FoamOrder (Queen 10 inch mattress)
Memory foam layer: 3 inches of 5.3 lbs density
Support Layer: 6", 2.4 lb density
Price: $808
Both Amerisleep and Novosbed have lots of positive reseller ratings. I could not find many online reviews for FoamOrder and MyLuxuryMattress which seem to be better value and is making me nervous purchasing them. Please help me select the best value mattress.
Have you read the tutorial post? There is a link there to a list there of some of the better online memory foam sources that I’m aware of and I would also make sure you’ve evaluated each one based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you including the specifics of their return policies.
You can read a little more about Amerisleep in post #4 here and post #4 here and its sister companies in post #2 here. A forum search on Amerisleep will bring up more information as well. It may also be worthwhile reading some of the issues they have had with issuing refunds in their BBB complaints. As you can see they are more of a marketing company than “mattress people” and while they are probably better “value” than some of the more mainstream options … they are probably the first one I would consider eliminating from your list.
I would also be very cautious with using online reviews to make a mattress choice (see post #13 here).
The next thing I would do is make sure you have had a more detailed phone conversation with the others so that you are confident that the mattresses you are considering would be a good match for you in terms of PPP. This is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase regardless of cost or even quality because if a mattress isn’t suitable for your body type, sleeping positions, and personal preferences then no matter what its price it would have little value to you if you can’t sleep on it. I would make sure that you are confident that any mattress you are considering has a good chance of working well for you and this would include talking with them about any local mattresses that may be similar to the one you are considering and then testing it in person to get a better sense of the feel and performance of the one you are considering. Your local testing can be a very important part of your conversation with each one, deciding on the choice that may be best for you, and the success of an online mattress purchase in general.
Next I would make sure you are completely familiar with the return or exchange policies of each of them. Even with your “best judgement” and the “best efforts” of an online retailer or manufacturer … there is always a chance with an online purchase that you haven’t tested in person that your actual sleeping experience will indicate the need to return or exchange the mattress because it isn’t working as well for you as you’d hoped. One of the most important parts of your personal value equation is replacing hindsight with foresight and making sure you are comfortable with the return or exchange options you have after a purchase including knowing the procedure and any costs involved so you can factor this into your choice.
All of the remaining choices you have use good quality materials and there are no obvious weak links but I would also take your weight into account both to make sure that you are making a suitable choice and if you are in a higher weight range I would consider reducing the use of 4 lb memory foam for durability reasons.
Once you have taken all of this and any of the other parts of your personal value equation into account then you would be down to your finalists and be making comparisons between “good and good” and when there are no clear “winners” then post #2 here can help you make your final choice between them.
With respect to reviews, we work extremely hard to ensure that our customers are ecstatic, even if they need to return their mattress. If you decide to go with Novosbed, it would be fantastic if you could post your own review and link to it from this thread!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thanks for the awesome explanation. To add to my previous post:
I am 5’8" and 175 lbs and my wife is 5’ and 130 lbs. We both are combo back/slide sleepers.
Based on your feedback, I have eliminated Amerisleep and MyLuxuryMattress. I went and tried out TempurPedic Contour Select (similar to Novosbed Classic) and Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme (similar to Novosbed Aria) and liked both mattresses. I will mostly choose Novosbed Classic.
After going through the forum, I have added Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams to my list.
a) Ultimate Dreams 13" (Similar to Cloud Luxe ) → $700
3" of 4lb gel memory foam, 2" of 5lb memory foam, 8" base of premium base foam 1.5 lb
b) Ultimate Dreams 12" (Similar to Cloud Supreme ) → $600
1.5" of 4lb gel memory foam, 2.5" of 4lb memory foam, 8" base of premium base foam 1.5 lb
A few more questions I had was:
Is the 12" inch a good option for my weight since I liked the Cloud Supreme?
I am also a bit concerned with the density of the base foam layer. When I talked to Dreamfoam, they said that is the density of tempurpedic mattresses and they have had no issues.
The Dreamfoam mattresses have a lower price point than most mattresses despite having decent layers of density of foam. They are Certipur certified too. They do have restricted warranties/return policies (20 year and only 30 day return with customer responsible for shipping except Amazon). Does this drive down the cost or should I be concerned about the quality of materials/construction?
P.S: Dreamfoam only offers a free pillow for mattress underground members. They mentioned that 5% discount is no longer applicable.
Thickness isn’t nearly as important as the specific design and the combination of materials that are inside the 12" although if you are comparing two mattresses that are otherwise identical except one has a thicker base layer then the thicker mattress will tend to “feel” a little softer (again for people who would notice the difference).
The support layers generally aren’t the “weak link” of a mattress and it’s true that Tempurpedic reduced the specs of their base foam to 1.5 lbs and for most people it wouldn’t be an issue. In higher weight ranges though where the base foam would be compressed more then it could be more of a factor and in this case someone may be better off choosing a mattress that used higher density foams and paying any extra cost that would be involved. All of this is part of all the tradeoffs that are involved in any mattress choice where PPP, cost, durability, and all the other parts of each person’s personal value equation that are important to that person will play a role in deciding on the “value” of a mattress purchase.
Return policies are all built into the cost of a mattress along with every other feature or option that is part of the mattress or the mattress purchase (such as free shipping etc.). You can see an example of the math in post #25 here. In effect the people who don’t return a mattress pay for the ones who do. The quality of the materials are always more important than a warranty IMO (you can read more about warranties here) and if there is defective construction or materials in a mattress it will tend to show up early in the life of a mattress.
You can also read more about the variables that are involved in durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
I have also been looking at Amerisleep Americana. I need mattresses (twin) for my 89 year old father who is about 5’10" and 117 lbs with back pain from healed fractures and my 86 year old mother who is about 5’5" and 140 lbs. They both spend a good deal of the time in bed and are side/back sleepers. Amerisleep provides more info than in the previous post. The 3" comfort layer is 4.5 lb density/12ILD, the 7" support layer is 2lb density/35ILD.
My parents both have 3" 5lb mattress toppers that are fairly plush. The price, with promotion is $499 each. I will be using the mattresses on Revere Deluxe adjustable beds. It is not feasible for either of my parents to go anywhere to try out mattresses. Our budgetary constraints are tight. Does this sound like a good option. They need to be able to move easily in bed. If it is not a good option, I would appreciate specific mattress suggestions in the same price range. They currently have awful hospital beds with mattresses provided by Medicare HMO plus the toppers. They are moving in with me and I would like to improve upon that. Thanks for any advice and recommendations.
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so that it will be easier for others that are considering Amerisleep to find it.
There is more about Amerisleep and their sister companies and their so called “expert sites” that pose as being independent in post #2 here and the posts it links to. A forum search on Amerisleep (you can just click the link) will bring up more about them as well. While they are in a “better than average” value range compared to most mainstream choices … there are also other options available that may be a better value choice.
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here but the single most important part of a successful mattress purchase is PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict whether this would be a suitable choice for either of your parents based on specs (either theirs or the mattress) or “theory at a distance” so when the people sleeping on a mattress can’t test a mattress in person I would always make sure that you have a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced online retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and is more interested in helping you make the most suitable choice than they are in selling you whatever you are willing to buy so that you have some confidence that a mattress is a suitable choice for their body type, sleeping style, and preferences. While I don’t have any personal experience with this mattress … it only has 3" of memory foam on a firmer support core and their description indicates that it would probably be most suitable for people who sleep on their stomach or back or prefer firmer mattresses and may not be as good a match for someone who sleeps on their side and needs more pressure relief.
With your parents’ extra toppers it may be soft enough for their side sleeping but this will depend on the firmness of their 5 lb topper (5 lb memory foam is usually in a firmer range although this isn’t always the case) and their own sleeping experience will be the only way to know this for certain. With 6" of memory foam there may also be more motion restriction than they would prefer (less ease of movement) because of the slower response nature of memory foam and there may also be some risk with alignment with memory foam comfort layers that are that thick as well (their hips/pelvis may sink down too far over the course of the night which can lead to lower back discomfort or pain). It may also be a little warmer than they would prefer.
In terms of the quality and durability of the materials … the comfort layers and support core of the mattress are both good quality and there are no weak links in the mattress (see the guidelines here).
Finally when you are making value comparisons between mattresses … I would also be somewhat cautious because if the mattress isn’t a good match for them then there may be significant expense involved in returning it because you would need to pay for return shipping which can be quite costly for a mattress that needs to be returned by common carrier.
The mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of that may also be worth including in your research and some of the better lower budget choices for an online purchase are listed in posts #3 and #4 here as well that can help you can make some meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. Again though … I would make sure you are comfortable with the return or exchange policies and any costs involved just in case your choice doesn’t turn out to be as suitable for your parents in terms of PPP as you hoped for and you end up needing to return it.
Thanks Phoenix. I have gone through the basics posts and the Amerisleep posts. I am also thinking about the Casper mattress which seems to have pretty good return policies. In terms of contacting sellers for information, I would like to try to stick with one in the NYC area. I am also considering latex, but is that a realistic option if I need to stay under $500 each for a twin mattress? Has anyone had good experience with a NY area distributor? Frankly, the more I read, the more confused I become.
If you are only considering manufacturers or retailers in the NYC area then post #2 here includes the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the area (although there are many online options outside of the NYC area that would also be well worth talking to that also have good return or exchange policies if you are open to a non NYC online purchase).
While your budget is on the low side for latex … the posts I linked in my last reply that list some of the lower budget latex options I’m aware of do have a few options that would be in your budget range.
Casper is an “all or nothing” choice and would certainly be a better quality/value option than most of the mainstream choices that would be available to you and because they have a good return policy … if it doesn’t turn out to be a suitable choice for your parents based on their sleeping experience then there is little risk involved in trying them although only a twin (not a twin XL) would be in your budget range and this may be a little bit on the short side for your dad (he is only 5" shorter than the mattress).
If you follow the steps in the tutorial one at a time (without missing any) and narrow down your options with each of the retailers or manufacturers you are considering to a single mattress then it will be much easier to make a final choice between your finalists.
Thanks again, Phoenix. I have narrowed it down to a couple of options. I am not sure how compare in the quality of the components.
SleepEZ:
Roma mattress which is on sale for $495,
or
6" latex mattress at $595 - SleepEZ seems to have a very straight forward return policy.
You can see the quality/durability guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here and there is more detailed information about all the variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here.
[quote]SleepEZ:
Roma mattress which is on sale for $495,
or
6" latex mattress at $595 - SleepEZ seems to have a very straight forward return policy.[/quote]
You can see some comments about it here but this is an all 100% natural latex mattress except for the cover which is quilted with a thin layer of polyfoam. It has a different firmness level on each side. Since it is all latex (except for a thin quilting layer) there are no weak links in the design.
The solid core Latex mattress has 6" of blended Talalay latex and has a cotton cover quilted with wool. There are no weak links in this mattress either since latex is a very durable material.
They don’t list the materials in the Eco Sleep Mattress so I don’t know what is inside it.
This is a component mattress that uses 3 layers of synthetic latex which is also a very durable material so there are no weak links in this mattress either. As you mentioned … the layers can be rearranged inside the cover after a purchase to change the comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment of the mattress so in effect it is several mattresses in one (there are 12 possible combinations).
They use 2 lb polyfoam which is also a high quality material so there are no weak links or lower quality materials in this mattress either. As you mentioned it has the same layering flexibility as the Freedom mattress but uses polyfoam instead of synthetic latex.
They also use some very high quality and durable materials in their mattresses and none of their mattresses have any weak links either.