Sorry to take up space- new member here, been lurking for months. Now ready to purchase, and am making the “one post” so I can declare myself a member. I wish I had something to contribute, but I’m still reading and learning.
Thanks!
Hi ivo,
Everything is a “contribution” in one way or another 
It would be great to know which mattress you end up choosing.
Phoenix
This sounds like me. I’m very glad I found this site, I have decided to read through the latest reviews on here and make a purchase this week.
Hi sosleepy,
I’m glad you found us as well
I would keep in mind that mattress reviews are not the same thing as mattress research and “comfort” can be very subjective and vary from person to person. Each person’s experience on a mattress can be very different from someone else depending on body type, sleeping style, and individual preferences and it’s always a good idea to focus on the quality of the materials in a mattress and use your own testing as a guideline rather than other people’s experiences which may be very different from your own.
Phoenix
So, in an effort to ‘follow up’ my first post-
I made my first post in order to declare myself a member, so I could receive any TMU discount. Unfortunately, my Brooklyn Bedding gel memory foam topper(3") didn’t qualify for any discount. No problem.
It’s been almost one year later. I purchased the topper because my budget precluded me(and for the most part, still does) from buying a new mattress. I discovered memory foam 10-12 years ago. I suffer from chronic lower back and hip pain, and was desperate for relief. I was single, and bought a Banner Mattress twin memory foam. It made a real difference in what I look for in a mattress, and I’ve grown accustomed to that ‘sinking in’ feeling, as opposed to the feel of ‘laying on top of’ a mattress. When I married, I had to move back to a no-name inner spring, and that didn’t work for very long- we bought a cheap no-name memory foam king sized mattress from Wal Mart online. As per Phoenix’s tutorials, it worked great, for a short while. Within 2 years of purchase, support and alignment issues arose for me. Thankfully, my wife is petite and light, and for her, it’s still the best sleep she’s ever had.
I found TMU last year and decided to try a temporary solution. That was my first mistake. I didn’t fully read the tutorials and articles available(second mistake), and jumped right into the forum and reviews(third mistake). I liked the price and reviews I read about Brooklyn Bedding-clearly NOT a mistake, and decided to get their 3" gel foam topper. While it did markedly improve my situation, I now wake up regularly with upper back and shoulder pain. From what I’ve read in the last couple weeks, it’s probably due to alignment issues, as I tend to sleep on my side.
Looking back, I should have reconsidered trying to add an additional 3" of memory foam to an already poor quality memory foam mattress. If only I had fully read the tutorials and steps to buying a mattress that worked for me, a year ago, I would perhaps have taken pause before spending my money. This is no way an attempt to blame Brooklyn Bedding- I was trying to fix a problem with the wrong parts to my puzzle.
Now, a year later, I find myself looking for a mattress once again. I’m still looking at memory foam- but I’m trying to keep an open mind. From what I’ve read so far, I know I need to pay special attention to the support layers of my next mattress. The idea that lb. density describes only the durability of a memory foam mattress, and not its softness, was difficult for me to wrap my head around- but I think I’ve got it.
Since I am a side sleeper, I believe I need to look for 3"- 4" inches of comfort layering, but no more than that- because my spine alignment would probably suffer beyond that. I also believe I need to find a mattress with a HD support layer, preferably at least 2lb density. But as far as looking at stores in my area to determine my PPP, that will be more difficult. And because my purchase last year failed despite purchasing a quality product, I’m hesitant to purchase based on reading and a phone conversation.
I do apologize for posting a book instead of a simple reply, but I am still looking and researching. And I want to make sure I understand and comprehend the information Phoenix has been so gracious to offer. I still don’t know how ‘soft’ or ‘conforming’ I want my comfort layers to be, and I hesitate to compare my potential purchase with just Tempur-Pedic, but it seems they are the only brand available for comparison in my area that I can be sure of what and how much and the quality of what is inside the mattress.
Any input is welcomed, even suggested further reading. And of course, thank you Phoenix for the amazing site.
Hi ivo,
As you know … I believe your best chance of success when you are buying a new mattress is to follow the steps in the tutorial post one by one.
If you are looking for an online memory foam mattress then I would suggest using local mattresses as your testing grounds that are close approximations to the mattresses you are considering. Tempurpedic is the most common comparison because they are so widespread and most online retailers or manufacturers have a good sense of which of the Tempurpedic mattresses approximate their own mattresses in terms of PPP for most people. You can also check their websites or talk to them about other mattresses that may be available locally that may also be good reference points for testing. In some cases if you test a local mattress that works well for you and you have all the specific layer by layer details of what is inside it then this can also be very helpful as a guideline in your discussions about which of the options they have available may be the closest to what worked well in your testing. The more specific and detailed information you can provide them about you, your history, and the mattresses that you seem to do best with, the more you will help them to help you make the choice that has the highest chance of success. The tutorial post has a link to a list of some of the better online memory foam choices I’m aware of.
There is also more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” another one in post #9 here that may be helpful and you can use as a reference point in your conversations.
If you are still uncertain or don’t have much confidence about what may be “best” for you after local testing and talking with the online options you are considering then the return or exchange policy may also be an important part of your personal value equation to lower the risk in case the “best efforts” of both you and the retailer/manufacturer you are dealing with doesn’t turn out as well as both of you hoped.
There may also be some good options available to you locally that you can test in person and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know of any of the better local options or possibilities I’m aware of.
Phoenix
Thanks for your reply, Phoenix. My zip is 92345, Hesperia, CA. I know there are tons of options in the nearby LA area, but I honestly don’t get much opportunity to go there. By all means, let me know what there is up here.
Hi ivo,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Hesperia area are listed in post #7 here and the list for the Greater Los Angeles region is in post #2 here.
Phoenix