My wife and I are shopping for a new king size mattress to replace a worn out queen Simmons pillow top that’s about 10 years old, unsure of model. I am 5’11" and 170lbs and primarily a side sleeper though I do sometimes sleep on my back. She is 5’8" about 135lbs and she sleeps primarily on side and back as well (she tosses and turns a lot). We are in Knoxville, TN and per advice searching the forum here started our search locally at Brothers Bedding. We tried out various foam, latex and innerspring models and realized we prefer the feel of a foam pillow top innerspring model. The one we liked at Brothers however is just too far above our price range at $3000. Here is a link Doctor's Choice - Dr. Hawk (Soft) » Brothers Bedding Mattress Factory
We were hoping to spend about half that and appreciate the two-sided offering increased durability, but would be fine to trade that for a lower price. also, the hassle of turning such a large heavy bed may be neglected over time. After researching some similar online options we’ve narrowed down to Nest Alexander Hybrid in Plush or perhaps Medium or the Winkbed in softer.
There is another local company called Bed’r Mattress that has a few locations in our area, they have a store line they say is made in Tennessee. Would they be worth checking out? Link: www.bedrmattress.com
I don’t know if I missed any other options we should consider, or if I’m totally looking apples to oranges, but really any feedback from you would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for this wonderful resource!
It is wonderful that you’ve been able to do some in-person mattress testing to narrow down what you like and find comfortable and supportive. It’s likely you’ve already come across these resources in your research, but if not I would suggest reading our five steps to finding your perfect mattress (which includes advice on testing for pressure relief and support) as well as our Mattress Shopping Tutorial.
Thanks for sharing your sleeping statistics. I understand you prefer the feel of foam so that is a good place to start. I’d follow that by doing some durability and layering assessments of how long you can reasonably expect any mattress you are considering to last. A mattress is only as good as long as you can sleep well so if the mattress you are considering has a polyurethane foam (often called polyfoam) comfort layer and is one-sided then I would make sure that the density of any polyfoam is at least 1.8 lb per cubic foot or higher. If the mattress is two-sided then I would use a minimum foam density of 1.5 lbs per cubic foot or higher.
And if the mattress is memory foam (or gel memory foam) and is one-sided then I would make sure that any memory foam is at least 4 lb per cubic foot. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 3 lbs per cubic foot. You can read more about these recommendations in our Mattress Durability Guidelines.
I visited the website unfortunately Brother’s Bedding does not list (15") Pillow-Top’s layer specifications, so it’s hard to offer any commentary or make comparisons. Even still, it would be impossible for me to tell you whether or not this mattress would be similar in feel to any other mattress you are considering as only you can feel what you feel on a mattress. The mattress itself is 2 sided with 2 layers of foam sitting on top of a polyfoam core of unknown density. If you manage to find out the density and thickness of each of the mattress layers, I’d be happy to comment upon it.
Some commentary about considering the Nest Alexander Hybrid in Plush or Medium and the Winkbed in soft.
Nest Bedding is one of our Trusted Members which means we think very highly of them and believe they compete with among the best in the industry. They are transparent with their components and have your concerns as a consumer at heart and care more about your health and comfort than their bottom line.
(13.5") The Alexander Hybrid Plush and Medium have the following specifications
.5" 4 lb. Luxury Memory Foam
3" of 3 lb. (plush) or 3.5 lb (medium) TitanChil Endurance Foam®
1" of 3 lb. SmartFlow Support Foam
8" Quantum Edge® Zone Pocketed 16 gauge Support Coils
• 1" 3 lb. Base Support Foam
I am noticing that you are gravitating towards thicker mattresses. While thickness is more a matter of preference than “need” for lower range BMIs like you and your wife… it can easily present some problems if the support it offers is not correct to keep your spine in neutral spinal alignment. I would recommend that you do a bit more legwork and determine if your spine is aligned while resting on your side. You can read more about that in this article. Also, I would be concerned about choosing the plush version for you both because of the lower density foam in terms of durability and perhaps too much plushness and thickness for your needs. While it may feel well in the showroom you must test if it gives you enough primary support.
Winkbeds does not list their specifications, but a previous consumer shows that the polyfoam used in the comfort layers falls between 1.5 and 2 lbs but they were unable to gather any specifics, The chat agent stated today that " There is 2" of gel foam that sits on top of the micro-coils, the softer model has 3" of gel foam on top of the micro-coils" Soft version has 3 layers of foam as opposed to 2 layers in the luxury firm option. This is what I was able to piece together.
(13.5’) SOFT
1″ Gel-infused Hypersoft foam 17 ILD / soft
1″ Premium Gel foam 17 ILD/soft
1″ Premium Gel foam (ILD not confirmed)
2.4" Microcoil
8" zoned Pocket coils
The microcoil and all the layers below it are all good quality materials and components that wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress IMO but I would be cautious with having 2" or 3" of unknown density foams. A 2" to 3" polyfoam at 1.5 lb in the top layers of the mattress may be lower density and thicker than the guidelines I would normally suggest which are “around an inch or so of lower density polyfoam”.
I would recommend you look at our article on how to find a great mattress outlet; a quality retailer/manufacturer will be transparent about the materials and density specs that are in their mattress and would have the knowledge and experience to help their customers “match” a mattress to their specific needs and preferences so they are less likely to buy a mattress (even if it is great quality and value) that may not work for them.
It is good to first determine if the company you are dealing with is legitimately acting with the best interests of their customers at heart and give you the facts instead of marketing stories.
I always encourage consumers to check out local vendors and mattress manufacturers, especially if you’re going into your testing and purchasing experience armed with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision. So make sure to check out the Mattress Shopping Tutorial and also check out our Trusted Members here that have very good quality/value options that fit your specific criteria.
I look forward to any questions or updates you may have for us.
