Hi Wideawake,
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.
Phoenix