Mattress selection wizard

Thanx Basilio, appreciate the honest appraisal.
I’ll look into what you said and come back in for further refinement.
It’s a sad day in America that socipathic predators have taken control of all the markets, esp. the ones that are so necessary for our health and well-being. But thanx to people like you (and me) who don’t give into the devil, there are remedies, even if they are hidden and hard to find.

Hi Basilio,

Below is an example of a mattress I ‘built’ myself.
The problem is, I have no idea of the quality of the materials and workmanship that goes into these mattresses. How do I know for sure, except that people have used them for a decade and write reviews. But as you know, materials and workmanship can drop in quality over time, so how do I know that today’s mattresses made by the a manufacturer are the same quality as they were a decade or more ago?

Also, how do I know if I picked all the right parts and every part that I need for building a mattress?

cadman777 - I’d strongly suggest running that cart by Ken at APM before you place the order. Since you’re apparently building a hybrid with L&P Combi-Zone pocketed coils it would be quite unusual to use 6" of HD Base Foam (very firm base layer meant for support) as your comfort layer above the springs. I’m sure he’d have a better recommendation for your comfort layer based on your size, needs and preferences.

Good luck,

  • Bill
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Thanx Bill.
I just threw that together as a starting point.
The problem with a DIY approach is, you have to first saturate your mind with all the options of all kinds of mattresses BEFORE you can make an intelligent decision. That’s why you see the stupid choices I made in the example I posted. Just reading post after post ain’t gonna do it for me. I need STRUCTURE to make sense out of piles of information.

So, what I need is a chart telling me what goes with what under what circumstances.
Typically we call them WIZARDS.
So I would call this one a ‘MATTRESS WIZARD’.
Where can I find one?

I don’t think that APM has such an online wizard, but Ken is their owner and is a wizard in the flesh. He’s been designing and selling hybrid and latex mattresses for many years and has the experience to help you get a good match for your specific needs. You can email him or call, but he’s pretty busy so it may take some time to get his response.

Thanx for the info.
There are 3 mattress makers here in Florida on your list.
One which is about 1/2 an hour from my house.
Why can’t I buy form them?
But how do I know what I’m getting?

Ken Hightower is the owner of Arizona Premium Mattress.

That’s what I figured.
So how can I know how good they are if they have no retail presence?

They have a showroom but it’s in Phoenix. Your call on who you’re comfortable dealing with, the large mattress companies who have a retail presence across the country or smaller builders who tend to offer better value with more transparency about the materials used. Make sure you understand their return policies up front.

Thanx for the tip.
I get it.
But how do I know what I’m getting unless I can try it out locally?

See, now that’s the problem with buying online compared to buying from local corporate conmen/thieves. You get screwed either way.

One has to wonder what the purpose for our government is if they can’t keep sellers honest? They suck all our money out of us in taxes and regulation from every angle, but what do they give us in return? Protection of the corporate profits for the greedy evil corporate investors.

So I just want to find a g.d. bed that I can sleep in so I can get up and WORK FOR A LIVING b/c I can’t afford to retire b/c the g.d. government and corporations stole everything from me in this evil fiat money economy. Is it too much to ask from this g.d. country that I can find a bed to sleep in that will allow me to get a good night’s sleep? How has this simple part of life turned into a complicated cluster-f**k of greed and trickery? WTF?!

I JUST WANT A QUALITY BED FOR A DECENT PRICE, FOR GOD’S SAKE!

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Hi cadman777,

See, now that’s the problem with buying online compared to buying from local corporate conmen/thieves. You get screwed either way.
I JUST WANT A QUALITY BED FOR A DECENT PRICE, FOR GOD’S SAKE!

I know it can be a frustrating process to find quality, durability, and perfect fit in a product (regardless if it is a mattress or not), and I see the points you made…with mattresses this is exactly why TMU was founded to provide the consumer with as many tools as possible to make an informed decision and fight back on the lack of transparency of the corporate MI and misleading advertising practices that in many cases are just empty words with no substantiating data. More consumers should demand disclosure of specifications for products.

How do I know for sure, except that people have used them for a decade and write reviews. But as you know, materials and workmanship can drop in quality over time, so how do I know that today’s mattresses made by the a manufacturer are the same quality as they were a decade or more ago?
Also, how do I know if I picked all the right parts and every part that I need for building a mattress?

You know about durability from the Durability Guidelines, you know what to look for in a mattress to ensure quality from the Mattress Shopping Tutorial, and the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know, as far as suitability for any particular person … this is a bit iffy …. possibly the main reason there isn’t some universal mattress selection wizard are the many variables: Different BMIs, different sleep preferences and positions, different preference for materials and all the varied health conditions would be almost impossible. Buying a mattress is such a specific purchase that all the reviews, advice, marketing, it all comes down to whether it’s comfortable for you. Even though its more reading this article on layers from @Phoenix will give you an idea of how mattresses are constructed and how to approach a DIY.

I agree with @Sweet_Dreams, it would be worth running your build so far by Ken at APM as it does seem unnecessary multiple support layers . Ken has thousands of satisfied customers and much experience with guiding consumers for a best fit. A benefit of smaller manufacturers is they are able to put more care and quality into their products, as their good name rests on every sale, and they are also better able to customize their products for you. The last thing they want is you receiving a mattress that doesn’t work for you!

I know online shopping, especially for a mattress can be a leap of faith, and In person is always the best way to test a mattress, but we do strive to make sure our Trusted Members offer fair return and
exchange policies in case you don’t get it right the first try; you can also visit the showrooms local to you for in person testing as well. A DIY mattress can be the most rewarding – and frustrating! Way to go with a mattress but I think if you talk to Ken, you can finish the build with confidence it’s built right.

~ Basilio

Hi Basilio,

Thanx for the update.
This has become the same kind of learning curve as getting a career started.
Something’s radically wrong w/that picture.
“More consumers should demand disclosure of specifications for products.”
That’s now impossible since the feds, in their infinite evil greed and power-brokering egos, have passed laws that ‘permit’ sellers to commit fraud and get away with it. That happened a few years ago under Obamination’s rule.

Anyway, it’s going to take me a long time to assimilate all the info that you guys claim I need to know in order to make a good decision.

Thanx for the advice…Chris

I was also overwhelmed with information and thought I had found a good option with Tempurpedic, but they sleep very hot.
After spending another couple of weeks, I decided to try APM… I built my order, called and got Ken on the first call. I am getting all Talalay myself, but I know he carries a hybrid pocket coil version. Knowing that he actually owns the factory and that I can get Talalay for just under $1000 per twin XL. AND pay no sales tax, no shipping etc… maybe I’ll actually like the product… I’m getting one in Medium and one in plush. I can swap out top layers if I am unhappy as the mattress comes with a zipper.
I’m just like you in that it just shouldn’t be this hard to get something as simple as a mattress. I got pulled in by the Tempurpedic marketing and 5 years no interest. After sleeping hot and on a pretty hard bed, I decided I didn’t want the debt, paid the restock fee and they pick them up next week. TPM is producing mattresses next week and since they are coming from Arizona, I’ll have to sleep in the next room for a week… poor me… I’ll live…
Nowadays, everything is a fight and big companies are using technology to maximize profits. APM is an old school company so I’m giving them a try

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Thanx for the review.
I’m glad you feel the same as I do about ‘bad business’ in America.
What we need is morals in business.
But that’s an oxymoron from what I’ve seen in human history!

Thanx for your input. We are dumping our Talalay bed b/c it began getting impressions after 2 years. It’s non-flippable, so that made it even worse. So we rotated it 180° and it got even worse b/c it already began to have depressions. We got a top of the line queen mattress but it didn’t last. It’s going on 7 years old and boy do we sleep bad on it!

So we finally went to the local BedProMattress whoredom and my little lady’ tested out all the beds that seemed of interest. At this point, she liked only one bed, the Stearns & Foster Lux Estate Cassat. It’s adjustable and also has micro-coils in the topper. So that’s our target type bed. But I don’t want to buy form S&F b/c they are known to be cheap junk that don’t last and are very over priced.

So here’s my question: Does anyone know who makes a quality adjustable bed that’s equivalent to or better than the S&F Lux Estate Cassat? If so, which brand/maker?

Thanx…

Aireloom Prefered M1 or M2 Luxetop Firm or Plush

Expensive….but well worth it.
Aireloom has microcoils
M1 has 1 row, M2 has 2 rows

At your previous price point of $1500-$2000….there is nothing.

John

Price is absurd.
I didn’t see ADJUSTABLE in the advert.

It can be put on an adjustable base. Id try it out before judging.

You might want to stick to your price range, but to get anything good you will need to search for floor model and closeouts.

John

The only problem with floor models and closeouts is that they are final sale and not returnable.