Hi twice,
[quote]I’ve been having a bit of a princess and a pea thing happening, where nothing seems right. BUT! I just stayed at a friends for about two weeks, and he had an older ikea mattress that was dreamy. He didn’t remember what it was, but we figured out that he got it in 2013, so were able to backtrack it to the Sultan Finnvik, thanks to archive.org.
Ikea doesn’t make that model anymore. But I was able to find out it’s specs: Comfort material: 100 % lamb’s wool, High-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft., Polyurethane memory foam 3.1 lb/cu.ft, Polyester/viscose (rayon) fiber wadding. I am not sure if it means which layer was the top or bottom, but I’m guessing the 3.1lbs memory foam was on top? Because it’s memory foam?[/quote]
The wayback machine is certainly a useful tool that I often use myself.
Like all the Ikea memory foam mattresses … the Finnvik used 3.1 lb memory foam in the comfort layer which is a lower quality/density and less durable material than I would suggest considering (see the quality/durability guidelines here) and it would be normal that lower quality/density memory foam will soften much more and more rapidly than higher quality/density versions of memory foam so even a new mattress that had a very similar design would feel significantly different than the same mattress that someone has slept on for years.
[quote]I haven’t been able to do much in-store mattress testing because the twisting motion of getting out of bed is really painful. I haven’t really been able to do PPP because of that. When I did try a few, my husband wasn’t with me to see my spine alignment. The two beds I found when I did try shopping around were Beauty Rest Okauchee Lake Plush, followed by the Fox Point Luxury Firm (it didn’t feel firm to me, just different), then the Lac La Belle Pillow Top, although I was not overly excited by this one. I know the score about there being issues with poor materials and cost due to the brand not quality, but I thought I’d throw that out there to give some idea of what direction my body is going.
I’ve tried my best to follow along with the guides here. I’ve got a very tight budget, which of course does not make bed buying easy at all. I found a few more expensive beds that I like, I seem to be leaning towards plush/soft beds. $500 is the most I could scrape together, though I’d prefer to spend less. I just spent a couple weeks on a great ikea mattress, and need help finding something similar.
The closest I could find to the Sultan Finnvik was the Myrbacka Firm. It isn’t identical, though, it lists the make up as: Polyester/viscose (rayon) fiber wadding, Polyurethane memory foam 3.1 lb/cu.ft, High-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft., Polyurethane foam 1.7 lb/cu.ft., 100 % lamb’s wool
There is an additional layer there that the Sultan Finnvik doesn’t have. I’m not sure what to make of that. Also concerned because it’s listed as “firm”. The medium firm is actually a latex model, containing: Polyester/viscose (rayon) fiber wadding, Synthetic latex, High-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft., 100 % lamb’s wool
The closest in price point and build is the Ikea Matrand, which seems to do the same thing, breaking out latex as medium firm and firm is all foam.
Matrand Medium Firm: Comfort material: Polyester/viscose (rayon) fiber wadding, Synthetic latex, Polyurethane foam 1.7 lb/cu.ft.
Matrand Firm: Comfort material: Polyester/viscose (rayon) fiber wadding, Polyurethane memory foam 3.1 lb/cu.ft, Polyurethane foam 1.7 lb/cu.ft:
I’m not beholden to Ikea either, other than I know my friends mattress was a dream. Can I look for mattresses with similar specs from, say, amazon?[/quote]
I would also keep in mind that there are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
There is also more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting materials) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a reliable way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP based on the specifications of the mattresses (even assuming that you can find out all the specifications you would need for both mattresses you are comparing in the first place).
Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” another one in terms of firmness or “feel” and PPP and/or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the “averages” of a larger group of people that have compared them (different people may have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare) … the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses would compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP (regardless of anyone else’s opinions of how they compare which may be different from your own) would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.
I know you’ve read the tutorial but 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” 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 you will sleep), durability (how long you 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.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Because your own personal experience is the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of your specific criteria and PPP … the exchange/return policy (and any costs involved) can also be a more important part of the “value” of an online purchase just in case (and in spite of the “best judgement” of everyone involved) the choice you make doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
There are some very general guidelines about what to expect in different budget ranges in this article. Your budget certainly doesn’t leave much room to buy a mattress that uses good quality and durable materials but if you are considering online choices then some of the better lower budget options I’m aware of that would be worth considering are listed at the end of post #4 here and the other online lists it links to.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area that may be worth considering as well.
Phoenix