Hi Phoenix,
I’ve been testing/researching mattresses for months now and I’m hoping you might be able to help point me in the right direction to get me out of this anxiety inducing shopping experience. A lot of my problem comes from liking something in the showroom after testing for 15 mins a side, and then still not knowing how that translates to the overnight back pain results.
I’ll begin with stats: 158 lbs… 6’0 tall… back and side/stomach positions (blend of side and stomach, legs in figure four position).
Now on to the experiments.
First, after spending quite a while doing lengthy tests at a big box, I found the S&F Lily Rose plush to feel great in store with good spinal alignment while on my side. Took it home, couldn’t sleep on it the entire night without terrible back pain. Added a featherbed topper and that improved things a little so that I could sleep on it and wake up feeling ok. Tried a 3" 3 lb memory foam topper and that improved things even more, though I was still upset that I was paying luxury prices for a bed that had a plush comfort layer and still required a topper just to wake up only a little stiff (not perfect). This was 90 days into it, plenty of time to “break in” if that’s even a thing for mattresses.
Because the memory foam topper seemed like the right direction but not perfect, I thought Tempur-pedic might be a safe bet, and liked the in-store feel of the rhapsody breeze and the cloud supreme. I wasn’t completely wowed/confident in how it would perform, and after reading your articles felt my money was better served with a different option.
Consumer Reports led me to the Costco/Novaform Serafina memory foam mattress bc of very good side and back and longevity characteristics. The first night, it was almost unbearably firm. After 20 days, it’s become a bit softer, but there are times when I wake up and my arms are numb due to pressure points. And I wake up pretty stiff (back pain). I feel I’m conforming to the bed more than I should - my shoulders feel pushed up too much instead of sinking in when on my side. I don’t know if the 3lb on 5lb layers are just too low density or what to do there.
My next plan was to scrap the perfect comfort idea and just get an innerspring that was firm enough to support my spine and add a topper for comfort. The topper I would try would be a 3" 4lb (I assume an improvement over my decent experience with the 3lb). The mattress would be from The Original Mattress Factory. They were a pleasant experience for shopping. I felt the associate was pushing me toward proper spinal alignment and not the super expensive models. My plan was to get the Serenity Latex bc I’ve been reading so many great things about latex. This was the first latex I’d come across, but in store I did not like the feel of it and it didn’t seem to support spinal alignment properly. I was hoping you could recommend a latex that I could try in the Atlanta area or an online store that has a good return policy in case it doesn’t work out. But aside from that, their Orthopedic Adjustable mattress felt pretty good in store and seemed to give great spinal support on the side, though after return visits the associate said my spine looked straighter on the Orthopedic Extra Firm, and that Extra Firm model has less PU foam to wear out. Do you have experience with either of those two? They seem to be the best value innerspring options, though I’m terrified of going with them due to a no return policy.
Sorry for the length, so to recap:
[li]Lily Rose plush felt decent in store but was too firm - felt terrible overnight, memory foam topper helped[/li]
[li]Costco Serafina seems to be too firm, causes numbness[/li]
[li]Original Mattress Factory latex Serenity seemed like a poor choice for spinal alignment[/li]
[li]Should I give latex another shot? Any recommendations for Atlanta?[/li]
[li]Is Original Mattress Factory Orthopedic (Adjustable or Extra Firm) a good choice with a 3" 4lb topper?[/li]
Thanks for all your great advice,
Michael