Thanks for this resource, we’ve learned a lot so far and have tested quite a few mattresses. The most comfortable options, however, seem unnecessarily expensive and so we wanted to ask for people’s thoughts on similar but more affordable alternatives. As background, we’re in the New York area and both around 5’6" / 120lbs. I’m a back/side sleeper. My partner is sometimes side / sometimes stomach.
Here are some things we’re looking for in no particular order
Medium firmness
More natural fibers
Low motion transfer
Innerspring. Neither of us likes the feel of foam or hybrids.
Durability
Sleep hot, would prefer something that can keep us cool
Right now, we’re thinking a complete set: box spring, mattress and maybe a topper makes sense for optimal comfort
Our current favorite is the Duxiana 6006 with the 3003 a very close second.
What we liked about it: Good support and felt like good spinal alignment. Its open construction made it seem like it would handle heat well. It was constructed out of mostly natural materials (as far as we know). The frameless design was very sleek and we wouldn’t need to get any additional platform or frame – just putting legs on it seems like a great option for our room.
In particular, the 6006 felt like it held the contours of the body well, giving a very snug feel. It wasn’t springy and had fairly good motion dampening.
What we didn’t like: It’s around $8,000-$10,000 for the 3003, which it seems is just too much to spend especially if you need to replace the topper every ~8-10 years at $4k+ according to our rep in store.
By way of comparison, we did try the Hästens 2000T which we thought was incredibly good and so spending $10k on something that is decent just seems like too much.
Other beds we’ve tried:
The Aireloom Macy’s (hotel collection) and non-Macy’s lines. These were comfortable, had the least motion transfer which was great but online we read about some durability concerns. Some of the materials felt a little cheap, too. Like there were rhinestone-looking decorations in one of them that gave us pause.
We tested a Hästens 2000T which honestly was amazing but way out of our budget at $70k. We’re drawn to the idea of horsehair because of its durability and breathability.
All of the current Casper lines, which we didn’t like
The original Leesa which we didn’t like
The Beauty Rest Black L and C. These were still pricey at around $3k-$5k and seemed rather average. Not as snug feeling as either the Aireloom or the Dux
ViSpring which seemed okay but we had a bad in-store experience where the salesman wasn’t very helpful so we could try them again. But too pricey regardless.
Does anything in the $1k-$5k range for a complete set (King) come to mind that might be a similar feeling to what we like?
Additionally, TMU suggests finding local manufacturers so if anyone has any recommendations for the New York area that would be great. We’ve heard of Charles P. Rogers but haven’t gone yet. We’ll be in the Los Angeles area next month and are going to check out Custom Comfort as one local option there.
Hi Owl_burrito,
Welcome to TMU!
I am out and about today, but listed a few Mattress manufacturers in your general geographic area. When i get back, if someone has not addressed some of your concerns, i will take a crack at it. In the meantime you can peruse a few manufacturers to continue in your journey!
I have been meaning to try out Duxiana 3003 and 6006 and Hastens. Comparatively, Duxiana is a bargain. They do pop up on Craigslist from time to time.
I did try Aireloom Luxetop M1 Firm and also a $37k VISpring. I liked the Aireloom better!!! I like the softness (latex) of the comfort later. Try Aireloom Luxetop M1/M2 in plush or firm (4 mattresses). Dont buy from Aireloom from Macys(cheaper materials). Check out “Aireloom Mattress Reviews” on youtube. Richard is a good guy and ships nationwide.
Another option to look into is latex. King Koil is nationwide. Check out King Koil Pure Bliss Latex in Brook(Firm) or Genesis (soft). Talalay latex. Real similar to Flobeds Vzone except Flobeds is adjustable. Im looking into the latex myself.
How did the Duxiana 3003 and 6006 and Hastens 2000T feel? Did you try Hastens Herlewing feel?
Thanks John. Sorry I made a typo – we did try Beauty Rest and thought they were just okay and expensive and below the Aireloom.
Thanks for those store recs – I’ll check those out.
For your question above on the Hastens, I don’t think we tried the Herlewing but for us the 2000T was a nice sweet spot. We didn’t like either their more expensive or cheaper models. It felt like it had to do with the strength of the springs being well tuned to our body weight / size so your mileage may vary on which one you like best. What we liked about the Hastens and Duxiana were how they nicely wrapped around the body without being too plush, if that makes sense. It felt supportive and secure.
I don’t think we’ve tried any all latex beds yet. A friend has a Spindle and recommended it. Thanks for the tips!
You can go wrong with Aireloom. Be careful with the Plush. It may feel good in beginning when on you back….but your back might be bent. Over time….the Firm felt soft on top but was supportive underneath. Im 225 pounds and a back sleeper, 5ft 11in. I liked the M1 Firm. M1 is 1 row of microcoils and M2 is 2 rows. Is 2 better than 1? Not always. Now when it creates an unnatural bend in your back.
Id like to try Duxiana……a bargain compared to Hastens 2000T. Im thinking Duxiana 1001 or 3003. One commenter stated that 2000T felt “stiff” when compared to Duxiana. That got me excited. I havent tried either.
My washing machine just broke down. Aftet I deal with that….I will go to West Hollywood to try Hastens and Duxiana.
I’ll vote for Shovlin with Norm. We got a Classic Tri Zone king last month, and it’s perfect for us. Ours is a firm flippable innerspring with pillow tops, which has a little extra firmness in the lumbar area. They also have full latex, latex hybrid, vegan, and horse hair. Their quality is top notch, and so is their customer service. They make the mattresses there so delivery is quick.
Norm asked if I could give you an idea of Shovlin prices. I can only tell you what I paid, which was almost $3000 for a king set. Full and queens are cheaper, as expected, and pillow tops are additional. They have an option for a removable pillow top that could be used for either side of a flippable mattress. Every mattress there felt really good.
I just finished rereading your initial post and saw that you loved Hastens. If you want horse hair without the super high price, Shovlin’s horse hair is MUCH more affordable.
Hello owl_burrito, and welcome to the Mattress Underground!
We have some Hastens floor models that we are selling out at a discount; unfortunately the 2000T is already sold out But there are others.
As you know, there are several Vispring models with horsehair; the Regal is the lowest priced model with horsehair. Keep your eye out as we get closer to Black Friday, and there may be a chance for price reductions.
We also have our own brand of innerspring mattress that features pocketed coils to reduce motion transfer; one of those models has horsehair as well, and is at a lower price point than Vispring.
We do have latex models that have very little motion transfer; those may be worth a try as well.
I havent checked out Hastens and Duxiana. Dux is a possible buy providing I like it. Hastens is out of my budget now. Id still like to try Hastens to see what the hype is about. Hastens is aspirational and a possible buy in the future.
Giving an update here. Went to Bloomingdales, CH Beckley, Charles P. Rogers and did another trip to Hästens.
At Bloomingdales, saw their line of Kluft, Aireloom and I think Shirwin? The Kluft were quite puffy – the tufted material seemed to be in very large mounds as opposed to a more even surface. They all seemed fine if you like the latex feel but not sure if that is best for us. Quite expensive.
CH Beckley was great! Thanks for the rec Norm! They definitely need a new website because what they have in person is really nice. Very natural materials. We tried the Bristol since the Stafford – which has independent coils, was too firm for us. Their goosedown topper was really really nice. They also have an option of a lambs wool one but the goosedown felt great even if it may be a little warmer, they said. They do use horsehair but unlike Hästens which uses mane and tail hairs which are hollow, Beckley uses hair from the horse’s belly because it is curly. We liked their built-in legs/frame design (similar to Duxiana) and also that they build custom so we can get a slightly wider bed than Queen without having to increase length to a Cal. King, which we don’t have in our room. They were very nice and it was most similar, we thought, to the Duxiana but at a more reasonable price around $6-7k and with a much nicer topper. Still more than I expected to pay at the start of this process…
We went back to Hästens since they were the first place we tried out and wanted to compare now that we have more reference points. The 2000T was still spectacular. We tried the Eala which was also very nice and half the price but still too pricey at ~$32,000.
Charles P. Rogers was also nice – their Lifetime 9 was very comfy. It has springs and latex. We’re not sure if we like the latex feel but this was definitely the most affordable option at around $3k.
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. We’ll try to make it out to New Jersey for Shovlin and Orange but it’s a bit more of a trek. Looks like the front-runner is the Bristol from CH Beckley unless my lottery ticket comes through and I can get a Hästens.
Wow, you busy little owl, flying around the city! LOL Beckley seems to be like what I would envision Shovlin and Orange to be.
At Bloomingdales probably referring to the Shifman another brand over 100 years old. They make nice mattresses too, although they require a bit of a recommended maintenance schedule.
Personally, I know Aireloom and Kluft mattresses, they are very nice, as well as the Shifman’s, but they do make them to specifications specifically designed for Macy’s, Bloomies and Neiman.
I recommended a Shifman for a patient of mine who also has become a friend, she got her shifman from a local private furniture store in NJ and paid a lot less than what the commissioned one for Bloomingdales was selling for.
Keep us posted when you make the trip to NJ. Glad to see the Beckley was a nice stop. Other than the $6-7k mattress you liked, did you get a sense of the range on what they offered?
We tried the Bristol and the Stafford (iirc) which he said was not on their website. That used a pocket coil to have less motion transfer. I liked it in theory but even their medium firmness was too firm. I would have liked if they had more queens to test since we could only try a Bristol in a twin so not sure about the motion transfer but the salesman said they don’t get complaints. We tried to lay perpendicularly across it and moved around and we didn’t feel anything, which was a good sign but hard to know how that will translate to a full size mattress.
We also tried the 2000T without the topper and it was very very plush. We were considering getting a topper from them and putting it on a Beckley but I think the Beckley will be too firm for that combo. My take was that the Hästens topper has a firming effect whereas the ones at Beckley made the mattress softer. Curious to hear if other people have used the Hastens topper in combo with something else.
Interesting how you describe the their mediums as firm. Personally I think that these “old fashion” mattress manufacturers make this things like tanks. When you compare what some call a firm out there today, to me anyway, is barely firm at all, except my plank luxe which is really a firm mattress.
But if you are old enough to remember what mattresses were like in the 60’s and 70’s, they were all kind of firm. Firmer than what we call firm today. So I would imagine that places that have been around that long, and are still using great grandpa’s formula, are just used to making firm mattresses as the quality lends itself to be that way. I think because most were innerspring with old fashion box springs, the bounce in the springs allowed even a firm mattress to feel comfortable for most. I dont ever remember anyone talking about their bed being too firm or about firmness much at all. Now granted, I was born in 60, so I wasnt exactly listening to folks talk about their mattresses, but I just dont remember that many choices even as a teen or young adult in the 80’s.
Anyway, I am very glad you at least found so choices to compare. Round two coming up!
As you continue your research (love to see how thorough you are being!) wanted to remind you we have an Eala that is a floor model that we are selling for significantly under $32K. You can find the pricing here I believe that bed is in the Mount Kisco location.
Best of luck to you - I have no doubt that you will find a bed that fits your needs as you are doing diligent research!
Katie for TCB
A short update with just the highlights. We really liked the Cole Valley gentle from McRoskey’s. It’s the closest so far to the 2000T weightless feeling. It’s a bit more than I wanted to spend, though. I do like that it is comfortable on its own without a pad and is flippable.
Currently debating between the Cole Valley and the Beckley Bristol. The Beckley is about half the price. It’s comfy without the goose down pad but much nicer with. The pad brings some heat concerns though so at least for part of the year I would plan on not having it — hard to know ahead of time!
The option for a reasonably priced custom size in the Beckley is also very appealing. Custom sizes for McRoskeys go for a 1.75x premium so that’s out of the picture.
Really too bad you can’t do an overnight test! Mostly worried they’re comfortable in the store but overnight will be different since I’m coming from a very firm mattress.
Thanks for all the tips from everyone! You were all very helpful.
Id ignore the price and get the one that feels best. Maybe test both over 3 trips to each store for a total of 6 trips. Spend 30 min straight lying on them. Its a small investment in a choice that you must live with for 5-10 years.
But there are others.
Beckley seems to be like what I would envision Shovlin and Orange to be.