Need to decide on a mattress from sleepy's (warranty)

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

So back in 2013 my husband and I bought a Simmons Beautyrest Phenom Supreme Plush at Sleepy’s. We were desperate at the time and needed a bed right away so didn’t bother to do the research. It’s been sagging and relief comes if we turn the bed or when I put my head on the other end but finally we found out about the warranty and they’re giving us credit for a new mattress and box spring. That mattress seemed too soft for us when it was newer so we’re looking for something more firm, but not too firm. I sleep on my back currently and my husband sleeps both on his back and side. I am trying to get pregnant so eventually I will have to sleep on my side as well. My husband gets a lot of pain from rheumatoid arthritis so the mattress we have isn’t too good for that and even I’m getting back pain from that. We are not heavy, I’m 5’4" 135 lbs, he’s 5’7" 166 lbs. Movement bothers me a lot so I was thinking we should get a purely memory foam bed without coils so we were looking at sleepy’s and decided we liked the Serta iComfort Savant III Cushion Firm… but I wanted to go home and do a little research before making the final decision and it looks like it’s not recommended from what I read here… the top 2 inch layer is only 3 lbs density while the other two layers are acceptable 4 and 5 lbs. Well since this is a newer model I looked at reviews of an older one … It looks very similar with the layers and the edge support and there are people who complain about it after 6 months or so… so based on that I’m thinking this is not a very good choice. The woman at sleepy’s who recommended it was actually pretty knowledgeable and I liked her better than the Sleepy’s we went to before. She said that our old mattress had been updated to have coils in it. But she couldn’t really give us information about density for different mattresses so I was trying to research it online at home but it’s difficult to find the information on a lot of mattresses.
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So based on that does anyone have any recommendations for something from sleepy’s (of course we’d have to go to the store and try it out)? We don’t really want to settle with a 3 lb density if that means less durability… We’re looking not to spend more than maybe around $500 if it goes over the warranty which is for $2871 (queen size, including a split box spring). I’m thinking maybe we have to go with coils if we don’t want the sagging? I was hoping not because we tried some memory foam with coils and I could feel movement a lot more on them… but if they’re not as bad as a normal mattress I might be able to deal with it… Also edge support was something my husband really wants because he sits on the side of the bed and doesn’t like it when it sinks down. He also has trouble getting up and I think the edge support helps. One more thing we like about memory foam is keeping us cool… I get hot at night a lot so cooling effects would be good.

2

Hi shelilah,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience with your Simmons Beautyrest but as you probably know premature foam softening and sagging is not unusual at all with major brand mattresses. The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (regardless of how they may feel in a showroom) along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

Unfortunately … like many of the members that have come here with a similar situation you are in a somewhat difficult position where you need to exchange a mattress and may be “locked in” to a store or a specific manufacturer that sells mattresses that I would normally suggest avoiding in the first place and where there may not be any particularly good quality/value options available to you.

While there may not be any great options available to you … there are some suggestions and ideas in post #2 here about the two main strategies that you can use that can help you make the best of a difficult situation.

There is also more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase or exchange), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it (see this article) regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new).

If they can’t tell you the information you need to know about the materials and components in any of the replacement mattresses you would otherwise be interested that would give you a way to assess the durability and useful life of the mattress or if they can but there are lower quality materials that would be a weak link in the mattress in terms of the durability and useful life of the mattress … then I would focus on finding a firmer mattresses that has the least possible amount of either lower quality or unknown materials in the upper layers of the mattress and then you can add a good quality topper to provide any additional comfort and pressure relief that you may need.

If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.

There is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

If a mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP then having a separate topper also has the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is very likely because the upper layers of a sleeping system tend to soften or break down before the deeper layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time. A suitable topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it because it will absorb much of the compression forces that can soften or break down the top layers of the mattress underneath it over time.

Phoenix

3

Thank you. Would putting a good memory foam topper on a hybrid mattress make it so we can’t feel the movement as much?

4

Hi shelilah,

Yes … adding a memory foam topper would reduce motion transfer to some degree (depending on the force of the movements, the thickness of the topper, and on the design and materials in the mattress underneath it).

Phoenix

5

Do you know any stores that would allow me to test toppers? Sleepy’s doesn’t even sell them in store, just online. When we went back, we decided to try the mattress that the saleswoman has had and been satisfied with for 3 years, the Beautyrest Legend Plush. We tried all the other ones in the showroom and this one felt the best, especially in terms of motion transfer. Also we were thinking that it might hold up longer because it’s a conventional mattress instead of entirely memory foam, are we right about this? The saleswoman said that we are, but she doesn’t seem to know everything about mattresses… when I told her that the higher number gauge coils in the plush were weaker than the lower gauge number in the firm she said no I was wrong. So I didn’t argue because I could feel the motion transfer on the firm more even though it was supposed to have the same feature as the plush. We ended up getting the Legend Plush, but when the delivery guys came they wouldn’t remove our old mattress because of what they called a “stain.” I don’t believe that it is a stain and I should have listened to the mattress inspector. He had told me to get the cover dry cleaned but when I asked the warranty department on the phone, they said no, don’t do that, it might mess it up. I realize now that they don’t know what they’re talking about either because on the care guide it does say you can get the cover dry cleaned… so hopefully that will take the spots out… they are only on top of the cover and did not seep through to the other side or to the mattress. I guess in a way it’s a good thing to buy me more time to think about if we chose the right mattress. I’m also starting to doubt the recommendation she gave us for a mattress protector. There are some reviews saying that it sleeps hot and I hate it when I sweat at night. This is the one she recommended sleepys.com/fabrictech-bedliner-trim-with-omniguard-ultra%2C-fits-mattresses-8---13.5-inches-thick/FT60TU.html and this is the one we have now on the Phenom sleepys.com/bedgear-bedgear-basic-mattress-protector/GMPROT.html I get hot sometimes with the one we have now (and the one we have now is torn to shreds in one corner so obviously it’s not good)… I read on some websites in order for a mattress protector warranty to be valid it has to be purchased at the same time as the mattress? So I guess I’m limited to choosing one from Sleepy’s… Let me know what you think … and if I can’t get the stains out or get Sleepy’s to honor their warranty I’m definitely not getting a mattress from there and I will go to a store recommended from this website! But for now… I hope that we get the warranty because it would save us money. Someone from customer support even said the mattress protector we have now has a warranty (which I had no clue about and neither did the saleswoman at sleepy’s) but I don’t think that will work out.
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6

Hi shelilah,

What city do you live in?

It’s unlikely that you are right but it would depend on the specific densities of the foam layers inside the two mattresses you are comparing.

If you have spent more than a couple of hours reading some of the information on this site it’s also very likely that you know more about mattresses and the materials inside them than most of the salespeople in the mainstream industry.

If you can’t find out the thickness and density of all the foam layers in the mattress then I would tend to use the mattress + topper strategy and choose a firmer mattress that minimizes the amount of “unknown” foam because they would almost certainly be low quality and less durable materials.

Any stain on a mattress (even a watermark) can void a mattress warranty.

There is more about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors and some examples of each of them in post #89 here.

Both of the mattress protectors you linked are similar and both have a polyester fabric with a waterproof and semi breathable membrane. Depending on the mattress and on all the other variables that can affect sleeping temperature … some people do notice that they sleep warmer with these types of mattress protectors because the airflow through the membrane is more restricted.

As you mentioned some mattress protectors offer a warranty if they are purchased at the same time as the mattress (as part of the same purchase) but these can be very difficult to make claims against if you have an accident that soils the mattress because they will often claim that you didn’t use proper care instructions and deny coverage. In some if not most cases they will send you a cleaning kit so you can remove the stain yourself but for them to actually agree to replace your mattress would be very rare (almost unheard of).

7

I live in Woodbury, NJ

Thanks for the information. I have been reading quite a bit on this site and the information is helpful although sleepy’s is not, as you mentioned a lot of specifications are not available.

8

Hi shelilah,

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Philadelphia/Wilmington/Trenton areas are listed in post #4 here but you would need to check their websites or call them to find out which of them carry toppers that you could test in person.

Phoenix

9

Thanks, I think I’ll just go with reading reviews as I don’t want to go that far away. Another question… I started thinking maybe we should just avoid memory foam altogether, although most of Sleepy’s mattresses have a little bit of memory foam in them. I was told that the Beautyrest Recharge, as long as the model just says foam, does not include memory foam. The reason I’m thinking we should avoid it altogether is because after I removed the cover on our Beautyrest Phenom I got some very itchy red spots on me, they faded after I put the cover back on and wasn’t touching it, but it made me realize that my arms and legs itch a lot. I was attributing it to dry skin, but when I slept on a normal mattress at my parents house I never was this itchy and my husband thinks he’s itchier than he used to be with this memory foam mattress as well. I never really got red spots from sleeping on it with the cover, protector, and sheets on it but I do get very itchy sometimes… I was wondering if you think this means go without memory foam altogether or would a little bit be okay maybe? Do you know of anyone else who has had this problem?

10

Hi shelilah,

That would be a big mistake IMO.

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful, I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

Reading reviews is one of the least reliable ways to assess the suitability or durability of a mattress.

If you check the law label of a mattress it should list the amount of any memory foam (viscoelastic foam) or polyfoam (polyurethane foam) in the mattress listed by the total weight percentage of each material but it won’t tell you anything about the quality and durability of the foam layers, the thickness of the foam layers, or the position of the specific layers inside the mattress.

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 that any harmful substances or 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 polyfoam and memory foam that Simmons uses is CertiPUR-US certified (see the list here) so their materials would certainly be “safe enough” for most people.
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Having said that … it’s certainly possible that some people may be sensitive to or have some type of allergy to any material even if it has a certification.

I’m not a health professional and I can’t “diagnose” the reasons for your itching (or any other medical issue) but from a layperson’s perspective it seems more likely that any itching or red spots from sensitivities or allergies would most likely be from any materials or fabrics that are closer to or in contact with your skin (such as the mattress cover, your mattress protector, or your sheets and bedding) than the deeper layers and components in your mattress. Some people also sleep warmer on memory foam so I suppose it’s also possible that it could be related to sleeping temperature as well.

This may be “reaching” but it’s also possible that it could be related to bed bugs (see some pictures for comparison here) or from flea bites (see some pictures for comparison here) or some other type of “bites” but there really is no way for me to know for sure so I’m just guessing and I would suggest a visit to a medical professional that can help you find out so you can avoid any suspect materials that could be the cause for your symptoms.

There are probably others that have experienced almost any “symptom” you could describe but I can’t think of any others off the top of my head that have mentioned similar symptoms from sleeping on a Simmons mattress.

Phoenix

11

I’m definitely trying out the mattress - I was referring to the topper. If we purchase a cheaper mattress from sleepy’s, there is a 2 inch latex topper I could order from them to make sure I spend enough for the warranty. If we just go with the legend firm or one of similar price maybe I could purchase a topper from a store and bring it to sleepy’s and try it on the mattress… just an idea, they might let me do that.

It’s definitely not bed bug or fleas, as I only had 2 red spots on my body and they were gone by the next day. When I took the mattress cover off, there was another thing covering the top of the foam and when I was moving it I only ended up touching the actual foam a little. But our heads never itch so I’m thinking if it is the foam the pillows are protecting us and as long as we didn’t get a memory foam topper, the topper might protect us as well.

Thanks for all the advice!

12

Hi shelilah,

[quote]I’m definitely trying out the mattress - I was referring to the topper. If we purchase a cheaper mattress from sleepy’s, there is a 2 inch latex topper I could order from them to make sure I spend enough for the warranty. If we just go with the legend firm or one of similar price maybe I could purchase a topper from a store and bring it to sleepy’s and try it on the mattress… just an idea, they might let me do that[/quote].

A 2 inch latex topper would certainly be a higher quality and more durable material than the top layers in any of the mattresses you are considering but of course you would still need to try some mattress/topper conmbinations to find out which one is the best “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP and I would also try to find a mattress that minimizes the amount of lower quality or unknown foam in the comfort layers as well.

Phoenix

13

Thank you for all your help, Phoenix! I realized something about the saleswoman that I thought we liked. She started to be so pushy about the Legend and the topper she recommended because we liked the feel of it when we laid on it in the store and they were both what she uses. Every time I tried to explain to her that I wanted a topper and why she would talk around me with all this stuff that sounds knowledgeable but I knew that she was wrong and I was right after reading from this forum. So I called to tell her I wanted to cancel the order last night and choose a different bed and that the warranty was approved again… and she still pushed it on us and ended up scheduling the delivery for today. I could not sleep last night worrying about it so this morning we went to another store, tried the GS Stearns Tinsley Ultra Firm and my husband and I both agreed that it felt pretty good. It could stand a little softness but we could probably get used to it without the topper too. So we got the salesman at that store to cancel the order and get us that and a dritec performance mattress protector… I feel so much better now and we will just purchase the topper from a different store.

14

Hi shelilah,

In terms of durability … the GS Stearns Tinsley Ultra Firm would certainly be a better choice than the Beautyrest Legend because the “unknown” materials in the mattress are thinner and the marvelux foam is most likely a little bit higher quality/density than the foam materials in the Legend you were considering. While it wouldn’t be the best quality/value choice if you weren’t “trapped” into an exchange with Sleepy’s … it would be among the better choices they have available and if you find you need some additional softness and pressure relief when you sleep on it then you can always add a topper.

You probably made one of the “best possible” choices they have available given your circumstances.

Phoenix