We are ending our relationship with a two year old Simmons that has created a pair of valleys with a hump in the middle. I want to buy a solid innerspring and put a high quality memory foam topper on it.
The memory foam toppers are available via the preferred vendors here, but finding the innerspring is more of a challenge since I want to avoid the big name brands (as noted by the excellent material from Phoenix).
So any thoughts on the Original Mattress Factory? They have a factory here in the Twin Cities (my zip is 55379). They use a 12.75" Knotted Offset Coil with 6 Turns and a 6 Gauge Border Rod in the model I am looking at.
I haven’t found a local manufacturer that does pocket coils yet.
*** Edit - I just found the Minneapolis/St. Paul post ***
Original mattress factory uses good quality materials (and innersprings), are two sided, are transparent about the materials they use, and have good value … but they don’t have any pocket coils. Some of the others in the Minneapolis list do however but which one was best for you would would depend on what type of foam you prefer to use over the pocket coils.
I would personally lean away from buying a separate mattress/topper combination except out of necessity (where you have no other better options) or unless you can test the exact combination you plan to buy in the store. The reason for this is otherwise you will need to go through two separate decision making processes … one to decide on the mattress and a second to decide on which memory foam topper would be most suitable for you on that specific mattress (the topper that is best for you would depend on the specifics of the mattress) and having to make two separate purchases involves much more uncertainty than buying the best possible combination in a single step.
If you do decide to go with the topper / mattress combination I would first buy the mattress and then use your experience on the mattress as a guideline (see post #8 here) to decide on the best topper choice (rather than having a specific topper in mind before you have slept on the mattress). The best option in this case is a mattress with thinner and firmer comfort layers (using high quality materials) than you would normally be comfortable with so that with the addition of the topper you have the best possible combination. If you choose a mattress with comfort layers that are already “comfortable” for you then the addition of a softer topper could end up having comfort layers that were too thick and soft and would increase the risk of alignment issues on the mattress.
I would suggest checking out the XL (Extended Life) innerspring products from King Koil make right in Minneapolis. Many retailers in Minnesota carry these mattresses. X"'s are available in a number of comforts and are built to last with HR foams and 12 3/4 ga innersprings. Thequeen foundations are so heavy, they are made in two pieces.
Thanks for the responses. Phoenix appreciate the insights on the topper. Here’s our logic.
I’m very tall (6’ 11") and around 280 lbs. My size is tough of beds and really tough on the soft layers in beds. They seem to collapse too soon and I’m left with compacted foams and the such. Add to that my wife loves memory foam and we decided on the solid bed with memory foam.
We owned a tempurpedic and it broke down after two years – too soft and mushy all the time. We then switched back to innersprings but made the mistake of buying Simmons and Serta.
So the option of buying high quality memory foam toppers is attractive to us. We added a lower cost one to a second bed in the house and love it.
We ended up with the Original Mattress Factory Orthopedic Extra Firm. 12 3/4 coils and the thing is well built. It was great to see their construction in the showroom compared to other brands (they show the inside of various brands). The Simmons was really pathetic.
Wouldn’t have considered that option without all the research that Phoenix has done. Very grateful this board is available.
Now comes the hard part. Sleeping on the new bed and getting used to the change. But I am looking forward to it.
Given your height and weight your logic is certainly sound IMO even with the added uncertainty of choosing a topper after you’ve purchased your mattress. As you know this also gives you the option of just replacing the topper instead of the entire mattress.
Your “base” mattress is also a very good and strong choice as a base for a topper and would be much more durable and stronger than larger brands that use lower quality components.
If you haven’t purchased your topper yet it may be worth considering two 2" memory foam toppers with 4 lb memory foam on top of 5 lb memory foam. This would be a similar memory foam layering to mattresses such as the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme and depending on your wife’s weight and her preferences this would give her a softer sleeping surface (most 4 lb memory foam is softer than 5 lb memory foam) and you would sink in more deeply into the 5 lb memory foam underneath it which would be more supportive for your higher weight. This could be put inside a single 4" zip cover and you could flip and rotate both toppers separately (instead of just rotating them as one unit) to extend their life. If the 4 lb topper softens faster than the other topper you could just replace it alone.
Of course I would first try your current topper on your mattress in case it is suitable for your needs and preferences in combination with your new mattress.
I think that give your circumstances you made a great choice for “step 1” of your sleeping system … and congratulations on your new mattress
While I haven’t received my recent mattress purchase I would highly suggest checking our rest assured in Rochester, MN. The service was great and he only sells a product that he can stand behind…hence why he limits the amount of memory foam he is willing to put into his mattresses.
Have you tried the Essentials from Naturepedic. It’s a solid seller for us. The pocketed coils support you so well. There is a softer/plush version and a slightly firmer “cushion-firm” version. I hope this helps.
