I am loving this forum and have been reading and learning a lot about mattresses and foundations. Thank you so much!
My husband and I fell in love with the mattress at a rental vacation home. We had 7 nights on it, and we both loved it. I took pictures of the mattress and tags and found out it was made locally at Eastside Mattress Factory. (We are in Seattle). It is 40# high density foam. 6" mattress with a 1" quilted cover. From what I can tell the foundation was slatted, and I think it was an active slatted system, perhaps Laxeby from IKEA, although I am not sure. I was smart enough to take pics of tags but not smart enough to note the foundation. So I really don’t know which.
My questions are:
Should I be concerned about this high density foam? It sounds like most of the time Latex is the way to go. Is this foam a decent foam? I was shocked by how expensive this mattress is, but after reading on the forum I realize it’s pretty cheap ($1300ish). I don’t want to regret buying this in 5 years.
If I go with a slatted foundation (thanks for the those links on the foundation page!) will it be really different than that flexible slat system?
If I go with the high density foam, I don’t need a slatted foundation right? I could do a solid one?
Are there any other seattle area manufactures I should consider?
The specs you listed only show the firmness of the foam (40# is the IFD or firmness not the density). The density is the most important part of the durability of a foam and any density can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. I would probably call or visit Eastside to see if they can tell you more about the specifics of the mattress. In the price range you are looking at $1300 certainly wouldn’t be a “cheap” mattress at all if it was using polyfoam and didn’t use specialty foams like latex or memory foam. The specs you need to assess the quality/durability of a mattress are in this article and the foam quality/density guidelines that I would suggest using as a reference point are in post #4 here.
That really depends on the specifics of the mattress and it’s thickness and on the specifics of the flexible slat system but with thinner mattresses like yours it could make a noticeable difference in both the feel and performance of a mattress yes.
The foundation post here and the posts it links to in the second paragraph has more information about the types of foundations or support systems that generally work best for different types of mattresses but I would tend to use a slatted foundation that provides some airflow under a mattress unless there is a compelling reason to choose a solid surface which doesn’t allow any airflow (see post #10 here).
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Seattle area are listed in post #2 here.
Thank you so much Phoenix! This helps me so much-I have my replies in blue, but I think I will look at other mattress factories and not just this one. Even though they made our PERFECT mattress.
Should I be concerned about this high density foam? It sounds like most of the time Latex is the way to go. Is this foam a decent foam? I was shocked by how expensive this mattress is, but after reading on the forum I realize it’s pretty cheap ($1300ish). I don’t want to regret buying this in 5 years.
The specs you listed only show the firmness of the foam (40# is the IFD or firmness not the density). The density is the most important part of the durability of a foam and any density can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. I would probably call or visit Eastside to see if they can tell you more about the specifics of the mattress. In the price range you are looking at $1300 certainly wouldn’t be a “cheap” mattress at all if it was using polyfoam and didn’t use specialty foams like latex or memory foam. The specs you need to assess the quality/durability of a mattress are in this article and the foam quality/density guidelines that I would suggest using as a reference point are in post #4 here.
The place I am talking with is actually on your recommended list. Eastside Mattress and tt’s not Nick and it’s now Tim and he’s been less than helpful. Actually quite frustrating and I have had to ask the same questions over and over and still haven’t gotten decent answers from him. I am still considering going out in person, but will also check out the others from your list. Tim says latex would cost about the same.
If I go with a slatted foundation (thanks for the those links on the foundation page!) will it be really different than that flexible slat system?
That really depends on the specifics of the mattress and it’s thickness and on the specifics of the flexible slat system but with thinner mattresses like yours it could make a noticeable difference in both the feel and performance of a mattress yes.
If I can’t get a flex slat system, would increasing the depth of the mattress help?
If I go with the high density foam, I don’t need a slatted foundation right? I could do a solid one?
The foundation post here and the posts it links to in the second paragraph has more information about the types of foundations or support systems that generally work best for different types of mattresses but I would tend to use a slatted foundation that provides some airflow under a mattress unless there is a compelling reason to choose a solid surface which doesn’t allow any airflow (see post #10 here).
Yes, airflow sounds good to me. I was just curious about the solid ones.
Are there any other seattle area manufactures I should consider?
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Seattle area are listed in post #2 here.
Thank you so much for the link to the seattle list, that is great.
I would need to know the density of the polyfoam. You can see the minimum density guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here but as far as I know they don’t use any “cheap” or low quality materials in their mattresses.
Tim is the owner of http://www.eastsidemattress.com/default.asp but works in partnership with Nick at http://slumberease.com/ . Slumber Ease is the factory and the showroom for both in Marysville. If you call the number on the East Side website you would be talking with Tim and if you go to the factory showroom in Marysville or call the number on the Slumber Ease website you would be talking with Nick (or one of his staff). Both of them are very knowledgeable about mattresses and are committed to educating their customers and helping them to make the best possible choices. While it depends to some degree on the specifics of the foam or latex you are comparing … generally latex is a more costly material than even high quality polyfoam.
That would depend on what you mean by “help”. A flexible slat system or a box spring under a mattress performs a different function than adding to the foam layers in a mattress. Whether any sleeping system is suitable for you depends on the specifics of the design. Generalities aren’t usually helpful when it comes to predicting how a combination of components and materials will work for you and the best way to know would be to test the combination in person.
I’m not sure what you are asking. A mattress needs a good support system underneath it regardless of the quality of the foam and a more breathable support system is generally preferable to one that doesn’t allow for any airflow under the mattress. What is under the mattress performs a different function than the mattress itself.
I’ve also changed the description in the Seattle list to make it clear that Slumber Ease and Eastside Mattress are two different businesses with two different owners that work together and share the same factory and showroom.