Hi LisaL0115.
A DIY can be a great way to go and can certainly represent tremendous value and also has the ability to closely “duplicate” the feel of many if not most of the commercial mattresses that are sold in the “bricks and mortar” stores provided that there is appropriate knowledge behind the build, some field-testing and … more reliably … the guidance of an experienced manufacturer/retailer.
I understand your frustration… while the level of knowledge of the staff in many outlets may vary, I’d say that generally sales reps of large chain stores or larger national brands have a level of knowledge that it is usually restricted to what they have been told or taught about how to sell the specific mattresses they carry and have been given some very general guidelines about matching sleeping positions with levels of comfort. This type of advice can do more harm than good and is the opposite of what I mean by advice coming from an experienced and knowledgeable retailer/manufacturer that has consumer’s interests at heart. This is why it is so important that consumers learn to discriminate between marketing people and the real mattress people who are manufacturers and retailers that give consumers facts, better information, better service, advice, and finally better value. Knowing who they are and where to find them is just as important as knowing what should be inside your perfect mattress.
I wouldn’t use or trust any kind of firmness rating or “theory” as anything more than a general guideline that is subject to change based on your own unique preferences and circumstances. There is no such thing as firmness scale and the best a scale can do is to rate mattresses made by the same manufacturer against each other and create an internal firmness rating scale (which most retailers/manufacturers do) to help the shopper compare models to each other in terms of firmness. This is to say that there no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. As you’ve experienced different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here ) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science. In other words … the only reliable way to know whether a mattress will be “firm enough” or “soft enough” for you will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience.
All in all, you seem to be heading in a good direction. You’ve determined the type of mattress and feel you prefer according to your particular needs which is a good starting point. Many people go the DIY route I’ve seen you contacted one of the manufacturers who has a great deal of experience in helping DIY customers. Generally, there are two ways to make effective initial choices for the design and feel of a mattress that is the best match for you. One is with your own careful and objective testing and the other would be through more detailed conversations on the phone with a knowledgeable manufacturer/retailer where you can provide them with more information that can help them use “averages” and your own past experiences as a way to help you make the best choice.
Phoenix
Thanks for mentioning the new DIY offerings, especially for the Canadian market that has fewer options available, we’ll make sure to update MFC’s business profile on TMU to reflect this.