Hello all,
A little about me… I am a female and 140 lbs and 5’9. I currently sleep on a vivon mattress (I have no idea what it is composed of and hadn’t thought to ask before encountering this forum). I thought this mattress was ok when I first got it, but it’s been two years and it’s not working for me. I’m not sure if it is too firm or too soft. When I lay down on the bed, though the bed compresses, I’m still sleeping on top of it and it doesn’t fill in the hollows at my lower back and waist properly. If my fiance is sleeping next to me, it feels even worse (almost as though the weight difference is causing it to be firmer… or, maybe it’s not firm enough?). My fiance doesn’t see anything wrong with the bed (I think he could sleep on just about anything). I suffer from lower back pain and sciatica pain that probably doesn’t have much to do with the bed but the bed certainly doesn’t help.
I live in rural northern California (95959) and thr closest big city to me is sacramento so if there are any smaller sleep shop recommendations, I’d appreciate those too. I did have the opportunity to try a local sleep shop but they carried namely the big brands. I liked the feel of the tempur cloud supreme and I’m hearing that thr dreamfoam 13" ultimate dreams is between the tempur luxe and tempur supreme so that might be good for me. I liked the sealy optimum destiny even moreso but I’ve heard about the lack of quality in the materials relative to value. I’ve even considered going up to the sealy optimum inspiration as I’m hearing those materials might be a bit better quality and I’d be able to get it for $1500 but I haven’t been able to lay on it and I’m not sure it would be worth it at that price still. To that end, I read about a couple of people on here (one who was searching for a sealy optimum) who ended up choosing beds from an Amish manufacturer called country bedding. I’ve actually got someone willing to do the legwork and shipping to get me a mattress from country bedding but again, I wouldn’t have a chance to lay on it and a return would probably be impossible. Also, a 1k mattress would probably cost me about $1,300 with shipping. I would love to know how closely the mattress that the man on this forum chose from them feels like the sealy optimum. Bonus that it’s double sided as well! I remember reading that they have a couple of options for gel but what’s interesting is that I’m wondering if their mattress with the core and 2 inches of gel layer on each side (flippable) could be as comfortable as something like the ultimate dreams sounds with its multiple layers of foam.
Speaking of layers, the cover on my vivon mattress disintegrated and I noticed it appears to be one big block of foam. I don’t see any layers… but maybe you don’t see the layers?
Anyway, it boils down to: look some more, go with sealy optimum with the discounted price to offset their poor quality materials but be familiar with what I’m getting as I tried it in the store, go with ultimate dreams as they are a good value and similar to something I tried in the store, or get a $1300 bed from Country Bedding that could be similar to sealy but has great value and flippable but returns may be nearly impossible. I think I’m leaning towards ultimate dreams.
Thanks for any help, advice, opinions offered. Sorry about the long post!
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that 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 that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress but outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom (or in a hotel) or when it is relatively new so again I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list is completely transparent about the materials and components in their mattresses and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Nevada City area are listed in the Sacramento list here and in the Chico list here.
Vivon is one of many brands that are part of the Zinus group which is a Chinese manufacturer that tends to use some lower quality/density materials in their mattresses that can soften or break down prematurely relative to higher quality materials and that can lead to the loss of the comfort and/or support that was the reason you purchased the mattress.
The Dreamfoam ultimate Dreams would certainly be a good quality/value choice but of course the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP and how well you will sleep on it for certain will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience. There are many people that have mentioned that it is a reasonable approximation to the Tempurpedic Luxe but perhaps a little bit firmer but because they also use different types of memory foam the “feel” may be a little different as well and different people with different body types and sleeping styles may have a different experience on the same mattress and may have different opinions about how closely one mattress “approximates” another one.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
The Sealy Optimum Gold uses higher quality/density memory foam than many of the other Optimum mattresses (2" of 3.7 lb memory foam and 3" of 4 lb memory foam) … they are still “on the edge” of the minimum quality/density guidelines that I would consider and their base layers of polyfoam is only 1.5 lb density which is a lower quality/density material than I would normally consider for a mattress in this budget range or even a mattress that was half the price … especially if you haven’t confirmed that it’s a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP.
I would also be cautious about buying a mattress from a local manufacturer that doesn’t normally ship mattresses outside their local area and I would make sure that you are comfortable with any additional shipping costs involved. If you are also uncertain about whether a mattress that you haven’t tested is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP I would also make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress or to exchange or return the mattress (and any costs involved) which also become a much more important part of each person’s personal value equation if a mattress choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
You certainly have many other options available both locally and online outside of these three but the only one of these three that I would consider is the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel Memory Foam Mattress.
Thanks so much for your response phoenix! I took a look at thr info posted (information overload!) and made some notes about my profile. If I’ve understold what I’ve read correctly, I think I need a firm core out of latex or high density foam for spinal alignment. I’m not sure if I need or want a progressive build or a differential build. I think I need thicker comfort layers (probably memory foam) because although I am relatively slender, I am big in the hips (41 inch hips and 29 inch waist) with a difference of 8.25 inches between the widest part of my hips and the thinnest part of my waist. In addition, my SO has wide shoulders. My lumbar gap is approximately 2.5 inches. I’d like edge support ( I frequently get pushed to the edge of the mattress at night), cooling surface, and a somewhat quick response. I often have large gaps in my sleeping postures. I do not know if I would benefit from many thin comfort layers or a thick comfort layer or a progressive build vs. A differential build.
I am traveling to the bay area next week and may be able to stop into Community Mattress in concord (from the sacramento list of manufacturers). I did stop at the sleep shop in my area in Grass valley and tested a few though i don’t think I was shown the brands mentioned in the post (I was shown a latex bed that I was not fond of/too firm); and noticed that I tended to like the tempupedic and sealy memory foams (on initial feel)
I simple terms … a progressive design uses several layers of materials and components (more than two) that use firmer materials on the bottom and then progressively softer materials as you move towards the top of a mattress. A “differential” design would typically be a more simple two layer design with a firmer support core and then a single softer layer on top of it that has a bigger “differential” between the firmness of the layers but these are just generic concepts and not specific guidelines that can be used to choose a mattress for any particular person.
While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and components and their specs and different layering combinations and mattress designs and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would generally be a very small percentage of people) … I would tend to avoid using complex specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you may not fully understand or only based on specs for single layers or components that may not be as relevant or meaningful as you believe it is then the most common outcome is “information overload” and “paralysis by analysis”. Even the best mattress designers in the industry are often surprised at what a mattress they design “should have felt like” based on the specs when they design it and what it “actually feels like” when they test out their new design.
Again … the only way to know whether any specific mattress design is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP with any certainty will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Thank you Phoenix, I will go to the community mattress in concord and try some of what they have there as well as a few other places to get more of an idea of the type of compilations that will work for me… ultimate dreams sounds great but I understand that its different for different people and may even possibly be too soft for me … it’s still in the running though!
FWIW … Dreamfoam has a range of memory foam mattresses in different firmness levels that you can see on their website here.
The tutorial also includes a link to this list of some of the better online memory foam mattresses that may also be worth considering as well if you prefer memory foam mattresses.
Regardless of whether you decide to purchase locally or online … I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing.
Seriously considering the Dreamfoam Latex Eurotop. Concerned that the 8 inch base is only 2 pound density. Suggestions appreciated on selecting my comfort level with them. I’m a side sleeper and have developed bad pain in my hip and shoulder from our current Jamison Marriott mattress.
As you can see in the quality/durability guidelines here … 2.o lb polyfoam is a good quality and durable material that would be suitable for use even in higher weight ranges. The blended Talalay latex that they use in the comfort layer is also a very high quality and durable material so there are no lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress or would be a reason for concern.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that 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 that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
You are certainly looking at a great quality/value choice.
Thanks for your help. I am now vacillating back and forth between the Dreamfoam Eurotop and the Brooklyn BME in medium. The “advantage” of the BME is the 4" of latex, although the 2nd 2" layer is 100% synthetic Dunlop, which I’m not sure if the synthetic latex is good? Is that extra 1 inch of synthetic Dunlop important?
However, the advantage of DF is you can customize each side of the bed.
In decision hell. :S
Any type or blend of latex (either Dunlop or Talalay and made with synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or a blend of both) is a high quality and durable material so the choice between them would be more of a preference and a budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing or your own personal experience.
Every layer and component in a mattress including the cover and any quilting layers will have some effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component both above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole” so the overall design of a mattress and whether it’s a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) is much more important than the thickness of any specific layer or layers which is only one of many variables that can affect how well a mattress works for you.
The only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for your specific body type and sleeping style will be based on your own personal experience.
There are also some comments about the pros and cons of each of them in post #2 here that may be helpful.
Either one of them would certainly make a great quality/value choice .
Descended out of Decision Hell and chose the Brooklyn BME Medium. They took off 5% and added to shredded latex pillows for mentioning TMU. Hopefully, I won’t end up in Buyers Remorse Purgatory.
Those ridiculous sites that are compensated are completely useless and aggravating.
Thank you for your site and all your help. The amount of misinformation out there on the web is crazy.
I used your site primarily and SleepLiketheDead to start with. Thanks again! :woohoo:
Thanks for the kind comments … and congratulations on your new mattress
As you know you certainly made a great quality choice and I’m looking forward to any comments or feedback you have the chance to share once you’ve received it and have had the chance to try it out.
Phoenix
PS: I switched your posts and my replies into a new topic of their own so our conversation wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s active topic.
I spoke to someone at squaredeal mattress and asked about their ability to build memory foam beds. She assured me that they do build them to customer specifications and suggested I go to their showroom to take a look. I was happy to do this as there aren’t many options near me besides a few big brands. I drove 1.5 hours to the showroom only to be told by the representative there that they do not have foam beds but only coil beds (which I do not prefer). Very frustrating!
I think I’ve narrowed down some of the online mattress companies but still have a few questions.
Selectabed.com: I spoke to a representative there who recommended their tri-pedic platinum model (said the diamond might be too soft) or the soft-pedic. He stated that even though the soft-pedic is a bit softer than the platinum, the third layer is zoned latex which is great at supporting the hips; this is apparenly the only difference between the two. I have fairly frequent lower back and sciatica pain so this sounds nice to me. Its quite a big cost difference though. My other concern is that both the tri pedic and soft pedicure use a 2 inch layer of 4lb foam and a 2 inch layer of 5lb foam. My SO is 6’1 and a bit over 200lbs, would it be better to go with a 5lb density for top layer and could I still find something soft enough for me in the 5lb density? Also, would the latex 3rd layer in the soft pedic make a big difference in support and durability even if the other two top layers are 4 and 5 lb foam? Mostly I want something soft but still firm or resilient enough to help my lower back.
Christeli: I spoke to a person at Christeli who recommended their Madeline. This has 5lb memory foam on top and a foam orthocore though I am not sure of its density or what it is made of. When I asked about their memory foam/latex mattress (Luxe Estate), the representative said I didn’t need the latex layer in the mattress. He said that I am so light that it would not make any difference and would be a needless expense. Thinking about the softpedic bed from selectabed, I asked him about latex ability to support my lower back and he again stated I wouldn’t need it and it wouldn’t make a difference. I appreciate him not trying to up sell me a mattress but I’m wondering if the fact that the softpedic mattress has thr latex in the 3rd layer would make more of a difference to me than a mattress with latex in the bottom support layer. I wonder this because other memory foam mattresses have the option to add a latex support layer.
I am also interested in the plush beds purebliss 12 inch cooling memory foam mattress. It has cooling properties as well as latex and memory foam. I’m not sure in what densities or how the layers are positioned relative to each other exactly and I am waiting on a call back from their representative. Once again, I am interested in the possibility of a.latex memory foam hybrid but not if it won’t significantly benefit my spinal alignment and lower back pain over a high density or high resiliency support foam.
That’s unfortunate and it sounds like they didn’t realize that you were only considering memory foam mattresses with a polyfoam base layer (although memory foam/innerspring hybrids can also be a great choice for some people as well).
As I mentioned in my earlier replies … I can’t speak to which mattress or combination of materials or components would be the best “match” for both of you or which one you would prefer because the only way to know for certain whether any mattress would be a good "match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own personal experience.
Assuming that the Cool Bliss memory foam in the Plushbeds Purebliss mattress is 4 lb density or higher (which I believe it is) … all of the mattresses you are considering use good quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links that would compromise the durability or useful life of any of the mattresses you are considering relative to your SO’s weight range.
As with any online mattress purchase … I would also make sure you are comfortable with the exchange/return options that come with each of them and any costs involved just in case … and in spite of the “best efforts” of everyone involved … the mattress you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your more detailed conversations with each of them, your personal preferences, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers and any costs involved, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Thanks Phoenix,
I was mostly just wondering about the benefits of having latex in a transition layer for lumbar support or whether it would really make a difference to me. Looks like I have some more research to do!
The only way to know for certain whether one mattress would be a better “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than another mattress would be based on your own side by side comparisons.
If two mattresses are otherwise the same and have the same or very similar layers and components in the mattress with the same type of material in the same thickness and firmness for each layer and a very similar cover except one of them used a memory foam transition layer and one of them used a latex transition layer then the one with latex would likely have a more resilient or “springy” and “responsive” feel but even this would depend to some degree on the body type, sleeping style, and sensitivity of the person and the type and thickness of the memory foam layer or layers above the transition layer but it’s unlikely that you will find two mattresses that use the same materials and components that are sold by different manufacturers where the only difference between them is the type of material in a transition layer.
I really like the selectabed soft-pedic and can see how it could possibly benefit a person like me (side sleeper with lower back, hip, and sciatica pain). The 3k price tag is a little steep especially when combined with taxes and a $99 shipping charge (not to mention a new foundation and bedding). In addition, it’s $200 to return it. The price difference between the soft-pedic and the tri-pedic platinum is roughly $1500 because of the layer of latex in the soft-pedic. Is that a typical price jump for latex? Can you recommend any beds that have similar configurations or may be all foam but might offer similar support? I know it’s near impossible to tell how different brands or types of bed compare, but perhaps you can point me to a company who has similar materials or who has the ability to build a similar bed so that I can ask them questions pertaining to my needs?
Also, I would love it if anyone on here could tell me if they have the soft-pedic or anything like it and their experience with it. Is it worth the 3k price tag, shipping tax etc… (read risk)? I know all.such opinions are subjective but sometimes it helps to hear others’ views.
If I’m going to spend 3k on something, obviously it’s more risk than if I’m spending $1500 on something and I’d just like to know if the value is worth it (excluding ppp since I haven’t been able to test it) or if I can find something similar (that I might be missing in my own search) for less money and possibly better return conditions but with a knowledgeable staff to help me choose since I can’t test it myself until I get it. Paying an extra $200 for returns wouldn’t be such a big deal either if the mattress price, shipping, and taxes weren’t so steep.
If the only difference between two mattresses made by the same manufacturer was that one mattress had an additional 3" of latex and all the other layers and components were exactly the same then it’s probably a larger price difference than you would normally see.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) and off the top of my head I don’t know of another mattress that has exactly the same design. I’m not so sure I would be using a specific design as your “target” anyway if you haven’t even slept on it to confirm whether it’s a good “match” for you.
As I mentioned in my earlier reply … it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that 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 that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
As I also mentioned in an earlier reply … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind once again that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else has the same needs and preferences, criteria, or circumstances or would make the same choice.
