak link in this mattress in terms of durability. When you see a density range like you were given (1.35 lb to 1.8 lb) it’s always safer to assume that the foam is at the lower end of the range than the higher end of the range and it would be unlikely that the foam is 1.8 lbs (it would be unlikely to find 3" of 1.8 lb polyfoam in the comfort layers of a Sealy mattress). I would also want to know the density of the other layers as well (see this article).

There is more about the three most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.

The most important part of “value” is comfort and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). The most reliable way to know this would be careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post). There would be little value in a mattress that you don’t sleep well on.

Outside of PPP though … a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it and the durability and useful lifetime of a mattress is also a key part of the value of a mattress. No matter how it may feel in a showroom … there would be little value in buying a mattress where the use of lower quality and less durable materials leads to foam softening and the loss of comfort and support much too quickly after a purchase and foam softening and the loss of comfort and support isn’t considered to be a defect and isn’t covered by a mattress warranty (see post #174 here).

Unless you can confirm that there isn’t more than about an inch or so of lower quality and less durable materials in this or any mattress (using the foam quality/density guidelines here) I would avoid it completely.

[quote]2’ OptiCool Gel memory foam with Outlast
1’ OptiSense Gel memory foam
7’OptiCore Gel

Price: $1,266 CAD or $1,006 US
www.sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/p…ny-gold/default.aspx[/quote]

The same comments would apply here because the information you listed doesn’t include the foam quality/density information would need to make an informed choice and without this information I would avoid this mattress completely as well because it would be a very risky purchase.

You are much “safer” avoiding major brands and chain stores completely.

If you let me know your city or postal code I’d be happy to let you know any of the better options or possibilities I’m ware of in your area.

Phoenix

3

Hi Phoenix,
Thanks a lot for the informed reply.
Too bad that the mattresses I mentioned are not recommended by you :(.
The specs that I gave is about all that was presented to me and what I was able to find online.
I would also prefer to buy my mattress elsewhere and not in a major retailer (i.e. Sleep Country). I reside in Montreal and we actually have some mattress manufacturers in the province.
My limitation is that I received a $800 from Sleep Country store for my birthday, so I have no choice but to get the mattress from there.
Your arguments from other posts regarding the cheap construction and use of lesser quality foams and high marketing costs of major manufacturers such as Sealy make a lot of sense. Unfortunately, in my case, I cannot start a “fresh” mattress shopping endeavor.

Wish I had more choices, but here in the Sleep Country store I am mainly restricted by major manufacturers which have similar negative characteristics from what I understand…
That being out a side,I suppose I can personally give a priority to the second mattress over my first choice, as I mentioned as it has 2" top layer of memory foam, which I assume would not cause the mattress to lose it’s comfort and support right away. In a way, it looks like it is the best from the worst. Based on reviews online, It is the starting mattress in the Sealy Optimum line and the most popular one… At least if it can hold up better than the first Sealy Luxuria mattress it would be a good choice…

Thanks.

4

Hi suspent,

This would depend entirely on the quality and density of the memory foam. There are some very low quality/density memory foams (typically 3 lbs or less) that won’t last long at all (just like low quality polyfoam) and there are higher quality/density memory foams that will last much longer (just like higher quality polyfoam). It all depends on the specifics of the materials. I certainly wouldn’t assume that a higher priced mattress uses more durable materials and the opposite can often be the case. Memory foam is generally a more costly material to manufacture than polyfoam so in the same price range it would be quite possible that the polyfoam in a mattress would be a more durable material than a similar priced mattress that uses memory foam but again … without knowing the specifics there would be no way to know for sure either way.

You can see here for example (click overview for the specs) that the Destiny Gold has a 2" layer of 2.5 lb memory foam which is a very low quality material and would be a weak link in this mattress (assuming that the same mattress in Canada uses the same materials).

If you are forced to buy a major brand mattress at a chain store then it may be worthwhile considering choosing a firmer mattress that has the least possible amount of “unknown” and probably lower quality/density materials in the comfort layers (the upper layers are normally the weakest link of a mattress) and then adding a higher quality topper to provide the comfort and pressure relief that you need. While there can be some uncertainty involved in choosing a topper that works well for you in combination with a specific mattress … a topper also has the advantage of being able to replace it without having to replace the entire mattress when it softens or breaks down.

Without knowing the quality/density of the materials in a mattress there is no way to make an informed choice and you are really just rolling the dice and choosing between two mattresses where neither one is likely to be a particularly durable choice.

Phoenix

5

Hi Phoenix,
Thanks again for replying.

As buying my mattress at Sleep Country is my sole option, would you consider the Sealy Optimum Radiance Gold, which is more higher end option than the Destiny Gold to be a better option?
Based on the website from the example you provided, it has 3.7 lb on it’s top level of gel memory foam. In addition, it has a dual layer gel core. It is above my budget range and is priced at $1,528 CAD, 1,215 US. However, I guess I am open to considering this as an option if it is a much better choice mattress and is not full of filler foam that will cause the mattress to degrade in comfort faster, as seems to be the case with the other mattresses mentioned.

If not, getting the Sealy Optimum Destiny Gold and using a mattress topper down the line is definitely an option that can be used if the mattress degrades down the line.

Thank you.

6

Hi suspent,

The post I linked about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase is really the only way to decide which one is the better option for you.

I can’t feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and individual preferences involved for anyone else to be able to tell you which one is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that could possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing and personal experience.

In terms of the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress “as a whole” … I would need to know the specifics of all the layers to make any meaningful comments about either of them and unfortunately that information isn’t available.

In terms of how they compare in terms of overall “value” … that would depend on how they compared for #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including price of course).

Without knowing the specifics of what is inside each mattress there isn’t really any way to make an informed choice or make meaningful comparisons outside of how they “feel”.

Once a mattress softens or degrades and develops soft spots or impressions it’s really too late to use a topper because the topper will just follow any soft spots or impressions underneath it. At this point the mattress would probably need to be replaced because the only reliable way to “fix” a mattress like this is to remove and replace the layers that have softened or broken down. A topper is most suitable for a mattress that is still in good condition and doesn’t have any soft spots or impressions and just needs some additional softness and pressure relief.

Phoenix

7

Hi Phoenix,

Appreciate the informed reply. Wish mattress shopping and the whole industry was more transparent and shopper friendly. :wink:
Based on your replies and after reading the links provided, I understand that I’m asking for easy answers for a complicated question. I am planning to go back to the showroom and will most likely decide between the Sealy Optimum Destiny Gold and Sealy Optimum Radiance Gold. based on comfort…

Thanks.

8

Hi suspent,

I completely agree with you when it comes to buying a mattress in the mainstream industry. There are many smaller manufacturers and retailers that are much more knowledgeable and transparent where making a good quality/value choice is a much easier process but unfortunately you are “locked in” to a store that I would normally avoid completely.

Other than the previous suggestion about buying a firm mattress that minimizes the amount of lower quality materials and adding a topper for the additional comfort and pressure relief you need … if you are “forced” to choose between the Destiny Gold and the Radiance Gold then if the specs listed at Jordans are correct in Canada (click overview here for the Destiny Gold and click overview here for the Radiance Gold) then the Radiance gold uses higher quality/density materials that are at least close to the minimum guidelines I would suggest (the 2" layer of 2.5 lb memory foam in the Optimum Gold would be a definite weak link in the mattress in terms of durability) but of course a more durable mattress doesn’t mean that it will be a better “match” for you in terms of PPP … only that it will likely maintain its comfort and support for longer.

Phoenix

9

Hi Phoenix,

Just posting an update.
I went into Sleep Country yesterday to decide on and finalize my mattress selection.
I tried the Sealy Optimum Destiny Gold mattress. I found it to be too firm for my liking. I did consider your proposal, which was to purchase the firmest mattress and obtain a mattress topper. However, I could not justify purchasing a $1000+ mattress and purchasing an additional topper for it from a psychological viewpoint; It is as though I’m willingly purchasing a mattress that is not good enough. I would like to assume that the mattress will be supportive enough for the time to come, but time will tell I guess.

Subsequently, I tried lying on the Sealy Optimum Radiance Gold mattress. This is a pricier (next level in the line) medium firm mattress. I found the mattress to be very comfortable and it provided a very good support for my liking. I do not know if it was wishful thinking, but I actually experienced less joint pain and possibly better pressure relief while lying on it… Moving around on the mattress was pretty effortless, which was a plus for me, while I do not like it when you sink too much into the memory foam mattress. I knew right then that this is the mattress I want to purchase and one that I will be comfortable sleeping on.

The salesman re-affirmed that it is a good choice, especially when compared to the first eurotop Sealy Optimum Luxuria mattress. When I inquired about the added density in pounds, he answered that it has more to do with open cells count inside the mattress. He also said that the mattress will not sag and if it will, it will not be very noticeable, but time will tell I guess…

In any case, I wanted to thank you for answering my questions and for making me more informed. There is quite a lot to learn about mattresses and the industry. I know that there are likely better mattresses out there from various other manufacturers However, taking into account that I was obliged to purchase a mattress from that particular store, I feel content with my final decision knowing that it is not the cheapest or worst mattress in the store and is one that I actually felt comfortable lying on.

10

Hi suspent,

This sounds like an answer that was made up on the spot out of “thin air” and provided by someone that probably knows very little about mattress materials. I have no idea what he means by this because while it’s true that some materials have a more open cell structure and are more breathable than others … what this has to do with durability is questionable.

I think that you asked some good questions and did some good research and given the restrictions and limitations you were working with you ended up making the best choice possible … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix