Mattress in Portland, Oregon

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

We’re in the market to replace our 10 year old simmons beautyrest that has really bad body impressions. Our backs are really hurting. We went out and looked at Tempurpedic, the Serta iComfort, and the Relax the Back PureRelax. Of all of them, we liked the Relax the back mattress the best, but the price is $3000 for a king set, and we’re not totally sold on the memory foam thing. I’ve been reading information and posts on your site for a few hours tonight and would like to find some local manufacturers to take a look at. Do you have any recommendations in the Portland, Oregon area?

Thanks!

2

Hi Illinileo,

https://www.parklanemattresses.com/ in Portland is one of the members of the site that is the first place I would visit. They have a wide selection of different types of mattresses (innersprings, latex, memory foam etc), use good quality materials and have great value. I drove down to their Tualatin factory outlet from Seattle and was very impressed. They have stores in Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham, Sherwood, Lake Oswego, Tualatin (factory outlet), and Salem in Oregon.

There are also a few other factory direct manufacturers in the area as well that may be worth visiting …

http://www.bedtimemattresscompany.com/ Portland, OR. Makes a range of innerspring, memory foam, polyfoam, and latex mattresses.

http://mulliganmattress.com/ Portland, OR. Makes a high quality Dunlop latex mattress and a hand built solid wood bedframe.

https://mattressdepotusa.com/ Lake Oswego, Tigard, OR. Easy Rest (memory foam), Restonic (latex hybrids), Emerald, Lady Americana.

https://www.mattresslw.com/ Gladstone, OR. They make their own mattresses and also carry Easy-Rest.

http://www.cottoncloudfutons.com/ Portland, OR. Makes their own futons using wool, cotton, and their recycled PET wellspring fiber and now carry Dunlop latex mattresses as well. You can read more about them in post #34 here.

https://www.mattresslot.com/ Portland, OR. They certainly fit the profile of the type of retailer that I generally like to deal with. They carry 45th Street Bedding which are high quality mattresses and they also carry a range of mattresses made by other local manufacturers, as well as OMI.

Furniture Row® Store Locations - Store Hours & Addresses Salem, Ashland, OR. Yakima, WA. They make a wide range of mattresses including a mostly latex mattress with the option of adding a latex or memory foam topper and traditional innersprings using higher quality foams. I would avoid the mainstream brands they also carry.

https://www.mattressworldnorthwest.com/ Salem, OR. They carry OMI (latex), Englander. They also said they would provide foam specs.

https://www.bedmartmattresssuperstores.com/ Portland OR. Has some non-major brands that may be worth looking at as long as you can find the specifications.

http://nwmattress.com/ McMinnville, Portland OR. Has a large selection but you’d need to be careful with some of the items and find out specification.

Discount Mattress - The Furniture Shack - Discount Furniture & Mattresses Portland, OR. Not a large selection. Some Englander and Easy Rest.

https://www.mattressmegastores.com/our-brands/ Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Portland OR. Mostly larger name brands (which I would avoid) but also a few smaller brands that may be worth considering shuold you be able to find out specs.

https://www.morfurniture.com/ Portland, OR. Has some Sherwood mattresses that may be good value if you can find out specs.

mattresspro.net/ Vancouver, WA. Has some latex mattresses.
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There are some very good options and a wide range of mattresses available in the Portland area.

Phoenix

3

I visited a Parklane showroom today and looked at several of their mattresses. I was really impressed with the selection, quality, and the salesperson that helped us. The two we liked best were both latex/memory foam combinations- The Aurora and the Vale. The Aurora is much more firm than the Vale, but was the only mattress I’ve tried where my back stopped hurting while testing it out. The Vale is a close second for me, but it’s my husband’s first choice. We’re going to check out the other places you mentioned, but I feel pretty good about the Parklane choices at this point.

If you have any input on either of these mattresses let me know. Otherwise, thanks for the great site!

4

Hi illinileo,

The Aurora and the Vale are very similar in basic design with both having a combination of latex and memory foam in the comfort layers (with the vale having a softer layer of memory foam). The biggest difference though which is the main difference in their cost is the Vale uses a more expensive 6" layer of latex in the support core while the Aurora uses 5" of polyfoam which is a lower cost material.

Your own testing for pressure relief (on your side especially if you are side sleepers) with the body fully relaxed and sensing any pressure points and then in all your sleeping positions for alignment (any tension in your back) is by far the most important part of your choice but the staff there are trained to help you fit your weight distribution, sleeping positions, and any preferences to the best mattress for you and it’s better to do that in person that using “theory at a distance”. They both use high quality materials for their price range and are excellent value (their mattresses are among the best value in all of the US which is why I invited them to become members here).

If you do decide to make a purchase there … make sure you let them know that you are a member of The Mattress Underground as that entitles you to a bonus or a discount on a mattress purchase with any of the manufacturing members of the site (Parklane is a bonus). They have several outlets and every staff member may not be aware of this agreement as this site is still relatively new and every employee of some of the members with multiple outlets may not be aware of the agreement made with the owners of each member company. If they don’t know … just let them know to check with Scott who is Parklane’s owner.

You are fortunate to have a high quality factory direct outlet so near you :slight_smile:

Phoenix

5

we went to Bedco yesterday and looked at their selection. We seem to be favoring mattresses with a combination of latex and memory foam in the comfort layer, and the two mattresses at Bedco we liked are:

Hydra ($2699 king)
Soy Core
2" latex foam
tri zoned latex foam (didn’t specify how much)

Aquilae ($2699 king)
Soy Core
2" latex foam
tri zoned latex foam (didn’t specify how much)
tri zoned memory foam (didn’t specify how much)

I think we’ll go back over to Parkland and try their mattresses out again, and I think Parklane is a better value overall. They’re mattress with a soy core, latex and memory foam is $1199 (The aurora), and the one with a latex core is $2199 (The Vale)

Both places also have mattresses that have latex/memory foam comfort layers, but use springs instead of soy/latex. Do you think these would be ok to consider, or would you stick with the soy/foam instead?

Thanks!

6

Hi illinileo,

I certainly understand the attraction of a combination of latex and memory foam in the comfort layers as it is one of my own favorite “feels” as well (with thin layers of memory foam) although even high quality memory foam is not as durable as latex.

A latex core is the highest quality support system you can get however it is also the most expensive material. A polyfoam or innerspring support system should be significantly lower in price than a similar latex core mattress as both are much less expensive than latex. Assuming both an innerspring and polyfoam support core is high quality … then the choice between them boils down to the difference in feel and your own personal preferences more than one being “better” than or more durable than another. A “Soy” core is of course just polyfoam which has replaced a small percentage of the polyols used to make the foam with plant oils.

Based on the prices you are quoting … there is no doubt where the better value exists for similar mattresses. I’m somewhat surprised the difference between them was that much (that the bedco prices are that high) although as I mentioned earlier Parklane is among the best values in the country.

Phoenix

7

We went back again and I think we’ve ruled out the Vale. I still like the Aurora, but my husband is concerned that it might be a bit firm on the comfort layer for him as a side sleeper. The salesfolks recommended we try the Dunthorpe again, which has a coil innerspring with micro pocket coils, and then 2 layers of latex on top. We like the feel of this mattress, except for wishing it had a small layer of memory foam on top. I also had not wanted to go with springs again- Ugh!!! Based on what you see for the makeup, do you have any concerns about the Dunthorpe? I think it’s between that one and the Aurora.

Thanks again!

8

Hi illinileo,

Once you have found a good manufacturer/outlet … you can be reasonably certain that all the mattresses there will have similar (in this case good) value. The main part of your choice then will narrow down to pressure relief, alignment, and preferences. Part of the preferences should include lying and moving on the mattress together to see how it feels in terms of motion transference.

If you are still in doubt after completely relaxing for at least 15 minutes on each mattress you are considering and testing for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Preferences) in all of your sleeping positions and two models seem to be very close and both would be good choices from your perspective … then I would choose the one that is slightly firmer.

The “problem” with most innerspring mattresses has little to do with the innersprings (in most cases) and much more to do with the foam above the innersprings. The offset coils in the support system of the Dunthorpe and the microcoils and latex that is used in the comfort layers are all very durable and I see no “problem” with this construction. An innerspring support system does however feel different from a polyfoam support system or a latex support system and different high quality materials in the comfort layers (such as latex, memory foam, or microcoils) will also feel very different. Each different material also has an effect on the overall price of the mattress which for some people is more important than others … even though the value of their different choices may be the same. At the stage you are in … your personal needs and preferences in combination with your budget should be the main part of your decision about which is “best” because any choice you make will have good value.

So I would let your hips, shoulders, and back along with your subjective preferences and budget make the decision for you along with the knowledge and help of the people there who can actually see how you respond to each mattress and who are more concerned with what will work for “you” than what will make the most profit for “them”.

Phoenix

9

Well, we bought the Dunthorpe mattress back in December. The good news is the support system in the mattress is working really well for us, and my morning back pain is gone. The not so good news is that both my husband and I still don’t feel like we have enough relief for our hip and shoulder pain. Our options are to either trade for a different mattress, or look into a topper for the Dunthorpe. I feel a bit silly getting a topper for a brand new mattress, but then again you can always replace a topper if there are impression issues later.

Can you provide any guidance on what route might be best?

Thanks!

10

Hi illinileo,

Your good news is the most important part of a mattress and the not so good news is easier to “fix” than a mattress that has a support system that is too soft.

I don’t know any of your specs … height, weight, sleeping positions, and preferences … so it wouldn’t be possible to give any type of meaningful comments but I can tell you that it’s not unusual at all to add a thin topper to a new mattress for a final bit of fine tuning. It’s a very common solution and like you say it allows for the possibility of changing the topper down the road. It’s usually wise to buy a mattress a little on the firm side as well because it’s much easier to adjust a mattress that’s a little too firm on top than to make a mattress that’s too soft firmer. If the top layers do soften over time … then you could change the topper or remove it.

The Dunthorpe is also rated as a “medium” which tells me that they probably could give you some good advise based on your experience over the last two months to help you choose a mattress which has a slightly softer comfort layer but similar support if that’s the direction you decide to go.

The only thing as I mentioned would be to avoid the temptation to go too soft on top.

Phoenix

11

My husband and I are in the 5’9" - 5’11" range, and weigh 180-200 lbs. We are both primarily side sleepers, but will occasionally end up on our backs or stomachs. We went back to Parklane to see what they thought, but due to us being a bit of a “combo” sleepers they’re hesitant to put us in a softer mattress. They extended our comfort trial by another 30 days so we could decide whether we wanted to try something else, or try a topper instead.

We put our old memory foam topper on to see how that worked (Costco brand, about 2" thick)- better on shoulders, but got too soft as we slept on it and it warmed up (and of course it slept really hot). Ended up with a bit of back soreness again.

So, the options are to look into a latex topper, or go with a different mattress. We did try the Nehalem mattress at Parklane, which feels a bit softer on the comfort layers, and similarly supportive to our backs. The Nehalem is quite a bit more expensive than the Dunthorpe, so we need be really sure that it will be an improvement.

Any thoughts would be helpful. Do you think the Nehalem’s support system would be as good for our backs as the Dunthorpe? If we decide to look for a latex topper, any thoughts on thickness and ILD? Any suggestions on where to buy?

Thanks again!

12

Hi illinileo,

Given your height and weight and especially the fact that you sleep in all positions including your stomach … I would be very hesitant in going with the Nehalem which has softer pocket coils instead of the offset coils and is also rated as “plush” and “side” instead of medium and combo.

Combination sleeping … especially when it includes stomach sleeping … is very tricky because the needs of side sleeping are directly opposed to the needs of stomach sleeping (which has a much greater risk of sleeping in a swayback position leading to back issues). In some cases … if you go thicker and softer than the bare minimum you need for side sleeping (such as adding the 2" memory foam topper over what you have) then even alignment on your back can be an issue.

In these cases … I would personally choose a mattress that created some degree of pressure issues and then work with a thin topper rather than going with a softer support system or thicker softer comfort layers and risking back issues. A mattress that has good support but needs some adjustment on top is much easier to fix than a mattress that doesn’t have the support you need or is already too thick and soft on top.

If you do decide to switch mattresses … I would not go below anything that they rate as “medium” or that isn’t rated as “combo”. A mattress designed for side sleeping would likely lead to problems IMO.

I would go with a topper personally (likely 1" rather than 2") and choose between latex, wool, a very breathable memory foam (rather than the hotter Costco version), or even an inexpensive polyfoam topper just to test if an extra inch would be the answer before investing in a more expensive latex topper. I would tend towards an inch rather than 2" again for the sake of maintaining the best possible support. A wool mattress pad or topper can also cushion pressure points without negatively affecting alignment if you are in the range of “fine tuning” rather than being far away from your ideal.

Phoenix

13

I looked at the Rejuvinite mattress topper at Bedco, which is 3" 19ILD. It’s hard to tell how it would feel on our mattress, but it would likely help with the shoulder pain. I would prefer 2", as I’m still concerned about having the lower back pain come back again.

I also went back to Parklane and tried the Nehalem again. I like it better than our Dunthorpe, but still a little worried about the possibility of lower back pain.

They also have the new version of the Vale mattress (which isn’t on the website yet). It has a 6" 32ILD Talalay Core, with 4" of 19ILD Talalay latex on top (2 layers of 2"). It feels pretty comfortable on both my back and side. Since it’s brand new, it feels a bit more firm than it will once it’s broken in, but this might be a good option for us.

So- just looking for a sanity check on whether it makes more sense to put a topper on the Dunthorpe, or go with an all Latex Vale.

Thanks again for all the help!

14

Hi illinileo,

3" of 19 ILD would be very thick/soft to add to an existing mattress that is likely already fairly close to your best choice as a combination sleeper IMO and as I mentioned earlier I would probably avoid the temptation to go too thick and soft on top. As you mentioned earlier you liked the feel of memory foam on top … I would probably be more tempted to consider a 1 or 2" (absolute maximum) memory foam topper but I wouldn’t use more than 2" in any soft material and less would probably be better. A thicker wool topper may also help to cushion pressure points without the same risk of affecting alignment and also has other benefits but this would depend on how close you believe you are to optimal pressure relief on your side.

The Vale sounds very interesting and would likely be great for a side sleeper but I would guess that it also may be too thick and soft on top for your combination sleeping. Of course your own testing would be more accurate than “theory at a distance” but I would certainly be careful with alignment if you decide to go with top layers that are that soft and thick either in the mattress itself or with the addition of a topper.

Phoenix

15

I was incredibly disappointed in Parklane Mattresses, and would never recommend them.

I was browsing their website and came across their Macadam mattress, which boasts 100% natural Talalay latex. So my husband and I literally jumped in the car and went over to their local store.
I told the sales woman we were only interested in their 100% natural latex mattresses. Their website shows two, the Macadam and the Pittock. The Pittock is not on the floor yet so clearly that only left the Macadam.
After laying on it for a few minutes, we felt it was too firm, so she said to try the Overton. I said politely I wasn’t interested in the Overton because it contains Talatech latex, and she said they BOTH do. She stated the Macadam contains Talatech latex as well, thats why the mattress is so firm.
At this bit of information, I was a bit dumbstruck because their website mentions Talatech latex and 100% natural Talalay on the Overton, Gel memory foam and 100% natural Talalay latex on the Alameda, and only 100% natural Talalay latex on both the Macadam and Pittock.
I asked her to repeat herself, and she did.

My husband and I left the store, and I emailed their customer service describing the above situation as soon as I walked in our front door.

The man who responded, Scott Oster, flat out refused to answer my questions, and just said if I was interested in a 100% natural latex mattress to look into Soaring Heart and OMI (Organicpedic).

I then emailed him again, asking why the website states 100% natural Talalay latex and nothing more and he didn’t respond. I emailed customer service again asking them to clarify, and I have heard nothing from them.

Not quite sure what they are trying to pull, but I will not be purchasing a mattress from them, nor would I ever recommend them.

(I would also like to state, that I told the sales woman we did not want any type of foam, and she stated the Macadam is what we would want then. I noticed the covering was quilted and squishy, so I asked what was in it. Her response : FOAM.)

16

Hi mamaccino,

Your “recommendation” is certainly the opposite of mine and I would highly recommend them.

I think that you may be getting confused with the useage of some terminology in your efforts to find various certifications or meet the criteria that are important to you.

Talatech is a brand name that Latex International uses for its Talalay latex. When they first came out with their 100% natural Talalay it was called Talatech natural. You can see an example of a letter they sent out to their customers here which confirmed that there was no synthetic latex in their Talatech natural formulation. In other words … Talaltech could mean either their natural product or their blended product. The blended was typically called classic.

The Talatech name has evolved to typically refer to their blended product but many people still use Talatech to refer to any latex that is manufactured by Latex International regardless of the blend.

In addition to this the blended Talalay is often called “natural” and the 100% natural Talalay is often called “all natural” so this is also a source of confusion in the industry. You can see an example of this with Pure Latex Bliss which is owned by Latex International with their “natural” lineup here and their “all natural” lineup here.
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In other words the salesperson you were talking to may have meant that both mattresses were using Talatech (in the LI Talalay meaning of the word) while you were using Talatech in its later useage to mean blended. It’s also possible that they may not have even realized that there was a difference because not all salespeople in larger businesses with multiple stores will have the same level of knowledge of the history of a material.

I would also think that Scott Oster wasn’t refusing to answer your questions as much as recognizing that they probably couldn’t fit your criteria and that you are looking for something they didn’t make and that you may be better off shopping elsewhere for a mattress that only used 100% natural latex and no other types of foam (including in the quilting). They may also have believed based on your “tone” that you were “looking for a fight” and simply wanted to avoid one.

You may be looking past some very high quality/value mattresses but I do understand that each person may have criteria that are important to them that may lead them to exclude mattresses that most people would consider to be remarkable value but I think that you may be “rushing to judgement” a little bit because I don’t see anything in your interactions with them that would justify the intensity of your comments. While I understand that the more detailed specifics of their mattresses may not be what you are looking for or even your disappointment that they don’t make what you are looking for … I don’t think that your criteria would be as important to most other people or that your thoughts and comments about Parklane would be shared by many others.

Phoenix

17

[quote=“mamaccino” post=41407]I was incredibly disappointed in Parklane Mattresses, and would never recommend them.

I was browsing their website and came across their Macadam mattress, which boasts 100% natural Talalay latex. So my husband and I literally jumped in the car and went over to their local store.
I told the sales woman we were only interested in their 100% natural latex mattresses. Their website shows two, the Macadam and the Pittock. The Pittock is not on the floor yet so clearly that only left the Macadam.
After laying on it for a few minutes, we felt it was too firm, so she said to try the Overton. I said politely I wasn’t interested in the Overton because it contains Talatech latex, and she said they BOTH do. She stated the Macadam contains Talatech latex as well, thats why the mattress is so firm.
At this bit of information, I was a bit dumbstruck because their website mentions Talatech latex and 100% natural Talalay on the Overton, Gel memory foam and 100% natural Talalay latex on the Alameda, and only 100% natural Talalay latex on both the Macadam and Pittock.
I asked her to repeat herself, and she did.

My husband and I left the store, and I emailed their customer service describing the above situation as soon as I walked in our front door.

The man who responded, Scott Oster, flat out refused to answer my questions, and just said if I was interested in a 100% natural latex mattress to look into Soaring Heart and OMI (Organicpedic).

I then emailed him again, asking why the website states 100% natural Talalay latex and nothing more and he didn’t respond. I emailed customer service again asking them to clarify, and I have heard nothing from them.

Not quite sure what they are trying to pull, but I will not be purchasing a mattress from them, nor would I ever recommend them.

(I would also like to state, that I told the sales woman we did not want any type of foam, and she stated the Macadam is what we would want then. I noticed the covering was quilted and squishy, so I asked what was in it. Her response : FOAM.)[/quote]

Just to echo Phoenix’s opinion, I have been to two different Parklane Store’s during my mattress search and the customer service and knowledge has been absolutely top notch both times. No sales pressure at all due to he employees being on salary rather than commission and the people I talked were extremely knowledgeable. I will definitely be buying from them within the next couple weeks.

18

I have had great customer support and knowledge from the Parklane mattress store in Vancouver , WA. I am purchasing the Macadam today, as a matter of fact. I am sorry to hear of your disappointment.

19

Hi yaywendy,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share your feedback once you’ve received it.

Phoenix

20

mamaccino, sorry to hear about your experience with Parklane. I thought I’d chime in with the interaction that I’ve had with them, and ultimately what we decided to purchase.

My wife and I live in Corvallis, about 70 miles from their warehouse in Tualatin. We stopped at the Lake Oswego store at the end of July. We spent about an hour trying several of the mattresses. We progressed from innerspring, to memory foam, and finally to latex. To us, even though the Macadam felt firm, we think it was the best choice for the type of sleepers we are and for minimizing motion transfer and heat retention. Our only disappointment was that because we live outside of their 35 mile delivery radius, we would either need to pick up the mattress ourselves or pay for delivery. After looking into what it would take for us to pick it up ourselves, we decided to bite the bullet and pay for delivery. It is scheduled to be delivered Sept. 5th. At least going this route, they will help move our old mattress to the garage, will set up our new mattress, and will be responsible for any damage in transit.

As a side note, I had heard that they are opening a store in Salem, which would put it just inside the 35 mile radius to our home. I spoke to Scott (one of their VP’s, and probably the same person that you had talked to). Unfortunately, the Salem store will be just a showroom, won’t stock any of the mattresses (they’ll still ship from Tualatin), and it wouldn’t even be possible to have them deliver to the Salem store for us to pick it up since they don’t allow the showroom people to load mattresses.

Again, we think we made a good mattress choice, with the only regret being the shipping charge.