@Rad1x, don’t have an official timeline but it may be closer to the end of this week or so. There are some exciting updates to the forum’s look and user experience coming soon, we’ll be sharing the release news soon! Thanks for your patience…and I’m looking forward with much curiosity to your upcoming question 
Hey Ts,
Welcome to The Mattress Underground 
! Thanks for your question.
Congrats on your new mattress shopping journey ! Happy to hear that you’re finding the forum’s articles and tutorials useful for your research; it sounds like you have done a good job identifying yours and your wife’s preferences/ PPP and statistics, an important process for formulating questions when making store visits and searching product comparisons.
I’m curious about your wife’s thoughts on latex having a similar feel to memory foam; was there a particular mattress of the ones you’ve tested that reminds her of your Serta memory foam mattress (BTW, do you know which Serta you have?). Generally speaking, latex foams are of the highest quality materials in the comfort layers of a mattress, also the most breathable and durable of all the different types of foam. You can read more about the differences between latex and memory foam in Phoenix’s article “Mattress Comfort Layers: An Overview”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her preference against latex; what each of us feels in terms of comfort and support in a mattress is unique to the individual. Are there other beds you both have liked before and what type components/ construction did they have?
Sounds like you are charting the far-too familiar depths of “paralysis by analysis” territory, where all of the research, shopping and comparisons lead to frustration and self-doubt in the mattress decision-making/ purchase process. What I would say is: You are not alone, that if all of the mattresses are starting to feel “pretty much the same”, you may be due for a pause/ reset in shopping, and that most importantly, to exercise patience in the process. There is no “right brand/ right mattress” suitable for everyone; however, there are better, more experienced manufacturers out there who have the knowledge and expertise to guide you through this process. You can start here on this forum by reviewing our TMU trusted member profiles and see which ones offer the type materials and construction you prefer in a mattress. We feel strongly about these industry leaders as some of the best in the business in terms of expertise, quality and customer support post-sale. You may also ask specific questions in our “Ask an Expert” forums regarding specialized construction, materials or performance issues to specific TMU member manufacturer/ retailers.
There are many excellent choices in the online bed-in-a-box category, which simply put is a compressed mattress/ sleep system shipped in a box, the seller usually offering generous comfort exchange and return policies to ease the uncertainty of making a purchase sight-unseen. Most all of these type online sites offer either Live Chats or call-in Customer Service Advocates; be sure to have a list of questions ready for helping with your research (you can use examples from this article “Finding a Great Mattress Outlet”). Review all of the exchange and return policies carefully for specifics; for example, a purchase of an accompanying mattress protector may be required for a future mattress return to be processed.
That shouldn’t be difficult to work with, depending on the size bed, materials, etc. you eventually decide on of course varying the costs involved.
Our apologies to you, Ts for the posting inconvenience during this week’s site maintenance . I’m renaming your topic “Mattress Testing: Why Do All Mattresses Start Feeling the Same?” and keeping it here on the “General Mattress Questions” forum. Hope this helps and looking forward to hearing your updates. Best of luck mattress shopping !
Thanks,
Sensei
Hey Ts,
Welcome to The Mattress Underground ! Thanks for your question.
Congrats on your new mattress shopping journey ! Happy to hear that you’re finding the forum’s articles and tutorials useful for your research; it sounds like you have done a good job identifying yours and your wife’s preferences/ PPP and statistics, an important process for formulating questions when making store visits and searching product comparisons.
I’m curious about your wife’s thoughts on latex having a similar feel to memory foam; was there a particular mattress of the ones you’ve tested that reminds her of your Serta memory foam mattress (BTW, do you know which Serta you have?). Generally speaking, latex foams are of the highest quality materials in the comfort layers of a mattress, also the most breathable and durable of all the different types of foam. You can read more about the differences between latex and memory foam in Phoenix’s article “Mattress Comfort Layers: An Overview”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her preference against latex; what each of us feels in terms of comfort and support in a mattress is unique to the individual. Are there other beds you both have liked before and what type components/ construction did they have?
Sounds like you are charting the far-too familiar depths of “paralysis by analysis” territory, where all of the research, shopping and comparisons lead to frustration and self-doubt in the mattress decision-making/ purchase process. What I would say is: You are not alone, that if all of the mattresses are starting to feel “pretty much the same”, you may be due for a pause/ reset in shopping, and that most importantly, to exercise patience in the process. There is no “right brand/ right mattress” suitable for everyone; however, there are better, more experienced manufacturers out there who have the knowledge and expertise to guide you through this process. You can start here on this forum by reviewing our TMU trusted member profiles and see which ones offer the type materials and construction you prefer in a mattress. We feel strongly about these industry leaders as some of the best in the business in terms of expertise, quality and customer support post-sale. You may also ask specific questions in our “Ask an Expert” forums regarding specialized construction, materials or performance issues to specific TMU member manufacturer/ retailers.
There are many excellent choices in the online bed-in-a-box category, which simply put is a compressed mattress/ sleep system shipped in a box, the seller usually offering generous comfort exchange and return policies to ease the uncertainty of making a purchase sight-unseen. Most all of these type online sites offer either Live Chats or call-in Customer Service Advocates; be sure to have a list of questions ready for helping with your research (you can use examples from this article “Finding a Great Mattress Outlet”). Review all of the exchange and return policies carefully for specifics; for example, a purchase of an accompanying mattress protector may be required for a future mattress return to be processed.
That shouldn’t be difficult to work with, depending on the size bed, materials, etc. you eventually decide on of course varying the costs involved.
Our apologies to you, Ts for the posting inconvenience during this week’s site maintenance . I’m renaming your topic “Mattress Testing: Why Do All Mattresses Start Feeling the Same?” and keeping it here on the “General Mattress Questions” forum. Hope this helps and looking forward to hearing your updates. Best of luck mattress shopping !
Thanks,
Sensei
Hi Sensei,
I’m new to TMU so please feel free to correct anything about what I’m saying or make any suggestions about how I’m going about the search. I’ve heard good things about TMU from Reddit and have done a bit of research on what I want in a mattress. I would greatly appreciate your input and some help in finding a reliable mattress that can last 4 years.
To give you some context, I will be moving to Roanoke VA for medical school and I would really prefer to have a bed that is comfortable. I have tight hip flexors which often results in lower back pain and even sciatica. This is 100% due to sitting and studying for extended periods of time for most of my life (I’m 26). For the last two years, I’ve been using a supposedly “firm” Live & Sleep Ultra; this has mostly aggravated the pain over time. Of course, I am doing Physical Therapy and have been trying to reduce the time I sit, but sleep is still a big factor in how much pain I feel every day. I know it’s not due to my health because I exercise regularly (I’m 6’4’', 200lb and in good shape).
RE the type of mattress, I’m looking for an extra firm mattress. The reason I say this is that sleeping on the floor has resulted in the biggest improvement in the pain I feel and reduction of my sciatica. When I slept on the Live&Sleep mattress, the pain returned and my sciatica flared up again. While sleeping on the floor is an option, I would prefer a mattress long term. The only mattress I have found that was suitable for me was a Beautyrest Platinum Haven Pines Extra Firm mattress. I laid on it and instantly felt 110% at ease. I hesitate on this because I see in multiple posts that it is wise to avoid name brands.
Lastly, I’ve scoured TMU for past posts about shops in Roanoke. Most of the links are out of date and the posts more than 5 years old. The ones that work for me are Virginia Furniture Market and Allen’s Furniture and they both only sell name brands like Temper pedic, Sealy, etc. The Rug Mattress and Furniture StoreThe Rug and has a latex mattress but only in firm, and I don’t know how firm that actually is.
In summary, I am looking for advice on either finding a local mattress store in the Roanoke VA area that have extra firm mattresses that can last 4 years or a brand you would recommend that I look for in stores near Roanoke. I’m extremely desperate to find a mattress because I’m at my wits end trying to find something suitable for me. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post. I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Hong
I should also mention that temperature is also a concern. I’ll be in VA and I’m sure summers are hotter than what I’m used to in Northern California. I’ve been searching online and so far, I’ve seen some other recommendations such as the TEMPUR-breeze and Serta iComfort TempTouch. What are your thoughts on their firmness and quality, despite them being name brands? Would you recommend any other non-name brands? Thank you!
Hello Hong -
Congrats on starting medical school! I can certainly understand your desire to have a comfortable mattress to optimize your sleep and minimize discomfort particularly with all of the desk time you spend studying. At least you have a good start on the process by having identified your preference for a firm mattress which seems to best address your specific needs.
I think you’re on the right track to start by checking out a firm latex mattress. There are many TMU trusted members who sell such models but I did a preliminary check and don’t see any closer to Roanoke than about a three hour drive in Richmond which would be Richmond Bedding. So assuming you’d be closer to the Rug Mattress and Furniture Store you identified you could certainly start there by checking out their firm latex mattress. That would at least give you the opportunity to try out a latex model to see how it feels as well as to assess its relative level of firmness as to whether it’s sufficient for you.
There are several TMU trusted members would be able to provide you with latex mattresses that could be configured specifically for your needs and ship to you, as well as providing personalized recommendations based on their many years of experience.
Latex is generally agreed upon as sleeping much cooler than memory foam mattresses like those that you mentioned, in particular since it’s an open cell foam that breathes well to maintain temperature neutrality. MF is generally a closed cell design that inherently sleeps hot since you sink into it and end up surrounded by dense foam which builds up heat. Most MF mattresses try to address the issue by using foam additives to try to draw heat away from the body, but the natural breathability of latex is a better solution to sleeping cool. Another negative to MF is that it’s known for softening and losing its support over time… just look at their warranties and any softening of the material is universally excluded and considered normal. That would be an issue for you given your need for firm support which latex is able to maintain more consistently over a much longer period of time.
Hope this helps, since I know that Sensei and Phoenix are currently having much of their time consumed implementing website improvements.
- Bill
If I understood correctly, I should post my question here … since other mechanisms are currently disabled. If not, my apologies.
I have some questions about using adjustable beds with latex mattresses. In the past, we used a three-layer latex mattress (pure Talalay) on a solid platform bed, and liked it very much. More recently, we used the same type of mattress on adjustable bed (LP iEscape) bed, and ran into two problems: (1) the adjustable bed does not appear to provide the same support as we are used to with a platform bed, and (2) the adjustable platform is actually 2 inches narrower than the state size (58’’ vs 60’’ on queen). As the result our mattress feel very soft and sloping down on the sides. Very disappointing experience.
Hence my question: are these two problems generic with all adjustable beds, or did we just made a porr choice? If we do stick with adjustable bed, should we choose firmer layers of latex in order to get what we are accustomed to on a solid platform bed? Any other advice?
Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Vadim,
Welcome to our Mattress Forum!
[quote]More recently, we used the same type of mattress on adjustable bed (LP iEscape) bed, and ran into two problems: (1) the adjustable bed does not appear to provide the same support as we are used to with a platform bed, and (2) the adjustable platform is actually 2 inches narrower than the state size (58’’ vs 60’’ on queen). As the result our mattress feel very soft and sloping down on the sides. Very disappointing experience.
Hence my question: are these two problems generic with all adjustable beds, or did we just made a porr choice?[/quote]
A quality latex mattress is generally a great fit for an adjustable bed as latex can be moved, folded, and adjusted in any direction one desires. Latex is highly flexible and follows the contour of what is set on. You are mentioning that you are using “the same type of mattress” so I am not clear if you are using the same mattress, if it is a different mattress then it is likely that this is another contributing factor.
I have no experience with the iEscape and I was not able to find out if the decking is solid or slatted but assuming that you are sleeping on the same mattress, in a flat position and that the decking on the steel frame is solid then it should perform similarly to the latex sitting on a platform bed or on the floor. The 1" edge support missing on each side of the mattress should not impact the support you are experiencing when sleeping upon it but I do see how this would cause a “slopping down on the sides” as it would be missing some of the edge support you are used to.
I was able to find that some retailers listed slightly smaller dimensions for this model but I do understand it is disappointing when specs are not exact.
To check all your bases, I would make sure to inspect the underside of the unit with a flashlight when the unit is under heavy load (mattress and person) to determine if there are any loose parts or bending of decking.
I’d suggest that you take a look at the first post in this thread titled “The Best Foundations or Base for a Latex or All Foam Mattress” which may give you more insights. Post #2 in this thread discusses the other features of an adjustable bed that may be important to consider and post #6 here has comparisons between popular adjustable bed bases. that may be of interest.
Phoenix
Hi Vadim,
Welcome to our Mattress Forum!
[quote]More recently, we used the same type of mattress on adjustable bed (LP iEscape) bed, and ran into two problems: (1) the adjustable bed does not appear to provide the same support as we are used to with a platform bed, and (2) the adjustable platform is actually 2 inches narrower than the state size (58’’ vs 60’’ on queen). As the result our mattress feel very soft and sloping down on the sides. Very disappointing experience.
Hence my question: are these two problems generic with all adjustable beds, or did we just made a porr choice?[/quote]
A quality latex mattress is generally a great fit for an adjustable bed as latex can be moved, folded, and adjusted in any direction one desires. Latex is highly flexible and follows the contour of what is set on. You are mentioning that you are using “the same type of mattress” so I am not clear if you are using the same mattress, if it is a different mattress then it is likely that this is another contributing factor.
I have no experience with the iEscape and I was not able to find out if the decking is solid or slatted but assuming that you are sleeping on the same mattress, in a flat position and that the decking on the steel frame is solid then it should perform similarly to the latex sitting on a platform bed or on the floor. The 1" edge support missing on each side of the mattress should not impact the support you are experiencing when sleeping upon it but I do see how this would cause a “slopping down on the sides” as it would be missing some of the edge support you are used to.
I was able to find that some retailers listed slightly smaller dimensions for this model but I do understand it is disappointing when specs are not exact.
To check all your bases, I would make sure to inspect the underside of the unit with a flashlight when the unit is under heavy load (mattress and person) to determine if there are any loose parts or bending of decking.
I’d suggest that you take a look at the first post in this thread titled “The Best Foundations or Base for a Latex or All Foam Mattress” which may give you more insights. Post #2 in this thread discusses the other features of an adjustable bed that may be important to consider and post #6 here has comparisons between popular adjustable bed bases. that may be of interest.
Phoenix
Hi Hong.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum
You are in the right place for guidance when it comes to navigating the mattress buying process.
Thank you for sharing the context and I am sorry to hear about the lower back pain which is aggravated by your current mattress. I am glad that you are already doing physical therapy, but you’re right, people spend one-third of the 24 hours cycle on the mattress and rarely think about the quality of their sleep until some symptoms start to become “visible”
While we do tend to recommend people stay away from the larger name brands for durability reasons and because of the sleep quality diminishing with foam breaking over time …ultimately only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and it doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work for some people. In your case, it is not so much a matter of mattress longevity as you are seeking to get only 4 years of useful life, but depending on the foam density used in this particular model you may start to experience the effects of foam breakdown much before the 4 years mark given your tight hip flexors. Misalignment may trigger muscle tightness resulting in pain so I would make sure to use a mattress that would not develop soft spots (virtual impressions) or sagging (visible impressions) over time.
Generally speaking, there are much too many variables, unknowns, and individual preferences to use a formula or “theory at a distance” to predict how well any mattress will match your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here ) and each manufacturer comfort scale is of internal use as there is no yardstick for comparing comfort (there is no “comfort standard” in the industry).
The information listed on their site for the layers in the (14") Beautyrest Platinum Haven Pines XFirm don’t disclose the foam densities which would allow you to make any meaningful comparisons and assess the quality of the product. The innerspring support layer is rarely a weak link in a mattress but the comfort layers are subject to more mechanical stress and a low-density foam would be a red flag in terms of durability and sleep quality.
Quilt:
- 1" AirCool Foam
- .5" Firm Comfort Foam
- .5" Beautyrest Gel Memory Foam
Comfort Layers:- 1" Firm Comfort Foam
- 1" Back Care 3x Support (2000 pressure relief coils)
- 1" Firm Comfort Foam
Support Layers:- 1000 Series Individual Beautyrest Pocketed Coild
- 1.5" Energy Foam
- Coil Gauge: 13
- 360 Degree 4" Ventilated AirCool BeautyEdge
Without knowing a more complete set of specs of the foams in this mattress, it is impossible to make any meaningful comments.
[quote]Lastly, I’ve scoured TMU for past posts about shops in Roanoke. Most of the links are out of date and the posts more than 5 years old. The ones that work for me are [url=Virginia Furniture Market and Allen’s Furniture and they both only sell name brands like Temper pedic, Sealy, etc. The Rug Mattress and Furniture StoreThe Rug and has a latex mattress but only in firm, and I don’t know how firm that actually is.
In summary, I am looking for advice on either finding a local mattress store in the Roanoke VA area that have extra firm mattresses that can last 4 years or a brand you would recommend that I look for in stores near Roanoke.[/quote]
We stopped making recommendations for stores unless they are a vetted TMU member here of our website as It is quite difficult to maintain and keep up to date records and listings of retailer/manufacturers across the country in an ever-changing landscape of the mattress industry. As we come across new information we revisit and edit the old listings to add/remove any relevant information. There are two Trusted Members who, while not in Roanoke, may be of interest to you. One is CozyPure located in Norfolk, and the other is Richmond Bedding, in Richmond. They may be worth checking them out. They are both experts on our site and would be glad to help with any specific questions you may have.
Aside from that, and subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent about the mattress specs you need to know to make an informed mattress purchase and to make sure that any mattress you are considering meets the mattress quality/value guidelines here.
I would also make sure you review our article on choosing a great mattress outlet, which explains why it is important to narrow down the options in your local area when looking to text a mattress.
I hope this helps
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Thanks very much for your comments (and for this website!). I believe that iScape is simply rebranded L&P S-Cape 2.0 model. I found specs on it and indeed it shows width of 59’'. Vistually all adjustable bed manufacturers promise that their beds fit inside most bed frames. This suggests that ALL adjustable beds are undersized and will cause the overhang and sloping issues with latex mattresses. I am surprised that this is not discussed more, though I did find a number of customers complaining about the “wrong size” beds.
You are correct that I am not using the same mattress, but only the “same type” mattress, and this could be the explanation for difference in support. Thanks for the suggestion of looking at the underside. Not sure that I can see mu because the bed is upholstered, but I will check it out.
Thank you again for your help.
-Vadim
Hi Sweet Dreams and Phoenix,
Thank you so much for the response and detailed info.
So here’s my conundrum. Before I buy the mattress, I want to test it out. (Before actually going, I’ll go through the mattress shopping guidelines on TMU.) The two places you recommended, CozyPure and Richmond Bedding, are incredibly far away for a mattress test. The two way drive is almost 12 hours or more. With school almost starting, I don’t think that’s a feasible trip to just test out a mattress.
Having said that, out of the three name brand mattress lines I listed before (TEMPUR-breeze, Serta iComfort, Beautyrest Platinum) are available at outlets in the Roanoke area. Which one in your experience would more likely serve me best for at least 4 years? Like Phoenix said, " it is not so much a matter of mattress longevity as you are seeking to get only 4 years of useful life, but depending on the foam density used in this particular model you may start to experience the effects of foam breakdown much before the 4 years mark given your tight hip flexors." I know it’s hard to compare, given that there aren’t any spring densities on them. But you mentioned that these brands could work for some people. Given your vast experience in recommending mattresses for people and I’m sure listening to other people’s experiences/stories, which would you estimate to less likely experience sagging?
Tomorrow, I will call some outlets with these name brands and see if they have any spec sheets that have comfort layer foam density information on them.
Best,
Hong
Hong,
The three brands you mentioned have a wide range of products with very different feels and levels of support. I wouldn’t feel confident in recommending any of them for your specific needs without you first trying them out to see which you find comfortable. If you do that and come back with some additional details on their construction I’d feel better about making a recommendation for you. What about the Rug Mattress and Furniture Store you previously identified near Roanoke, could you make it there to check out their firm latex mattress to get a feel for it?
Good luck with your search!
- Bill
Hi Bill,
That’s a good point, I’ll try out the firm latex mattress at the Rug and Mattress Furniture Store to get a feel for it.
So out of the three mattresses I mentioned, I thought they were specific mattresses, not entire lines. I’ve slept on a Beautyrest Platinum Haven Pines Extra Firm mattress. I laid on it and instantly felt 110% at ease. I’m not sure about the other two (Tempur-breeze, and Serta iComfort).
I have never tried a firm latex mattress before, but in the event I don’t like the feel, I was hoping you or Phoenix had a suggestion as to which mattress has had more positive feedback on TMU. Phoenix, please feel free to chime in as well if you have any thoughts!
Thank you both for everything!
Best,
Hong
Hong,
I believe that both the TP and Serta iComfort would have a more typical memory foam feel than the Beautyrest Platinum that you tried and liked. That means they’d both have more of that molding and sinking in type feel where you sleep deeper into the mattress rather than on top of it. They’d likely sleep hotter as well since when you sink into a mattress further you’re more surrounded by the memory foam with less air flow around your body for cooling. It will be interesting to see what your thoughts are on the feel of the firm latex mattress once you try it since you could likely get something similar from several Trusted Members of TMU.
Good luck on your continued mission,
- Bill
Hi Bill and Phoenix,
I tried the firm latex mattress and it didn’t feel too good. I laid down on it for 5 minutes, but when I got up, I experienced back pain. It was pretty instant. I think it was because I still sank into the mattress.
What I discovered the best mattress was one that was more of a flat, hard top. I tried four mattress places in Roanoke, but none had Beautyrest Platinum extra firms. The last one, Mattress Firm, had a Beautyrest Pressuresmart Lux Extra Firm. I compared that with a Tempurpedic Proadapt Extra Firm and the difference was pretty noticeable. After laying on the Tempurpedic for 5 min, I actually felt the same kind of pain as the firm latex mattress from the Rug and Furniture store; unsurprisingly it felt like I sank into the mattress, like you said. However when I laid on the Pressuresmart also for 5 min, the pain went away.
I think I will purchase the Pressuresmart because that feeling was very similar to the Beautyrest I laid on a while ago. It was firm, kinda like the floor. What do you think?
Thank you,
Hong
Hi Hong,
Glad you were able to experience several mattresses for yourself. As you found that’s a very effective way of selecting a mattress that suits your needs and preferences which I couldn’t predict from afar with any degree of confidence. I believe the PressureSmart line from Beautyrest is made exclusively for MF and there isn’t much detail provided about the density of the comfort materials used. You can’t always trust user reviews (particularly positive ones) but looking over the reviews on the MF site there are many negative ones complaining about the mattress lacking durability and forming dips relatively soon. I’d suggest looking into it further and check out the specifics of the warranty and return policies of MF to ensure that if you encounter any similar problems you’d be able to return or exchange it. No one can dispute your own experience on the mattress, I’m only questioning its durability as you wouldn’t want to end up having to buy another mattress sooner than expected.
Regards,
- Bill
Hong,
I think MF has some promotions with the purchase of the BR PressureSmart mattresses at certain prices that include a free adjustable base or possibly other bedding accessories. Be sure to ask about that if you decide to make the purchase or I’m not sure they would include them by default. If you don’t have any desire for the adjustable base you can probably get them to lower the price of the mattress by excluding the base.
- Bill
Hi Bill,
I purchased the BR Pressuresmart Lux XFirm for 1520 (original price 1800). I opted for a metal platform base instead; I think it fits my needs. The mattress has a 10-year warranty that covers dips/sags greater than 1.5 in. There is a 120 day trial during which I can opt to exchange or have a full refund (minus some fees).
This was the lowest price I could ask of them, and I asked multiple times multiple ways haha. The only downside is that it has to come from a warehouse a bit aways and the earliest they can deliver and I can pick up is August 15. If you have any other input, please let me know.
Otherwise, I want to thank you for your help. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to give me advice.
Best,
Hong
Hi Hong,
Good luck with your new mattress, I hope you find that it meets your needs. Enjoy it in the best of health.
Regards,
- Bill