I’m shopping for my first non-spring mattress. The discussions on this site have been so valuable. I’ve learned that Costco and Sam’s won’t get me the best mattress; but given their no-fee home pickup return policy I’ve decided to go with Costco. I figure there’s a 50/50 chance I won’t like it, so it seems to be a good way to go for my first try.
I want to stick with $650 or less, and that brings me to the Novaform Flextech 12." Is anyone familiar with this model? The Novaform Gel mattresses are well covered here and one model even by Consumer Reports. But there’s literally no mention of “FlexTech” in reviews or discussions on the internet, outside of two relatively unhelpful reviews on Costo.com.
From the description (and the blurb on the Novaform site [it’s all the way at the bottom]) it seems they might be going for the feel of latex over memory foam. But that’s a grossly uninformed guess. As with most Novaform products, there aren’t any density specs. In this promo video on youtube they mention it is for “people who like to sleep on their mattress, not in it.”: Video link, with short shot of the foam in action.
Any guesses on how it might feel, or how it might compare to the less expensive Novaform 14" gel memory foam model? Simulated latex over memory foam doesn’t sounds good to me (aside from longevity concerns). But I could also see that flextech layer being more like eggcrate or pillowtop material, which I hate.
Novaform phone support says the top 1" layer is 5 lb memory foam, the second 1" layer is 3 lb memory foam, and last (base layer) is 2 lb foam.
Based on what I know about memory foam (which is admittedly little), this doesn’t seem to be what is shown in their video --linked to in my post above-- where the foam shows rather high elasticity with a quick bounce-back, nor what would give anything like the “sleeping on the mattress, not in it” feeling they use when describing the FlexTech mattress. I would think 1" of 5 lb on top, with lesser density below would give a rather cushy feel with a lot of conforming, at least to a level of 2."
I agree with you that the flextech certainly doesn’t respond like memory foam and is more likely to be either latex or some of the very high density polyfoam that is available on the market (such as the ones mentioned in post #2 here). given the price of the mattress I would vote for the polyfoam.
I would also agree that they are going for the “feel” of a more resilient “latex like” material over memory foam although both the flextech layer and the memory foam underneath it are quite thin so you would also be feeling the properties of the support layer underneath it. Even their “weightless” description seems to be somewhat of a reference to the Tempurpedic weightless mattresses which use memory foam over a similar material (in thicker layers).
Without knowing the specifics of the material I wouldn’t want to guess at how it may feel but it seems to me that it would have the surface resilience and feel of a much more resilient material than memory foam with a little bit of the softer and the slower response of memory foam (low quality/density) underneath it combined with some of the “feel” of the top few inches of the support layer.
For so called “uninformed guessing” I’d say you were right on the money
If you buy this I’d be interested in hearing your feedback about it.
Alright, mattress arrived via UPS yesterday around 6p. Unfurled and growing by 6:30. Mattress protector and sheets on by 8p. Some interior wall paint-like smell, pretty heavy at first. But after getting an exhaust fan going and the membrane protector on (just a cover, not an encasement) it was fine to sleep on by 10p. Quality seems good and the motion isolation is great. As of this morning it appears to have risen to it’s full height (it was like this after an hour, actually) but hasn’t quite flatten out on either side yet.
First night on it was alright, but not great. I would say I’ve usually slept on medium firm innerspring mattresses, no pillowtop; comparatively this is (currently) quite firm. Only a little amount of conforming to the body, certainly less than a convention pillowtop. That’s what I was expecting and I like the elastic quality of the top layer – it could be similar to latex, having never felt a latex mattress-- but the unyielding nature of the underlayer is a surprise. When laying on your side or even back the mattress doesn’t allow enough compression to start supporting the non-pokey bits (everything but your butt, hip, shoulder, etc.).
I will obviously give it at least a couple weeks and I do expect it to soften up. Would walking on it help? I’ve read that recommendation, but always thought it sounded unnecessary.
For reference, the temperature is 67-69 degrees, and I weigh around 170 lbs. The mattress is on a queen size “Nomad Platform Bed Frame,” which is great quality for the price; I’ve covered the slats with tempered pegboard (see attachment). If anyone’s interested I can provide dimensions. The center gap is still open, and at 4" I plan to lay some board there as well. But I will have to screw on several blocks of wood along the length to support the pegboard.
Thanks for the update and feedback … and the pictures … I appreciate it
Yes … walking on the mattress can help to open up some of the windows in the foam and help it to break in a little faster and lose some of its initial “false” firmness. There are also a few other things that can also affect the firmness of a mattress in post #2 here which may also be helpful (particularly making sure that there is nothing over the mattress that could be reducing the amount you sink into the foam).
The initial break in and adjustment period with a new mattress can take up to about 90 days or so as the cover stretches a little and the foams lose some of their initial firmness but in most cases it’s well under 30 days.
It’s been something like a week or week and half now, with at least 6 nights of sleep logged on the new mattress. Time for an update.
The mattress has become noticeably softer - at least I think it’s softer…my girlfriend seems to agree. The total experience is tough to describe. Motion isolation is good, it’s easy to get out of, doesn’t sleep too hot, is almost bouncy in a way, and while there is a smell, it’s acceptable for now.
It is just right for sitting on. The bed is nice and receptive to the concentrated weight of your butt, or even an elbow if you’re propping yourself up on your side. At this point in the description, I would consider it to have medium support with a small amount of conforming on the top layer. But once my weight is spread when lying on my back, that’s when it feels like it is not conforming enough or too form. And it’s not that I expect the top layer to conform, I was expecting this by having Flextech foam on top. It’s the middle layer (supposedly memory foam), that’s the one that seems to be calibrated too firmly, or possibly just too thin to properly align my body. Especially my upper back - I get the distinct feeling that the mattress is actively pushing my upper back up, whereas other mattresses have never felt like this.
I don’t think it’s an issue of hitting the firm base layer and feeling discomfort, as you might experience when sleeping on your side. Because I would rate the mattress as a definite ‘medium’ when sitting, but a firm or very firm when laying, I would say it’s as though the mattress was designed for a much denser person, even though at my weight and height I’m pretty fit and couldn’t get much more concentrated weight on me.
Last night was the best sleep yet, or at least I didn’t remember sleeping. And the slight lower backache I’ve had most nights with this mattress wasn’t there (the type of backache I only usually get from sleeping on floors or a camping map). So it hasn’t gotten the hook yet.
This would make sense to me based on the construction. With only a 1" layer of low density memory foam under the top inch of more resilient foam there really isn’t enough thickness to sink in to the comfort layers much and 3 lb memory foam is generally less contouring and “supportive” than higher density memory foam so you could easily be “going through” the top 2" of the mattress and feeling more of the firmness and feel of the support foam underneath.
