Mattress Stores/Factories in the San Luis Obispo, Ca Area

I searched and found a list that was a couple years old, so I’m just checking to see if there are any updates on options in this area. I’ve read a bunch and need to get out there now and figure out what works for me! Thank you!

Hi joy.cheri,

I did some additional searching in the area and made some revisions to the San Luis Obispo list so it’s a little more up to date and subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the area are listed in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Just fyi GetaMattress has closed. :slight_smile: Thank you so much for that help. It seems like I don’t have a lot of options. We would like to buy our mattress soon and can’t travel (new baby and a toddler too!). Do you think these stores will give us enough of an idea of what we like for us to buy there or order online? I’ve done so much research that I’m a little nervous to go to a normal mattress store! It seems like I won’t get enough value to buy from these stores. I’d like to just buy online, but we have no idea of what we like!

Also, I am concerned with VOCs and chemical flame treatments, so I’m sticking with latex and/or innerspring and inherent silica or wool, so I’m not even sure any of these stores will have the kind of mattresses I’m looking for.

Hi joy.cheri,

Thanks for the heads up … and I’ve removed them from the list. They were one of the better options in the area so it’s unfortunate that they’ve closed.

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

If you have never tried latex then it would certainly make some sense to test some latex mattresses locally (assuming that there are some) just to make sure you prefer the “feel” of latex compared to other types of materials and mattresses.

There is also more about the pros and cons of an online purchase vs a local purchase in post #2 here and this topic.

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.

The most common fire retardant method in the industry is inherent fire barriers which don’t use “chemicals” to pass the fire regulations. There is more general information about fire barriers in post #2 here and the two posts it links to at the end.

Phoenix

Hi joy.cheri,

I called the number for Get-A-Mattress and found out that they are now R&R Furniture and Mattress. While they don’t list them on their website … they carry Pure Talalay Bliss latex mattresses and Diamond mattresses as well which may be worth considering so I’ve also added them to the list.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: shoprandr.com/

The Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses (and possibly some of the Diamond mattresses as well) would give you a chance to see what latex “feels like” (or at least what Talalay latex feels like).

Phoenix

We went to R&R and had a bad experience. Saleswoman totally pressured us to buy something because the company was ending their mattresses, so if we wanted it we had to order today. Turns out they were just changing the outer “ticking”. This was after I pressed her about it. Then she totally lied to me about what was in a mattress. I told her I was looking for a mattress without polyfoam, and she said a mattress (that I had to order today) had only a 1/4 inch of memory foam. I looked at the spec sheet, and there was some other kind of foam. She said she didn’t know if it was polyfoam. Whatever. If it was latex, you’d be telling me. She also didn’t know any of the foam densities. Bah!

The good thing was that we tested out an all latex mattress and just didn’t like the bouncy feel of it. Bummer. So now I am looking for innerspring/latex mattress, which doesn’t seem to be available in our area. The mattress we did like was an Aireloom Maribel. I liked the luxury firm (assuming that is medium-firm), while my husband liked the Firm. Any advice on how to proceed apart from driving to Ventura or Salinas to check out a local mattress maker? I’m nervous about buying a mattress without trying it, but making the drive to those places with our kids seems impossible.

Hi joy.cheri,

I’m glad that you were “armed” so that you knew not to give in to the sales tactics and pressure. If the mattresses that were changing were the Pure Latex Bliss (now called Pure Talalay Bliss) mattresses then you can see the differences in the new models in post #2 here but as you mentioned for the most part it’s only the covers that have changed.

I’m glad you had a chance to test some Talalay latex mattresses. Dunlop latex is less bouncy so it’s possible that you may prefer Dunlop latex. There is more about the general differences between Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here.

There are many people who prefer latex/innerspring hybrids (see post #13 here) and outside of any other local options that may be available in your area … some of the better innerspring/latex options I’m aware of are listed in post #2 here and the post it links to but if you wish to test any of them in person rather than ordering online you would need to check their websites or call them to see if any of them have a dealer close to you.

It’s unlikely that you will be able to find out the type and quality of all the layers and components in an Aireloom mattress at any retailer that carries them (see this article) which means that it generally isn’t worth the time to even test them (see this article) and I would avoid them (along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the specifics of what’s inside them).

If you want to test innerspring latex hybrids then the next step would be to find out for certain whether there are any available in your area by calling the retailers on the list. If there aren’t any available then you would need to decide on whether to consider other types of mattresses that are available locally or to purchase an innerspring/latex hybrid (or any other mattress) online.

If you do decide to consider online options and when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else and their guidance will give you the best chance of success.

If you aren’t confident that an online mattress will be a suitable choice in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) then I would also make sure that you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase to exchange or return a mattress (and any cost involved) to reduce the risk just in case the choice you make doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

Phoenix

I have one more question to which I couldn’t find an answer via searching. Are zip-case mattresses preferable? The zip case appeals to me because I can swap out layers. Also, knowing the comfort layers wear out more quickly, I am also thinking that in ~8 years I could simply replace the top layer and have an almost new mattress. Is this true? Does it matter that these mattresses don’t have tufting? Does tufting affect the durability or wear of a mattress?

Hi joy.cheri,

You can see some comments about the pros and cons of a component mattress with a zip cover where you can choose the type and firmness of each layer vs a “finished mattresses” that has glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.

Phoenix

Thank you! That was very helpful! I called a mattress store and asked them if they had any innerspring/latex mattresses and she told me that mattresses need to have some (non-latex) foam so they can be glue together? Doesn’t sound true, but she was really nice and knowledgeable. Also, she said that soy-based foams offgas less VOCs than oil-based foams. Do you know anything about this? Thank you so much for your time and your help. You have been a lifesaver. I’m donating to your website with great thanks!

Hi joy.cheri,

Your right that this isn’t accurate and there are many latex/innerspring hybrids in the industry that don’t contain any polyfoam (including many in the list I linked previously).

So called “soy based foam” is just polyurethane foam (polyfoam) that has replaced a small percentage of one of the two main chemicals used to make the polyfoam (the polyol) with a polyol that is derived from soy oil (see post #2 here). It is still polyfoam and would be closely comparable in terms of durability to other types of polyfoam that are the same density range.

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications).

Most of the polyfoam that is made in North America (regardless of whether there are any soy based polyols in the formulation or not) are CertiPUR certified and if the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.

Thanks for the kind comments and for the donation as well … I appreciate both of them :slight_smile:

Phoenix