Help me chose between S&F and Simmons Black

Hi,

Let me start by saying I’ve read the tutorial and some previous posts recommending against buying a mattress from the “S” brands. The problem for me with this advice is that all the mattress stores I’ve been to mostly carry these brands, and so I mostly felt compelled to make a decision between the various models they have to offer. Also, I’m not looking for a mattress that will last a lifetime or even a decade. I’ll be perfectly happy with something that lasts 5 years or so as long as those will be 5 years of good night sleep :slight_smile:

My wife and I are both stomach sleepers (and occasionally side as well). We never sleep on our backs.
After trying out various floor models, we narrowed it down to Simmons Black Alexia Firm or Stearns & Foster with similar firmness level. We’re currently leaning towards the Simmons.
I’d like to know if anyone here has experience specifically with the Black Alexia model and can provide some more input. Also between Simmons and S&F, is there a more “reliable” brand?

Thanks in advance!!

Dan

Hi dannylibs,

I think that my reply in post #2 here would be the same as my reply to your post as well. Sealy owns Stearns & Foster so my comments would also apply to them.

If you can find out the information listed in this article and post it on the forum I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials inside the mattresses you are considering or the mattress “as a whole” but unfortunately it’s not likely that you will be able to find out the information you need to make an informed choice and without this information it’s not possible to make any meaningful comments about the durability and useful life of either mattress.

I can tell you based on my knowledge of the quality of the materials that all the major brands tend to use and based on many years of forum feedback and hundreds of conversations with knowledgeable retailers … you will be very fortunate to have 5 years or good sleep on either mattress and I would avoid both of them.

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 so you can make a much better quality/value choice than either of the mattresses you are considering.

Phoenix

The most detail I could find is on the us-mattress website:

ADMIN NOTE: Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: us-mattress.com/simmons-black-alexia-extra-firm-king.html

My zip code is 92618. What would be some good brands to consider?

Btw I’m willing to consider one of those online mattress vendors as long as they have a no-fee return policy.

Hi dannylibs,

ADMIN NOTE: Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: us-mattress.com/simmons-black-alexia-extra-firm-king.html

The US-Mattress website doesn’t provide any meaningful information about the Alexia (it doesn’t include foam density which is the most important information that you need) but Jordans is one of the very few retailers that does provide meaningful information about the quality of the materials in their major brand mattresses. As you can see here (click overview) the Alexia uses lower quality/density and less durable materials (less than 4 lb density memory foam and 1.8 lb density polyfoam) that would be a weak link in the mattress and I wouldn’t consider it.

The better options or possibilities i’m aware of in and around the Greater Los Angeles area which would include the Irvine area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines in my last reply) are listed in post #2 here. There are some very good options available to you in the general area.

I would be very cautious about brand shopping because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and most manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. The name of the manufacturer on the label also won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress would be a suitable choice for you in terms of PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here. Outside of making sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (or that you have good options after a purchase if it isn’t or if you aren’t sure) … in terms of assessing the quality and durability of a mattress I would focus much more on the design of the mattress and the type and quality/durability of the materials inside a mattress than I would on the name of the manufacturer on the label.

The tutorial includes several links to the better online retailers and manufacturers I’m aware of (in the optional online topic) and most of the simplified choice mattresses have no cost return policies. Many of the others that are in the other lists also have very good return or exchange policies (including component mattresses that offer layer exchanges) that have either a minimal cost or no cost at all.

Phoenix

Thanks!
So the only retailer I can consider the drive to is this:
http://www.ergocomfort.com/

Can you recommend a mattress from them that would be comparable to the Alexia in firmness / comfort?

Hi Dannyylibs,

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” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or if you can’t test a mattress in person then your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on the specifications of the mattress.

Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so while you may find similar mattresses that use “similar” materials or designs and there would be many others that are in a similar general category (see this article) … it’s very unlikely that you will find another mattress that is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” the Beautyrest Black you tested so the only way to know how two mattresses compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.

There are also 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.

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the forum list that are in reasonable driving distance is always a good idea before you visit any store anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the quality and durability of the materials in their mattresses (see this article), and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in testing in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of whether anyone else has the same criteria or would make the same choice.

I think that you also have more than one option that is reasonably close to you.

Phoenix

What are your thoughts on the NaturePedic EOS?
Would that be a better choice than the Simmons Black Alexia?

Hi dannylibs,

The NaturePedic EOS mattresses use high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them that would be a cause for concern in terms of durablity so they would certainly make more durable choices than the Simmons Black mattresses yes.

They are also a component mattress which means that you can customize the firmness before a purchase and you can also exchange the comfort layer after a purchase (within 90 days) if your original choice turns out to be either too soft or too firm. Having an adjustable layer also means that if the comfort layer softens or breaks down before the deeper layers of the mattress (which is likely because a mattress will tend to soften or break down from the top layers down) or if your needs or preferences change over time you can just replace a single layer instead of replacing the whole mattress.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix!!
Great info here on the website.
I can’t help but feel though that at least from a marketing perspective, the Simmons Black is superior with more “patented” technologies and research behind it. They make it sound so sophisticated. For example “ADVANCED POCKETED COIL® TECHNOLOGY” or “SLEEP CLIMATE™ SURFACE TECHNOLOGY”. What are your thoughts about these “technologies”? The Naturepedic sounds so much simpler in that regard I have to wonder if it’s really the superior mattress?

Hi dannylibs,

The “technology” you are talking about is just “marketing speak” that is used to sell mattresses that use inferior materials and components and sell them at inflated prices. Unfortunately you certainly aren’t alone in the effect that this type of terminology has on consumers in general and this type of misleading information is one of the reasons that I started the site in the first place (see post #404 here and post #12 here).

There is also more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other 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 to fine tune the mattress or the exchange return options that are available to you).

While I can’t speak to whether any mattress is “comfortable” for someone else or is a good “match” in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) because this is very subjective and relative to the unique needs and preferences of each person (and has nothing to do with the quality of the materials or the price of a mattress) … the Naturepedic is a far superior mattress in terms of the quality of the materials and components inside it and the durability and useful life of the mattress.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix!
I think I may be ready to pull the trigger on the NaturePedic EOS.
Isn’t it strange though that the layers aren’t glued together somehow? Doesn’t that mean they can move inside the mattress? It even interesting how they ship the mattress in layers that you have to assemble yourself. No big deal but I was just wondering about that.

Hi dannylibs,

If the layers were glued you wouldn’t be able to exchange them and with a suitable tight fitting cover they don’t tend to shift so this wouldn’t be an issue. If for some reason they shift either because you are moving the mattress or over time then it’s a very simple matter to unzip the cover and put them back into position again.

Phoenix.

Phoenix,

Just a general question which I know is hard to answer but I’ll try anyway:
I currently wake up with lower back pain when sleeping on my current mattress.
From your experience, does this normally indicate the mattress is too firm or too soft?

Hi dannylibs,

While it’s not really possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort or alignment issues on a forum because there are too many unknowns and variables and individual circumstances (or in some cases health issues) involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.

Having said that … the most common reasons for lower back pain is a mattress that is too soft or from sleeping on a mattress that has developed soft spots or impressions in the mattress or from a support system that is sagging underneath it.

Phoenix

I’m not Phoenix, but a low back pain issue is usually associated with needing better support. But there are many other variables involved, and what some people call low back pain others might call pressure points. If it’s more of waking up feeling like you slept with an elephant on your back, I’d lean toward the support aspect of the mattress initially.

Thanks guys.
Last question - do these higher quality mattresses such as the Naturepedic need to be rotated regularly like other mattresses?

Hi dannylibs,

I would rotate or flip (depending on whether the mattress is one or two sided) any mattress on a regular basis regardless of its quality or durability yes (see post #2 here).

Phoenix