I will try to keep this short as possible to not waste people’s time reading this. I am poor college student looking for the cheapest possible mattress while maintaining some level of quality and comfort. I don’t care if it won’t last me 10+ years.
My budget is around $300 and I really don’t have more than that to spend, but I know this is a very low budget, which is why I’m okay with not having the best quality, long lasting and comfortable mattress.
I’ve done a lot of research already, and I was initially going to get the Signature Sleep contour 8 inch Queen size from the raving reviews and low price, but decided to do more research. I’m wondering if it’s any good or not, but I’m thinking it’s not.
I live in Central Florida so I am trying to avoid any kind of foam mattress as my house is kept warm and I HATE being hot when I sleep. As it stands now, I’m looking at the original mattress factory Original queen bed and also wondering if that’s any good. I know Fox Mattresses is highly recommended, and I’m waiting for them to get back to me, but I think they will be out of my price range.
Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated, I will continue to keep doing more research.
IKEA is having a mattress sale through the end of this month and I think their mattresses are pretty good for the price. I’ve had their innerspring twins in my guest room for years and my guests always comment on how comfortable they are. They have foam and innerspring and all combinations of the above. The other plus with IKEA is that many of their mattresses are packaged compressed and are easy to get home. Good luck!
[quote]I live in Central Florida so I am trying to avoid any kind of foam mattress as my house is kept warm and I HATE being hot when I sleep. As it stands now, I’m looking at the original mattress factory Original queen bed and also wondering if that’s any good. I know Fox Mattresses is highly recommended, and I’m waiting for them to get back to me, but I think they will be out of my price range.
Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated, I will continue to keep doing more research.[/quote]
Some of the better online options I’m aware of that are in lower budget ranges are listed in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range. I would keep in mind that some types of foam (such as memory foam) will tend to sleep warmer than others (such as polyfoam or especially latex although latex would probably be outside of your budget range).
There is also more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other 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 to fine tune the mattress or the exchange/return options that are available to you).
I’m not sure where you are in Central Florida but the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Orlando area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines I linked) are listed in post #2 here. If none of these are close to you then if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area (although as you mentioned I certainly think very highly of Fox Mattress and they would be well worth a phone call and/or visit if you are in reasonable driving distance and they have a mattress in your budget range that you would be interested in testing).
Thank you very much for that response. I read everything that you linked, I really appreciate it.
My zip code is 34736. It’s about an hour drive to Fox Mattresses, and I got a reply back from them stating that their Full Mattresses start at 229 and Queen at 299. I would make the drive if I knew I was going to be purchasing a mattress, but it’s hard to make the drive not knowing I’m going to be buying it.
If you really think that is my best option, I may just go for that, I trust your opinion from reading through this forum.
Besides that, I’ve narrowed my options down to these:
I decided I’m going to try the foam out and if it is too hot for me, then I will return it. Also, I’m not sure what’s better, the pillowtop or eurotop, it seems like the pillowtop just has more padding, which is strange since they both say they are medium firmness.
If I can MAYBE squeeze some money out from somewhere, I may look into these:
Queen Ultimate Dreams 12-In-1
Full Ultimate Dreams Latex (Whatever the cheapest one was)
Before I order anything I’m going to visit a Mattress firm or something and just test what foam feels like, as I’ve never even tried it, but the Latex sounds appealing (of course it’s the most expensive)
[quote]My zip code is 34736. It’s about an hour drive to Fox Mattresses, and I got a reply back from them stating that their Full Mattresses start at 229 and Queen at 299. I would make the drive if I knew I was going to be purchasing a mattress, but it’s hard to make the drive not knowing I’m going to be buying it.
If you really think that is my best option, I may just go for that, I trust your opinion from reading through this forum.[/quote]
Thje Orlando list I linked includes the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
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 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 whether anyone else has the same criteria or would make the same choice.
You are the only one that can decide on your “best” option because each person can have very different needs and preferences and different criteria in a mattress and may be in a different budget range that they are comfortable with as well so which mattress is “best for you” (regardless of whether it would be best for anyone else) all depends on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. I would certainly talk with Fox Mattress on the phone and then if they have some mattresses that are in your budget range that you are interested in testing then you can decide whether it would be worthwhile making the drive to test them in person.
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 to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.