How to look for and find the best mattress ... for YOU! ***READ FIRST***

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
158

Hi Just Right,

In most cases a polyfoam mattress will only offgass to the degree that people will notice it for a few days to perhaps a couple of weeks (less common). Itā€™s rare that this would be longer (for most people) although as you know there are exceptions either because of differences in the sensitivity of people or in some cases the specific batch of foam in the mattress. I have heard of some cases with very sensitive people where they let a new mattress (or furniture or anything with polyfoam in it) air out for a year before they use it but they are usually very aware of how long they need to do this based on their own past experiences. In cases like this they would normally need to remove all the other polyurethane and other materials that can cause sensitivity in their home as well besides just the mattress. This degree of sensitivity is much less common (and actually quite rare) but for those who have to deal with it it can be very disruptive for their lifestyle because materials they may be sensitive to are everywhere in their environment ā€¦ hidden and otherwise.

I donā€™t know where you are in the scale of sensitivity but I think that you are probably much more aware of your specific sensitivity to various materials than I am and I would use your own best judgement as to what may work best for you. For most people having the manufacturer air out the mattress for a few days would be enough but again I donā€™t know your specific circumstances or sensitivity. I wouldnā€™t hesitate to discuss this with them and the worst thing that can happen is that they say no to a specific request. If you are comfortable with a floor model and one is available for you to purchase then this could also be a good idea but for issues like this your own judgement would be much more appropriate than any suggestions I could make. At least itā€™s good to see that they are happy to work with you to help with your sensitivity.

Phoenix

159

Hello Phoenix,

I just wanted to make my first post to say thank you for the site and wealth of information! Itā€™s been very informative and even overwhelming as I never really realized how much thought should really go into your mattress purchase. Unfortunately, I didnā€™t find you sooner and got a Simmons Beautyrest from Macyā€™s last year and was about to focus solely on another big name from Macyā€™s again this year to replace our main bed, probably going so far as to purchase a Hotel Collection by Aireloom. Needless to say, after reading the first post in this thread and many other posts from the forums, I have pulled back and decided to do much more research before pulling the trigger on a mattress. Additionally, this has also potentially saved us a good chunk of money as every penny counts now since we just had our first child. The plan was to purchase a very nice bed (originally thought to be the Hotel Collection Vitagenic gel Firm and Ultra Firm from Macyā€™s) as a kind of thank you to my wife for everything sheā€™s gone through and all the hard work sheā€™s done while taking care of the baby as Iā€™m back at work. Now after extensive reading all over the site, I almost feel overloaded!

However, I think weā€™ve narrowed it down to Selectfoam and Brooklyn Bedding for our beds. Weā€™re a little apprehensive as weā€™ve always had an innerspring mattress and not too sure on a latex or hybrid one yet. Itā€™s also a little early still as my wife gets back to 100% from the birth before we head out to test any latex mattresses too. We do intend to go out as soon as possible to test some all latex mattresses and any possible hybrids we may find to see how we feel on top of them. We feel comfortable with Selectfoam because they give a true 100% risk free trial, covering shipping both ways in case we donā€™t like it. And weā€™re comfortable with Brooklyn Bedding because of all the positive reviews theyā€™ve received, we feel that weā€™ll definitely get a high quality mattress from them as well but if we donā€™t like it, returns will be a little more hassle and will cost money for return shipping. I guess the other main question burning in my mind is how exactly or what exactly is the closest match to an innerspring; all latex or hybrid? Again, thank you for this site and all the help!

160

jman629,

I think itā€™s a good idea to test some mattresses locally to get a good sense of the feel of latex and the difference between latex and memory foam (assuming thatā€™s what you are looking at with Select foam). they are very much an apples to oranges comparison (see post #2 here)

Itā€™s difficult to compare the feel of different support materials partly because it can be very subjective, partly because they are very different in how they respond, and partly because it would also depend on the comfort layers that were over either the innerspring or the foam support system which is the biggest part of what most people ā€œfeelā€ on a mattress. It would also depend on the specific designs of the mattresses you are comparing. There are many different types of innerspring mattresses and different types of foam or other materials that can be used in the comfort layers over the innerspring (including memory foam, latex, polyfoam, fibers, and other comfort materials) which would all feel quite different from each other.

Overall though innersprings are ā€œspringyā€ and because latex is the most resilient and ā€œspringyā€ of the foam materials I would have to say that if you are only comparing the support system of a mattress (and ignoring the comfort layers that are the most obvious part of how a mattress ā€œfeelsā€) that a latex support core would be closer to the ā€œfeelā€ of an innerspring than polyfoam.

Phoenix

161

Thanks for a great forum!

162

Hi Phoenix,

I bought the queen mattress and a 5" foundation.

It was delivered this morning. I had both items set, in our kitchen/dinning room, standing on their sides, with spacers between so that they can air out. The owner said putting the mattress on its side would not be a problem with this 15" one - and he was right. The mattress has no obvious smell, and does not attack my sinuses, possibly because it was made in September of last year. The foundation gives off a strong chemical odor that attacked my sinuses right away, possibly because it was made this month and probably less than two weeks ago.

The warranty surprised me. Since you have said all along that how its made is more important than the warranty, I never even asked about it. Anyway, its ten years, with the first five non-prorated. The body impression spec is 2". Softening of the padding is not warranted. ā€œIt is very important that the whole surface area of the mattress be used.ā€ It must be turned and flipped ā€œas often as once a monthā€.

I intend to follow a once a month turn or flip routine. And I am very light and long. But the warranty makes me think that I might be in the market for another mattress in five years. I was hoping for many more, at $1,600, delivered.

When you review the last few posts Iā€™ve made (including this one) describing this mattress and foundation, where on the ā€œgood valueā€ scale does this purchase seem to fit?

Any further thoughts or advice?

I think I will be very comfortable on this mattress, for a while, and think that it is the best one that I could have found, for me, given my various ā€œissuesā€.

Its a real shame the way the mattress industry has evolved. Its buyer beware squared.

For a complete novice buyer like me, with my various ā€œissuesā€, you have been of great help and even comfort as I stumbled through this process. Its truly amazing how much time you have given to help me and how thoughtful and enlightening your replies have been.

Thank you very, very much.

Just Right

163

Hi Just Right,

I donā€™t pay much attention to warranties (see post #174 here) but the warranty would need to protect them against someone who didnā€™t maintain it and used the mattress on one side only which would wear it out much faster. If you maintain your rotation and flipping schedule it will almost certainly last longer than the warranty (unlike most major manufacturers where the warranty is more of a marketing tool).

I donā€™t know of any way to measure value on an ā€œobjective scaleā€ (value is based on the parts of each personā€™s personal value equation that is most important to them) but as Iā€™ve mentioned and based on the mattress construction, design, and materials and your experiences there and the service you received I would say it was good value.

You can see in this article that the top 15 manufacturers control 87.3% of the market and most of the best value is inside the remaining 13% which includes the smaller manufacturers who havenā€™t forgotten how to make good quality two sided mattresses that will last like yours. This is the ā€œrangeā€ where your mattress fits.

You can see a comment at the end of post #2 here about a similar mattress made by Royal Bedding which he estimates will last in the range of 10 - 12 years on average and with your lighter body weight it could possibly be longer. I have a similar innerspring/polyfoam mattress that is over 15 years old made by a different manufacturer that was carefully maintained and still has an even surface (which of course has compressed somewhat) and is still being used today with a topper (it needed some extra softness for the 200 lb 15 year old that is using it).

Your mattress will probably last you longer than you seem to think it will and while I agree with your comments about ā€œbuyer beware squaredā€ as far as the mainstream industry and major manufacturers ā€¦ I think you made a good choice which would probably be better described as ā€œbuyer has every reason to be happy with their choiceā€ :slight_smile:

Phoenix

164

I read the article in Step 2, and Iā€™m a bit confused.

In Point 1, it says, ā€œAvoid buying a mattress made by any of the major national brands such as Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Tempurpedic. While they are not all ā€œbadā€ mattresses and some may even be good quality, ā€¦ none of them have good value when compared to similar mattresses made by smaller independent manufacturers. NONEā€

but then in Point 6 it says, ā€œWhen you are mattress testing ā€¦ test for the two main functions of a mattress (pressure relief and spinal alignment) separately along the lines of five steps to your perfect mattress. Never test for the ā€œoverall comfortā€ of a mattress or put any faith in words like ā€œsupportiveā€, ā€œcomfortableā€ ā€œfirmā€, ā€œsoftā€ and many other general or relative terms. Comfort is subjective and mostly about pressure relief in the top layers and support is mostly about how the lower layers keep your spine in alignment. Both are different for everyone and all mattresses need different degrees of firmness and softness in different layers to fit your body profile, sleeping positions, and preferences.ā€

Value is nothing but subjective, so Iā€™m not really understanding the reasoning of Point 1.

165

Hi Dante,

The value of a mattress purchase has many components (see post #46 here) and includes objective, subjective and even intangible factors that may be more or less important to different people. The quality/durability of a material is not subjective at all though and can be quantified to some degree based on the type of materials and the design of the mattress (see post #4 here about the factors involved in durability). The density of a foam is the single most important part of its durability and some foams and materials are objectively more durable (and usually more costly) than other materials.

A mattress is only as good as the quality of the materials inside it and higher quality materials in general are not only more costly but more durable. The problem is that most major manufacturers donā€™t disclose the quality of the materials in their mattress and if you are able to find out what they are (which normally takes a great deal of time and effort or in most cases sources of information that is not generally available to consumers) you will find that the quality of their materials in each price range is typically lower and less durable than similar mattresses made by smaller more independent brands. The very rare exceptions are really not worth the time and effort it takes to find them. Point 1 in other words is about quality.

Point 6 is very different and it is all about the suitability of a mattress which is partly objective and can be tested and partly subjective (like comfort). You canā€™t feel the quality of the materials in a showroom or know how a mattress may feel in a few years down the road once the foams and other materials start to soften or break down. In other words ā€¦ lower quality materials can feel the same as higher quality materials ā€¦ they just donā€™t stay that way as long. Point #6 is about the suitability of a mattress.

When you are buying a mattress ā€¦ knowing the quality of the materials is one of the most important parts of making meaningful comparisons between mattresses and an important part of the value of a mattress but testing a mattress for itā€™s suitability (regardless of the quality of the materials) to make sure that the mattress you are considering is suitable for your specific needs and preferences is just as important even though they are two completely different things.

Phoenix

166

Thank you for all the information you have available on your site.

167

Hello Phoenix and thank you so much for creating this website!

I spent hours last night reading through the many posts of your mattress forum and plan on reading more to get up to speed with the mattress information before I purchase another (this next mattress will be my fourth or fifth in 11 yearsā€¦Iā€™ve blocked it out). I live in Reno, Nevada and would appreciate your recommendation for local mattress stores.

I am a 170 lbs, 5ā€™7" female and my husband is 210 lbs and 6ā€™1". We are both mostly back sleepers but tend to turn to our sides sometime in the middle of the night. Our current mattress is a Hilton Serenity Bed (made by Serta). The bed is too soft and too hot for me (hubby no longer cares). We would also like our next mattress to have less motion transfer.

I am hoping to either ā€œfixā€ our current mattressā€¦or to find a new mattress.

Thank you so much for your advice,
Sleepy_3.14

168

Hi Sleepy_3.14,

Unfortunately itā€™s not really effective to try and fix a mattress that was either too soft originally or has softened and lost its comfort or support. There is more about this and some possible options that may partially or temporarily help in some cases in post #4 here but in most cases you are better off with a new mattress.

Youā€™ve probably read this already but just in case ā€¦ post #1 here has some of the most important information you will need along with some steps and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice.

Some of the better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in the Reno area are listed in post #3 here.

Phoenix

169

Hi, I am so delighted to find this forum for all the same reasons everyone else is!!
I already know (and you have supported me in what I know) that I want a latex mattress, I used to have one and I miss it terribly!
I am not interested in poly-foams as I really want to stay away from any petrochemicals. I am having issues with pressure points and alignment on my current mattress, and I have had enough!
If you could refer me to a distributor or local manufacturer of latex mattresses in my area I would appreciate it. My zip is 90731, CA. I will go and test them before I purchase. I have read and will read again your advise about testing mattresses. Also what is your opinion about IKEAā€™s latex mattresses?

Thanking you in advance for everything you do here!!

170

Hi katsmi,

The better options in and around Los Angeles Iā€™m aware of are listed in post #2 here.

You can see my thoughts about the Ikea latex mattresses in post #3 here.

Phoenix

171

We live in the Indianapolis, IN area and am only aware of retail choices of mattress. As everyone, am looking for best mattress quality for best price. We have a queen bed and prefer that size. We have slept on the traditional ā€œtop-of-the-lineā€ Serta. Current one is a " Masterpiece" pillowtop purchased in 2000. We have had recommendations for Tempurpedic and Sleep No. but we travel and want to be able to sleep other places without misery. We are in our early 50ā€™s, active, have some lower back issues. I am a victim of night-sweats so ā€œhotā€ is not an option. My husband has a dust-trigger asthma. We are open to ā€œnatural/organic materials.ā€ We are willing to take a couple of day trips as necessary. We donā€™t want to have to finance a mattress that costs as much as a car, but will spend up to $3000 only if necessary.

Any suggested locations for Indy, or within a days drive?

172

Hi cindyvog,

The better options and possibilities Iā€™m aware of in the Indianapolis area are listed in post #2 here.

$3000 is certainly more than enough to buy a great quality/value mattress in a queen size (and in most cases there would be little reason to go as high as this).

Phoenix

173

I went to post#2 above and the information is in California. I am in central Indiana.

174

Hi cindyvog,

Ooos ā€¦ today seems to be my day for making mistakes in links. Thatā€™s the second one today.

Itā€™s fixed now ā€¦ and my apologies.

Phoenix

175

Iā€™m looking for a good place to shop for mattresses in the Boise, Idaho area. Two years ago we bought a Comforpedic Loft that Iā€™m pretty sure is the source of my chronic headaches and muscle pain and I want to make sure this time around I donā€™t make an expensive mistake again, but Iā€™m struggling to find anything that doesnā€™t sell just Serta, Sealy, Simmons, etc. I know of two furniture stores (run by the same family) that do sell Englander and Diamond Mattress Factory beds but other than that, nothing. Iā€™ve seen a number of complaints about Englanderā€™s quality going downhill the last 2 years though. Do you think that is true or just a few bad experiences? Any idea about Diamond?

176

Hi alanabanana,

The better options Iā€™m aware of in the Boise area are listed in post #2 here.

Hopefully youā€™ve also had the chance to read the first post in this thread which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will find most useful in your mattress research.

Diamond makes some good quality mattresses that are usually ā€œbetter than averageā€ in terms of quality and value but you may have some difficulty finding out the specifics of the materials they use in some cases (see post #2 here).

Englander is a licensee group with many licensee factories around the country each of which can make different mattresses and use different quality of materials. Some of them I wouldnā€™t consider (because of the use of lower density polyfoam) and others use good quality materials and have good value depending on the specific mattress and retailer.

A mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of materials inside it and all manufacturers make lower quality and higher quality mattresses so rather than going by brand itā€™s always wise to make your buying decisions based on knowing exactly what is in the specific mattress you are considering so you can make more informed decisions and make meaningful quality and value comparisons with other mattresses.

Dealing with retailers or manufacturers who can provide you with all the specifics of what is in their mattresses and have the knowledge and experience to educate you about the different types of materials and their advantages and disadvantages is one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase.

Phoenix

PS: There is also a Diamond Mattress Factory in Salt Lake City, UT which is a smaller manufacturer and if this is the Diamond that they carry then they would be well worth considering because they are open and transparent about their mattresses and appear to use good quality materials and have good value. They donā€™t have a website.

177

Hi Phoenix,

Long time no write. Hope you are well.

The mattress and foundation have been airing out for two months. The mattress was fine on day one. The foundation still has a chemical smell (from the material on the underside) and a perfume smell (from the fabric that fringes the foundation around its edges). Both are unacceptably strong.

The manufacturer has suggested encasing the foundation in plastic to stop the smell. He also suggested maybe getting a carpenter to make a simple wood platform.

Iā€™m wondering if a slat ā€˜platformā€™, wrapped with some polyester to keep the mattress from tearing on the wood, might do the trick.

Do you have any suggestions?