Hi all, new member from Sacramento, CA (95835). Ran across this site last weekend while looking for comparisons and reviews of the different memory foam mattresses out there. We had just looked at some at a major chain retailer and since we were debating pulling the trigger I went into full on ocd “check all the reviews” mode lol. Wow I’m glad I did. I thought their claims of “warrantied for more than 3/4”, or 1.5" on a normal mattress" of compression were normal. Now we’re looking at the Berkeley Ergonomics line which seems to get some good praise from what I’ve been able to find here. We actually went and checked them out the next day at a store a bit up the road from us and were really impressed. I think we spent about 2+ hours in there!!
So I guess I’m just wanting to double check that these guys are a good choice and/or if there is anything else in the area we should check into (stores, brands, models, etc.). I thought about checking out the Simmons Beautyrest “TruEnergy” line but worried about the memory and other foam breaking down/etc. For reference for suggestions, both of us are side & back sleepers, probably 60/40 or 65/35 side/back and I’m running about 6 foot and 260lbs, she’s also up there on weight right now (over 200).
IMO … Berkeley Ergonomics make some high quality and good value mattresses. I have talked with their company owned outlet and many of their retail direct outlets and in my experience the people in the outlets that sell them are very knowledgeable, educational, and helpful. They would make a good choice.
Some of the other options you have in the Sacramento area are listed in post #5 here.
You are wise to be cautious here. While the memory foam in the TruEnergy line is good quality (5 lbs mostly) and in fairly thin layers … there are also other foams in the mix which are fairly low quality/density. Like all major brands … they are also not particularly good value and in your circumstances and weights, and with the other choices you have available, I would avoid them.
Thanks, I figured that was going to be the case on the Simmons. I think we’ll go with something from Berkeley then. Oh and yep I did see the stores in that link, it’s how I found the Folsom store that has them. Just popped “Sacramento” in the search box and there it was
Just a quick extra question here. For the body types and sleeping styles I’ve mentioned, which style do you think we should be concentrating on from Berkeley? What I mean is, the 1" latex over microcoils over pocketed coils, or the 2" latex over pocketed coils? So far I think we found the Swedish coils with 2" of foam was most comfortable but we were both sore last Saturday and will be testing again tomorrow before buying. For the microcoil models the one with German coils seemed much firmer, maybe too firm, and the one with Swedish coils was maybe too soft. The 2" foam over German coils was wayyyyy too firm.
The choice of materials (microcoils vs latex in the comfort layers) would be based on your preferences rather than one component being better than another and of course on which one was best for your needs in terms of pressure relief and alignment. The staff at the store would be much more helpful and accurate in giving you guidance in person than anything I could suggest (and without seeing you lying on the mattress in person). Everything always boils down to PPP which means Pressure relief, Posture and alignment , and the many Preferences that make a difference for each person. BE also follows the same “philosophy” and focuses on the same things along with the #1 preference issue which is microclimate and temperature control.
One piece of guidance I would suggest is that if two choices are roughly equal … I would go with the firmer one (either in the support layer or the comfort layer although not at the expense of adequate pressure relief) because it’s easier to make a mattress softer and improve pressure relief that to “firm up” the support. With your weight … a good support system is especially important and I would pay lots of attention to this as well. I would also make sure that you spent lots of time on the mattress together (at least 15 minutes completely relaxed and testing for any difference in motion separation as well).
I would trust your body and their “in person” guidance to explain the difference between your different options and help you make the best choice
Awesome, thanks for the info. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t a situation of 2" foam is better than coils and 1" of foam or something. I was really tempted by the German pocketed coils with the micro-coils and 1" foam, it was almost perfect but it felt a bit too much pressure when I was on my side. However as mentioned we were sore last weekend from the current mattress so it may have affected that. We tried it with the pillow top and it was a lot better, but they also did mention the pillow top only lasts about 5 years and it’s not exactly cheap.
Part of my indecision is that we’re both trying to lose weight so I don’t want to end up with a mattress that is too firm once that happens, but I don’t want to go with one that seems slightly too soft (the swedish pockets with the microcoils and 1" foam) and have it end up being still too soft after we drop the weight. Anyway thanks again for the advice and we’ll definitely spend some time up there Saturday trying them out again before deciding.
The “best” is always the one that works best for you. All of the components you are considering are high quality. Bear in mind too that its always fairly simple to do some “fine tuning” if you need some extra softness or pressure relief in the comfort layers than it is to firm up the support of a mattress that is too soft. There is usually an adjustment period with any new mattress as the mattress “breaks in” to varying degrees and as you adjust to a new sleeping surface. A topper can be an effective way to make adjustments to the base mattress or to changing needs as well (with your coming weight loss) whether it is from BE or another topper from somewhere else. Either way though … once you have chosen what is likely to be your best choice for now … then after the adjustment period it will be more clear if you need any other options and with the coming weight loss you may choose to soften the mattress a little more yet (lighter weights will often need softer materials to achieve the same degree of cradling and pressure relief).
I would make a choice based on your current needs … erring a little on the side of firmness if necessary … and then after the first few weeks or as your needs change make any fine tuning adjustments that are necessary with mattress pads or toppers to create some additional softness as needed. There are many options available for this in a wide variety of price ranges.
Would you post up which firmness you are referring to with the models you tried? A B C or D? Each BE model has 4 different firmness levels.
We currently have the Nordic C/D that is a couple years old that has the bi level German coils that they now only use in their classic Alpine model. this model has the firmer base coils. We find it too firm now for us and I was curious from your post mostly about the models you tried with the new Swedish coils, but they have 2 firmness levels in the pocket coils themselves so knowing which one you are referring to would be very helpful. I need to call them still and see what options we
have in terms of making it softer as per Phoneix’s recommendation. Thanks for your help!
Ok, so the great news is we just got back from buying our mattress whoohoo. The bad news is of course the wait for it to show up lol. So, to answer Scott’s question, we were looking at firmness C for both of us. Also we ended up going with the Swedish coils support layer with the microcoil & latex comfort layer. European Sleep Design up here calls it the Mediterranean XP. We tried most of the mattresses in B-D all on the slat system and then a B version of the mattress we chose on flat foundation which we didn’t like.
As near as I can tell from a store near them we seem to have purchased a newer version of the Nordic than what you are talking about Nordic II HDM | Berkeley CA | European Sleep Works and the store we bought from just gave the mattresses different names. Our store calls the Alpine series the Baltic and the Nordic the Mediterranean.
Probably the best way to make it softer from my interpretation of what Phoenix wrote above, and what we plan on doing if we lose enough weight that we need to, is to get the pillow top for it. Unless of course you have worn out components and then maybe it’s worth it to switch some of the internals out.
Oh, just wanted to mention, I thought it was kind of interesting that the mattress that seemed slightly too soft or not enough support last weekend was perfect this weekend. I guess when you go on a day you’re not having low back/hip pain it’s a good thing lol. Mostly what drove the decision today once I didn’t have to be distracted by my hip was my shoulders. I realized they weren’t sinking far enough in on the German pocketed with microcoils or the swedish with 2" of latex. Even the B firmness wasn’t enough and then my hips would sink too far when on my back. The Swedish pocketed with microcoils in C firmness was perfect this time. :woohoo:
As you mentioned, it’s interesting to see the differences in perceptions that depend on “other” influences such as how we feel physically and even our moods and how that can affect what seems to be the best choice on any particular day. It’s one of the reasons I recommend not buying on the same day as we do our testing because not only can it be important to know that what we feel on one day will be duplicated on other days but also that our perceptions aren’t “mixed up” by testing the performance and feel of many different mattress choices.
You did great research and testing IMO and ended up making a great choice.
As you also mentioned … your choice has also have left open many options if you need to do any fine tuning or if your needs change with your upcoming changes in body weight
I’m looking forward to your feedback when it gets delivered and you’ve had the chance to sleep on it!
I went to that same store over the weekend. Great people! I really appreciated how much they work with you, non-commission based salaries, and the locally made product. My wife was A all the way. I couldn’t make up my mind between B and C. Unfortunately, the price tag was too steep for us. My wife has quite the knack for liking the most expensive mattress in the store.
Congratulations on your new mattress! I’m very much looking forward to hearing your review of it once you’ve had a chance to sleep on it a few nights. Thanks for responding to my questions too. Since you tried all the different mattresses they are now doing I’d appreciate it if you would give me a little more feedback:
How would you compare the firmness of the Baltic (Alpine) with the 2 inches of latex in its two different configurations - the one with the Swedish coils and the one with the bi-level German coils both in the C firmness level? As I mentioned in my last post we have pretty much the same mattress as you bought but with the bi-level German coils instead of their newer Swedish coils. I am interested in how much softer the Swedish coils feel as compared to the German coils and the Baltic probably gave you a good sense of the difference between these two coil systems. We find the mattress too firm now and switching out the base coils to the Swedish ones might be a good option for us. We don’t live close to their Berkely store so a little first hand info from you would be much appreciated before I call and talk to them.
Also, did you find the model you purchased gave you good support in your hip area with no sinking? My trouble is even thought I’m only about 185lbs and 6’ tall I have an athletic build and I must have heavy hips cause on a lot of mattresses my hips sink too far down and this causes lower back pain. And I have broad shoulders so I need the mattress to be soft enough with enough depth for my shoulders to sink in or my arms go numb when I sleep on my side. With our current configuration it’s too firm for my shoulders. So I know I need a soft mattress for my shoulders, but one that also is firm enough for good hip support all at the same time.
Thanks again for posting up your thoughts on their new Swedish coil system,
Hi Scott, so on the Alpine/Baltic in C, the Swedish coils (known now as the ES model) were nearly our choice. It was what we thought we liked back on the 5th. I realized this weekend however that my shoulders did not sink in far enough. The Mediterranean or “Nordic” with the Swedish pocketed coils and topped with the microcoils and 1" of latex in C firmness turned out to be the choice for us. I had good hip support on back and side, and my shoulders also were able to sink in enough on my side.
The regular non-ES Baltic/Alpine which is sounds like you have was like laying on a brick to me. Way too firm. B firmness was ok on my back but as soon as I turned on my side, no way. Hope this helps, if anything isn’t clear just ask and I’ll try to clarify.
Thanks for the update. We have the Nordic mattress in C. Ours has the same base spring set as the Current Alpine/Baltic model with the German bi-level springs and the same micro coil springs as the mattress you bought. For the Alpine models they have the regular one (which has the same base springs as the Nordic that we have), and the ES version that has the new Swedish springs like your Nordic/Mediterania will have. I thought that getting your feedback on the Alpine model which sports both the German and the Swedish springs would be a good way to get your opinion on an apples to apples comparison of their different spring systems.
It sounds like from your experience that the mattresses with the Swedish springs are softer than the one with the German springs but still offered you good hip support. I know from our experience the Nordic did offer more cush than the Alpine when we tried them out. But even so I think that firm German coil is what’s giving us trouble. I appreciate your posting your experience with the different combinations. When you get your mattress please post up your experience with it after you’ve actually slept on it. Thanks again!
The regular non-ES Baltic/Alpine which is sounds like you have was like laying on a brick to me. Way too firm. B firmness was ok on my back but as soon as I turned on my side, no way. Hope this helps, if anything isn’t clear just ask and I’ll try to clarify.[/quote]
One more question! How would you compare the Swedish C firmness coils to the German B coils? Are the German coils still firmer even in the softer version?
Oh hmm I just did a little more looking and now I realize that BOTH of the Nordic/Mediterranean models have Swedish base coils and the difference is the microcoils. For some reason I was thinking one was all German and the other all Swedish. Anyway, yes I did make the comparison you are asking about. On the B firmness my hips felt like they sunk in a bit too much, but for whatever reason (maybe the higher overall coil count?) on my side my shoulders still felt off. In looking at the Sleepworks.com site (in Berkeley) they claim the Swedish on Swedish is excellent for side sleeper and that the German on Swedish in great for back sleepers so that may be why. I’m kind of thinking if you can get a set of Swedish base coils for your mattress you might be set. Or just try out the pillow top addition.
Actually the Nordic III has both German base and micro coils and the regular Nordic has both as the Swedish coils. We first bought the Nordic III in A firmness and it was like sleeping on a rock. The base coils in that mattress are different than the ones in the Nordic we bought. The Nordic we bought has the same base coils as the current Alpine classic model. On the B firmness you talk about above are you talking about the Alpine/Baltic in B or are you talking about the Nordic/Mediteranian in B? I think you are talking about the Alpine ES in B. let me know. Thanks,
I’m talking about the Nordic/Mediterranean in B, specifically this mattress from my local shop Mediterranean 3 Mattress |Folsom CA | European Sleep Design which I believe is the same as this one http://www.sleepworks.com/mattresses/nordic-ii but I can’t be sure because I really thought they said the Med 3 was German on German at my local store and I don’t know if the Nordic II is the direct equivalent anymore or if Sleepworks has not updated their site to the Nordic III you’re talking about. I guess it’s kind of hard when the independent retailers are renaming them and BE doesn’t actually list their models on their website lol.
Edit: If you want I could give my local shop a call and see what the diff was between the Med 3 and the Med 2, I do know they said the Med 3 was a new model. (they still had a plaque for the Med. 2 on the wall in the lineup of plaques for each model describing features of each)
