Mattress shopping in Salt Lake City, UT

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

First off, Phoenix, I have to say thank you for this website and forum. Buying a new mattress is a daunting task, and it is obvious how much work you have put into educating consumers and helping people like me learn how to approach it and be successful. There is so much good information here that was easy to read, and after a few hours on this site I was actually excited to go out and lie down on some mattresses!

I’d like to share how my day mattress shopping went, and I do have a few questions and would like advice in narrowing down my options. Latex Mattress Factory, I chose you as my expert because I am a heavy guy and figured a latex mattress would be more durable than the Casper mattress I bought a few years back. It was fine for a while, but eventually I made a very noticeable impression in the memory foam. It still is functional, but my wife and I are ready for a replacement. We also have a larger budget than we did the last time around, so we’d like to get a king-sized mattress that will be worth the investment.

I read this post for a list of good stores in SLC, Utah, even though it is a few years old. We went to three locations:

  1. Mattress Dealzz
  2. Salt Lake Mattress
  3. 2 Brothers Mattress

So my first question is, are there any updates to where we should shop? These were all great stores, but just want to make sure I’m not missing anything before we make our final decision.

Our first stop at Mattress Dealzz, despite the corny name, went really well! The sales guy was very friendly and answered our questions, and was very knowledgeable about all the details and specifications I asked for (thanks to the guide on this site). There was a wide range of mattresses to choose from, but we narrowed it down to two from the in-store brand. Obviously the second one is way more expensive than the first, but we really noticed a big difference… the pressure relief was the best out of all the mattresses we tested today! I asked for the materials for each mattress and was presented with a nice spreadsheet that told me the layers on these mattresses (from top to bottom):

  • Trinidad Plush Mattress - $1619
    2" Super Soft 15 IFD Foam
    1" 24 ILD Gel Talalay Latex
    2" 19 ILD Talalay Latex
    3/8" 32 IFD Talalay Latex Lumbar Panel (in the middle)
    3" 24 IFD polyfoam (1.8 LB)
    4" 36 IFD polyfoam (1.8 LB)
  • Martinique Super Pillow Top Mattress - $2519
    2" Super Soft 15 IFD Foam
    3" 24 IFD Gel Talalay Latex
    3/8" 32 IFD Talalay Latex Lumbar Panel (in the middle)
    2" 19 ILD Talalay Latex
    1" Zoned layer of 19 IFD Talalay Latex at the foot and head, and 32 IFD in the middle
    3" 24 IFD polyfoam (1.8 LB)
    4" 36 IFD polyfoam (1.8 LB)

So we are leaning heavily toward the Martinique, and our sales guy said he could get us a small discount on it which would help. My second question is, do you think it is worth it? Should we have any concerns about the polyfoam support layer (it felt fine to us in store, but who knows after a while?) I will say they offered a 15 year warranty on these instead of 10, which seems pretty generous.

They also sell mattress protectors in the store for $60. My third question is if that is worth it? Would I be better off finding and getting one myself? It seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the price of the mattress, but I definitely would want to protect something this expensive.

The second stop was right down the street at Salt Lake Mattress, actually named Bradley’s Sleep Center. It is attached to a furniture store, and had plenty of selections. Staff was pretty hands-off, but available if we had any questions. Out of our options there, our favorite was this one:

It felt similar to the Trinidad, and there is plenty of information on their site for the mattress. We were still in love with the Martinique, though.

Our final stop was 2Brothers (referenced from mattressdepartmentutah.com in the original Salt Lake stores post). It was a fine store, and there were a few other customers so the sales guy was not solely focused on us. Our favorite mattress there was an expensive 100% Latex Mattress:

We didn’t stick around long enough to ask for or get the exact IFD and materials used, but you can see on their site that they list the layers as Soft, Medium and Firm Natural Talalay Latex. It felt VERY similar to the Martinique, and as far as I can tell the main difference is that the support core is latex instead of polyfoam. It also costs over $500 more (though the sales guy was willing to discount the price a bit on this one as well). Still, you can see the relative price difference on this one to the Martinique.
My fourth and final question is whether it is worth it to upgrade the support core and get a 100% latex mattress? The articles on this site mention that a latex support core is much more durable than polyfoam, but should we be as concerned about that on a mattress with a 15 year warranty? Should I try to get more detailed information about the materials in the Monaco before making a decision?

If you’ve read this far, thanks for allowing me to put this out there and ask for some feedback. One thing I admire about Phoenix is how you are willing to provide thoughtful responses to the forum users, even if they are asking questions in the wrong spot. That being said, I hope I’m not in the wrong spot! Thanks for any answers or advice you have for me before we make our final purchase.

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Hi trancemark,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :)! I am impressed that you are “excited to try mattresses” after reading the site…well done on your part and thank you for the kind words.

In early 2018 we decided to discontinue the provision of listings of potential retailers in various geographic regions (unless they are already approved site members), because of the difficulty in maintaining such lists in a retail landscape that is constantly changing, and most importantly the confusion it was created with the consumer members who incorrectly assumed that these businesses had indeed gone through the strict qualification process and were approved as members of The Mattress Underground. Such an assumption is unfair to both the consumers seeking assistance, as well as the very businesses and manufacturers who meet the criteria to become Trusted Members of The Mattress Underground.

Regarding the retailers, I am so glad you did receive transparent specifications about the materials in the bed. Obviously, there are a lot of quality materials listed.

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.

Regarding the Martinique model, the top 2" inches of soft polyfoam is in the quilt, which is done by many manufacturers and it has better durability than polyester filler material, but most likely at high BMI, you will see body impressions relatively quickly, also there is no density listed for this 2" quilt layer.

If you have not read the durability guidelines, please give it a quick read. These are our guidelines, but it doesn’t mean the Martinique is the wrong choice, only information for you to be knowledgeable about. Here is the part I am referring to in the durability article:

[indent]If your BMI is 30 or higher:
Higher BMI ranges will need more durable materials and components in a mattress and in a BMI range of 30 or higher I would include any 1.8 lb polyfoam or 4 lb memory foam as a “lower quality/density” material (relative to a higher BMI only) and minimize their use to a total of “about an inch or so or less” in the mattress.

Polyurethane foam: If your mattress is one sided then I would look for 2.0 lb per cubic foot density or higher. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 1.8 lbs per cubic foot or higher.[/indent]

Regarding the $60.00 mattress pad, there are a couple of things to think about. I believe that a mattress protector is always a good idea to protect the mattress from stains and the normal moisture, body oils, and shedding skin that can lead to less hygienic conditions including the dust mite population in your mattress (not to mention protecting it from accidents). Mattress protectors are much easier to wash and keep clean than a mattress cover.
There are different types of protectors available depending on which of the tradeoffs are most important to you, some of the different types and their pros and cons are discussed in post #89 here.

First off, warranties, in general, are not nearly as important as knowing the materials because the reason most people need to replace a mattress is not a manufacturing defect but the loss of comfort and/or support which is not covered by a warranty. Knowing the materials in a mattress will tell you how long the original qualities of a mattress will last relative to other types of materials. Buying from local manufacturers is always better than the national players, but you can read about all this in this post #174.

It’s always better to get more information about any materials, but getting the 3 Talalay latex layers is certainly helpful and allows you to ask more questions if you have them.
You have to make the decision about if it is worth it. Clearly, you have read already that the all-latex mattress will certainly be more durable than the poly foam base core mattress. Also, you can always call any of the trusted members and discuss similar mattresses as the Monaco.

Good luck and keep up the diligent work, I look forward to hearing what decide, please let us know!!

Phoenix

3

Thank you for your thoughtful reply, and answering my questions. That durability guide was exactly what I was looking for when I was asking “Is it worth it”, so thank you for linking that! In the end, since I do have a high BMI, I decided that if I am spending over $2000 on a mattress I did not want it to have a polyfoam core. While I loved the comfort layers of the Martinique, I didn’t think it would be the best purchase for us.

I ended up calling 2 Brothers again to get a little more information about their mattress, and the sales guy was happy to talk in depth about the different layers of their Monaco mattress. From the top-down, it was 1 inch of quilting, 2 inches of soft latex, 3 inches of medium latex, and 6 inches of firm latex. He also informed me about their Paris Mattress, which is slightly firmer (but still very soft overall). That is 1 inch quilting, 1 inch soft, 4 inches medium, and 6 inches firm.

He answered all my questions over the phone, and then offered to take another $100 off the discount we already were offered in-store, and throw in their “premium” mattress protector as well. This brought it close enough to the price of the other option that I felt good about going with the all-latex mattress instead.

I went in the store a few days later to finalize my purchase, and while comparing the Monaco and the Paris I discovered that I was sinking down into the Monaco a bit too much, and my posture felt a bit off on it. The Paris did a much better job of supporting my back, and keeping my spine straight. I made a last-second switch and purchased the Paris instead!

One quick note, while speaking to the sales guy in the store I discovered that the company, “Uinta Mattress”, is the same Diamond Mattress company you mentioned in the earlier SLC-specific post. They changed their name this year, since apparently there is another Diamond Mattress company in California that they were getting confused with. So this is still a local company with lots of experience, just a new name.

Your point about the warranty rang true as well. They provided a document that explains exactly what is and is not covered, and the normal loss of comfort/support is not covered. Going with all-latex makes me feel a lot better about not having to try and rely on a warranty down the road.

The mattress was just delivered today and it was HEAVY! We have it all set up, though, and I’m about to sleep in it for the first night. I’m looking forward to a more comfortable sleep, and no longer grumbling about our old mattress! I’ll try to follow up in a month or so and answer if it was “worth it” for me. Thank you for all your help, and educating people like me!

4

Hi trancemark,

Congratulations on your new mattress! :slight_smile: Well done on your choice.

You are Most welcome. I am glad the durability article was helpful. From your description, both latex mattresses you considered looked like good quality/value products with no weak links and you are correct that for a high BMI, the Paris would be a more appropriate selection.

Thanks for the heads up on the “Diamond Mattress” name change, we are also familiar with the “other” Diamond Mattress in CA, so its probably a good idea for the name change as the CA Diamond Mattress has been around for over 70 years. I am glad its a local company, good to hear.

Good points on the warranty……and yes these all-latex mattresses are heavy!!!

We look forward to your update in another month or so, take your time and enjoy.

Phoenix