Hi Napper,
[quote]I was not aware that people refer to foundations without springs as box springs. Lesson learned.
Nice to be informed and have an idea what is going on but at the same time I think you can get too anal, or at least I can. The reasons I would go to a local shop would be quality, value, knowledge and customer service. I think if you have to start analyzing every part of the mattress and boxspring you are buying from a local shop to make sure everything is the right specs and good quality then you should do business elsewhere. Comparing quality and value between competitors is not a bad thing though.[/quote]
If you are dealing with a manufacturer or retailer that is completely transparent about the materials and components in their mattresses then it’s a simple matter to find out all the basic specs (see here) so you can make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses. Knowing the quality and durability of the materials in a mattress is one of the most important parts of making the “best value” choice.
Most one sided mattresses require a firm non flexing foundation and not a box spring which flexes and a box spring with springs can even invalidate the warranty with many one sided mattresses. A box spring that flexes will change the overall feel and performance of a mattress because it’s an “active” part of the sleeping system (unlike a foundation) and with many two sided mattresses a box spring is an important part of the overall “comfort”, support, feel, and performance of the “sleeping system”.
[quote]I would have to believe that Yankee, Mattress Maker, Worley and Gardner along with others sell all
quality products and that they know what they are doing. I am not trying to be abrasive, I appreciate the time and effort of this forum and all the info. I am just saying that for myself, I am confident that If I find the right bed at any of these manufacturers among their better beds and buy it that I will have an overall quality product. Some companies might offer higher quality but then value also comes into play for me.[/quote]
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 …
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
I completely agree that the transparency, knowledge, experience, and guidance of a retailer or manufacturer you choose to deal with can be one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase.
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your more detailed conversations with each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix