Pike's Mattress, Bowles, and Aireloom (Indiana)

Does anyone have experience with Pike’s Mattress in Evansville, Indiana? I really liked a mattress there called the Charles Franklin II D5.
This is their build:

  • Holland Springs
  • Resolve Firm Foam
  • Supple endurance foam
  • micro coils
  • latex foam
  • memory foam
    This is a flippable mattress (not sure if that’s good or bad)

I also tried a Bowles mattress called Catalina

  • No Flip Faux Box Top Mattress
  • Performance fabric quilted to 1 1/2" foam
  • 16.5" Mattress profile
  • Your choice of 8" or 4" Premium Foundation
  • 2" Layer of 7-zoned 3.3 Density soft Latex
  • 1" 3 lb. Active Response Foam
  • 2.5" 17 ga. Micro Quad Coil
  • .5" 4 lb. Gel Infused Memory Foam
  • 768 8" TPS Tri-Zone Quad Coil
  • 1" 1.8 Density Firm base foam

At Denver Mattress I enjoyed enjoyed the Aireloom Luxtop M2 Plush

Does anyone have experience with these three mattresses?
Info about us:
My partner and I are side sleepers. I am 5’4" 135lbs BMI is 23 and partner 5’7" 160lbs BMI 25. I have shoulder pain and would like pressure relief for that. I tend to like a medium to soft bed, but also like to feel supported from coils (I like when the bed pushes up as they do with coils). I’m not a big fan of all foam where you sink in instead of being on top. My partner can sleep on anything- lucky him. We are currently sleeping on an old Serta- worst bed in the world. We are in southern Indiana. Thank you!

The only mattress that I know is the Aireloom Preferred Luxetop M1/M2 in Firm/Plush (4 mattresses). I liked the M1 Firm. M1 is 1 row of microcoils. M2 is 2 rows of microcoils. Firm/plush refers to coil strength. The Aireloom lift has an incredible feel.

M2 Plush is very plush. My hips dipped down a lot (225 pounds, 5ft 11in). If you like it, go for it….but look into M2 Firm, M1 Firm and M1 plush also. I think M2 Plush would only be for 5% of people (they would have to be very light). Take the TMU tutorial and apply it to these mattresses. Dont pay attention to labels.

John

Since you are both side sleepers, M2 Plush might work. There is also a M2 Plush Plus where they add a topper. The Aireloom is a quality mattress. It feels phenomenal!

John

Hi Gail1 and welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile:

Sorry to hear you are not enjoying sleeping on your Serta, you aren’t alone in your views…many of the ‘big brand’ mattresses have a maximum of hype and PR but virtually no info on their materials and components, and many consumers find them to wear prematurely causing divots and ridges and sagging from the insufficiently dense foam. This can cause muscles aches and pains, as you have found, and even alignment issues.

As you may know, any mattress you choose will be based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) - thanks for providing those! - and your PPP ( Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). As you can see comparing the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know](Mattress specifications you need to know) to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, latex is one of the most durable mattress materials you can find, and a well made latex mattress could last for many years.

It’s good that your higher-BMI partner can ‘sleep on anything’, so you have more options for a compatible mattress with your lower BMI. You say you prefer a ‘medium to soft’ bed but don’t want to ‘sink in’, and correctly are looking for support as well. Mattress buying is an extremely subjective experience, so you will want to keep in mind a too-soft comfort layer may allow you to ‘bottom out’ on the firmer layer(s) below, which can also cause muscle and pressure point pain. The mattresses you listed are all considered somewhat ‘premium’ or ‘luxury’ brands and can come with a higher price point; only you and your partner can decide if it’s worth the extra cost. Looking at the listed mattresses:

Pikes Mattress Charles Franklin II:

Holland Springs
Resolve Firm Foam
Supple endurance foam
micro coils
latex foam
memory foam

As they do not list their mattress online, and provide customized mattresses, there’s a bit of missing info for this…there are no heights for the layers, or density for Andy of the foam, which tends to throw red flags up; terms like ‘supple endurance foam’ and resolve firm foam’ don’t really say anything and as proprietary mattress foam formulations there’s no real way to assess the suitability or durability for any sleeper. If you enjoy the feel, accept the higher price and they have good exchange/return policies, you may find this a very comfortable option, but the sparse details would signal a good bit of caution.

Bowles Catalina Mattress:

16.5"
1 1/2" foam quilted cover
2" 7 zoned ‘3.3 lb/cuft’ latex
1" 3lb/cuft ‘active response foam’
2.5" 17 gauge micro quad coil
1/2" 4lb/cuft gel infused memory foam
8" tri-zone quad coil support
1" 1.8lb/cuft firm base foam

This is a higher-profile mattress, and also has both microcoils and a pocketed coil support, which have a very specific feel that some consumers find to be too much support, but , like the height, is a matter of preference. Zoned latex is also popular with many sleepers, and the foams appear to have good enough density for your partner so that they do not wear out too soon.

Aireloom Luxetop M2 Plush

15.5"
Tencel silk/wool/graphite visco foam padded
cover
Celsion latex comfort layer
19 gauge microcoils 4000+ count
Airelux foam
15 gauge pocket coils with edge support

Aireloom produces quality mattresses, but again, without heights of the specific layers, and foam densitities it’s difficult to assess either suitability or durability. Many consumers enjoy the Luxetop M2, but again ‘your mileage may vary’ (thanks @BillyIdol for your feedback on the Aireloom!). Opinions on mattresses, like reviews, have limited usefulness for consumers: a sleeper with your same Stats and sleep profile may find a specific mattress too soft where you find it too firm. The important thing in your case is to make sure any mattress you buy has a good warranty & return policy, especially if the mattress is not as transparent in their components and materials…for the premium price you don’t want to find, months down the line that it’s not compatible and be stuck with it.

Of course in person testing is best, but if you are considering online ordering, you might want to take a look at the offerings of the Trusted Members of the site, who all offer quality sleep solutions that are transparent in their materials and components, and offer great customer support and generous exchange and return policies; Many of these carry latex hybrid mattresses similar to those you have tried, at a variety of firmnesses and price points.

Hopefully others in the forum community can chime in on their ‘hands on’ experiences with the mattresses you listed as well. I wish you success in your mattress search! Please feel free to drop in and share your experience with your new mattress once you have had some time with it too!

~ Basilio

Thank you so much for your response. I am going to try all of them out again with this in mind. I definitely don’t want to be out of alignment. I also really want a good overall mattress experience this time. There are some bad reviews out there about Aireloom sagging after a few years, but I’m not sure what to believe because there are also some really exceptional reviews. I liked the Aireloom the best out of all the mattresses I tried and I can’t seem to find anything local to me that is comparable. At this point, if it is going to work I don’t care about the high price.

Wow what a write up, thank you!

After thinking about it I now have some reservations about Pike’s mattress. The showroom was a mess, there were no labels, and it felt overall unhygienic. The showroom is supposed to be the face of the company and it seemed very unprofessional. My husband noticed some broken windows in the upper part of the building. Maybe those areas aren’t related to the factory, but it did make me worry about vermin in the factory. Not saying I saw any and I’m not trying to sound dramatic, only that it made me question what is happening behind the scenes. So I am going to pass on Pike’s Mattress.

Bowles mattresses are good quality, but you totally nailed it about “too much support”. I am located in a part of the country that has very tall and big people and I bet those mattresses are great if your body fits that profile. But my partner and I are smaller people. The other issue with Bowles is they don’t offer a trial period. The salesperson said you can make comfort changes to the mattress after a sale, but that costs time and money. I’m sure they stand by their products, but I am leaning towards eliminating them too.

That leaves the Aireloom (for now). I am going back to the showroom at Denver Mattress to again try the three they have. I can’t remember exactly what the salesperson said, but I seem to remember he said they do have a good trial period and warranty. That would make me feel better about the purchase (especially since this mattress is very pricey). I will update once I try them again/ have more info.

I wish I could go with an online source, but I just don’t feel confident in that. Not that they aren’t great companies, but I really need to feel the mattress. Thank you again!

I think you are on the right track. Ignore the bad Aireloom reviews because most of them are from the cheaper (less well made) Airelooms made for Macys. The Macys Airelooms have cheaper and fewer coils. Stick with the more expensive M1/M2 in firm or plush (4 mattresses).These mattresses have different names based on region. Richard can tell you which one is the same as the Denver Mattress Aireloom……or buy from Denver Mattress and have them match Richards price. Why pay an extra $1300?

Search “Aireloom Reviews” on youtube and talk to Richard (tell him John Y sent you)! He can get incredible prices on the Airelooms and he can ship.

Let me know what you do!

John

Hi Gail1,

Your reasoning makes perfect sense; and thanks to @BillyIdol for his input. I would definitely caution any consumer buying a mattress to have the return/exchange policies clearly explained, and in writing of possible, and no matter how good a retailer or manufacturers’ reputation is, having no such warranties in place sets off alarms! And your description of the Pike’s showroom dwould not exactly fill me with confidence either! They may be going through a transition period, but as you say if the actual showroom is a mess how bad is the factory side?

The Aireloom, as I said, is popular in the premium/luxury category; my one concern is the lack of information on some of their foam densities, but as a lower BMI sleeper, if you can find a good match for your comfort and support and the price is in your budget, you should be fine. Keep the criteria I mentioned in mind, and feel free to drop back in and let us know your experience once you’ve had some time with it. I wish you many comfortable nights of sleep going forward!

~ Basilio