more on Essentia

[kalm]

Hello! I’m writing to you a bit desperate and sleep deprived. I apologize in advance for my lengthy post.
: / I’ve got some very time sensitive questions, though!

I’ve tried combing through the discussions here about Essentia (and endless other info I’ve found online), but I still have some burning questions that don’t as of yet feel answered. I’m hoping maybe you can help me get a clearer picture of their product. First, a little background that might be helpful: we used to own an Essentia mattress and I slept very well on it, once I gave it a week or so to air out with the windows open. I’m in my late 30s and have chemical sensitivities/autoimmune issues AND I have a lot of chronic joint pain which presents especially when I sleep, depending on what I sleep on (shoulder and hip pain - I’m a side-sleeper). Long story short(ish), we no longer have the Essentia and we’ve been caught in an INCREDIBLY expensive and stressful “mattress saga” ever since. Because of my chemical sensitivities, we figured it would be a safe bet to get a VERY clean mattress from a completely transparent company. We went with what I still believe to be among the Gold Standard, Soaring Heart. Sadly, I slept horribly on their mattress (with and without their topper). So then we tried a Berkeley Ergonomics. Not as transparent of a company, but I was able to lie on one at a local showroom. I spent a total of 3 hours on this thing in the showroom, 2 hours of which were consecutive! Admittedly, it was a bit embarrassing (!), but I was determined to not screw this up a second time and throw our hard-earned money away. Mattress Round no. 2 with the Berkeley Ergonomics has been a bit better (I think owing to soft Talalay and a stretch knit cover), but after about 5-6 hours of good sleep, I wake very sore and unable to get comfortable enough to fall back to sleep. This is just not sustainable - I need more sleep than that!

OK, now back to Essentia. We’re considering just going back to what we know works (Essentia), but I’m still not certain it’s the right thing to do and I’m so afraid of not getting this right (yet again). I have searched high and low for weeks for a mattress with (safe for me) foam and/or memory foam on top, because what I’ve realized is that latex is only pressure-relieving to a point. Great for many people, not so great for me. But I still have my chemical sensitivities to contend with, and NOW, of course, I’m also not in a position financially to purchase a mattress that doesn’t come with a trial period and free returns. Essentia, of course, does not offer free returns, but with their mattress there are no unknowns regarding comfort since I’ve slept on one before.

My concern about Essentia is I do not know if the components of their memory foam have in the past or will with a new mattress exacerbate my autoimmune issues/chemical sensitivities. I do know that not getting adequate sleep won’t help my health at all! My search for a mattress with “natural” memory foam (where the word “natural” actually means something) has only turned up White Lotus’s Evergreen Foam, but unfortunately I’ve arrived at this discovery a little late in the game since we can’t afford to risk buying another mattress with no full refund policy (plus, I’m not even sure of how their foam compares to Essentia’s…would be curious to hear your thoughts!). If you know of another company that is cleaner than Essentia re: memory foam/foam (not a top layer of latex), I am ALL EARS.

AND FINALLY, my Essentia questions! Thought they weren’t coming, didn’t you? : P Do you know if it’s true that they make their own memory foam? Because if that were true, then that could potentially help me understand why they do not provide a clear list of all ingredients in their memory foam (because it’s proprietary, right?). Please correct me if my assumption is incorrect.

Regarding their ingredients, all I can find is a list of what is NOT in their mattress. What does this mean to you? Can you read between the lines to deduce what IS in their mattress? If you scroll down a bit on this link, you’ll see what I’m talking about: Toxic Mattress Chemicals - Is Memory Foam Safe? | MyEssentia.com

I have asked them directly if their mattresses contain any petrochemicals and have been told very firmly (nicely, but with certainty) that they DO NOT. Do you think I can believe this?

Beyond petroleum-based products, formaldehyde, and flame retardants (I know they use a Kelvar sock), I don’t really know what else to be concerned about in the Essentia mattress regarding man-made chemicals, off-gassing, etc. Can you help me understand what there might be that could be of concern to a chemically sensitive person?

And FINALLY (finally), can you help me understand the **attached report on their VOC testing? I would love to know what it means and what their definition of “low-VOC” means. I understand that the FTC required them to eliminate their marketing language that suggested their product was “zero-VOC,” but I do not know if Essentia’s response to the FTC is true: “Our natural foams have the same VOC levels as natural foams found in other organic mattresses and latex mattresses. (since VOC’s are found in all latex foam products).”

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and consider this. I anxiously await your answer, as we really need to take advantage of Essentia’s end of year sale if we’re going to do this! It ends on Monday the 2nd! Yikes! : )

[phoenix]

Hi kalm,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I’ve tried combing through the discussions here about Essentia (and endless other info I’ve found online), but I still have some burning questions that don’t as of yet feel answered.

There is very complete and detailed information about Essentia on this forum, so I’ll do my best to help you in your search.

I’m in my late 30s and have chemical sensitivities/autoimmune issues AND I have a lot of chronic joint pain which presents especially when I sleep, depending on what I sleep on (shoulder and hip pain - I’m a side-sleeper).

I’m sorry you have these specific conditions. This certainly would make mattress shopping a very personal experience for you.

We went with what I still believe to be among the Gold Standard, Soaring Heart. Sadly, I slept horribly on their mattress (with and without their topper).

I’m sorry their mattress didn’t work out well for you. They are a member here, and I think very highly of them, their product and their knowledge.

So then we tried a Berkeley Ergonomics. Not as transparent of a company, but I was able to lie on one at a local showroom.

I’m not sure what you mean by “not as transparent of a company”, as I find them to be incredibly informative and transparent about their products and I’ve never had a question go unanswered in any of my conversations with them.

OK, now back to Essentia. We’re considering just going back to what we know works (Essentia), but I’m still not certain it’s the right thing to do and I’m so afraid of not getting this right (yet again).

While you may have had a mattress that worked for you in the past, it is not a guarantee that the exact same mattress is currently being manufactured using the same foams and suppliers. That would be a question you’d want to address with Essentia directly and compare your old mattress to what they currently offer. And of course, even then there is no “guarantee” that this will feel exactly like your old mattress. But it could be a starting point for you.

I have searched high and low for weeks for a mattress with (safe for me) foam and/or memory foam on top, because what I’ve realized is that latex is only pressure-relieving to a point.

All foams will pressure relieve to a point, but of course not eliminate pressure. Certain foams and combinations of versions of those foams with other products will produce unique feels and characteristics, and there’s nothing wrong if one type of foam doesn’t work well for you. If you’ve found something that you like, especially with your very specific needs, then as I mentioned earlier, you have a good starting point.

not in a position financially to purchase a mattress that doesn’t come with a trial period and free returns. Essentia, of course, does not offer free returns, but with their mattress there are no unknowns regarding comfort since I’ve slept on one before.

They do offer a 60 day trial online, with a restocking fee.

My concern about Essentia is I do not know if the components of their memory foam have in the past or will with a new mattress exacerbate my autoimmune issues/chemical sensitivities.

Unfortunately, no one would be able to tell you that except yourself with careful personal testing. Of course your best option is always a visit to a showroom (should you have one nearby) to sample their new product line in person.

My search for a mattress with “natural” memory foam (where the word “natural” actually means something) has only turned up White Lotus’s Evergreen Foam, but unfortunately I’ve arrived at this discovery a little late in the game since we can’t afford to risk buying another mattress with no full refund policy (plus, I’m not even sure of how their foam compares to Essentia’s…would be curious to hear your thoughts!). If you know of another company that is cleaner than Essentia re: memory foam/foam (not a top layer of latex), I am ALL EARS.

There is no such thing as “natural” memory foam, and this has been discussed in detail on the forum previously. You can start by reading this thread and the links contained therein for more information explaining this. The White Lotus foam you mentioned is polyurethane foam. You can read more about so called “soy based” foams or other “plant based” foams in post #2 here . They replace a small percentage of the polyols that are made from petrochemicals with a chemical polyol that is derived from a plant oil. They are basically just polyfoam and in terms of quality can be compared directly with other types of polyfoam based on their density.

Do you know if it’s true that they make their own memory foam? Because if that were true, then that could potentially help me understand why they do not provide a clear list of all ingredients in their memory foam (because it’s proprietary, right?). Please correct me if my assumption is incorrect.

I’m not sure who supplies their foams (but I do think that the foam process and formula originates in Italy), and who does can change over time. The ingredients used to make a polyurethane foam are indeed proprietary, and would not be something that a mattress manufacturer would normally have access to, and if they did they wouldn’t share them with anyone as it would not be theirs to share, and even if you knew the chemicals and the process (which would be unlikely unless you were a foam chemist) having this information would be meaningless for the most part as many of the chemicals used ae used up or rendered inert during the foam curing process. Foam chemistry is an incredibly complicated subject.

Can you help me understand what there might be that could be of concern to a chemically sensitive person?

While I certainly understand (and sympathize) with your situation, asking someone else to guess out of all of the millions of chemical compounds out there to try to deduce what you may or not be chemically sensitive to would of course be impossible.

And FINALLY (finally), can you help me understand the **attached report on their VOC testing? I would love to know what it means and what their definition of “low-VOC” means. I understand that the FTC required them to eliminate their marketing language that suggested their product was “zero-VOC,” but I do not know if Essentia’s response to the FTC is true: “Our natural foams have the same VOC levels as natural foams found in other organic mattresses and latex mattresses. (since VOC’s are found in all latex foam products).”

Most people that are looking for a “natural” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications ( like Oeko-tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, C2C, and CertiPUR-US ) in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough. I would only trust certifications from objective trusted third parties as I listed above and not interpretations of tests results.

My best advice to you, and for the sake of others that may be reading this there are some comments about Essentia and some of the misleading claims they make and some forum discussions with them (as well as some of the FTC issues they have had about their claims) would be to take some time and read this thread and this thread and posts #3 and #4 here ). Some of the discussion in this topic may be helpful as well. I certainly wouldn’t treat the information on their website (or on some of the other websites I’ve seen that write about them either) as a reliable source of “fact based” information and I would also make some very careful “value” comparisons before considering any Essentia mattress because they do tend to be in a higher budget range than other mattresses that use similar materials. All of the questions you asked previously have been answered in these threads.

If you do decide to purchase one of their products, I would phone them and ask if they have a mattress exactly like the old one that you liked, as it would give you the best chance at success, based upon your past experience, if you are not able to sample a product locally.

I know this response may not contain the answers you desired, but you’re really asking questions that are incredibly personal and are in fact unanswerable by nobody except yourself. All I can do is help to offer advice on some of the other topics you brought up and then you can use that information to come up with your own conclusions.

Good luck.

Phoenix

[JTJTJT]

SUMMARY:
I paid a lot of money to Essentia for a product that never shipped. Customer care tried to state that it had shipped and that a refund had been processed. After much effort, I finally got documentation that they agreed to a refund, yet I STILL don’t have my money back after a very long delay. I have reported this to my credit card company. My experience has been terrible. I do not recommend this mattress-buying experience to anyone.

DETAILS:
On Dec 8 2016, I ordered a mattress, 2 pillows and a mattress protector from Essential. On Dec 9, Essentia charged my credit card >$2500. I never received any shipping confirmation or tracking number and so on Dec 17, I emailed Essentia to cancel for a full refund (which is clearly outlined as within the cancellation policy on the Essential website). I never heard back from them and on Dec 19, I called customer care, speaking to Natasha on the phone. Natasha tried to reassure me that my order had in fact shipped on Dec 19 and would be arriving the same day, despite my concern that I was never forwarded a tracking number and also did not understand how multiple items from a mattress factory could be shipped across the country and received in the same day. I continued with my request for cancellation and full refund. Since she had stated that my order had already shipped and was in transit, I asked her what I should do when my order arrived. She stated that I should refuse acceptance of the shipment. This conversation with Natasha happened on (Dec 19, 2016) and as of this writing (Jan 5, 2017) there still has been no notification of shipment, no forwarding of tracking number, nor any arrival of items. On Dec 22, I called Natasha 14 times, all unanswered. My issue on Dec 22 was that on Dec 19, she had agreed to process my cancellation and full refund, yet the money had not been returned and I had not been forwarded any receipt of this refund. Only after a voicemail stating that I would pursue legal action if my refund was not processed did I receive a receipt for refund dated Dec 22, not the day she had agreed to process the refund, which was Dec 19. This receipt for refund on Dec 22 requested that I wait 3-5 more business days for my funds to be returned. On Dec 30, I emailed customer care again because no funds had been returned - did not get any reply. On Jan 4th, I began tweeting at Essential CEO Jack Dell’Accio (you can find these tweets by searching Twitter with #Essentia) to release my >$2500. On Jan 5th, I get a phone call and an email from Natasha of customer care stating that the accounting department “approved” the refund on Jan 5th. She offered me a free pillow for the stress that all of this has caused, which I declined - I want my >$2500 back. As of Jan 5th, the refund is still not in my account and on Jan 5th, I filed an official dispute with my credit card company.

[phoenix]

Hi JT,

I’m sorry to learn of your experience with your Essentia order vand I hope that it all works out for you soon. I’m sorry that I’m not in much of a position to offer you much help (and not having been a part to any of your conversations or exchanges), but I do have a few questions and comments that hopefully can provide guidance for others placing orders online.

On Dec 8 2016, I ordered a mattress, 2 pillows and a mattress protector from Essential.

Did you order the item directly from their web site, as opposed to a retailer with a web site? Which model did you order?

On Dec 9, Essentia charged my credit card >$2500. I never received any shipping confirmation or tracking number

Tracking numbers usually aren’t provided on the day the transaction takes place, as it often takes a few days to have the item readied and then tendered to either UPS or FedEx. At this point I would expect you to have received your tracking documentation, or at least have your email address be included in the UPS or FedEx tracking system so that you would be party to updates on the location of your product. Essentia states that some items can be delivered in as soon as 2-5 days if the item is in stock, and their Standard Delivery policy states the item will arrive within two weeks of the original shipping date here. It sounds like from your information the item never even shipped, or if it did, you’ve not been provided with any documentation to support this.

so on Dec 17, I emailed Essentia to cancel for a full refund (which is clearly outlined as within the cancellation policy on the Essential website).

I would be concerned if I hadn’t heard from them as well, and their policy does state that if a product hasn’t shipped they will issue a cancellation.

I never heard back from them and on Dec 19, I called customer care, speaking to Natasha on the phone. Natasha tried to reassure me that my order had in fact shipped on Dec 19 and would be arriving the same day, despite my concern that I was never forwarded a tracking number and also did not understand how multiple items from a mattress factory could be shipped across the country and received in the same day

As the 17th when you called was a Saturday, it’s possible their customer service wasn’t staffed and that could be the possibility for the delay in calling you back on the 19th (Monday). It may be true that it was showing in the system to Natasha (who may truly just be a customer service rep) and she had no manner of cancelling your order, but as you mentioned I totally agree that if it is showing her that an item had shipped that there would be a tracking number that you should have been provided immediately. You are more patient than I am, as I hadn’t been provided with that tracking number I would have immediately called my credit card company and cancelled my order.

Since she had stated that my order had already shipped and was in transit, I asked her what I should do when my order arrived. She stated that I should refuse acceptance of the shipment.

That is true. If you are cancelling an order with a company and it has already shipped, refuse the shipment when it arrives (take a photo of any documentation and be sure to get the tracking number). Realize that you may be subject to return freight fees and restocking fees – policies will vary by company.

This conversation with Natasha happened on (Dec 19, 2016) and as of this writing (Jan 5, 2017) there still has been no notification of shipment, no forwarding of tracking number, nor any arrival of items. I believe that Natasha lied to me on Dec 19 that my order had shipped, given that there has been no evidence to date to suggest that it ever did.

I hope that’s not the case and that she is simply a customer service representative and her data was showing a shipment in transit, but it certainly doesn’t look good when you aren’t provided with any tracking information.

On Dec 22, I called Natasha 14 times, all unanswered. My issue on Dec 22 was that on Dec 19, she had agreed to process my cancellation and full refund, yet the money had not been returned and I had not been forwarded any receipt of this refund.

If she was showing the item being in shipment, their policy would not have allowed for a refund. They would have waited until you had refused the shipment and the item was returned to them, as stated in their 60 Day Money Back Guarantee. Again, I wasn’t party to the conversation, so I’m only pointing this out as a reference for others who might go through a similar unfortunate experience in the future with cancelling an order from this or any other online company.

Only after a voicemail stating that I would pursue legal action if my refund was not processed did I receive a receipt for refund dated Dec 22, not the day she had agreed to process the refund, which was Dec 19. This receipt for refund on Dec 22 requested that I wait 3-5 more business days for my funds to be returned.

It’s important to bring up here that you should always get as much in writing (or even texts or emails) from a company when pursuing a situation like this. As many attorneys will opine, “If it isn’t in writing, it never happened.” I’m guessing what you received was a statement that a refund would be issued, but it wasn’t an actual copy of a processing with your credit card.

On Dec 30, I emailed customer care again because no funds had been returned - did not get any reply. On Jan 4th, I began tweeting at Essential CEO Jack Dell’Accio (you can find these tweets by searching Twitter with #Essentia) to release my >$2500. On Jan 5th, I get a phone call and an email from Natasha of customer care stating that the accounting department “approved” the refund on Jan 5th.

I’ve found that many companies monitor their twitter accounts more vigilantly than their emails these days, and a tweet with a request for help often receives almost immediate response.

As of Jan 5th, the refund is still not in my account and on Jan 5th, I filed an official dispute with my credit card company - I have documentation stating on Dec 22 (even though it should have been Dec 19) that I should expect my refund within 3-5 business days.

As I stated earlier, you certainly have more patience that I do. I hope you’ve taken very good notes of your phone conversations and have saved all of your tweet replies and emails, as you’ll need those for any credit card dispute.

I’m really sorry that you are going through this whole process, and I do agree with you that this is poor service, especially with no tracking information being provided to you where you could actually trace your shipment and find out what went wrong.

Most consumers are understanding if a company is short on an item, as long as this information is relayed and the consumer is given the option (or an incentive) to accommodate for the slow delay. But this was not the case in your situation and your frustration is certainly warranted.

I’m hoping for a reply from you that your refund has already arrived, and I appreciate you posting here and allowing me to use it as a bit of an example of things to do and look out for as a consumer when ordering online.

Phoenix