I just placed and order for an Essentia Dormouse mattress and was having second thoughts about picking the softer option over the firmer Beausommet. While I was poking around on the internet for some more info I stumbled on this site and realize that I now will have to embarrass myself tomorrow morning and cancel the order completely. I quite like the feel of the Essentia Dormouse and the fact that it appears to be less toxic than many other mattresses but… I understand that (based on the reading I did here) the company is not quite trustworthy (in their marketing) and… way overpriced. That said… could anyone recommend a company (or companies) available to someone living in Vancouver Canada that offer comparable/better quality at a better price.
I also checked out a couple of manufacturers recommended here (SleepingOrganic, Savvy Rest, and an Italian website where I couldn’t understand the language). I noticed that the two that I could understand 
basically required you to build your own mattress from the options provided. Being a layperson I have no clue about how to make these choices. At best I can try something (just like anyone) and decide whether it works or it doesn’t work for me. So the question is…
does that mean that I have to become a do it yourself hobbyist in order to get a decent mattress?
Ps. When I asked the Essentia salesman about the differences in the higher end models he told me that they achieved varying levels of support in the hips vs the shoulders by adjusting the number of holes drilled out of the large support layers. I don’t think I saw any options to adjust different support “zones” in the custom manufacturers I mentioned.
Hi confused1,
While their mattresses do use high quality and durable materials … as you mentioned they make some very misleading claims and they are also in a much higher budget range compared to other mattresses that use similar quality materials.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Vancouver area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here. You also aren’t the only forum member that is looking for an alternative to Essentia in the Vancouver area (see this topic).
[quote]I noticed that the two that I could understand basically required you to build your own mattress from the options provided. Being a layperson I have no clue about how to make these choices. At best I can try something (just like anyone) and decide whether it works or it doesn’t work for me. So the question is…
does that mean that I have to become a do it yourself hobbyist in order to get a decent mattress?[/quote]
No not at all. There is more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (locally and online) that can help you assess and minimize the risks involved of making a choice that isn’t as suitable for you as you hoped for in post #2 here.
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.
Zoning systems can sometimes be very useful and worth considering for people who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, more complex medical issues, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here.
Like most mattresses that have a zoned design … Essentia mattresses don’t have customizable zoning and any zoning in their mattresses would be “fixed” and built in to the layers in their mattresses. Careful testing will tell you whether the zoning system in a mattress is suitable for you. There are a few manufacturers that do have customizable zoning options but these are less common.
From the other topic you posted in:
All mattresses and mattress materials will have some level of offgassing (VOC’s) so it’s really a question of knowing whether any harmful VOC’s are at “safe” levels. The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOC’s so that you have some assurance than the VOC’s are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough”.
Phoenix
Thanx so much for your response Phoenix.
You can probably tell from my posts I’m a little desperate. I hadn’t anticipated what I was getting into but I really should have known. I am very familiar with how marketing is used to manipulate iafter decades of experience as an ex musician (with good ears) “audiophile” searching for the best in audio reproduction. In the high end audio industry you “might” get adequate high fidelity in a piece of audio gear if you are careful AND are prepared to spend upwards of $100,000. The crime is that, if you look into the pro audio world you can find equipment that performs better (and significantly better) at 1/10th the cost ( and I mean that quite literally). Unfortunately, while the most advanced audio gear in the pro audio world is readily available to any that knows where to look it is virtually unheard of by 99.999% of the population. I suspect the mattress world is similar.
BTW, Essentia does of a custom line (called ProCor) for twice the price of their main line (>$6000). This is probably what I should be looking into from a smaller reputable outfit. Any suggestions?
Hi confused1,
I can certainly relate to this. Many years ago I used to spend many hours comparing high end audio systems in a listening room and having long discussions about the relative merits of different audiophile equipment. I still miss the Heil air motion transformers I used to own at the time.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … I don’t 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” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate 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).
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else in terms of firmness, “comfort”, or PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP (which is all about how well you will sleep on a mattress) the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is it’s durability and in terms of durability a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type, quality, and durability of the materials inside it (which is all about how long you will sleep well) regardless of the name of the manufacturer or the name of the mattress on the label. In other words I would make sure that you can find out the information listed here so you can confirm there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress before making any mattress purchase regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label. I would only deal with retailers or manufacturers that are both willing and able to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice.
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Similar to the audiophile equipment you were mentioning … I would be very cautious about purchasing any mattress that is in the budget range you are mentioning (see this article).
While the price of a mattress is certainly one of the more important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase … there are many other parts to the “value” of a mattress purchase as well and unfortunately there isn’t a “formula” that can be used to assess or “calculate” value because there are so many different variables and criteria involved that may be more or less important to different people. In other words … the “value” of a mattress purchase is always relative to how it compares to the other finalists you are considering or to the other mattresses that are available to you in your area or online (if you are also looking at online options) in terms of PPP, the quality and durability of the materials, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. There are many reasons that a mattress that may be “good value” for one person may not be worth considering for someone else.
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 that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in (either locally or online) and that can provide you with all the information you need to know to make an informed choice and make meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
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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.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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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.
Phoenix
Absolutely, My experience is that, if you want quality you have to be prepared to pay for it but… that doesn’t mean that spending a lot guarantees quality. The only reason I mentioned that I can build a (stereo) sound system for less than $10,000 that easily outperforms virtually anything you will find in a high end audio store (up to the $150,000 price point), is because of the absurdity of the price discrepancy. If I needed to spend $20,000 I would but… I don’t.
Hi confused1,
I would agree that with mattresses as well the price discrepancies are often somewhat absurd and in many cases they are based on “marketing information” or “perceived value” that isn’t particularly meaningful in real life and has little to do with how well someone will sleep on the mattress or on how long they will sleep well.
Phoenix