Looking for direction

New guy here!Just joined this site and excited that I feel like I have learned something. But like everyone else I have researched myself to death. I live in central Arkansas and been looking for a king mattress with adjustable base. I’ve got a 20+ year old Sealy right now. Needless to say things have changed. Mine is a spring mattress with 65% polyurethane 30% resonated textile clippings 5% polyethylene. I am 6’ 260 lb and stomach and side sleeper. Can someone recommend someone local or one of the experts on here as to what I am looking for? Thanks KAA

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Hi KAA, Welcome to the MattressUnderGround. You are officially a MUGster!

Since you’ve had your current mattress for over 20 years, you’ll likely notice significant advancements in materials and technology that can enhance your sleep experience. There are still manufacturers out their that make mattresses the old fashioned way.

While trying out different mattress builds and materials in person is valuable, don’t hesitate to make a decision based on specifications and expert guidance, such as from a Trusted Member Expert here at TMU. Modern mattresses offer advanced features that may not have been available when you bought your last mattress. By leveraging detailed specifications and expert insights, you can confidently choose a mattress that meets your specific needs. Plus, many retailers offer comfort guarantees or trials, allowing you to assess the mattress in your own home environment. This approach minimizes risk and ensures you find a mattress that provides the comfort and support you require for better sleep.

When choosing a new mattress, consider visiting local mattress stores to try out different models and see how they feel. Focus on finding a mattress that provides adequate support for your weight (260 lbs) and comfort for both stomach and side sleeping positions. Pay attention to factors like firmness level, materials used, and any specific features (such as motion isolation) that are important to you. This hands-on approach will help you find a mattress that closely matches what you enjoyed about your old Sealy mattress while benefiting from modern advancements in sleep technology. Accessories such as an adjustable base, can become a valuable addition to your sleep environment.

An adjustable base can provide significant health benefits by allowing you to adjust your sleeping position to relieve pressure on specific areas like the back, neck, and joints. It can promote better circulation, alleviate snoring and sleep apnea symptoms, and improve digestion by elevating the upper body. These adjustments can also aid in reducing acid reflux symptoms and overall discomfort, contributing to a more restful and rejuvenating sleep experience.

If you have gone through any of the tutorials here at TMU, you know that transparency is a key element in searching for a mattress. While knowing all the specifications does not guarantee comfort, it does provide insight as to what you might expect from a mattress in the way of durability, longevity, temperature regulation, various material, fiber, and foam certifications. Additionally, it can provide you with warranties, trials, customer support and reputation.

When evaluating mattress options, it’s crucial to pay attention to the materials used, particularly in foams and fibers, to ensure both durability and comfort. For foams, look for high-density (HD) variants with a minimum of 1.8 lbs per cubic foot, and consider opting for densities above 2.5 lbs for better longevity, especially given your Body Mass Index (BMI). Viscoelastic memory foam should ideally have densities of 4 or 5 lbs per cubic foot to provide lasting support and pressure relief. I would use caution in the VE memory foam category particularly as a stomach sleeper. Perhaps a layer to offer some pressure relief and contouring when side sleeping, but there are better options out there.

In terms of materials, natural fibers like wool, cotton, and horsehair can significantly enhance comfort by regulating temperature and moisture. These fibers create a cooler sleeping environment, making them ideal for individuals who are prone to feeling overheated during sleep.

Modern hybrid mattresses are another excellent choice, integrating high-quality support systems with edge-to-edge spring designs. This combination ensures consistent support throughout the mattress, catering well to your specific body profile and sleep preferences.

By focusing on these aspects—foam density, natural fiber content, and hybrid construction—you can select a mattress that not only meets your comfort preferences but also promises durability and long-term satisfaction with your investment in better sleep quality.

Trusted Members such as @EngineeredSleep and @DLX offer great options with three primary foam options; HD Polyfoam, Latex and Memory Foam.

Others offer Latex and latex Hybrid options such as @Arizona_Premium and @Sleep_EZ

A few offer all latex options like @FloBeds, @CozyPure and @CST.

Traditional mattresses are still a viable option like those manufactured by @BeloitMattress and @Magic_Sleeper.

Many mattress manufacturers, particularly those TMs here at TMU are committed to working closely with customers to tailor solutions that meet their specific comfort preferences. Based on reviews, comments, and reputation, these manufacturers are successful in satisfying their customers over 90% of the time. This high success rate reflects their dedication to understanding individual needs and delivering mattresses that align closely with customer expectations.

While specific mattress recommendations are not provided here due to the vast array of options available and the need for more detailed information about your preferences, this approach ensures you are guided towards choices that best suit your unique requirements. It’s essential to gather more insights, possibly through consultations with experts or further research, to narrow down options that align perfectly with your comfort needs and sleeping habits.

Best of luck in your search for the perfect mattress!

Maverick.

WOW thanks for all the advice Maverick! Yes I have gone into stores and laid on them. Really didn’t know what to ask and they pretty much took me to different ones and told me to lay on this one and see how it feels. I guess I need to read some more on here and learn more about the makeup of a mattress. Growing up I slept on a foam mattress but it was hot and hard to roll over on it. So I have just stayed away from them. Also it seems to hurt my back. Anyway thanks again for the info and I will be on here more. KAA

Hi @KAA - welcome back to the world of mattress shopping! It is a little bit crazy out here, but there are plenty of good people in here to help you find your way.

If you have any questions about our products you can email me at [email protected] or call me at 864-630-5206. Happy to help anyway I can!

Good luck!

I am not sure how old you are, but if the mattress was all foam, and you had trouble moving around in it, and it was hot, it sounds like a Tempurpedic (introduced in circa 1991/2 in the USA in bedding form) or some newer designed viscoelastic foam mattress. You described the exact characteristics of a viscoelastic (heat sensitive) memory foam.

I see that @EngineeredSleep chimed into the conversation, and they would be an excellent choice to have build you a mattress. They employ either HD Polyfoam, Memory and Latex foams and can custom design you a mattress that fits all your comfort needs. It may be worth a conversation with them or one of the others mentioned in my first post.

Partnering with mattress professionals like those mentioned, their success rate, even from afar, often exceeds 90%. By collaborating with them, comfort becomes your ally. They typically adhere to the principles taught in the Mattress Underground tutorials, a proven path to success.

Best of luck,

Maverick

Sorry I’m 70. I was in my 20’s when I slept on foam. Now I need something for my back and wanting a adjustable base to help with my CPAP. I appreciate the help here. I feel like I am heading the right direction on here. KAA

Hmmm, in the 1970s, mattresses commonly used polyurethane foam, which was known for its tendency to retain heat and sleep hot for that time and was the precursor to viscoelastic memory foam, which sleeps even hotter, still.

This type of foam, while providing comfort and support, often lacked the advanced ventilation and cooling technologies that modern mattress offer or memory foams and latex foams incorporate to mitigate heat retention.

It would seem like that is what you were sleeping on, a polyurethane foam, when in the 1970s could indeed be warmer and less breathable compared to innerspring with an insulator pad and wool, cotton or a combination of the two, or even horsehair like mine as a kid.

I recently got my 86 year old MiL a yawnder4 adjustable bed (made my ergomotion). The owner is a friend of mine, but not a Trusted Member of TMU, but you can check it out as it has many useful features at very reasonable price point.

She needed something due to a hip and knee replacement and spinal cancer, so I bought her a DLX premier hybrid and the Yawnder4. She is as comfortable as one can be now, after the disastrous BeautyRest that in less than a year and a half developed a NY sized pothole under her hip. Should have taken it back as a warranty, but I wanted that thing out of her house (naturally she did not consult me when she bought it). Living on the names of the past!

You will have a lot of options on mattresses to choose from here, so dont worry about that. Also, remember if you are sinking into the mattress, unless horsehair, wool or cotton or some combination thereof, you will be warmer, when dense non porous foams surround your body, there is not where for the heat to go except to get absorbed by the foam and retained their against your body.

Even a 3" wool topper like mine will keep you cooler even sitting atop of a foam hybrid, rather then lying on the foam directly.

You could go for a horsehair topper, but good ones are tougher to find and naturally, they are expensive.

I think the adjustable base will make a meaningful improvement on any mattress. If you need help selecting one, dont hesitate to ask.

Maverick

Thanks for the help. I will be researching on here alot.

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