obasan acadia 4.0 alternatives

I found an Obasan Acadia 4.0 mattress at one of their few retailers here in Victoria, which is 3 layers of 4" Dunlop latex. The bottom layer was medium, the middle layer was cut into three zones going soft / firm / medium for head / waist / toe, and the top layer was soft. It was very comfortable after limited testing, but the queen size was $4600 CAD + 15% tax without the foundation which was about another $1000. Previously I considered a Simmons Beautyrest Black at The Bay for $1700 + tax to be expensive but potentially worth it. I tried a 10" version which was $600 cheaper, but I could feel the foundation if I sat down too quickly, i.e. the latex compressed into a rock, and that would end up annoying me.

http://www.goodplanet.com/natural-mattresses-and-accessories/obasan-organic-sleep-systems/obasan-acadia-organic-mattress-4.0.html

I know that they’re a quality manufacturer, I was just wondering what cheaper but equivalent options there may be, here or in Vancouver. I also understand that amortized over the number of years (30? really?) it could be a very good investment.

Also, is the soft / firm / medium layout something that works for people? I’m a side / stomach sleeper as is my girlfriend. The girl in the store said that you could move the pieces around, and that you don’t really put much pressure on the feet, so if the top was too soft then you could move the medium up there.

Thanks for any help and this resource.

Hi luckyc,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Hopefully you’ve had the chance to read the mattress shopping tutorial which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

I would be very cautious about considering any of the major brand mattresses (see the guidelines here) because they tend to use lower quality materials in the comfort layers which tend to soften and break down much too quickly relative to the price you are paying and the loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening isn’t covered by a mattress warranty. You can see an example of a Beautyrest Black mattress here (click overview) and as you can see the quality/density of their foam layers are much lower than I would suggest (see the foam quality/density guidelines here).

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one in post #9 here.

If another mattress had the same type and blend of latex and all the layer thicknesses and firmness levels and zones were the same in two mattresses and they both have a very similar cover then they would be close approximations but since it’s unlikely that you will find another mattress that has exactly the same design the only reliable way to know how one mattress would compare to another one in terms of comfort and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) would be based on your own personal testing or experience.

In terms of comparing the quality/durability of another mattress then any mattress that used similar materials (100% natural Dunlop in the case of the Obasan) would be closely comparable in terms of durability but comparing suitability and durability are completely different issues.

As the store salesperson mentioned … one of the advantages of a component mattress is that you can rearrange or exchange layers to fine tune the mattress to your specific needs and preferences. Some component mattresses also allow you to exchange a layer for a different firmness level as well.

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 for anyone else to be able to predict whether any specific mattress will be a good match for you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). The only way to know whether any mattress or combination of layers is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is based on your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) or based on your own actual sleeping experience. There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved in each of them in post #2 here. The combination would certainly work for some people but it wouldn’t work as well for others.

Whenever you are in a budget range that is that high I would make sure that you make some very careful “value” comparisons between other mattresses that may be available to you that may also make just as suitable and durable a choice. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses.

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Victoria and up island areas (subject to the value guidelines that I linked) are listed in post #2 here and the Vancouver list is in post #2 here.

Phoenix