I am (again) in the market for a new king mattress, as I’m not happy with my 3.5 year-old Englander latex. Sagging on each side with the ridge down the middle. Before that it was a Stearns & Foster pillow top (can’t recall the model) that lasted less than 5 years. Each was upwards of $2,000 and I’m obviously frustrated at this point.
I feel like I want to try a memory foam mattress and salespeople, budget and feel are steering me toward the Serta iComfort Insight. I also like the Tempurpedic Cloud, but not sure if paying 50% more makes sense. Also not sure if I want to wait for the new Sealy Optimum OptiCool mattresses, as I can’t find a release date, nor have I been able to try one out.
So, based on your positive comments, price, and proximity, I’m now considering the Parklane Aspen
While not a gel-foam bed (and I’m not sure that even matters), it is 6" of high density foam core with 4" of CoolSleep memory foam. I’m told the density of the memory foam is 4 lbs. I’ve tried it and think I like it, although it I do sink more than on the Insight. I’m a little concerned about that. Warranty is 10 years (Aspen) vs. 25 years (Insight), although I’m not too hung up on that number and have mixed feelings on mattress warranties in general.
Just wondering if anyone has experience with the Aspen specifically and how Parklane’s foam might compare to others on a technical level; specifically the Insight.
One of the most important things when you are purchasing a mattress is to know the details of every layer of a mattress. The reason for this is that is the only way that you can make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses and perhaps even more important it can tell you what the weak link of a mattress may be and how long it is likely to last.
Englander is somewhat of a “difficult” brand. They make a huge array of mattresses and each licensee will make different versions for their area and almost every one that is called a “latex” mattress really isn’t. They make mattresses that have a few inches of latex with several inches of polyfoam over the latex and polyfoam in the core. They make mattresses with latex in the core with some latex over top but these too usually have several inches of polyfoam over the latex. They also make “all latex” mattresses (and even two sided versions) … but these are the exceptions and are far more rare. The biggest problem (and I have experienced this personally on many occasions) is that many salespeople will “swear” that the mattress they are selling is a latex mattress when it isn’t. Sometimes you have to “push” a little bit to find out what really is on the top of the mattress and in the other layers as well. When a so-called latex matress has 2" of polyfoam on top of it … this is the weak link and becomes the main cause of impressions.
Stearns and Foster and all other major brands also use too much low density polyfoam in their mattresses and this becomes the weak link in these mattresses as well. As frustrating as this is … the only way around it is to know the materials in any mattress you buy (not just the type of foam like polyfoam but the quality or density as well) and to completely avoid any outlet or brand that tries to keep this from their customers.
So in essence … what you have discovered is that low quality polyfoam doesn’t last very long. Even 5 years in many cases is doing well depending on the amount of lower quality foam that the mattress contains. Unfortunately experiences like these lead people to falsely believe that the problem is “latex” mattresses when the real issue is the polyfoam in the mattress.
If durability is a major concern … then it’s important to know that latex is the longest lasting foam followed by high quality memory foam (5 lbs and up) followed by polyfoam (with the exception that true HR polyfoam will last a very long time but you won’t see it in the vast majority of mattresses). Even 1.8 lb polyfoam in firmer versions and used sparingly and make well will last much longer than the 1.2 lb or lower foam that is used in most mattresses. The layers in the top will also soften and degrade faster than the deeper layers of the mattress because they are subject to more mechanical stress so this is usually where the “weak link” of a mattress is so it’s especially important to know the details of the foam in the top of a mattress (including any foam used in the quilting).
Parklane is an excellent manufacturer with great value at their many different price points but no matter where you buy a mattress it’s important to know the type of foam that is in it so you can have a reasonable expectation of how long it may last. I would want to know the density of the memory foam and also the density of the polyfoam support base (although the weak link of this mattress will be the memory foam). In my experience, Parklane is very transparent about their materials and if the person you are talking to doesn’t know they are usually happy to find out.
The insight has 2.75" of gel memory foam which is basically a 4 lb memory foam with gel particles added into it that weigh more than memory foam so it ends up weighing about 5 lbs/cubic ft. I would compare the quality more to 4 lb foam than 5 lb however because particles that are added to memory foam can lessen the life of the foam. The gel particles will also create a different feel than regular memory foam because the particles will compress under you rather than “flow away” like more typical memory foam and so will feel firmer.
So once you know the density of the Aspen memory foam … you will be in a much better position to make a more meaningful comparison with the Insight or other memory foam mattresses in terms of quality and value.
Thanks for the info Phoenix. Parklane tells me there will be several “GEL” mattresses unveiled at the end of February, so I will wait until then before making a purchase. I’m told one will be a coil with GEL on top, but don’t know anything more than that. As for their Aspen, it has 4 lb. memory foam. Not sure about the base. I’ll report back when I know more about the GELs. Can’t wait!
Thanks for sharing this. This would be medium quality/durability breathable and faster reacting memory foam over a good and firm support base. Overall this would be a great value “basic” memory foam mattress with a little thicker layer of memory foam than the more common 3" and it compares well (as in less) than similar mattresses sold elsewhere.