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

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
301

Hi swapgut,

There is more information about the Original Mattress Factory (OMF) Serenity with the correct specs and some comparisons with other latex and latex hybrid mattresses in post #8 here and the other posts it links to that should be helpful :slight_smile:

The comfort layers are blended Talalay which is a very high quality and durable material and the middle polyfoam core is 2.5 lb polyfoam which is a high quality/density version of polyfoam and itā€™s also two sided so there are no ā€œweak linksā€ in the mattress.

Phoenix

302

This bed would be worth that amount of money made like those specs. The heft I felt was just a double sized mattress. It would take two to flip a queen or king.

303

Thanks for compiling this! Iā€™ve been doing a lot of research on mattresses lately and this forum has been very helpful; especially this post.

304

Hi AnjaCeleste,

Iā€™m glad the forum and tutorial has been helpful ā€¦ and welcome :slight_smile:

Phoenix

305

Iā€™m considering buying an Aireloom mattress with the following specs and am wondering if it is of good quality. Felt great in store but Iā€™m worried about durability. Sale price is $3200 after getting 1300 off.
Outer hand tufting 49
Top panel: super stretch knit with lycra
Top layer: airesoft comfort fiber
2nd: 1 1/2 inch high density foam
3rd: 1 1/2 inch high density convoluted foam
Tricot backing
Comfort layers:
1 inch airegelle 3.5#
1 1/2 inch high density foam
1/2 inch visco memory foam sealed case
Coil: 13.75 gauge 7 inch height individually wrapped tempered coil
Coil count (king) 1023
Base layer:
1 inch high density foam
Quilted fabric
7 inch high density support edge.

306

Hi pthalo,

I switched your post to a new topic of its own so it will be easier for others to find instead of being mixed in with a more general topic.

The first place I would start your mattress research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices ā€¦ and know how and why to avoid the worst ones (such as the mattress you are considering).

Unfortunately the specs you listed donā€™t include the information you (or I) would need to make any meaningful assessment about the quality of the materials in the mattress (see this article) or their durability because itā€™s missing the foam density for most or the layers.

In terms of quality and durability ā€¦ a mattress is only as good as its weakest link and a purchase where you donā€™t know the quality of the materials in a mattress ā€¦ in the upper layers especially ā€¦ would be very risky and is among the biggest reasons for buyers remorse. It may also not be possible to find out the information you need to make an informed choice and Aireloom is one of the manufacturers that I would tend to avoid (see this article).

Even low quality materials can feel great in a showroom ā€¦ but the problem is that low quality materials will soften and break down much too quickly relative to higher quality and more durable materials and there would be little value in a costly mattress purchase that didnā€™t maintain its comfort and support for a reasonable period of time relative to the cost of the mattress. I would also keep in mind that the loss of comfort and support isnā€™t covered by warranties.

If you can provide the information I would need Iā€™d be happy to make some comments about the quality of the materials in the mattress but itā€™s not likely you will be able to find out the information you would need to make an informed choice and I would tend to avoid this mattress.

An Aireloom can look great on the outside ā€¦ and can feel good in a showroom for those who tend to choose a mattress based on the ā€œshowroom feelā€ instead of more careful and objective testing using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post ā€¦ but they may not be as good a choice based on the quality of the materials inside the mattress.

There is also more in post #13 here about how to assess the ā€œvalueā€ of a mattress purchase relative to other mattresses you are considering.

Phoenix

307

Thanks Phoenix,

Are there any mattress brands you would tend to recommend in general? Iā€™m willing to pay for a nice mattress. My husband and I just spent 4 months trying first a bed in a box memory foam then a tempurpedic, which both caused us low back pain. Weā€™ve probably tried more than 50 mattresses in stores over the last 2 week. We donā€™t like air or latex mattresses. Iā€™ve never had back pain on coil springs in the past. We like firm beds.

I appreciate your help!

308

Hi pthalo,

There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in a mattress purchase for anyone to recommend a specific mattress or brand for someone else based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or ā€œtheory at a distanceā€ because a mattress that works well for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on regardless of the quality of the materials or the price of the mattress (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). Since I canā€™t feel what you feel or see you on a mattress I donā€™t recommend specific mattresses or brands and focus on the information and steps in the tutorial that can help with ā€œhowā€ to choose rather than ā€œwhatā€ to choose (see post #5 here).

Having said that ā€¦ I do recommend dealing with smaller manufacturers that are sold factory direct or through better retailers across the country who are transparent about the materials in their mattresses and have the knowledge and experience to be able to help you make better choices and meaningful comparisons rather than just ā€œselling youā€ anything they can. The manufacturers and retailers that have been invited to become members of this site all compete well with the best in the industry and I would certainly recommend including them among your options if they are close enough to to visit or if you are considering an online purchase (for the ones that sell online and ship their mattresses across the country).

Once you get to step 3 in the tutorial Iā€™d also be happy to let you know of any of the better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in your area whether they are members here or not.

Low back pain is generally an indicator of a mattress that is too soft for you (and has little to do with the quality of the mattress). The mattress testing guidelines that are linked in the tutorial post (in step 4) can also help you choose a mattress that would be more suitable for your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).

Phoenix

309

Dear Forum and Phoenix, Thank you so much for those helpful wall of texts. Now my eyes sore and head is exploded LOL

I cant sleep and eat properly because i always thinkingā€¦ =))
Sincere Thank you,
Art

310

Hi quader,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!.

[quote]Now my eyes sore and head is exploded LOL

I cant sleep and eat properly because i always thinkingā€¦ =))[/quote]

It sounds like you may need a new mattress just to recover from looking for one :slight_smile:

Phoenix

311

Phoenix,

I am wondering if you can recommend any stores near me. I live in 12804, I am not in a major city so that may not make it easy. I have gone to some local independent stores but they only carry the major brands. I actually almost bought a Beautyrest Black series extra firm after looking at lots of stores it was one of the only mattresses I found comfortable. I guess I like the hybrid coil with foam layering on top. I wanted to do more research before making a $2500 purchase.

Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

James

312

Hi Jamesp27,

The better options and possibilities Iā€™m aware of in and around the Schenectady/Albany area (including Queensbury) are listed in post #4 here.

Iā€™m glad you found us before you pulled the trigger because the Beautyrest Black series includes some lower quality/density foams in the comfort layers (see here for an example) which would be a weak link in these mattresses in terms of durability and certainly donā€™t belong in a mattress in this price range.

Phoenix

313

Thanks so much for the help, I definitely plan on checking the stores out in the Capital Region.

Do you have a preference to any manufacturers as far as the hybrid style goes? Or is it more of a question of finding a manufacturer that just uses quality foams for the layering on top of the coils?

The other mattress I liked that I didnā€™t pull the trigger on was a Stearns and Foster Luxe line that was about the same price as the Beautyrest Black and seemed pretty similar. I donā€™t mind spending what I would consider good money ($2,000-$2,500) I just want to know I am making an informed decision and the mattress will last at least 10 years comfortably.

James

314

Hi Jamesp27,

The name of a manufacturer means very little to me because all manufacturers have access to the same or similar materials and outside of how suitable a mattress is for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences), a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it (see post #5 here). In the various lists around the forum I tend to list the manufacturers where your chances of being able to find out what is inside a mattress you are interested in are a little higher (see this article for the ā€œtransparencyā€ ratings of the top 15 manufacturers).

Stearns & Foster/Sealy is also on the list of major manufacturers I would avoid for the same reasons as Simmons (using lower quality materials in the comfort layers of their mattresses). I guess that means that you avoided two ā€œbulletsā€ :slight_smile:

Phoenix

315

Thank you for the information on finding the best mattress. My wife and I were considering a memory foam to replace our innerspring, but after perusing your articles, we decided to check into latex. We read, researched, read, and researched further. Your information about Astrabedā€™s being a part of a large marketing company was especially helpful. After speaking with representatives from several companies, I talked with Hans at Cozy Pure. He was quite patient, helpful, and knowledgeable. Thanks to Mattress Underground and Hans, I will be placing an order with Cozy Pure tomorrow.

316

Hi daja,

Iā€™m glad you found us and that the site could help you.

As you probably know I think highly of Cozy Pure and they are one of the members of the site so I think you are making a great quality/value choice.

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share your feedback once youā€™ve received it.

Phoenix

317

Hello Phoenix.

I want to thank you and whoever else supports you in operating this website. Iā€™ve been reading various topics and replies for a few months now. I have found the site to be a fountain of information and you to be the most unbiased source of information for latex beds. I first tried Consumer Reports, as I do for most major purchases, and found they do not review latex mattresses which has result in numerous negate comments on the web.

I have spent months looking for a new mattress. My current mattress is an innerspring, about 25 years old from the Original Mattress
Factory. I should have replaced it about 10 years ago, but did not like what was available and put off replacing it, then last winter I hurt my back, and now I have to get replacement.

I like the durability of latex mattresses and also considering a wool mattress (just finished looking at Shepardā€™s Dream, SoaringHeart, and a couple of other websites).

Iā€™m 5ā€™6" and run about 275-290 lbs, so I am not a lightweight, consequently, I prefer to try out a mattress whenever possible. I do not like memory foam as it is difficult for me to move around and get of the bed.

I will be going to up to north east Ohio within the next couple of weeks (zip code 44262), Between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio and wonder if you know of any place in that area where I might find latex mattresses to try out.

Locally, in central Ohio, I have tried Pure Bliss - all talalay and just sank in; also tried Savvy Rest (firm/medium/firm Dunlop) I like this better but still would possibly prefer something firmer.

On a recent trip to DC , I stopped by the Savvy Rest store in Charlottesville and also CozyPure in Norfolk. While the selection at the Savvy Rest was greater, I was not impressed with the employees knowledge or lack of motivation, Cheryl at CozyPure is definitely knowledgable and passionate about her mattresses. Both Savvy Rest and CozyPure seem to offer good mattresses, but I am still shopping and will be sending some e-mail inquiries to a couple of the members of the Mattress Undergound.

Thank you for any assistance you con provide, but most of all thank you for being there for persons like me tiring to find unbiased latex mattress information.

318

Hi Doulas,

Welcome to the site ā€¦ and thanks for the kind comments ā€¦ I appreciate them :slight_smile:

The better options and possibilities Iā€™m aware of in the Cleveland/Akron area are listed in post #2 here. If you are looking for ā€œall latexā€ I would call first before visiting just to confirm that any of the manufacturers or retailers have a mattress or mattresses on their floor that meet your criteria. Iā€™m not sure where you are in Central Ohio but the Columbus list in post #2 here may also be helpful (it has some overlap with the Cleveland/Akron list).

Post #3 here and the posts it links to also has more information that would be helpful for those that have a larger body type and are in a higher weight range.

[quote]I am still shopping and will be sending some e-mail inquiries to a couple of the members of the Mattress Undergound.

Thank you for any assistance you con provide, but most of all thank you for being there for persons like me tiring to find unbiased latex mattress information. [/quote]

You certainly have some great options available to you among the members here but if you are considering an online purchase I would generally suggest talking to them in person rather than email unless you have a very simple ā€œblack and whiteā€ question that can be answered in a single sentence and doesnā€™t have any ā€œit dependsā€ in the answer (which is a small minority of mattress questions). More interactive and ā€œreal timeā€ voice communications are much faster and more informative and can often cover more ground in a single conversation than weeks of back and forth emails that take many exchanges just to get on the same page and make sure you are sharing the same frame of reference.

Iā€™m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course any comments or questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

319

Do people ever have allergic reactions to a latex mattress?

320

Hi arthur,

It would be very uncommon because most latex ā€œallergiesā€ are contact allergies and there is no contact with the latex in a mattress and foamed latex is also very different from the rubber used in gloves and other products that are a common source of latex allergy issues but a ā€œtrueā€ latex allergy is also possible in which case all natural latex products should be avoided (most people that have a ā€œtrueā€ or type 1 latex allergy would also need to carry an epipen because latex exposure can be very common in our society). There is more about latex allergies in post #2 here.

Phoenix