What are people’s thoughts on long-term quality of these 3 mattresses?
My wife and I visited a few places and found those comfortable for us. We’re now looking at revisiting the shops tomorrow and making a decision.
Hi Supersienk,
Welcome to the MattressUnderGround. Thank you for your question.
We often get questions about comparing mattresses and what might be best for a particular sleeper. While these questions never have a simple answer as individual comfort can vary greatly among sleeps including couples who sleep in the same bed.
When it comes to quality, or the likelihood of prospective quality there are signs that lead us in one direction or another.
When it comes to determining quality, in general, you can start by finding out Mattress Specifications you need to know for each mattress you are considering Compare these specs against the mattress durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower-quality materials or potential weak links that might affect longevity. If a mattress doesn’t provide this information, it might be best to cross it off your list.
The absence of specifications listed by a company doesn’t necessarily mean their mattress is of poor quality. However, it does raise questions and prompts a closer investigation into why this information is withheld and whether there might be something they prefer you not to know. At the Mattress UnderGround we like to recommend that a mattress have no more than 1" of low quality foam anywhere in the mattress. You will often hear, “A mattress is only as good as its weakest layer or link” One bad layer or component as part of a mattress system can literally take the entire mattress down, like the snowball effect.
If you had not seen it or the specs were not given to you, here are the specs on the Capitol Bedding Mackinac Nights Ultra Pillow Top.
Remember, the preference of an Ultra Plus mattress is part of your own personal preferences, but here are the specs.
Product Specifications:
Mattress Height:
15"
Style:
Quilted Pillowtop With Eight Cloth Handles. Premium Stretch-Knit.
Quilting Layers:
Milliken FR Barrier Quilted To Cover
1" - Quiltflex Polyurethane Foam, 1.2#.
1" - Gel Polyurethane Foam, 1.5#.Comfort Layers:
2.25" - Serene® High Performance High Density Polyurethane Foam, 2.5#.
Nonwoven Pillowtop Inner Panel.
1" - Ultra High-Density Polyurethane Foam, 2.5#.Support System:
Quantum Edge Elite Pocketed Innerspring Unit, Stress Relieved And Tempered Steel, 15 Gauge 6-Turn Bolsa Interior Springs. Adjustable Bed Friendly.
Edge System: Double Row Perimeter Quantum Coil 16 Gauge 10-Turn Pocketed Spring.
Base Layer: 1.25" Firm Polyurethane Foam Base, 1.5#.
Twin Springs: 682
Full Springs: 896
Queen Springs: 1057
King Springs: 1283Origin:
Made in Michigan with American components.
The mattress is using nice density 2.5# Serene foam in the comfort layer along with 2.5# HighDensity foam. Many quality mattresses start at 1.8# HD foam, so Capitol is really dedicating themselves to taking their comfort layer a step further.
Tempered steel 15g 6 turn springs with a double row of 10 turn 16g for added stability around the perimeter of the mattress.
The mere fact that Capitol is providing this information is a statement of confidence in the quality, durability and longevity of the mattress. Something that the legacy brands just cant match these days.
I would encourage you to seek independent online reviews of the “S” brands you are considering. I would offer that S&F, despite the change in manufacturing style since the late 1990’s/early 2000’s may be the better choice of the “S’s” but you will not find any specs on them nor will you on the BR Black. 
No one can tell you how you feel on a mattress, it is a subjective proposition. When you are armed with information about what you are buying, if it doesnt work, you now have a benchmark to make adjustments.
Hopefully this will guide you on the right path.
All the best,
Maverick
Hi there, supersienk, and welcome!
One thing you could try, in addition to Maverick’s excellent info, is to search the forums on ‘Beautyrest Black’ and Stearns & Foster Studio. That should turn up some interesting reading for you as you consider.
As always continue their Return, Refund and Warranty considerations.
Best of luck!