I'm done! Looking for a mattress for heavy folks.

[phoenix]

Hi Melillo,

The salesperson told me the density of the mattress but I thought there were different types of foam in quality.

A mattress doesn’t have a density that means anything … only individual foam layers. You’re right that each type of foam material (polyfoam, memory foam, and latex foam) has higher quality and more durable versions and lower quality and less durable versions.

I find that each company has a different name for their foam so how do you know the difference between shakalaka dura foam and funkadelic deluxe foam?

If they are a foam material then they will either be polyfoam, memory foam, or latex foam regardless of any proprietary names.

Does the density make all the difference? Or is there a difference in different quality of foam and density?

With polyfoam and memory foam the density is a “quality spec” and is the single biggest factor in the durability of the material (and has little to nothing to do with the feel or firmness of the foam because every density has a range of different firmness levels). With latex the density is a “comfort spec” which depends on the firmness of that particular type of latex and the type and blend of the latex is the information you need to know. You can see the minimum guidelines I would suggest for different types of foam in post #4 here and there is more about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.

If a mattress has high density then does that mean it is higher quality than a lower density?

Again a mattress doesn’t have a “density” number that is meaningful … only the individual foam layers in the mattress. The density of polyfoam and memory foam have little to do with how it feels but if you are defining quality by the durability of the material then the density of any polyfoam or memory foam is the single biggest factor in its durability.

Are latex mattresses really worth the money. I figure I can get one for about $1,800 to $2,000

This is a question that can only be answered by each individual person and would also depend on the specific latex mattress they are considering. If a latex mattress is a suitable “match” for someone in terms of PPP and they like the feel and performance of latex and a particular latex mattress compares well to the other latex mattresses they are considering based on all the other parts of their personal value equation that are important to them (including the price of course) then for that person it would certainly be “worth it”

For someone that doesn’t like the feel or performance of latex or if a particular latex mattress wasn’t a good “match” for them in terms of PPP or if it didn’t compare well to the other latex mattresses they were considering based on their personal value equation then for them it wouldn’t be “worth it”.

Either way it’s one of the most durable materials available in the industry.

But do they really live up to all the hype. Will they really last as long as they claim? That is the hundred dollar question. I will be going to the royal bed company this weekend

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person … if a mattress is well inside the comfort/support range that is suitable for someone and isn’t close to the edge of the range that is too soft for them when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines I linked earlier in this post then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.

It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a maximum reasonable expectation for any mattress no matter what the quality or durability of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.

Having said that … with higher quality materials throughout a mattress that has no lower quality materials or weak links in the design and/or for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with higher quality/density and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam or natural fibers is much more likely than with less durable materials and you will find some people that have slept well on a latex mattress for decades (see the video here as an example).

Phoenix