Low budget options in Eastern Canada

Hello,

I’ve been reading the forum for the past few days and I would appreciate any advice. My options are quite limited by my being in Canada (New Brunswick), not near a memory foam dealer, and with only a tiny budget (400$).

I’ve recently gone through a dust mite infestation (or allergic reaction) and had to throw out my futon. the most important factors for me are price and hypoallergenic properties, followed by durability. I figure I’ll get the cheapest/quality option and add a plush topper later if I need to (I’m 105 lbs and not sure of what will be more comfortable, anyway). These are the options that I’ve compiled so far, based on price alone. I know I can’t get a great mattress, but I’d like to get the best mattress that I can afford.

I began by looking at Lucid mattresses from Amazon.ca, and this one seemed to have good mite protection (379$)

https://www.amazon.ca/LinenSpa-Ventilated-Triple-Layer-Viscoelastic-Silver-Infused/dp/B007HD9YF0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1391109537&sr=8-5&keywords=lucid+12

But, from reading the excellent posts on this forum I discovered that it would not be a good idea to put a giant foam mattress on a bed board, especially in a damp apartment while battling dust mites.

For breathability I’m going to spring* for a slatted bed frame, and get a thinner mattress.

there’s this 8" from Lucid for 239$ (undisclosed lb and IFD).

https://www.amazon.ca/LUCID®-LinenSpa-Mattress-25-Year-Warranty/dp/B0050JL3QQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391109909&sr=8-1&keywords=lucid+8

but some good reviews seem fake, and they don’t seem to last very long (sink in). Will this be the case with all of my options?

The Wallmart in my area has an 8" Spa Sensations for 268$ 2" memory foam (3lb), 2" super soft 1.8 and 4" high density 1.8. I’ve read that the super soft layer is not good for longevity and not really necessary. But, still very cheap.

There’s this one from Ikea for 349$ (if I go this route I’ll also order a bed frame from them to get the most out of the 120$ shipping fee). It’s 7.5 thick, 2 3/4 memory foam (3.1 lb) and the rest polyurethane (2.2 lb).

Then there’s FBM. After all of this searching it seems amazing that I can buy a 4 or a 5lb mattress at the 3lb price point, and with free shipping within Canada and no duty. the plush one with breathable ticking is 328$ .
The 4lb top is 14 IFD, and the HD base is 35 IFD. I have no idea how the IFD compares to wallmart, ikea or lucid. Would it be wise to get the 5lb to make sure that I am getting a good lb?

Finally I came upon Comfort Foam and Fibre through Phoenix’s suggestion. If I would consider going with their non-memory foam polyfibre option, but I don’t have a car. Interesting, though, that they argue that memory foam isn’t even better than just good quality foam. They offered me a 2lb 4" base (IFD 40) for 256$ and a 2lb 2" (IFD 25) top for 171$, but there might also be a slightly cheaper option.

http://www.comfortfoam.ca/products.asp?Category=Mattresses

Questions that come to mind:
Is Ikea a dependable solution to my problem and I have spent an enlightening week on this when I could have just said “I need something cheap and adequate, therefore, I will order from Ikea”. Is FBM genuinely better because of the good specs or is this as iffy as the latex? Would it be better to just pay as little as possible because none of these are good anyway? Would the Comfort Foam be as good or better than memory foam? Does anywhere else offer free shipping within Canada with no duty at this low price point?

Any input will be very greatly appreciated :slight_smile:

Hi Linden,

There really isn’t any definition for “hypoallergenic” that has any specific meaning but the best protection against dust mites would be a mattress encasement (and a pillow encasement which may be even more important) regardless of the type of mattress you have. There’s more about dust mites and allergies in post #2 here.

In your budget range there really won’t be any “good quality” options … especially if it includes a foundation as well … so you will really be looking for the “best quality available” but I would keep your expectations about durability realistically low in your budget range for any memory foam mattress you are considering. I would also make sure that you know the specific return policies and know the costs involved for returning the mattress with any online purchase because no matter what the price of a mattress or the quality of the materials … if it’s not suitable for you to sleep on in terms of PPP then it would have little value to you and the costs involved in returning it may be significant in some cases.

You can see my thoughts about mattress reviews and why I believe they are not a good way to choose a mattress in post #13 here. When you are making an online purchase then the knowledge, experience, and integrity of the retailer or manufacturer you are buying from and their ability to help you make a choice that has reasonable odds of being suitable for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences based on the “averages” of their customers along with the return or exchange policy in case you are outside the “averages” can be just as important a part of your personal value equation as the price.

The ability and reputation of the retailer in providing accurate information about their mattresses would also be a key part of your choice because some suppliers (such as FBM) have a history of not providing accurate or complete information and sometimes you may get what you believe you are ordering and sometimes you may not. For me this would be a roll of the dice and would depend on how much of a gambling spirit you have and on how comfortable you are in dealing with a company that has a history of inaccurate descriptions of their products.

This depends on the quality of the foam in the mattress but in your budget range I would have lowered expectations for any memory foam mattress … particularly if it contains memory foam that is lower than 4 lb density. While there is nothing wrong with buying low quality materials if you are OK with reduced durability and your budget doesn’t allow for better quality … it’s important to make sure that your expectations are realistic so that if in a year or two the mattress has lost it’s comfort or support that you still believe the purchase was “worth it” and that if it lasts longer than this you would consider it as a “bonus”.

I would also read post #6 here before ordering a memory foam mattress with foams that come from China (such as the Lucid).

They are correct about this and all the materials they are quoting are higher quality and more durable materials than 3 lb memory foam. Good quality polyfoam is also a more resilient material than memory foam which means that it’s more responsive and easier to move and change positions on the mattress for those that don’t like the more “in the mattress” feeling of memory foam or its tendency to sleep warmer for some people. I would personally choose high quality polyfoam over low quality memory foam but of course other people may have different “tradeoffs” or preferences than me or anyone else.

I would certainly consider the benefits of higher quality “non memory foam” materials if I was in your budget range.

Phoenix

Linden,
I’m in your area too. Are you limited to mattresses that can be delivered directly to your house? Or are you able to drive to nearby cities (or even the US border)?
I am also severely allergic to dust mites, so I feel your pain.

Thanks very much for the feedback Phoenix. This forum is a wonderful resource.

I think I might be able to buy a used latex mattress from a friend, so that problem is sort of solved. Now I need to research mattress and pillow protectors, as you suggest.

yeah, Nat, I don’t really have the ability to drive anywhere, and was only researching options for delivery.