My husband and I have been married 10 years. We wanted to splurge and upgrade to a King Size bed- Finally! I am 37 years old and this was my first mattress purchase (always slept on my parents mattress purchase or my husband’s). Hoping to share our experience to steer other novices in the right direction…
We were told to go with the firmest mattress we could tolerate. We were also told the number 1 reason why people return mattress was b.c they are too firm. So we looked for somewhere in the middle.
We started with a Sealy Posturpedic (labeled Plush) that was too firm and hurt my shoulder (I am a side sleeper). We then exchanged for a Pillow top since many of our friends have them and are happy. After 6 weeks, we were miserable. We sank each night and were in misery by 3am. The culprit seems to be memory foam: which softens with time and is the leading cause of issues in mattress.
We have finally found our mattress soul- mate: the Stearns and Foster Luxury Firm which is a great blend of support and cushioning. It doesn’t have memory foam (It is the Raymour and Flanigan Kala Model). We are in heaven. It’s been 3 weeks of heaven…no regrets. An incredible learning experience and we will always avoid Memory Foam. I can’t say enough good things about the feel of this mattress!
Hi libratravel,
I’m happy that you are happy with your mattress … unfortunately the things you like are connected to what I call PPP (pressure relief, posture and alignment, and personal preferences) which have to do with the suitability of your choices and have nothing to do with the quality or value of the mattress you purchased. Your experience with the Sealy Posturpedic (Sealy owns S&F) also had to do with the materials and layering in the mattress which wasn’t suitable for your needs and preferences … not with it’s quality (although it uses the same type of lower quality foams you will find in the Stearns & Foster).
The quality of a mattress can only be known if you know the type and density of materials that are in it. Low quality and high quality materials can both be used to make mattresses that feel and perform the same for a while (just like particle board and real wood can be used for furniture that looks the same and performs similar functions for a while). The difference is that lower quality materials won’t last as long before softening and loss of comfort and support takes it’s toll (which is not covered by any warranty).
So while the Stearns & Foster may feel and perform well for you for now (which has little to do with how it will perform for anyone else with different or even the same body types or sleeping styles) … the materials that they use to make it are typical of mattresses that sell for much less … particularly if they are made by smaller independent or regional brands or local manufacturers. The good news is that the innerspring is good quality. The not so good news is that the foams above it are the “weak link” of the mattress and the materials in the upper layers of a mattress are the first component to soften and break down.
I also agree with you that some people don’t do well with memory foam (and you can read more about the pros and cons of memory foam here) but with relatively thinner layers and with higher quality memory foam they can work well for many people who prefer a slow response feel and like to sleep more “in” their mattress … even though they are certainly more “tricky” to get right than fast response materials. No one person’s experience on a mattress in other words applies to any other person. We are all unique in body type, sleeping style, sensitivity, and preferences.
As a brand, Stearns & Foster is among the lower value mattresses available on the market. Like so many of the major brands they tend to use far too much lower density less costly foams in the upper layers of their mattresses which is typical of lower priced mattresses. Unfortunately … even though knowing the details of the layers is the only way to know the real quality of a mattress … they also won’t let consumers know the information they need to make better value choices. It’s the materials in the mattress we sleep on … not the brand label.
So I’m happy that you have found a “match” for your individual needs and preferences, at least for now. As I mentioned in an earlier post today … if I was forced to make the choice between a lower quality/value mattress that worked for me and a higher quality/value mattress that didn’t … I would choose the one that worked. Fortunately … the members here can quickly discover that they don’t have to make that choice and can have both 
Phoenix
Yes, Phoenix is correct. It is a great thing to find a comfortable mattress and I too thought I had 3.5 years ago. I too bought a stearns and foster but it was a latex with plush top ( i paid 2,000 for it while it was listed at 2,300 or so) It recently has begun to compress and my lower back is now paying the price (see my recent post). I really hope your mattress lasts longer than mine did. I took a suggestion from Phoenix and placed material under my mattress under my hip area and it does feel better…for now.