Hi Phoenix,
This is a fantastic site. I have spent the last 3 hours reading and learning about Matresses; new concepts and definitions I would have never thought about. Thank you for having such a great site dedicated to helping people make informed decision that will impact their lives greatly.
Iâm in the hunt for a new King mattress (getting married). The fiancee and I shopped around various stores but didnât really find one that we loved. Everything they had was âname brandsâ. We tried the Sealy Comfort Coral Bay and various Tempur-Pedic models, but have not come to a conclusion. From my readings, it looks like we should choose a Mattress with firmer support as I am 6â4", 265 lbs and she is 5â8" with 155 lbs. We are strong peeps. I also like the idea of gel/memory foam, especially the one that keeps us cool. She calls me the human furnace.
Can you please suggest some ideas/recommendations as to where to start? I am a side sleeper with occasional back sleeping. She is a back sleeper with an occasional stomach turn.
I also read about Select Foam as we are located in Miami, FL. Their product sounds great and I was thinking of visiting their showroom this weekend. Any other suggestions would be great.
Note: the bed frame we are looking to purchase should not have a mattress larger than 10" tall. Would this be a problem? I believe 12" is the maximum supported per the vendorâs docs.
Thank you very much for your help.
arturo
Hi arturob,
The first place I would start (if you havenât read it already) is post #1 here which includes the basic information and guidelines you will need to âarm yourselfâ for mattress shopping.
Because of your greater weight ⌠you will need to pay particular attention to making sure that you have good support/alignment on a mattress as well as high quality materials so that you will have a reasonable expectation of good durability. I would tend to avoid 4 lb memory foams (except in very thin layers) or layers that are too soft and thick which would have a greater risk of breaking down more quickly for you.
Your body types are also quite different and post #2 here has some thoughts about how to accommodate this. I would also keep in mind when you read this though that âtheoryâ can be helpful but there are so many variables of body type, sleeping position, and personal preferences that your own personal testing will always be more accurate than any âtheory at a distanceâ.
Select foam would be a great place to start if you are looking for a memory foam mattress because they have their own models set up along with the Tempurpedic lineup so you can compare them in side to side testing. They are also completely transparent about their materials which means that you can make meaningful quality and value comparisons.
Besides Select Foam / Brickell mattress ⌠some of the better options and possibilities in the Miami area are listed in post #2 here.
Of course youâre always welcome to ask any questions or share any feedback you may have along the way.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix!
Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.
I did read the posts and still have more questions. Based on your feedback, I should totally avoid a mattress with these properties:
Comfort - Padding Layers
1" 2.5 lb. Gel Memory Foam
2" 4 lb. Memory Foam
I should look at a âdenserâ comfort layer to provide more support to my body type, correct? Where I would sink in more than her, and still have great pressure relief.
Should I consider innercoils or stick to foam?
Thanks!
Arturo
Hi arturob,
Yes ⌠at your weight and if the mattress was for you alone I would tend to avoid any memory foam that was less than 5 lbs in any thickness more than an inch or so. In this case ⌠you have 3" of sub 5 lb memory foam which with the layers below it could present both a durability issue for you with foam softening and a possible alignment issue either at first (although you could test for this) or when the lower density / durability materials softened more quickly.
Because the mattress is for you and your fiance though ⌠you may need a little bit of lower density memory foam (I would use 4 lb as a minimum) for her comfort/pressure relief and I would keep this to the minimum necessary (probably 2" or less). This would be a tradeoff between durability (for you) and her need for comfort. In other words ⌠the softer foam that she may need for comfort on her side would be less durable for you on your side.
This would be a matter of personal preference and would depend on the density and type of foam and the type of innerspring you are comparing to it as well (I am assuming here as well that you are talking about the support layers under the comfort layers because there are microcoils which are also used in comfort layers and polyfoam which is used in comfort layers as well). Innersprings and polyfoam in support layers (which is the type of âfoamâ I assume you are talking about because there are three types of foam) have a different response curve and would feel and perform differently. Which one is âbestâ would depend on the quality of each you are comparing and on how well a specific mattress that used them provided you with the PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) you needed.
The âtypesâ of materials or components you choose in your mattress is always about personal preference and there is no best or worst in general terms. Each type of material has higher and lower quality versions though and the quality of a material or component determines how long the material or component will stay close to its original specs (especially under the stress of higher weights) and is part of what determines how long a mattress that uses them is likely to last relative to other mattresses.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix!
We visited Select Foam and absolutely loved the store.
Juan was most helpful and an excellent subject matter expert. He explained what was best for our bodies just like you did. Very clear and transparent in the materials not only with their own mattresses, but with carpe diem and vi-spring. The vi-spring firm was insane but totally out of budget.
We ended up with the Cirrus Luxe.
2.5" 4lb soy SELECT-ES⢠gel memory foam for pillowly-soft comfort.
2" 8lb soy SELECT-HD⢠gel foam support layer for deep down pressure relief
I tried this and the RegalisHD, but the Cirrus felt incredible. We layed down for over 30 minutes nearly falling asleep.
I canât wait to have it delivered! We also got it custom ordered to 12" instead of 13" due to our platform bed.
Thank you!!!
Arturo
Hi Arturo,
I agree with you about Juan and he has always impressed me with his knowledge and service and willingness to go out of his way for the customer.
It sounds to me like you made a great choice ⌠and congratulations on your new mattress 
Phoenix