Help deciding on an cheap, relatively short term mattress in Vancouver Canada?

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
1

Hello everyone

My partner and I’s old mattress recently went moldy due to multiple compounding factors (all preventable, don’t foresee it happening again). We’ve been sleeping on uncomfortable camping foamies for a while and need a new mattress. The bad foamies we’ve had to sleep on are aggravating my partner’s chronic pain a lot, so they don’t really have the energy to put in the work to find our more “ideal”, higher budget, longer term mattress, so we want to get something cheap (hopefully <500$) and good enough to last us for at least 6-12 months while we recover from the mold, the effects of sleeping on these bad foamies for a while, etc. I’ve read through a lot of the tutorials here so I have at least a basic idea of what to look for, what makes a low quality/value mattress, etc.

We’ve looked at 2 shops, Mr Mattress and The Foam Shop, both of which are local independent shops.

Mr Mattress seems like a good shop, the man who helped us was transparent about the densities and thicknesses of foam when asked, was generally helpful and not pressuring. There were two mattresses there within our budget we were considering:
-“grand resort” for 580$, a continuous coil core with 1 3/8" 1.2lb foam for the comfort layer
-'“majesty” for 470, essentially the same as grand resort but with 1" 1.2lb foam instead of 1 3/8"
Both of these mattresses are fully flippable. I forgot to ask if there’s additional thickness to the low density comfort layers from quilting, but I could phone and ask if I needed to. We liked them because they are cheap, and because it seems like my partner needs a softer, cushier comfort layer in order to take pressure off their hips and support their lumbar (we both sleep on side and back). I know that 1.2lb foam is low density and would be the weak link in these mattresses, but I’m wondering if the fact that they’re only ~1-1 3/8" thick, and that it is completely flippable (so there’s actually a comfort layer on both sides, both of which can be used) means that they might still last a good amount of time before forming impressions? The man at the store seemed convicted that both mattresses would last many years, but I’m not sure and would like to know the opinion of people on this forum.

At the foam shop, the mattress option we were most interested was called “cozy composite” for 300$. It is 2lb density, about 6" thick, composed of about 4" of firmer foam on one side, and 2" of softer foam on the other side. It’s flippable to allow you to choose whether you’re lying on the softer or firmer foam. The website says the expected durability is 2-3 years with everyday use (I don’t know if this assumes you’re flipping it thought, since both sides are not the same). It provides good support, but doesn’t have a soft pressure-relieving comfort layer like the options at Mr Mattress, so if we went with this option we would probably buy a topper (foam shop offers a 2" poly topper for 135$). This option is more appealing in the respect that it would be easier to put this one into storage as a backup mattress/to replace the horrible backup camping foams we’re sleeping on, when we do get our longer term mattress.

I’d love to know anyone’s thoughts on the options we’ve looked at, or if anyone in the vancouver area knows any comparable or better value deals we haven’t looked into. Thanks so much! <3

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Hey Rue,

Welcome to The Mattress Underground :slight_smile: ! Thanks for your question.

Congrats on your new “temporary” mattress shopping journey :slight_smile: ! I am sorry to learn of your old mattress’s moldy demise and of your partner’s chronic pain situation aggravated by the bad camping foamies’ use. Hopefully, you will find a suitable lower-priced mattress until you are ready to purchase a long-term solution.

To better answer the durability questions of the models you are considering, we need a few more details regarding you and your partner’s sleep history: what type mattress were you using before? What size mattress are you planning to purchase? What are the heights, weights, and body types for you and your partner? Your personal statsplay an important role in factoring mattress durability potential, particularly when considering inexpensive mattresses. As you seem aware that these 3 models are all on the lower end of the longer life spectrum, perhaps look towards which one would offer better pressure relief for your partner’s comfort needs, as well as provide enough support for both yours combo back/ side sleeping positions.

Looking forward to your reply when you have time and thanks :wink: .

Sensei

3

Hi Sensei, thanks for the reply

Previously we were using a sealy posturpedic, not sure of the exact model, it was called “extra firm” and we’d gotten it 2nd hand from someone who used it for a few months and didnt like it. It was better than the broken down ikea mattress it replaced for a time, but the comfort layers had broken down pretty bad within a few months to a year of us getting it. The underlying support layer also seemed to have too much ‘give’ to it. It didn’t seem like the best mattress for us. The ones we liked when trying them at mattress shops recently had a much more robust support layer but a soft comfort layer.

We are looking for a double mattress to fit our bedframe

I’m ~5’11" and maybe ~ 150-160 lb (we don’t have a scale to check) and my partner is ~5’ 4 1/2" and somewhere between 120-135 lb. Neither of us is particularly curvy or muscular, I’m a bit more muscular than my partner and neither of us are as skinny as we were as teens (we are in our mid 20s). Another factor which would contribute to the mattress breaking down faster is that my partner sometimes has to spend a lot of time in bed during the day if their chronic pain is flaring up a lot, etc. We’re trying to create a space to allow that to be in bed less when they’re in pain, but that will probably continue to be a factor to some degree.

Also, since my original post, I’ve learned that foams can feel slightly firmer in the showroom than they do a week or two after you start sleeping on them, so that is something we’d need to take into account.

Also, looking at the mr mattress website, it says that the majesty mattress has 1" of foam quilting, 1/2" additional foam comfort layer, and then something called a “fibre pad” which I don’t know what that is, which means that mattress has 1 1/2" of 1.2lb foam total/side, plus whatever the “fiber pad” is (I would ask about that before making a purchase). In the guides where it says an inch or so of low quality foam can be ok, is it referring to an inch or so of low quality foam paired with some thickness of higher quality foam?

Again thanks so much for your help, I don’t know what we’d be doing if not for this website. Probably buying the cheapest mattress they have at ikea and being miserable :stuck_out_tongue:

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Hey Rue,

Thanks for your updates :slight_smile: .

You both are well within normal BMI ranges with no significant weight distribution concerns, Rue. I am sorry to learn of your partner’s chronic pain issues; those certainly must be challenging to deal with at any age, especially someone who is only in their mid twenties. To your point, the more use the mattress is getting, the more quickly the materials can begin showing signs of compression to some degree, depending on what materials are used and how durable they are overall. Depending on the type mattress used, routine turning and/ or flipping of the mattress or comfort layers can help prolong its useful life as well. You are wise to create a separate space outside of the bed for your partner’s pain management needs, pain permitting. As you both continue to age, proper spinal alignment and spinal compression issues could become a concern if your partner continues to spend longer than average periods of time sitting upright or lying in bed.

There are varying opinions regarding how showroom models “test drive” versus the purchased mattress upon arrival in your home. The manufacturers send reps to inspect their products periodically and suggest floor model replacements as they become “shopworn” or otherwise need updating; there are no hard and fast rules regarding how often the floor samples are replaced as long as they are in good working order. So, you may expect to experience either some degree of new product firmness or some amount of mattress “use”, depending on the age of the sample. Generally speaking, the mattress you will receive has been freshly manufactured, and depending on the materials, construction, and type encasement used, you may find it to be somewhat firmer feeling than that of the showroom model, until the materials begin relaxing and conforming to your body profile. Also, how you perceive the softness (comfort) and firmness (support) of your new mattress will change over the initial 30-60 days of use as your body “adjusts” to its feel.

The Majesty is a two-sided, flippable mattress, featuring a 1 1/2" polyfoam comfort layer and fiber pad over a continuous coil support core. The fiber pad’s function is two-fold. Located between the foam comfort layer and coils, it acts to firm up the feel of the mattress somewhat, as well as provides something of an active sound barrier for the continuous coil springs’ movement. Fiber pad comes in a variety of materials, with coconut fiber or recycled materials being used often. Your showroom contact can verify the fiber pad materials used in the Majesty.

If you review Phoenix’s article regarding polyfoam quality, you will find that any polyfoam weighing less than 1.5 lbs. per cu. ft. is considered the lowest grade and not suitable as a comfort material in a mattress that is used regularly. That the Majesty’s 1 1/2" foam comfort materials are of a 1.2 lb. per cu. ft. may or may not be a concern to you, as your needs are for a temporary mattress replacement; however, it is worth mentioning for other consumers who may be following your research.

I did notice from theirFAQpage that neither comfort exchanges or refunds are offered, so you may want to factor that into your final mattress choice decision.

[quote]Again thanks so much for your help, I don’t know what we’d be doing if not for this website. Probably buying the cheapest mattress they have at ikea and being miserable
[/quote]

Happy to be of service and hope this helps some, Rue. Looking forward to hearing what you choose for your short-term mattress fix and hope you both recover quickly from the mold exposure incident :wink: .

Sensei