I finally bought my mattress! And it's really uncomfortable...

[phoenix]

Hi jqwer1,

It’s not the same mattress in the floor room. It’s VERY hard, and it honestly feels like a cheap mattress. I have no doubt there are quality materials underneath, but I have 7 days to return this and the rep in the store suggested I walk on the mattress for a few hours. If this latex is supposed to late “25 years,” how is walking on it for a week really going to help? I’m just so disappointed I did all this research only to hate the product I paid for.

Your mattress certainly isn’t a “cheap” mattress (and the feel or firmness of a mattress has very little to do with it’s cost or it’s initial comfort) but there will also be a break in and adjustment period with any new mattress that can make a noticeable difference in how a mattress feels (see post #3 here and post #2 here). It’s very likely that the mattress that you tested on the showroom floor was already broken in and was softer than a new mattress. Walking on the mattress (carefully) is also one of the suggestions in the posts I linked.

Some mattress pads or mattress protectors can also change the feel or firmness of the mattress as well but the Powercore 5000 is also their firmnest latex/pocket coil hybrid so it’s also possible that it’s just too firm for you … especially if you sleep on your side.

While 7 days may not be long enough for a mattress to fully break in or for you to adjust to the mattress … I would give it as long as possible before returning or exchanging it.

I believe that they also have an exchange policy that would allow you to exchange the mattress up to 90 days after a purchase for a softer mattress that may also be worth considering.

I would also keep in mind that it’s not really reasonable to “expect” that you will sleep well on any mattress or that it will maintain its comfort and support for 25 years regardless of the price of a mattress or the materials inside it (see the quality/durability guidelines here).

The warranty of a mattress has very little to do with the useful life of a mattress or how long it may be before you need to replace it. Warranties only cover defects in a mattress and not the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality materials) loss of comfort and support that is the main reason people will need to replace their mattress. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.

In college, I bought a layer of foam + memory foam on top of those bricks they give you and that was 10x far more comfortable than this for under $100. If I find a suitable topper, should I keep the mattress and simply use a topper for the next 10 years? Seems to defeat the purpose of spending so much money on a single mattress, but if it’s comfortable I guess it doesn’t really matter.

A topper can certainly be an effective solution for a mattress that is too firm and it certainly doesn’t “defeat the purpose” of a mattress but there can also be some risk or uncertainty in choosing a topper that is a good “match” both for you and the mattress you are using underneath it.

While only you can decide what you “should do” or whether any risk involved in choosing a topper is “worth it” to you compared to the other options that are available to you … if you do decide on adding a topper then there is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to that can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success.

If you do choose a suitable topper and the mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP then it also has the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is likely) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of a mattress underneath it as well.

Are there other factory direct companies in the NJ/NY area?

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Monroe Township/Newark, NJ. region (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #7 here. There is also a list for the NYC area (with a fair bit of overlap) in post #2 here.

Phoenix