In Need of advice...and you're amazing.

Hello. I will first start by saying…you are so very impressive with your knowledge and the time and care you put into people’s concerns and inquiries. I am hoping you can help me with some things I am in need of knowing.

Currently I have been sleeping on a “it came with the bed” cheap mattress for about 10 years. It’s done its job of holding me up, lol but as I get older and back is hurting more, i think it is time for some better quality. One main point here is that my bedroom is my central hangout and my spot is the bed. The bed is my chair, my lounge, my sleep space. i sit in the same spot all the time on it. Because of this on my cheap mattress, the spring inside has popped through the bottom and made a hole into the cheap box spring. I know my sitting on the same spot on bed can be an issue for most beds. I assume memory foam will not be a good choice because i will eventually leave a dent in the spots i am always in. Another thing is we both like to sleep very cool. I would like to spend no more than 1200 for mattress and box spring. And something in the middle range of firmness. Before researching here, I thought i might try the usual brand name stores and get something sufficient. But now, I see that would be a mistake. I know every body is different so you dont want to give actual suggestions, but can you throw out a few names for me that would meet these points. Also, i do not drive and i don’t know what stores are in the general area and i would take a cab to any of them if i know they have some of the names you might mention. I live in NY zip code 11415. I would really appreciate any information and thank you for your time.
:slight_smile: oh, I will also make a note that I have a Full Size =)

Hi WyndRacer,

I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial and if you’ve completed steps one and two you will have an idea of the types of materials and mattresses that you are interested in testing (and I see you’ve set your budget range as well).

Two of the more 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 that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them 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, durability, and value.

When you are using your mattress the way you are then it will certainly affect and reduce the durability of any mattress so I would make especially sure that the materials and components in any mattress you are considering are good quality and durable and are preferably more than just the minimums that I would normally suggest in the quality/durability guidelines here … especially in the upper layers of the mattress which are generally the first to soften, compress, and break down. Memory foam can be a durable material if the density is 4 lbs or higher (or preferably 5 lbs if you are in a higher weight range or for how you use your mattress) but more resilient materials where you are more “on the mattress” than “in the mattress” may be a better choice if you spend a lot of time sitting on your mattress. If you sit on the edge of the mattress then I would also check to make sure the edges are firm enough for you to comfortably sit on.

While memory foam tends to sleep warmer than other types of foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, and latex foam) … there are also many other variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress besides just the type of foam that is used inside it including the type of cover and quilting in a mattress, the firmness of the mattress, the mattress protector or any mattress pad you use, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range that can all have a significant effect on sleeping temperature. There is more about the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here that can help you choose the combination of materials and components that will have the best chance of keeping you in a temperature range that you are comfortable with.

There is no “standard” definition or consensus of opinion for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being medium firm" 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 is firm for one can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else 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. This is all relative and is as much an art as a science. 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). In other words you will need to test a mattress for you to assess how firm or soft it feels to you regardless of whether it feels firm or soft to someone else.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York City area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #2 here. I would follow the suggestions in step 3 of the tutorial and look through the websites and call the ones that you would be able to easily visit to make sure that they carry some mattresses on their floor that would meet your criteria (including the type of materials you are interested in and your budget range) that would make your trip worthwhile and then you will be ready for step 4 which is actually testing mattresses. If getting to the showrooms is difficult for you and you are comfortable with an online purchase then it may also be worth considering some of the online manufacturers and retailers that are linked in the optional step of the tutorial as well if they have a good exchange/return policy so you can reduce the risk of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for. If you do decide to include online retailers/manufacturers in your research I would still do “some” local testing just to confirm the types of materials and mattresses that you tend to prefer so you will have some better reference points if you make an online purchase.

Phoenix

Thank you so much for your response and help. It’s great how you take the time. I will let you know how it goes =)

Hi WyndRacer,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any other comments or questions you may have along the way :slight_smile:

Phoenix

When i aim to buy something new and better i wind up driving myself crazy with research. I thought this was going to be a lot easier lol. When i think how i have slept on a “nothing” bed for 12 years, it seems crazy that i am going through so much trouble now. But I do want a good bed. It is a shame that the closer stores (name brand stores) don’t offer some of the better quality mattresses. I did stumble upon the Saatva site and so i am checking here for a thread on that. I am often skeptical of things that seem too good and simple to be true so looking to see what some opinions are on here. I feel like i want to get a good individual coil bed and maybe a latex topper. Do I have to actually sit on a bed to know about it’s edge support or is that something that has a number or rating. Sorry, that might be a silly question lol. Do you happen to know if brand name stores offer a quality coil mattress? Just wondering. :slight_smile:

Hi WyndRacer,

You can see some thoughts and feedback about Saatva in post #1 here and the rest of the topic and a forum search on Saatva (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well. In very general terms for most people it would be a “better than average” quality/value choice compared to most of the mainstream mattresses made by the major manufacturers but it wouldn’t be in the same “quality/value” range as many of the other options that most of the members here would know about as a result of the information on the site.

There are no specific ratings or “numbers” for edge support but most mattresses that have edge support will say so in the description although it won’t tell you “how firm” the edges will feel for you or how the edges compare to the rest of the sleeping surface.

Outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label. The weakest link of a mattress is generally in the softer comfort layers on top of the springs and not the springs themselves but the major brands tend to use lower quality/density materials in the comfort layers which is the reason I would generally avoid them along with any mattress where you aren’t able to confirm the quality and durability of the materials in the mattress (see the guidelines here). Their springs are generally fine and aren’t a weak link in the mattress … it’s the rest of the materials that are on top of the springs that are usually the problem.

Phoenix

You might be the most attentive and hardest working forum helper on the internet. lol. Thanks again, so much!

Hi WyndRacer,

Thanks for the kind comments … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

I’m a new member; wish I’d found this site sooner.
And I concur, Phoenix is indeed the perfect moderator, interested only in unbiased, even-keeled advice.
Bravo!
Just spent the past two hours trolling this site, awaiting my Saatva delivery this Monday.
Just a bit of background: I’m nursing a sore hip I suspect from sleeping on a 15-year old heap and am a bit dismayed over some of the posts concerning my soon-to-be new bed, so I just wanted to start a baseline feedback thread on this excellent site.
Cheers,
Tom

Hi TMACK,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you are happy with it and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

TMACK, that is so funny. I too am awaiting my Saatva mattress this week (Tuesday). I did the research and concluded that with my time and lack of transportation, going around to stores further away that sell the better mattresses is a bit inconvenient for me. It seems that Saatva will have some met requirements for me… I watched some videos of people reviewing the mattress and while it is probably a biased review, the mattress did seem to have good edge support (which I need) and looks comfy. So far, the customer service has been good. I hope the delivery experience is the same. I will definitely get back to you guys about how I find the mattress to be when I get it and give a more detailed review about it and the delivery experience. I wish you the best with your new mattress too, TMACK. Again Phoenix,…you’re awesome!! =)