I've overanalyzed everything and am royally confused (in Boston)

[phoenix]

Hi Ivy76,

Your comments are great and very insightful

It’s not that you are being too analytical. You are simply looking for a spring bed without too much very low quality foam. The reason you are not finding it is not because of you, it is because they are few and far btwn and that’s the reason there aren’t many suggestions for such mattresses nor have there been many people who have posted “I found one!” but they are out there. you are fortunate to have indie mattress companies in your area. As for your experience with your long lasting mattress, yes, there are quite a few I’ve read online who have said the same, and of course, those were all bought 15 years ago I’d be willing to be its case of 'they just don’t make them like they used to’, which is insane to me because why doesn’t someone just make one? Man, I’m baffled. Unfortunately the stories of people having the opposite experience to yours are much more prevalent and those are from people who have bought mattresses in the last half decade, so that’s what’s out there.

IMO you are absolutely right in everything you said here (and in the rest of your post). The major brands aren’t building the same quality mattresses today that they did 15 years ago (see post #3 here), most of the smaller independent manufacturers are building better quality and value than the major brands (see this article and post #12 here), and one of the most important parts of a mattress purchase is to make sure that you know what is in the mattress and to identify any weak links (usually lower density polyfoam or memory foam) in the upper layers of a mattress regardless of the materials or components they use (see the guidelines here). These are the types of mattresses that are still being made by smaller manufacturers. They are widely available around the country but they are much less common in the places that most people usually shop (mainstream stores that carry major brands or most chain stores) and are more difficult to find because they don’t spend the same amount on advertising.

@ivy76,

Is it differential? what’s the ILD of the latex? Where are the natural fibers in this mattress and what are they? There’s no memory foam in this mattress? What are these “pads” they mention. There’s no pillow top. I’m just thoroughly confused. I’m going to go see them, but I guarantee when I get there tomorrow, they’re going to throw out terms I’ve never heard of. I’ll leave there even more confused.

Whether it’s “differential” or not and the ILD of the materials makes absolutely no difference because your body and careful and objective testing will tell you whether the mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).

The two most important parts of a mattress purchase is PPP and to make sure there are no obvious weak links in the mattress so that foam softening and/or the loss of comfort and support that goes with lower quality materials doesn’t lead to the need to replace the mattress after only a few years or less (the loss of comfort and support isn’t covered by any warranty).

They have the knowledge, experience, and integrity to explain all the layers to you (they are “experts” at making mattresses and mattress materials) but just for reference here are what the layers mean (from top to botton).

- 5/8 quilted damask cover: This is a good cover quilted with a softer material to improve the feel (less than the 1" guideline in the quilting I normally suggest).
- 2 or 3 inches of talalay latex (ok, at least I’ve heard of that before): As you know this is a high quality and very durable material.
- 9oz cotton ticking: This is the fabric under the pillowtop … also a high quality material
- 3/4 inch 1835 polyurethane topper: This is high quality polyfoam (1.8 lbs) that is used for additional cushion under the pillowtop
- 2oz of densified polyester: This is a durable cushioning material (see here) that is mold and mildew resistant to help prevent moisture issues from happening inside your mattress.
- 2 - 1 1/2" layers of pure white cotton felt: This is also a high quality material that is breathable and durable.
- Crown insulation pad - .5 inch: This is part of the insulator layers which is used in the center part of the mattress to add some height (the crown), strength, and durability to the center parts of the mattress that bear the most weight.
- Chaisson air loomed insulation pad - 1/2 inch: This is the insulator pad right over the springs to even out the compression of the springs and prevent the layers above them from sinking into the innerspring over time and is also good quality.
- Offset coil: This is a high quality and strong innerspring unit.

As you can see they use high quality materials in every layer and there are no obvious weak links in the mattress. The upper layers in particular (which are the most important in terms of durability) use high quality materials (mostly Talalay latex) that are not subject to premature softening and breakdown like lower quality materials.

This is the type of high quality construction and durable materials that I wish that every manufacturer made … but you usually won’t find in mainstream mattresses

I’ve pretty much been told those are non existent now–not how they’re made anymore.I think I’m also not going to be comfortable at all buying a mattress online.

Gardner still makes “real” box springs with springs.

This is the kind of mattress set that would have been good quality 15 years ago and still is today and if the mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP would make a very good quality choice.

Phoenix