Hi winter1,
I tried another 20 beds today. There were 3 that were sort of ok. None felt really supportive in the small of my back.
Wow, that’s a lot of Mattress testing! As you know, any mattress you choose will be unique to you based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and underlying health issues) - thanks for providing those! - and your PPP (Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
I am not sure what I like in a mattress. Could you please identify any commonalities between these 3 mattresses since they were all ok? What should I be looking for?
As a lower BMI sleeper, you have many options for sleep systems available to you. You certainly should not have to settle for a mattress that ‘feels sort of okay’…though it can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks to ‘break in’ a mattress, and your body to acclimate to the new mattress as well, feeling ‘unsupported’ can indictate a matress is not a good fit. As for ‘commonalities’ with the matresses you listed…they are all hybrids; 2 have innersprings as well as microcoil layers - which can provide additional support for higher BMI sleepers - and only the TheraLuxe has any information on density of (one) foam layer, and one (Therapedic Immunity) has a 2" latex layer…the common thread here is that there is no transparency of density or components, any quite a bit of proprietary jargon in the components as well; this can hide inexpensive and insufficiently dense foams. Remember, no one can tell you what type of mattress you will prefer or which you will feel comfortable on.
For foams, we suggest any foam in a potential mattress has no more than an inch or so of lower grade foams (for memory foam no lower than 4 lbs/cuft for normal range weights, and 5lbs/cuft for higher range weights) and if polyfoam is used, with at least 1.8 lbs/cuft density, just to ensure you have good support. If the densities and layer thicknesses are not available, personally I
would ‘cross off’ these mattresses from the list…but that’s something to decide for yourself.
I know it can be tedious and frustrating trying so many mattresses; and without an idea of what you do or don’t like, it can be frustrating as you have found. Have you been keeping any sort of list of types of mattress you definitely do or don’t feel comfortable on?
As you have tried many mattresses which you are able to test in person, without luck, not sure what to suggest…keep the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know and the Mattress Durability Guidelines in mind; as you’re hesitant to order online without first trying - but, if you had a ‘short list’ of mattress types you found comfortable for you, you do have the option of reaching out to any of the Trusted Members of the site…if you provide your Stats, PPP and mattress history, and the ‘feel’ you want to achieve, they can assist you in finding a good mattress that meets your criteria.
~ Basilio