Mattress Firm Regret

[phoenix]

Hi BorderGirl,

Oh how I wish I had discovered this website prior to buying a new bed. I usually research everything very thoroughly but I was so excited to get a new bed that I jumped on the first comfortable thing I tried out. I went with Mattress Firm due to convenience of location, set up, and the ability to swap out the mattress if I hate it.

I’m glad you found us now at least and the good news is that Mattress Firm has a 120 day comfort policy that allows you to return the mattress for a refund and start all over again so you can make a better quality/value choice.

The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers such as Mattress Firm that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

I’m currently around the 90 day mark and I absolutely hate my bed and yearn for my old bed. I ended up with the Seal Posturpedic Chaleigh 12.5". According to their website this is what the innards are made of.

Quilting Layers:
• FlameGuard Fiber
• 2" x 0.5" Sealy ExtraSoft Foam

Comfort Layers:
• 1" Sealy ExtraSoft Foam
• 1.5" Sealy ExtraSoft Foam
• 0.5" SealyCool Gel-Infused Memory Foam Center 1/3

Support System:
• Sealy Embrace Coil
• SolidEdge HD System
• SupportFlex (Sealy UltraFirm Foam)
• StableSupport Foundation

While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

Unfortunately the description you listed doesn’t include any meaningful information about the quality/density and durability of the foam layers in your mattress which would be reason enough to avoid it but even if you were able to find out most of the foam layers would be lower density and less durable materials than I would suggest considering anyway.

My problem is that I’m having a really hard time articulating why I hate the bed. I went back to Mattress Firm over the weekend and tried out the other bed that I nearly bought and it feels really nice but I’m afraid of ending up with a bed that I hate. I don’t feel like I sink into the bed enough and whatever is right below the plus top just feels too hard to me. The first two weeks of the bed were great but it has been downhill since then. I wake up every morning with low back, hip, and knee pain. The gentleman at the MF store said that he thought the bed was very plush and couldn’t understand why I was having issues. I left after that comment. I was really interested in getting the Saatva but after finding some good feedback via this website I’ve decided to take my search elsewhere.

While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because they can be very complex and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.

Having said that it would be a moot point anyway because even if the mattress was “perfect” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP I would avoid it anyway because of the lower quality materials inside it which will lead to the premature loss of comfort and support and the need to replace the mattress much too quickly.

I have read the tutorial here but find myself getting confused and overwhelmed. I really like a traditional mattress and I hate being hot which is why I have avoided anything latex or memory foam. If I get something with more dense foam does that equal firmer? I’m okay with walking away from Mattress Firm if I can find something better locally.

While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.

In very general terms … the materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses.

Also in very general terms … latex is the most breathable and temperature neutral of all the different foam materials (memory foam, polyfoam, and latex foam) and memory foam would tend to be the warmest. The polyfoam (which are the foam layers that are used in the top layers of your mattress) would generally be in between latex and memory foam.

The density of memory foam and polyfoam is the single most important factor in durability but it has little to do with the firmness of the foam because any density of polyfoam or memory foam can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. With latex it’s a little different because density is directly related to the firmness of the foam and lower densities of the same type and blend of latex would be softer than higher densities of the same type and blend of latex.
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It’s good to see that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

I’m in the Minneapolis area and I’m checking out the list of factory direct options. I think I’ll start with Original Mattress and Restwell mattress. I’m looking for a Queen and from what I’ve read, I need at least something that is 13" thick as I’m in the 300 pound range. I’m hoping to stay under $1,400 for mattress, foundation, and frame. Think it’s possible?

You may have seen this already but just in case you haven’t … subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you plan to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Minneapolis/St Paul area are listed in post #2 here.

The thickness of a mattress or the number of layers or the thickness of any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and the thickness of any individual layers or the complete mattress is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person (see post #2 here) and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than it does on just the thickness itself.

There is more information in post #3 here and the posts it links to that would be helpful for those that are in higher weight ranges or have a higher BMI (30 or higher).

While the process of how to choose a mattress would involve the same steps that are listed in the mattress shopping tutorial … most people in higher weight ranges (or that have a higher BMI) will generally need or prefer firmer mattresses (firmer materials will feel softer because you will sink into them more) and materials and components that are higher quality and more durable than those that are in lower weight ranges (the materials and components in a mattress will soften and break down faster for those in higher weight ranges than they will for someone that is in a lower weight range that doesn’t compress the mattress as much). I would be particularly cautious about mattresses that use more than “about an inch or so” of memory foam that is less than about 5 lb density or polyfoam that is less than about 2 lb density … particularly in the upper layers of the mattress.

You should certainly be able to find a mattress that would be a suitable, durable, and good value choice in your budget range and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course to any other comments or specific questions you may have along the way that I can help with.

In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

You should certainly be able to find a mattress that would be a suitable, durable, and good value choice in your budget range and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course to any other comments or specific questions you may have along the way that I can help with.

Phoenix