Hi,
My husband and I have been mattress shopping for quite some time now and I think we are a bit mixed up. We are looking to buy a memory foam mattress that will be appropriate and somewhat long lasting (8-10 years would be great). I am 5’9" and 240 lbs and he is 5’10" and 210. That said, I have read quite a few other posts on here and it seems we need to get a thicker density of foam in order to support our weight over time. (Feel free to correct me if I am wrong). My husband initially like the entry model iComfort, but I found them all to be too firm until the Savant, and that was a bit too soft and slightly more than we’d like to pay for that mattress.
A little more about some of the mattresses I have liked: The Ascent 6 from Anatomic Global, The Cloud Supreme from TempurPedic, and the Radiance by Optimum (Sealy).
Speaking candidly, we would like to spend around $1500 or so. Also, I am very open to other brands, including smaller companies and non-national brands.
And lastly, does it make a difference if the foam is made in China or the US or another nation? We keep being told it does, but they can’t give us much reason other than patriotism.
Thank you so much!
Also, I see the The Original Mattress Factory has latex mattresses for less than their MF. I have never tried a latex- can you explain why a person might prefer this?
Hi caiterpillar,
The choice between memory foam and latex is a personal preference and the materials are very different in feel and performance. The most significant difference between them is that memory foam is slow recovery foam and latex is fast recovery foam. Besides the personal preference part though which you can experience with personal testing on both types of mattress … you can read about the pros and cons of memory foam here and the pros and cons of latex here.
Because of your higher weights … the density of the memory foam will be important for durability but there is also a tradeoff because lower density memory foam can also feel more comfortable, and be more breathable and faster responding than higher density. These are all parts of each persons “value equation” and deciding on which parts of the many tradeoffs involved in a mattress choice are most important. I would personally avoid all major brands and “chain store” types of outlets because the value and quality is generally much lower. This article will give you some guidelines which will help you avoid most of the lower quality/value choices.
In many cases … foams made in China are lower quality and often “filled” with various fillers that give them a false density (they look like higher quality based on density than they really are) and they are also not as well regulated for harmful compounds or VOC’s in many cases. If the foam is CertiPur certified though (and several Chinese foam manufacturers are) … then at least you have some assurance that the Chinese foams are made to similar standards to North American poured foams. In general I prefer memory foam poured in North America partly because of where it’s made but also because the odds are better that it is higher quality. The list of CertiPur certified foam manufactures is here* and there is also a very partial list of mattress manufacturers or outlets that sell mattresses that have been certified as using CertiPur foams here*. If you are in doubt about whether a foam is poured in North America (which generally means it’s “safe” to the limits of the testing) … then I would make sure it was CertiPur certified. Of course CertiPur certification doesn’t replace the need to know the density/quality of the memory foam in mattress you are considering.
If you let me know the city you live in I’d be happy to let you know of any factory direct manufacturers or better outlets i know of that are close to you. Your choice of outlet can be a far more important first step in finding quality and value than choosing any mattress (even their best) in the more typical mass market outlets or chain stores or mattresses made by a major brand.
Phoenix
We live just outside of Columbus, Ohio. Thank you for the comparisons.
Hi caiterpillar,
Post #2 here includes the better outlets or at least “possibilities” in and around Columbus that Im aware of 
Phoenix