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

[phoenix]

Hi PA_Buzzard,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

Hi Phoenix. I read consumer reports and a couple other sources and thought I was ready to purchase a mattress.

I think you may have already seen my comments about the Consumer Reports mattress ratings and recommendations in post #2 here and in this topic . While they may be a good source of information about more “objective” purchases, I would consider them to be an unreliable source of information or guidance about purchasing a mattress and their “ratings” are somewhat nonsensical and meaningless. My thoughts are also shared by most of the more knowledgeable people in the industry (see post #5 here for an example).

After reading and at least partly understanding the incredible amount of info in your tutorials, I am sure I am not ready. Unfortunately I don’t know the next step.

The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones. Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for). I would also make sure that you find out information listed here when you go mattress shopping so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

In its simplest form, choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers that sell the types of mattresses (see this article ) that you are most interested in (either locally or online) and that can provide you with all the information you need to know to make an informed choice and make meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in this tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress (see the durability guidelines here )

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

strong preference for low VOC/off-gassing, organics a plus but not required. Looks like your site members are all pretty much ok in this regard, thanks! Still intend to avoid polyfoam and glue to the extent I can, although I think I can live with the Certi-pur standard.

There is also more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” or “how organic is organic enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices. Most polyfoam you are likely to encounter domestically is CertiPUR-US certified.

mostly side sleeper or back sleeper, which looks like some decent support may be appropriate.

Yes, you’ll always want good support, and enough comfort on top to help allow your shoulders and hips to sink in when on your side.

even on my back I can wake up with numbness/tingling in my arm, and/or an achy elbow, which I assume means I need a much softer top layer than I have.

This certainly can be a sign that your current mattress has lost much of its surface comfort, or that your body is changing, or a combination of both. But it would certainly be something to mention when you are out shopping for a mattress to any retailer or manufacturer you visit.

wife and I are on the short side of average and not as fit as we intend to get (BMI 25-30), which also indicates decent support may be required.

There is more information in the durability guidelines I linked to earlier about BMIs approaching 30.

I tend to sleep hot. That may mean a thinner memory foam top layer if we go memory foam, or maybe the Talalay latex. How that interacts with the rest of the requirements I don’t know.

There is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range. Regarding cooling memory foam claims (if you decide to go with memory foam), you can read more about phase change materials in post #9 here and at the end of post #4 here) and you can read more about the various different types of gel foams in post #2 here. In general terms gel foams will tend to have a temporary effect on temperature while you are first going to sleep until temperatures equalize but have less effect on temperature regulation throughout the course of the night.

It sounds like you desire some actual one-on-one interaction with a knowledgeable brick and mortar retailer, so if you let me know where you live I’ll see if I have a listing of some better retailers in your area.

Phoenix