Mattress Shopping! Any advice?

[phoenix]

Hi killowatt59,

This is my first post. I am looking for a little help as I am mattress shopping for the first time with a larger budget. I realize I will probably get all types of different answers so I will try to keep my question specific.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

#2. I am looking at going the memory foam route.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).

The best way to know which type of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience so hopefully your preference for memory foam is based on your actual experience rather than “theory” or a belief that it’s either better or worse than other materials or types of mattresses.

#1. I am large guy 6 ft, 280 pounds.

There is more information in post #3 here and the posts it links to that would be helpful for those that are in higher weight ranges

While the process of how to choose a mattress would involve the same steps that are listed in the mattress shopping tutorial … most people in higher weight ranges will generally need or prefer firmer mattresses (firmer materials will feel softer because you will sink into them more) and materials and components that are higher quality and more durable than those that are in lower weight ranges (the materials and components in a mattress will soften and break down faster for those in higher weight ranges than they will for someone that is in a lower weight range that doesn’t compress the mattress as much). I would be particularly cautious about mattresses that use more than “about an inch or so” of memory foam that is less than about 5 lb density or polyfoam that is less than about 2 lb density … particularly in the upper layers of the mattress.

#3. One of my main concerns is buying a mattress from a company and a store with a good warranty, but also a willingness to back up the warranty. I don’t want a bunch of hassle should something go wrong.

Mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words the length of mattress warranties have little to nothing to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it will be until you need to buy a new mattress. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress (usually in the first year or two) but knowing the quality/density and durability of the materials in your mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the relative durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.

So far as far as national store companies go I have checked out Mattress Firm. Does anyone know anything about this store company?

Also I have been leaning toward a Sealy Optimum. I know they have different models, but the inspiration gold and elite are the two I have tried The elite may just be a model made for Mattress Firm?? Can’t find much information on it.

The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (and the major retailers such as Mattress Firm that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

Also I am considering a mattress from the Bowles Company. I’m not sure if they have one I really like so more testing is in order, but it seems the company has a great reputation for taking care of issues. . . And they are located fairly close to where I live. I live in Kentucky.

Bowles is certainly more transparent about the materials and components in their mattresses than the major brands and it would certainly be worth including them in your research as long as any of their mattresses you are considering use materials and components that are durable enough for your weight range.

If you let me know your city or zip code in Kentucky I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Of the the Tempurpedic company is on my list. But it is really hard to justify spending the money on one these beds if there are comparable models elsewhere that are cheaper. I kind of think the Sealy falls into this category.

For the most part Tempurpedic uses good quality materials in their mattresses (although I would tend to avoid their models that use 4 lb memory foam because of your weight range) but there are certainly other options that would be better quality/value choices than Tempurpedic which tend to be overpriced compared to other memory foam mattresses that use similar quality/density materials (see post #2 here).

There are several basically online mattress companies such as Casper, Loom and Leaf, Leesa, Tuft and Needle, but I don’t think it is a good idea to buy a mattress without trying it out first. Even if their company is customer friendly, it seems like it would be a hassle. .

If you are considering online options then there is more about all the mattresses you mentioned and many of the other “simplified choice” mattress in post #2 here. The first post in the same topic would be well worth reading as well. There are certainly many people that are comfortable ordering online with a good exchange/return policy but there are others that prefer to purchase a local mattress that they can test in person first so this is really a matter of individual preference.

While most of the online simplified choice mattresses have a great trial period so you can test them in your bedroom instead of a showroom with little risk outside of the time you spend trying it (or returning/donating it if it doesn’t work out as well as you hoped) … this will only tell you whether a mattress is “good enough” in terms of PPP and not specifically how it compares to other mattresses that you could have purchased that may have been even better or that you may have preferred. When you test mattresses at a local store you can test many different mattresses in a shorter period of time and there may be more than one that would make a suitable choice but your testing can give you a good idea of which of them you would prefer and was more likely to be the “best choice”. You would need to purchase quite a number of online mattresses (and then return the ones you didn’t like as much as your “final choice”) if you wanted to find out which of them was the “best choice” relative to the other options that are available to you.

The tutorial also includes several other links to some of the better online options I’m aware of including a link to a list of memory foam mattresses … some of which are designed to be reasonable approximations of many of the Tempurpedic mattresses as well.

In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix