I was browsing around the Internet and reddit looking for Mattress recommendations and came across this website that seems to be rather knowledgeable in terms of which mattresses to pick out of the lower bracket of mattresses. So I was wondering if you could help me pick a brand that has relatively little off gasing, has a bed more on the soft side that sinks in a little bit. But I would also like one that is bouncy enough for enjoyable sex. I’m also relatively on the heavier side(around 215 but I’m 5’11). Oh, I’m also a side sleeper.
Ps: I would also like the bed to be somewhere in the 200-750 price range for a full/queen size.
Hi Tabby476,
Welcome … and I’m glad you found us 
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else (including me) would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
I’m not sure what you’ve read and what you haven’t since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I would be very cautious about brand shopping in general because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and most manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Many manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from lower quality and less durable materials to higher quality and more durable materials in a wide range of prices. The name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here.
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 (offgassing) so that you have some assurance than the 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 name of the manufacturer on the label.
There are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science. The only way to know for certain whether a mattress will be “soft enough” for you (regardless of whether the same mattress would feel soft to anyone else) will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience.
There is more about mattresses and sex in post #2 here. You certainly won’t find any agreement or consensus about this but it would probably be safe to say that “most” people would probably agree that more resilient materials such as latex and polyfoam and innersprings that have more resilience or “bounce” would probably be their preference over less resilient materials that have no bounce such as memory foam.
The low end of your budget would probably be too low to find a good quality mattress that uses durable materials but in the middle and upper end of your budget you would have some better options available.
If you are considering online choices then some of the better lower budget online options I’m aware of are listed at the end of post #4 here and the other online lists it links to.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area as well.
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
Well I’ve limited mostly down now, but I would like help with finding a good pillow around 100 or below. So do you know any pillows that can be adjusted as far as height(some nights I want a really low profile in order to go to sleep)? I would also like any information you can give on the differences between certain pillows and the materials they use.
Hi Tabby476,
A suitable pillow is an essential part of good alignment for the head and neck and upper body because the gaps between the head and the mattress and the curve of the cervical spine needs to be supported just like all other parts of the spine. Like mattresses … there are certain “needs” that depend on body type and sleeping positions but with pillows, personal preferences play a more important role because the face is much more sensitive to textures, temperature, smells, and other more subjective “feel” based properties of a pillow. There is more about pillows in the pillow thread here.
While I don’t have any specific recommendations … there are quite a number of pillows with a zip cover that use shredded foam or other materials where you can adjust the amount of fill to change the height of the pillow.
Phoenix
This is mostly if not completely unrelated to the thread… But how do companies confirm that a bed was donated in order to do a refund? I know you take a picture of your receipt but receipts can be easily faked so is it just done on good faith? Sidenote… Do companies resell returned beds or do they simply throw them away/recycle them/whatever?
Hi Tabby476,
For the companies that allow you to donate the mattress to receive a refund then a copy of the donation receipt is usually all that they require. I would think that the assumption is that most people are honest but if someone did try to fake the receipt and if the company took the time to verify it with the charitable organization then they would be jeopardizing their refund which probably wouldn’t be worth the risk.
See post #2 here.
Selling a used mattress as new and without a law tag identifying it as a used and sanitized mattress or a rebuilt mattress is against the law and any reputable company wouldn’t jeopardize their business by taking the risk.
Phoenix
There was a lawsuit filed a few years ago where a very large brand was caught reusing componentry from their returned mattresses. I agree with Phoenix that any reputable company would donate/destroy any returned products.
Another area where you really need to be careful would be brick and mortar stores and what they do with returned items for comfort exchanges. These are not generally returned to the mattress manufacturer like warranty defects, and unfortunately in too many cases these items are rewrapped and sold to unsuspecting customers as brand-new products.