I live in El Paso, TX and am wondering if you know any local manufacturers in my area. I have problems with my lower back and shoulders and am very interested in giving memory foam a try.
Hi again Tree,
My other reply included comments about memory foam and back issues so I’ll reply to the “El Paso manufacturers” part and some general comments about memory foam here.
There are many mattress manufacturers in Texas than however they unfortunately are not near El Paso and mostly in some of the larger cities.
There are a couple of regional stores that maufacture their own mattresses and would likely be worth a visit. They are
There is definitely a shortage of quality mattress outlets in your area.
Walmart, Costco, and Sams Club are also good choices for memory foam mattresses ordered online as they are low risk with a 100% return policy including shipping.
If you do decide to go with memory foam (which I truly don’t believe is a great choice for back problems as I mentioned in my previous post), then 5lbs / cu ft or higher is a preferable density with 4 lbs being OK for a low budget. If you order from an online manufacturer … make sure you check on their return policies.
Aerus memory foam made by Foamex is I believe the most breathable memory foam and is a good choice. The manufacturers listed on the Certipur website* are also good choices as they have been tested to some degree for chemicals, outgassing, and durability.
ADMIN NOTE: *Removed 404 link|Archived Footprint: certipur.us/products.html & replaced with latest CertiPUR list
Memory foam can be tricky to “get right” and unless someone knows for certain that they like memory foam and are used to sleeping on it over a longer term … I strongly recommend some good field testing … good quality memory foam (never buy memory foam where the store can’t or won’t tell you who makes it and its specs) … good quality support foam (1.8 lbs / cubic foot quality polyfoam as an absolute minimum) … a good return policy … and also to pay particular attention to value as there is a huge range of prices and in many cases with memory foam mattresses… you really don’t get what you pay for IMO (especially with mainstream brands)
Hope this helps a bit and feel free if you have more specific questions.
Phoenix
Thank you for your quick response and information. I like the idea of a low cost no hassle return mattress as a first memory foam purchase. I checked out the Aerus mattress on the Walmart website, but they only have a twin size available. I am a member of Costco so this is another option for me, but this site does not seem to list any of the specific information you suggest to look for. Do you have any suggestions for a good choice from Costco?
Hi Tree,
The Walmart site lists a 10" Aerus memory foam mattress which is available in all sizes except queen which is out of stock. It is the same 4lb memory foam comfort layer as the 12" (the one only available in twin).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/10-Aerus-Natural-Memory-Foam-Mattress/10152214
Sams club has both the 10" and 12" Aerus memory foam mattress with 4lb Aerus. (the 8" uses 3lb Aerus so I would avoid it)
Costco at the moment doesn’t carry any Aerus memory foam mattresses. A few comments about some of their brands follows …
Sleep Science Ara … they have over 6" of memory foam which is way too much for any memory foam mattress IMO and would allow your heavier parts to sink in way too far over the course of the night putting you out of alignment. While it is 5 lb foam (good quality) … there is just too much of it and the cost reflects this. It also doesn’t say the origin of the memory foam.
Sleep Science … Made by South Bay international and is almost certainly their Emma model using 3 lb memory foam so I wouldn’t consider it
Body Therapy … has 5" of memory foam and most of it is 3 lb density. I would not consider this.
Novaform gel memory foam … this is also a lower density memory foam with “gel beads” in it similar to (and made by the same manufacturer as) the Serta iComfort (except the iComfort uses a higher density version of the same foam). I would not consider this to have the same quality or value as the Aerus memory foam.
Novaform regular memory foam (various models) … It doesn’t say what the memory foam density is however I would expect it is 4lb. Some of the models such as the Pure Comfort Grand, Pure Comfort, and Pure Comfort Deluxe would be their best value IMO. These three mattresses differ in the thickness of the memory foam comfort layer and in the case of the Grand it has an additional 2" of soft HR polyfoam (a high quality polyfoam) under the memory foam as part of the comfort layer.
While Sleep Innovations who makes the Novaform memory foam is an American manufacturer and is listed on the CertiPur site, their memory foams are not included in the foams that have been tested for VOC emissions, chemicals, and durability. If I considered any of these mattresses … I would call the Sleep Innovations customer service phone number listed on the Costco site to make sure that the density of the memory foam was at least 4 lbs before I purchased them.
Of all of these … the Aerus IMO represents the best value however a Novaform … with a comfort layer that is suitable for your needs … may also be worth trying (assuming they are 4lb or more which I believe they are) given Costco’s great return policy.
Phoenix
HI Phoenix
I guess my only decision now is whether to go with the 10" or 12". You can’t really go wrong with the price considering what seems to be good quality. The description states bed frame not included, but says nothing about the box spring. I’m assuming it’s not included either. Will any box spring work or is there a specific type best suited for memory foam. I will let you know how it works out after I’ve had a chance to sleep on it for a while.
Tree
Hi Tree,
In terms of 10" or 12" Aerus … the choice is really between the thickness of the polyfoam in the support layer since the thickness of the memory foam is the same in both mattresses. The 10" (with 7" of polyfoam in the support layer) would likely be a little firmer than the 12" (which has 9" of polyfoam in the support layer). 7" is usually fine for a support layer if the firmness (ILD) and density of the polyfoam is the same (which it almost certainly is). The only reason that there would be a real advantage to the 9" would be if you were “bottoming out” with 7" which is very unlikely unless the polyfoam support layer is really soft in both mattresses or someone was exceptionally heavy.
A foam mattress should be on a foundation (no springs and preferably slatted) rather than a boxspring. Boxsprings are generally designed to work with an innerspring mattress as part of a system … not with a foam core mattress. A foam mattress is designed to provide a level of support by itself on a firm foundation and a boxspring will allow your heavier parts to sink in more than a slatted foundation. The slats should be closely enough spaced that they support the mattress without allowing it to sag through the slats (about 1.5" spacing or even 2" is fine).
The reason for the slats as opposed to a sheet of plywood is that it will help prevent moisture buildup on the bottom of the mattress and allow the mattress to “breathe”. Your mattress base could be slats that are placed directly in the bedframe itself or could be a slatted foundation that is put in the bedframe. The only difference would be the height of your sleeping surface. If you don’t have an actual bedframe to put slats or a foundation in, then a slatted foundation would be better as slats placed directly on the floor would make for a sleeping surface that was likely too low and not be as breathable as a foundation.
I’d love to hear how everything works out for you 
Phoenix