New foam mattress + topper

I have decided to by a memory foam mattress from SelectFoam and am currently trying to decide between the SELECT-Conform Regalis Luxe (similar to Temperpedic Rhapsody) and the SELECT-Countour Aurora HD (a pillow-top model similar to Temperpedic Countour-Allura).

I tried several Temperpedic mattresses in the store, and found that the Rhapsody was too hard for my tastes, but really liked the Allura. Reading the specs of the two mattresses on SelectFoam’s website, it seemed to me that the Aurora was very similar to the Regalis, except for an extra half-inch of 7.2lb Soy Memory Foam in a pillowtop style. I started wondering if an extra half inch of soft foam would be worth the extra money, as the Aurora is $700 more than the Regalis. I asked Peter at SelectFoam if instead of getting the Aurora, I could simply put a thin mattress topper on the Regalis to achieve the same pillow-top effect. He told me that because the toppers they sell are only 5lb density and 2 inches minimum, the effect would be similar to the Aurora, but might be softer than the Aurora, closer to their Cirrus Luxe (similar to Temperpedic Cloud Luxe), but with a firmer 7.2lb density foam under the topper.

I am wondering if it is advisable to buy a new mattress with a separate topper right off the bat instead of springing for the more comfortable (and expensive) mattress. However, in the Mattress Underground article " Five steps to your perfect mattress - Tips and tricks", it is suggested that:

This makes me think that getting a mattress with a foam pillowtop is less desirable than a firmer mattress with a topper that can be changed if I need a different firmness or if it wears out. Is my thinking wrong on this, or are there any other factors I am not considering?

Thanks!

Hi kenagross2,

You can see my thoughts about buying a mattress with the intention of adding a topper in post #2 here. While adding a topper can be a good idea if in spite of “best efforts” you end up choosing a mattress that needs additional softness … it also adds to the risk of a purchase because choosing a topper that is a good match for both you and the mattress you are using it on can be almost as challenging as choosing a new mattress in the first place.

A mattress topper combination can certainly provide the flexibility (similar to a component mattress) that allows you to replace just a single layer instead of replacing the entire mattress but a mattress that is a suitable match for you in terms of PPP would be an even more important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase IMO (see post #13 here).

Phoenix

Thank you for your feedback. I am a little worried about doing business with Select Foam due to their “F” rating from the BBB, plus some reviews I have read in this forum of quality issues as well as false advertising. That said, I have also read a number of positive reviews too and they have a risk-free return policy. This is the point in the process where I am paralyzed by indecision.

How much should I heed or ignore these facts?

Hi kenagross2,

You can see some of my thoughts about their BBB rating and some of their customer service issues in post #6 here and post #8 here and this topic and this topic (and the posts they link to).

I’m not aware of any quality issues with any of their mattresses because they all use high quality materials and there are no weak links in any of them. I also don’t know of any “false advertising issues”.

The biggest issue they have and need to address IMO is the speed and timeliness of their customer service, communication, and followup for those customers that have issues after a purchase either with their comfort choice, delivery delays, or with returns and/or refunds.

While I don’t believe there is any risk of loss and to my knowledge all the legitimate issues that their customers have had have all been resolved in the end … if you end up becoming one of their customers who does experience issues with your delivery or other issues after a purchase (or you need to return your mattress), then based on their history there is certainly a higher risk that you will experience delays or a lack of timely communication and followup and that it can take longer to resolve any issues than you may be comfortable with. I would certainly take this and the frustration that can go with it into account and factor it in to your final choice as part of your decision about who you are most comfortable dealing with.

Phoenix

Perhaps “false advertising” is too strong a phase, I was referring to discrepancies between descriptions on the website and what the delivered mattress actually contained, as well as tears appearing on the foam itself:

https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/select-foam-grandis-hd-ongoing-reviewlimitstart=0
https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/select-foam

I am also considering Brooklyn Bedding models, but wanted your opinion of the 4lb and 5lb density foam, is this durable enough for two people (400 lbs total) on the mattress, or would it be more advisable to stick with the 7lb density foam in the Select Foam models?

Thanks.

Hi kenagross2,

It’s unclear where the tear in the photo came from and it’s also a single instance but in either case it isn’t large enough to be a quality issue that would affect the mattress.

They did have some issues with some of their descriptions that weren’t up to date that originated with changes that they made over time that weren’t reflected accurately on their site. I had also talked with them about this but they were also not that significant or enough to affect the quality or value of their mattress … although they were “annoying” because they did create the impression of a manufacturer that wasn’t taking enough care with their online descriptions.

There isn’t a “black and white” answer to this because like most of these types of questions there is are several “it depends” in the answer. For example it would depend on the specific body type and weight distribution of each person, on the order of the layers (lower density materials that are deeper in the mattress will tend to be more durable), on the thickness of the layers, and on some of the other factors that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress outside of just the quality/density of the foam. You can see the general guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here and there is also much more information about the many variables that can affect the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here. In VERY general terms … when you are in higher weight ranges (low 200’s and higher) then I would start to reduce the amount of memory foam that was less than 5 lbs in the top layer of a mattress especially but this is always relative to the more detailed specifics and to the tradeoffs that can be involved between durability and PPP.

Once you are above about 6 lbs or so with memory foam then any additional increase in density will have a much less significant or meaningful effect on durability and the main benefit of higher densities than this (and the additional cost of the material) would be from the properties and performance of the higher density memory foam such as a greater ability to conform to the shape of the body and higher compression modulus (how “supportive” a material is as you sink into it more deeply) and not so much because of greater durability.

Phoenix