Mattress search near Pittsburgh

My wife and I have both been complaining about our current mattress and I have begun doing some online searching. I came across this site and it is filled with so much useful information. I thank you for that.

My wife’s friend bought a temperpedic memory foam bed, so now my wife wants one of those. We both suffer from migraine’s, so I want to stay clear of mattresses that emits VOCs. I also don’t want to pay the prices for the big name brands that I don’t think are better quality, especially after reading posts here.

I would buy online, but she would like to lay on a bed first. Are there any good places near Pittsburgh, zip 15236. I didn’t see any on your list.

We are both mainly side sleepers or stomach and she wants a bed that she won’t feel me getting in bed after she is already sleeping. Is there one type that you would recommend?

Hi toddp1616,

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

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the tutorial post here has all the most important information, steps, and guidelines from many forum posts and articles over the years and can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Tempurpedic for the most part uses good quality materials but you are right that there are also many other memory foam mattresses that use the same or better quality materials in much lower budget ranges. Anecdotally … they also seem to have more issues with the “new mattress smell” and offgassing than many other manufacturers although of course they are also the most widely sold memory foam mattress (thanks to good marketing more than for any quality or value reasons) so it would also be reasonable to expect that even if it was a relatively low percentage of people it would lead to more people people reporting issues with them than a mattress that was sold in much lower volumes.

While I can certainly understand the hesitancy … I would also keep in mind that there are many good online memory foam manufacturers and retailers that allow for free returns so they have much less risk and you can try them in your bedroom instead of a showroom. The tutorial post has a link to a list of the better online memory foam suppliers I’m aware of.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Pittsburgh area are listed in post #2 here.

No … I only focus on helping people with “how” to choose rather than the specifics of “what” to choose because there are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved for anyone to be able to know which specific mattress will work best for anyone else out of the many thousands that are available based on a formula or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Good luck in your search and I’m looking forward to your feedback and finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

Thanks for the advice. I have been doing a lot more reading on your site and have been leaning more towards a latex bed. I’m afraid of the chemical smell of the memory foam beds, plus since we both sleep warm I see the latex would be cooler vs a memory bed.

We went to OMF this weekend and layer on a few beds (Serenity). My wife liked the feel of the Serenity Plush, but was definitely concerned with sleeping hot on the memory foam, plus the VOCs. We then tried the Serenity Latex. It was a little more firm, but I felt it was rather comfortable for the little bit of time we layer on it. I didn’t think of it until after we left, so I’m not sure which type of boxspring it was on. I read another review on here where they listed the specs on the bed which is the same as I got from the sheet on the bed. Since it has a poly foam core and not 100% latex, are there any chemicals used with that and will we experience any smells? The nice thing is it’s a 2-sided mattress so hopefully it will last a little longer.

The topper is 40% Talalay latex and 60% synthetic. Is there same issue with chemical smells? are the blends still hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant? Would a 100% latex bed sleep cooler than this one? The cover is a heavy weight knit cover. I’ve seen many others that have natural wool under a bamboo cover. Are there much difference with quality and temperature with these?

The price for King mattress only is $1,799, then add $300 for boxspring. I was looking at some sites that I’d have to have delivered and not get to try (Brooklyn bedding, Dreamfoam , AZ mattress). Would I get better quality for less from one of these online direct? The Dreamfoam specs seem very comparable for almost 1/2 the price, plus we can change out the top layer if not right firmness. The 100% latex at dreamfoam is about same cost as OMF.

I also stopped at Mattress World. The guy that helped me didn’t really know too much. I looked at the Restonic Exhilarated with the cool gel. He said that was the only latex mattress they had. I wasn’t impressed with his lack of knowledge, so didn’t spend much time in there.

Thanks for all the good info.

Hi toddp1616,

Yes … polyfoam and memory foam is made from chemicals (mostly a polyol and an isocyanate) but most people are fine with them if they are manufactured in the US or are CertiPur certified. All new mattresses that have foam in them (memory foam, polyfoam, latex foam) will have some initial odor or smell when they are new but that will usually dissipate to levels below detection in a few days to a few weeks.

It would actually be 100% talalay (Talalay is one of two main processes used to make latex and it’s either Talalay or it’s not). Both of the major manufacturers of Talalay latex make a blend that is about 30% natural rubber and 70% synthetic rubber.

Hypoallergenic has very little meaning when it comes to mattresses and it has no specific definition but most foams would be “hypoallergenic” unless you had a sensitivity or allergy to one of the ingredients in the foam. You can read more about dust mites and latex in post #2 here but both blended and 100% natural Talalay would be resistant to dust mites because both of them ventilate very well.

It would depend on the specifics of each mattress and the cover and quilting, your mattress protector, sheets, and bedding. While there isn’t any standard that objectively measures the sleeping temperature of mattresses relative to different people (some people sleep like an oven and some sleep more like an iceberg) … post #2 here has more information about the different factors that can affect sleeping temperature that can help you compare mattresses. Wool is among the best temperature regulators and would be more effective than other types of quilting materials.

The most important part of the value of a mattress purchase (which is what you are really asking) depends first of all on which one is the best match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). If a mattress isn’t a good match for you and you don’t sleep well on it then it would have little value to you regardless of the quality of the materials.

The next most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is the quality of the materials and how long you will sleep well on it relative to the price you paid. If a relatively expensive mattress only lasts a few months or years before it loses its comfort and support and you cross the fuzzy line where you begin to “tolerate” it more than sleep well on it then it would also have little value to you. None of the mattresses you are mentioning have any weak links in terms of durability. Post #2 here also has some thoughts about the Serenity vs an all latex mattress.

After durability … the “value” of a mattress purchase depends on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you and how they compare to your other finalists.

The goal is to eliminate all the worst choices and then narrow down your choices to two or three specific “finalists” that are between “good and good” and then you can make a final choice based on the criteria that are important to you. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to include the Serenity as one of my finalists if it was a suitable choice in terms of PPP.

Phoenix