I was able to do some more research over the weekend, so I’m reporting back my findings. Basically I’m still in the gathering information stage, but I can switch to down selecting at any time. It should also be mentioned that I spent rather a lot of time reading the tutorial posts. I might forget a thing or two, but I did read them at least once.
My goal for last weekend was to address the four local retailers that were close to my home. I called one and visited one, leaving two hypothetical stores on my list. I have little in-person shopping time available, so we’ll see how that goes. Because there are so many options available, one metric I’m using as a distinguishing factor is whether or not the mattresses contain any technology to reduce sleeping hot, even given the advice mentioned by Phoenix about how bedding and humidity affect sleeping hot. I feel like since I know I have a problem sleeping hot, I’d like to select a mattress that does something to compensate.
I called American Foam Center on Saturday and spoke to the owner, Robert. He was in a hurry but I was able to ask him some questions. He mentioned the materials he had - latex, memory foam, and polyfoam. I gave him my data and asked what kind of mattress he would recommend. He suggested 3" of memory foam topper (given that I said I wanted memory foam). He said he’s got 4 lb and 5 lb. He said the 5lb ends up costing about $2300 in a king size. He would use poly support layer that’s 1.8 lbs and firm - 45 ILD I think. The thickness of the entire mattress was something that Robert didn’t think was very important. He said what matters is how high you want the mattress to be. I described our platform bed. He also suggested using a 6 inch foundation, a 7 inch support layer, and a 3 inch memory foam comfort layer. He suggested AGAINST getting any mattress with a quilting layer built in. He said the quilting layer tends to give out (create indentations) and then isn’t replaceable. He suggests a mattress pad on top instead. He said with the mattresses he creates, the comfort layer can be replaced when it gives out, which he said would be around 5-10 years. He uses a cotton ticking - that’s all he mentioned when I asked about sleeping hot. I also asked about latex because I’m curious about exploring the option. He said it can be just as soft as memory foam but is more expensive. I forgot to ask about warranty and return policy. I mentioned I was referred through Mattress Underground. He said he’s been making mattresses for 30 years and “people” make it sound more difficult than it really is (that’s you, Phoenix :cheer: ). He doesn’t think foam has really changed that much over the years. Newer technology is not all that different.
Robert’s wife used to run the Fairfax, VA showroom until she passed away. He’s got a salesman in there that he said “isn’t his first choice.” He recommended my going up to Hagerstown, MD to visit him in the factory if I wanted detailed information about the mattress layers. He is thinking about closing the Fairfax location. For this reason and others (little attempt to reduce sleeping hot in these mattresses) I did not visit the Fairfax store in person.
Next, I called Urban Mattresses in Vienna, VA and spoke to the owner, Nathaniel. I asked him questions about the mattresses available in the store and did make it in to visit. I tried almost anything out of curiosity, because I haven’t done that in awhile. I was targeting the Evo ConformaCool by Sherwood. I tried the 5.0 and the 7.0 versions and liked the 7.0 pretty well. But then I tried the Tempur-Pedic Cloud Luxe again and liked that much better. It was my favorite mattress in the store. One difference seems to be that I seem to like thicker comfort layers because I have a chronically injured shoulder, and the thicker comfort layer mattresses do a better job of letting my shoulder sink in while still keeping my spine straight as I am laying on my side. That’s why I liked ConformaCool 7.0 ($2500) and Cloud Luxe (>$4000) best but those price points are a little high. I also liked the conforming feeling of the Cloud Luxe better than the ConformaCool. Other mattresses I tried had latex, and I still don’t prefer that material. I don’t like the springy feeling, but my fiancee did. He rated a hybrid latex-memory foam as his favorite with Cloud Luxe as #2. I am keeping it in mind since one option is to get a split mattress, but it’s typically cheaper to get one solid mattress than a split one and if the Cloud Luxe was #2 on his list then that’s still quite good.
Other research I did included going through the list of online retailers carefully. I pulled the data on any mattress that sounded good to me and compiled it into a spreadsheet, which you can view here. There could be some mistakes, and I am waiting on more info from Restava. One immediate comment is that I’m still not sure whether 4lb (like Cloud Luxe) or 5lb (longer lasting) comfort layer makes sense for me. Many mattresses on this list include both.
Other comments/questions:
- I like to see manufacturers say they have the ability to switch out the comfort layer. I agree with Robert of American Foam Center on this. The comfort layer is more likely to wear out over time than the core. It also means I can choose a 4lb/Aerus foam that has better breathability and still feel like I can switch it out after the 4lb wears out. That’s one reason why I like Sleep Warehouse, even though they have little cooling technology. I also think FoamOrder might be able to do this.
- I like the sounds of the Restava mattress and the price - but I’m not sure about the 1" firming foam on top. What’s that for?
- Also given Robert’s comments about quilting layers, I am a more cautious. I really like the price on My Luxury Mattress (Elegant Bamboo) but I’m not sure about the 1.5" quilted bamboo. Bamboo as a material is good for breathability, but will the 1.5" have durability issues?
- Even though I am able to spend around $2,000, it would be really nice to spend less. That’s why I’m suddenly more interested in Sleep Warehouse, Novosbed, and My Luxury Mattress. By default I would assume Select Foam and Brooklyn Bedding would both be great options for me, but they are on the higher end. It’s still possible, but I want to explore lower prices as well. Plus some of these (Novosbed, My Luxury Mattress) offer a free trial (Sleep Warehouse requires restocking fee). So I could try it and see if I like it with little risk. Also Novosbed is having a sale for the next 2 days, I thought I might mention that.
- I had some trouble reading Rocky Mountain’s info. They top the Brighton 12" with a 2" Bayer Supersoft (IFD 10). Is that another one of those materials that might wear out quickly?
Those are my comments for now. Any feedback is appreciated!