Mattress for a college student in Baltimore?

Hi,

First off, thank you so much for this website because this will be the first mattress I ever buy and I started off clueless, thinking all mattresses would cost $50~$300.

Anyways, I’ve found out that was not the case and am now trying to look for a budget mattress around $300-350 for just the mattress. (which is already way out of my price range, but I’ve decided this might a more important priority than others) Because of my budget, I’ve decided that the innerspring would be better for me than a latex (I don’t even think latex is an option, but please correct me if I’m wrong)

I’ve decided I like firm to very firm mattresses, I am 5’4", less than 105 lb., looking for a full size, I live in Baltimore and have a car, I only sleep on my back, and am a bit sensitive when it comes to fumes.

I’ve been to Mattress Discounters where they showed me a Spring Air Ashton Cushion Firm:
http://www.mattressdiscounters.com/en/Spring-Air-Ashton-Cushion-Firm_102349/
(If you click on the “More Information” tab, it will list all the layers)

I also went to Bedding Barn where they showed me a Gold Bond Portland Firm,
Which, though I’m not entirely sure I got the info down correctly, has:
Cotton fiber fabric
Pillow soft?
Memory foam gel layer(Made in USA)
Natural cotton batting
Flame retardant insulator pan/
13 1/4 gauge steel 9" high (408 coil)

I tried lying down on both for about 5 minutes, and they seemed equally comfortable for me. The salespeople also called out the same price for both mattresses, so it really boils down to how full nights of sleep will feel on them as opposed to just five minutes, and how long they will maintain their comfort level. Now, I would like for my mattress to stay in good condition for about 4-5 years, but after that, comfort is more important for me than durability.

Again, thank you so much for this site, and thanks in advance for your advice.
So in conclusion, my question is, what are your tips on how I should choose between the two from this point?

Hi doyawn,

Welcome … and I’m glad you found us :slight_smile:

While it depends on the size you’re looking for … the days where a high quality mattress is available in your budget range are long gone although like any budget range you will still have better and worse options. Hopefully you’ve also read the mattress shopping tutorial which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

I agree that your budget would be too low for even a good quality latex hybrid mattress even if you are looking for a twin size but post #4 here includes some of the better “non latex” online options that I’m aware of in lower budget ranges.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Baltimore area (subject to following the steps in the tutorial of course) are listed in post #2 here. I would also make sure that any polyfoam or memory foam in a mattress is either made in North America or CertiPur certified so that you can have confidence that any initial smell from your mattress isn’t harmful.

[quote]I’ve been to Mattress Discounters where they showed me a Spring Air Ashton Cushion Firm:
www.mattressdiscounters.com/en/Spring-Ai...Cushion-Firm_102349/
(If you click on the “More Information” tab, it will list all the layers)[/quote]

As you can see in the guidelines here … I would tend to avoid chain stores or the major brands such as Spring Air where it’s unlikely you will be able to find out the information you need to make an informed purchase decision. The specs they list only show the type of materials but they don’t say anything about the quality/density of the materials (see this article) and there are 4.25" of unknown and probably low quality/density foams in the top layers of your mattress which would be a very risky purchase. I would avoid it.

[quote]I also went to Bedding Barn where they showed me a Gold Bond Portland Firm,
Which, though I’m not entirely sure I got the info down correctly, has:
Cotton fiber fabric
Pillow soft?
Memory foam gel layer(Made in USA)
Natural cotton batting
Flame retardant insulator pan/
13 1/4 gauge steel 9" high (408 coil)[/quote]

This at least is a better “possibility” but once again I would make sure you have all the information you need about all the layers and components in the mattress to make an informed choice. You can see some of my thoughts about Gold Bond in post #4 here and the odds are higher that you will be able to find this out and if you can and you list the specifics of all the layers on the forum I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality of the materials inside this mattress.

I would make sure that you have read the testing guidelines in the tutorial post so you can do some careful and objective testing on any mattress you are considering for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) for a little longer than just 5 minutes.

The durability of a mattress is all about how long it will maintain its comfort and support for any particular person (see post #4 here). If a mattress uses low quality materials that soften and break down too quickly then it will lose its comfort and support much more quickly and you would need to buy a new mattress much sooner than if the mattress uses higher quality materials. In other words … there would probably be no “after that” if your mattress has low quality materials and you may need to replace it long “before that”. I would also keep in mind that a warranty has little to nothing to do with the useful life of a mattress (see post #174 here) since it only protects against defects … not the loss of comfort and support.

[quote]Again, thank you so much for this site, and thanks in advance for your advice.
So in conclusion, my question is, what are your tips on how I should choose between the two from this point? [/quote]

I certainly would avoid the first option but your second option may be a “possibility” if you can find out the information you need about the materials and components inside it.

Phoenix