Looking for input on some finalists for a mattress

[phoenix]

Hi Seraph,

Furthermore, I visited just about every store that carried mattresses within a 30 mile radius and no one came close to being as knowledgeable as Jeff from mattress to go;

As you know I think highly of Jeff and he is certainly a great resource that will be able to give you good information and guidance. He is also one of the most knowledgeable people I know in the industry.

Now (finally) to what I would like help with; pending the ILD/density information of each of the foam layers in both of the mattresses, what do you think of the overall design/construction of the mattresses? Any obvious weaknesses (pending the density information)? Anything obvious that I’m missing?

When you are testing a mattress locally then the ILD of the individual layers isn’t important to know because with careful testing your body will tell you much more about whether a mattress “as a whole” is a suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP than knowing the ILD of the individual layers. ILD is also only one of several factors or “specs” that will determine how soft or firm a layer or a mattress will feel to different people and can often be more misleading than helpful (see post #4 here).

If a quilting layer (or any layer) is lower density or “unknown density” and is only “about an inch or so” or less then it doesn’t really have a meaningful effect on the durability of a mattress and just affects the “surface feel” of the mattress. If the layer is quilted to the cover then the quilting pre compresses the foam and makes it a little more durable so in practical terms I normally use about 1.5" as a maximum thickness guideline. The 2" in the Silver Falls is just on the other side of the line I normally look for so there would be some slight additional risk in terms of durability but since 1.5 lb polyfoam is only a little lower than the minimum density that I normally look for and is a higher density than is usually used in quilting layers and because all the other layers and components are good quality materials … it should be fine in terms of the durability and useful life of the mattress

The Vista Pointe is inner tufted which can significantly increase the durability and useful life of the materials and components in a mattress so with the inner tufting the top 2" of 1.5 lb polyfoam wouldn’t be an issue at all so there are no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress. IMO it would be a more durable choice than the Silver Falls.

My wife leans towards the first mattress due to adding the topper; shes afraid of the topper sliding and would rather have all the layers contained within the mattress (i.e. no topper). Also learned that all latex mattresses were a no-go for my wife and her PPP.

While not everyone likes the feel and performance of latex … latex is very heavy and “sticky” and it’s very unlikely that there would be any issue with the topper sliding or moving especially underneath a fitted sheet and mattress protector which would also help to secure it in place.

If a mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP then having a separate topper has the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is very likely because the upper layers of a sleeping system tend to soften or break down before the deeper layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time. A suitable topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it because it will absorb some of the compression forces that can soften or break down the top layers of the mattress underneath it over time.

Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations about each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials or mattresses, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix