Mattress Shopping

I’ve been reading lots of postings on the site and reviewing different types of mattresses. My wife and I are looking to replace our 14 yr old Aireloom Innerspring Double-Side Pillow top we purchased when we first got married. It has served us well for the most part; but it is definitely showing her age. Well, it appears a lot has changed over past 14 yrs. Buying a mattress is almost has painful as buying a car.

Thus, I am thankful for this site and it’s members for the invaluable information they have shared. Hopefully, this may help someone else someday.

Today, My wife and I visited a local “big box” “brick and mortar” store that sold all the major brands to do our initial testing. We tested all types of mattresses, innersprings, memory foam, and hybrids (memory foam w/ spring core). We laid on very expensive mattress and some less expensive ones. What was shocking to us was we personal thought our preference would be more toward a firmer comfort-level type mattress, were we wrong. The more mattresses we tested the more we preferred soft, plush, and ultra-plush style mattresses. We’re both on the heavy side. I’m the lower 300’s and my wife is in the mid 200s; so we thought a firm mattress would be essential; but it’s all dependent on the comfort layers and support core. So it appears that we prefer a softer comfort layers; with a firmer core layer.

We were able to narrow down our favorites based on initial comfort to the following mattresses:

  • Serta iComfort Savant
  • Sealy Optimum Inspiration
  • Serta iComfort Prodigy
  • Simmons Comforpedic Renewed Energy

We also tested an adjustable foundation and it definitely on our must have list as well.

As I discovered reading this forum, while these mattress may feel great in the showroom, they’re not made with the types of materials that will last. It was unfortunate that the labels on these mattresses did not reveal the density or the quality of the foam being used. The did list the thickness; but that’s meaningless if you don’t truly know the density or quality.

I was also disappointed that there were no latex mattresses that we could sample. Although we like the feel of the memory foam; it’s my understanding that Latex is more durable and cooler then Foam. Which leads me to a dilemma, will a Latex / Polyfoam or a full Latex mattress feel much different then a Memory Foam mattress?

I’ve also being looking at various other vendor sites; such as: Brooklyn Bedding / Dreamfoam and Rocky Mountain Mattress. It appears they used higher grade materials in their beds; but I am so concerned about purchasing a mattress I have not laid on first.

What further steps should I take to insure I’m making the right decision?

Thanks in advance.

Here’s a breakdown of material listed on the labels of mattresses we liked:

Serta iComfort Savant:
Cover- Blend 67% Polyester, 31% rayon, 2% lycra
Support Layers - 3" KoolComfort Memory Foam, 2.75" Cool Action Gel Memory Foam
Core Layer - 6" ComfortLast Foam Core

Seta Prodigy:
Cover- Blend 67% Polyester, 31% rayon, 2% lycra
Support Layers - 2" KoolComfort Memory Foam, 1" CoolReaction slow-recovery Latex, 2.75" Cool Action Gel Memory Foam
Core Layer - 7" ComfortLast Foam Core

Simmons Comforpedic Renewed Energy:
Cover - Quilt w/ 1" AirCool Memory Foam and TruTemp Gel
Support Layers - 1 1/2" AirCool Memory Foam, 2" Advance AirCool Memory Foam, 2" Independent Support Technology
Core layer - 5" AirCool Transflexion Core

Sealy Optimum Inspiration:
Cover - Flame Resistant sock w/ Five-Way stretched knit
Support Layers - 2" OptiCool Gel Memory Foam, 3" Optisense Memory Foam
Core Layer - 6" OptiCore Plus Foam Core

Hi cviz,

The first place I would start is post #1 here which has the basic information, steps and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices. It will also help you avoid the worst choices including the major brands which you are considering.

With your higher weight it will be important to make sure that any mattress you are considering uses the highest possible quality materials … especially in the comfort layers … because lower density materials won’t last under the stress of your weight no matter how they may feel in a showroom. Unfortunately the specs you listed don’t include the quality of the materials … only the type.

I would also be very careful to make sure you test every mattress carefully for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and not just for “comfort” because all of these mattresses are very soft and could be 'risky" for you … especially in terms of alignment.

Yes … latex and memory foam are very different (see post #2 here) and it would be fair to say they have more differences than similarities. It would be well worth testing a latex mattress locally if there are any available.

Generally the best odds of success are to work with smaller independent manufacturers that either sell factory direct or through better sleep shops. They tend to have much more knowledge and experience in helping their customers make suitable choices and are usually more focused more on educating their customers than “selling” them whatever they can convince them to buy. If there are none of these available locally then it may also be worth considering an online purchase rather than purchasing a mattress that is not the quality or value that you need.

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

Phoenix

Phoenix,

Thanks, I’ve read though many of the guidelines listed here. Hopefully someone locally will have a latex mattress we could try. Our zip is 07731

Hi cviz,

I think post #7 here should help :slight_smile:

Phoenix