NovaForm vs Aerus Weight Difference

Excellent informative site.

So I have narrowed down my options to either Costco’s NovaForm or WalMart’s Aerus, in king size. BUT … Costco shows NovaForm Pure Comfort in king at 110 lbs of weight (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11337725), and Sam’s Club shows Aerus king at 55.8 lbs (http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=185770). This makes no sense. Is this just a typo error?

Also, did anyone go through the same elimination process? How did you arrive to your decision? I like firmer bed, which of the two would be in the harder category? If I could get a 5 lb mattress, I would, but can’t find it anywhere nearby (Vermont).

I slept on TempurPedic for about 12 years, and while it was great, I don’t want to pay that kind of money again. Without an opportunity to try one of these in person I want to go with a product and retailer that has a good return policy.

Thanks for the fantastic site, and thanks for any help or insight.

Bob

Hi Bob,

Nice catch! You are a man after my own liking (checking for the accuracy of descriptions) :slight_smile:

Here’s the math (which you’ve probably already done) …

The Aerus:

Memory foam layer: 3" x 76" x 80" = 10.56 Cu. Ft. x 4 lbs = 42.22 lbs
Support layer: 7" x 76 x 80= 24.63 cu ft.
Total weight (55.8 ) - memory foam weight (42.22) = 13.58 lbs / 24.63 cu ft = .55 lb foam density.

This is clearly not accurate (you won’t see this low density in a support layer).

I think that they put the weight for the thinner and lower density 8" mattress as the weight (it’s also 55.8 lbs).

If you do the same calculations for the queen size 12" mattress, the polyfoam comes out to @ 1.88 lb density which is more in line with what it should be.

NovaForm:

This one doesn’t say the density of the memory foam but using the same formula … if it’s 4 lbs then the density of the base layer is @2.24 and if the memory foam is 5 lb, then the density of the base layer is 1.97 lbs.

My guess (based on what is more typical for Novaform and the description which says “superior support foam”) is that it’s closer to 4 lb memory foam than 5. This answer on the I love Costco site also seems to confirm this although it’s a bit of a crazy answer (saying they don’t measure NutraTemp memory foam in density) …

[quote]
Thank you for your inquiry. Below is a break down of our mattresses at
Costco.com from firmest to softest. All of our mattresses have Nutratemp
memory foam which is not measured in lb. density but will have the
equivalent feel of a 4 lb. meaning the ILD will be between 12-14. The
firmness level for all of our mattresses is based on the layering.
Please see below:
[/quote]

In terms of how it feels … this will depend on the person and their individual weight shape and sleeping position and perceptions. Both of them appear to be “on the firm side” but the Novaform has a thinner memory foam layer which means the support layer would be a little bigger part of the “feel” than with a slightly thicker layer (this would be more true for heavier people who would “go through” a thinner layer more). The Aerus memory foam is probably a little “firmer” but this is a guess and both would have other differences in feel, temperature sensitivity, breathability, and response time as well. Both of them have quite a few reviews and this may be a good way to get a very rough sense of how each may feel for you.

Phoenix

Hi Bob,

I forgot to ask you … if you let me know what city in Vermont (or zip code) I’d be happy to look and see if I know of any better options that are reasonable close to you.

Phoenix

Thank you for your post and for taking care of this site. A tremendous resource. I am in Essex, a suburb of Burlington, zip 05452.

Bob

Hi Bob,

As you may have suspected there aren’t any factory direct manufacturers that are close to you that I know of. There’s not a lot in the area but it may be worth paying a visit here http://www.vtmattressdepot.com/default.asp who is likely one of the better retail outlets close to you and take a look at the Boyd memory foam mattresses. I believe they use at least 4 lb or better memory foam but I would check with the retailer (or Boyd) to see if they have the specs.

They are available at the Boyd direct site here for less so if you like them you may be able to get them to price match. This way you may be able to get similar value and actually try the mattress.

They are also available here for less yet and a search on Amazon for “Boyd mattress” will likely find them for less yet (although I doubt they would price match these)

Phoenix

Thanks - VT Mattress Depot is on my list.

Went to the local VT Mattress Depot and found out the following:

  • all Boyd foams are made in China, but some of them were quite nice when you forget about their origin
  • I liked King Koil’s iMattress (G4 to be more specific), although not as firm as Boyd chinese products, they were made in the US; the price however is quite a bit more

Looking for some feedback. Is the fact that the foam is made in China such a huge (potential) problem? And what about King Koil iMattress, I could not find out the density anywhere, we even called their sales rep … it’s a foam mixed with gel. Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!

Hi bobperk,

Whether a foam made in China is an issue would really depend on who makes it. Some Chinese products are good and some are not so good.There are several Chinese manufacturers who are CertiPur certified* including http://www.healthcaremattress.com/ (aka http://www.hkfoam.com/index.htm ), http://www.sinomax-usa.com/home.html , and http://www.zinus.com/ . This means that the foams that have been listed for each manufacturer have been tested for harmful chemicals, offgassing and durability through a voluntary industry testing and certification program. This helps to differentiate the worst Chinese manufacturers from the better ones. Of course it’s still important to know the foam densities as this is the biggest part of foam quality and durability and being certified doesn’t mean that the foam is a higher density. With memory foam in particular … I would tend to avoid foams that are not Certipur certified or tested through another means such as Oeko-Tex.

ADMIN NOTE: *Removed 404 link|Archived Footprint: certipur.us/pages/for-industry/find-a-foam-supplier/ & replaced with latest CertiPUR list

King Koil is one of the major manufacturers (Comfort Solutions) that I would avoid because they will not supply the specs to their retailers much less consumers. In the rare cases that they do … then of course I would evaluate their value based on the components in their mattress. Trying to find out more information than they supply will get some “terse” answers about it being “proprietary” and a quick end to the call. Comfort solutions like many major manufacturers is part of the problem in the industry rather than part of the solution.

Gel foams are a newly emerging “category” of foam and there are worse ones and better ones. The versions with “particles” or “beads” are the worst IMO because when you add particulates to memory foam it will not only give a false density (that looks higher than it really is) but it will tend to degrade the foam faster. there’s more information about them in post #26 here.

NOTE ADDED: Post #5 here shows an exchange I had with Boyd which indicates that their foams are CertiPur certified and their latex comes from Radium. They have also reached level 1 certification by the Specialty Sleep Association. All of this together indicates to me that their foams are “safe” and I wouldn’t have a problem with them although I’d still want to know the density of any polyfoam or memory foam they contain.

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

Once again - thank you. I am trying to pull the trigger today, and the best value for me seems to be one of the NovaForm mattresses through Costco. I thought about going with Boyd, but the Chinese connection bothers me … plus their 8 inch is too firm, and 12 inch too soft …

NovaForm seems to have their own set of issues, but at least I can send it back, even if it is a huge hassle. They have 3 types of foam mattress that can be bought right now, all 12 inch thick

NovaForm® Deluxe Comfort $700, 3 layers (7 base + 2.5 + 2.5)
NovaForm® Pure Comfort™ $680, 2 layers (9.5 base + 2.5)
Novaform® Gel $800, 3 layers (7 + 2.5 + 2.5)

I called the company and talked to a gentleman who did not know much, basically read to me from some paper I think. The memory foam they use is 4 lbs density according to him.

I asked which of the 3 options is the firmest mattress and he said that the Gel, I find it hard to believe. The Gel has 7 inch base foam with 5 inches (2.5 and 2.5) of “softer” foams on top of it, while the Pure Comfort has 9.5 inches of base with only 2.5 inches of mem foam layer on top. This should mean that if all are equal, the Gel should feel softer than the Pure Comfort. Can anyone chime on this? I don’t mind being wrong, just want to know :unsure:

Bob

Hi bobperk,

Novaform doesn’t supply any of the details about the ILD of the middle or base layers of their mattress so even in theory it’s not really possible to know how firm they may be because part of the feeling of how firm a mattress is comes from the layers below the memory foam and part from the memory foam itself and how far someone would sink in. Different people will perceive the same mattress to have a different firmness level based on which layer they feel the most.

Their gel foam is firmer than their “regular” memory foam though and even though the layer below the gel memory foam is probably softer than their base foam (what they call their textured foam) textured foam could still have a firmer ILD based on the ILD of the foam they use before it is textured. Different people would also feel this layer to different degrees depending on their weight, body shape, sleeping positions, and sensitivity to pressure. It would also depend on how long you lay on the mattress because memory foam in general takes time to become softer and some people call a mattress soft or firm based on their first impression or on how soft/firm it feels when they try to move (when the foam beside their body is still firmer) and some base their “rating” on the feeling after they have been lying on it for longer and how soft and conforming it feels without movement when they have been lying in the same position for longer (the foam under them has softened more). Of course the environment, sleeping temperature, and body heat will also have an effect which makes how any particular memory foam feels different for different people.

Having said all that though … their reviews do seem to confirm that in most people’s perceptions the gel memory foam is quite firm so on average their comments are probably accurate for most people. My own research (and calculating density based on shipping weight) indicates that the novaform gel memory foam is around 4 lbs but because the gel beads are heavier than memory foam … thie would be a false density to some degree and the density of the memory foam polymer itself (which is the basis of durability) would be less than this (meaning the durability would be more accurately compared to sub 4 lb memory foam) and the particles could lead to the foam degrading sooner than another memory foam of the same polymer density (@ 4 lbs).

Phoenix

Placed order for NovaForm Pure Comfort Mattress fully prepared to be disappointed if necessary. I’ll report back when it arrives and after a few days or weeks. Thanks.

Hi bobperk,

I hope you enjoy your new mattress :slight_smile:

I also hope you have better luck with the Novaform than we did (I bought a topper at one time from Costco just to try it out). Both my DH and I had some fairly severe symptoms from it. In all fairness though … that was before the CertiPur program and they may have changed their foam or I may have bought one that was an exception.

I’d be interested to see how you like it.

Phoenix

Hey Bob,

Any follow up from your purchase? Just curious what you think of your mattress!

Thanks,

Joe

Mattress is good, I will keep it. I’m not completely happy, but not disappointed either. It is no TempurPedic, but the price makes up for it. It is very soft for my taste, but so far no backpain, no sleepless nights, except that … I’ve had a challenging several months with a ton of travel, many many late night work hours, honestly I would sleep on anything, so I may not be the best judge. I would pay more for Tempurpedic, perhaps 12-15 hundred, I miss the firm supportive material, but not 2 or 3k.

Good luck.