all advise warmly welcomed -
In the market for what I hope to be my last mattress purchase, after 12 yrs sleeping on a Beautyrest Luxury Firm , my lower back has suffered & now I’m in severe pain every a.m.
age-related spinal deterioration , bulging discs, arthritis, poor alignment, etc.
I’m 63 yrs. old, female, 5’3, 120lbs, side sleeper, & no sleeping partner.
I’ve been on this site reading & learning what would be best for me …
Queen size
hybrid innerspring/natural latex combo
pocket coils 400 or more in resonable gauge (14 or better)
medium firm (plush I guess)
live in the northwest burbs of Chicago…all the surrounding stores in my hood show the standard mattress brands - Serta, Simmons, Sleep #, Temperpedic…& I’m not going that route after reading this site’s tutorial & “The Old Bed Guy”
retired teacher, but I’m willing to pay if it will change my life orthopedically
Thanks for any & all input
Shelley
I’m sorry to hear about your various back issues. I know that can make mattress shopping a challenge.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose, it’s simply not possible for me to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components, because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions (and you certainly have some challenges in this respect), or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Learning “how” to choose would start with reading the mattress shopping tutorial here, and 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 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 (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).
Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability, which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it, so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here 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 (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the 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.
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.
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.
Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent ( see this article ) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … there is a list of some other retailers in the Chicago area here. As you have such specific needs, you might do better with trying some products in person from better retailers who can help guide you through the steps of the tutorial, finding quality products using better materials, and then you can see how your back responds to those items.
If you have specific questions on any items you find, please let me know and I’ll do my best to be assistive.
Hi Phoenix, I bought my green mattress from The Quality Sleep Shop in LaGrange Highlands, IL…the showroom was only 45 min. ride from me…their factory where they construct their own line of mattress was not far from there…they have 3 choices in their natural line - I went with the Natural Escape, hybrid pocketed coil, covered with 3" of natural latex with a firmness of 6, Queen size with box spring & metal frame came to $1500…ordered it on a Wed., arrived on Sunday…$50 for delivery & assembling…the 2 moving guys were great - couldn’t maneuver box spring up my staircase with sharp turns so managed to get it over my loft, & they moved my old box spring into my sons room, &assembled his frame…after sleeping on my new mattress for a week I decided it’s a bit too firm so I ordered a latex topper 2" which should arrive tomorrow…
so far though I’m pleased with my purchase & thank you for this website - it’s hugely informative
You certainly made a good quality/value choice. As you’re aware, Quality Sleep Shop is a member here, which means that I think highly of them.
[quote]after sleeping on my new mattress for a week I decided it’s a bit too firm so I ordered a latex topper 2" which should arrive tomorrow…
so far though I’m pleased with my purchase & thank you for this website - it’s hugely informative [/quote]
That’s high praise, coming from a teacher! B) I hope the topper creates more comfort for you, and I’ll look forward to more feedback from you once you’ve had a chance to sleep upon your mattress a while longer.
