Hi debating,
[quote]so are you saying Essentia may not have a harmful amount of formaldahyde more than in nature or even some latex cores etc and that sleep countrys certipure memory foam topped beds are not necessarily better?
hmm because i deal with some unexplained fatigue and am sensitiv e to fermaldehyde from testing i would prefer a bed with a tiny amount or no fermaldehyde but still within reach so between pure latex at innovative sleep or majestic, regular hybrids at sleep country or essentia is my best bet latex (and definitely not memory foam etc)? [/quote]
Certifications can only identify whether the mattress is under the testing limits for that specific certification (which are listed in the post I linked in my last reply) and don’t “rank” them relative to each other or specify which are “best or worst”.
While it may be more information than you are looking for … there is a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” that can help each person decide on the types of materials they are most comfortable having in their mattress or on the certifications that may be important to them. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I would also avoid Sleep Country regardless of their certifications because they tend to focus on major brands that use lower quality materials that would be a weak link in their mattresses.
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 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. This means that 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.
There is more information about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
Latex and memory foam are both very “point elastic” (contour well to the shape of the body) but they are also very different materials. There is more about some of the pros and cons of latex vs memory foam in post #2 here but the best way to know whether you tend to prefer one or the other (or different materials completely) will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience.
Phoenix