Hi Phoenix, thanks for the response. I live in Portland, Oregon. I sleep mostly on my side and I seek a bed that is medium, not too soft and not too hard. But it’s hard for me to compare the 3 since they say different things for each. So the density is not listed in the links? Shute, I need to find out then. The reason I chose Costco is because having little experience with these things, I need peace of mind that I can return or exchange it and not worry about only being able to exchange for a more expensive one. But the big drawback is of course, not being able to test first. I tested many beds locally but I just can’t tell what feels the best, other than the fact that I don’t want too soft or too hard. It’s bad I guess when you get to the point you just can’t tell.
I read those links thank you. I can say 2 things: 1. super informative and 2. confusing. Only confusing because with so much info, albeit good, it’s not easy figuring it all out. Apparently you can’t just look at a few numbers and know what you need. Like you said, it’s not just about the amount of layers but their size and types of foam.
I couldn’t find Sleep Science’s number and based on what you having no success getting straightforward answers, I decided against them. Found out that the Novafoam beds are 4 inches in pounds. The novafoam lady told me that the pure comfort is firm whereas the gel one is extra firm. She said the medium on Costco for both is inaccurate. Apparently their medium is actually Sertafina at Costco but those are spendier. Just an FYI.
So is Novafoam also only tested in China? Now I am worried about chemicals. The more I read the more questions and the more I go a little more crazy lol.
You are fortunate to live in the Portland area because there are some great quality and value choices there including one of the manufacturing members of the site. They are listed in post #2 here.
Words like soft, firm, hard, medium all have very different meanings to different people and a mattress that one person “rates” in one way may be “rated” very differently by another. The most reliable way to know what a mattress feels like to you is to test it in person. You are fortunate that you have options where you can both test a mattress in person with the help and guidance of some knowledgeable people and also ave the kind of great quality and value available that you do. Quite frankly there is no way that I would even be considering a purchase from Costco or any big box store with the options in your area.
The most important part in all of it is the part that talks about PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) and the importance of connecting with the experts who already know much of what is on this site that you would otherwise need to learn. Connecting with “experts” is much much easier than becoming one
This is the way to “bypass” any confusion. The information doesn’t have to be “studied” and more than anything can help you tell who knows what they are talking about and who doesn’t.
I don’t pay a lot of attention to other people’s “comfort ratings” because at best they only apply to “averages” and at worst they can do more to mislead than help. The “feel” of a mattress also has very little to do with whether it would be suitable for you and the circumstances you are dealing with. The suitability of a mattress would be especially important to me if I was dealing with debilitating back pain and in your circumstances I wouldn’t deal with anyone but an “expert” that can give you the guidance that you need. Costco is not one of these IMO. The quality and value of a mattress has nothing to do with whether the design would be suitable for your needs and preferences and this is the most important part of a mattress purchase.
Again … the way to “bypass” information overload is to just learn and know enough to be able to recognize people who know a lot more than you do … and then work with the “best” of these. As surprising as it may seem … if you have even scanned the information in the first post I linked you likely know more about mattresses than the large majority of people who sell mattresses in this country
If I could give you a single piece of “advice” it would be to change who you are choosing to deal with rather than focusing on which mattress you should choose.
Phoenix thank you so much! How do I know if a mattress is CertiPur certified ? And what about the other certification you mentioned? I forget what it was, it was in another thread.
So it sounds to me like you feel that latex mattresses is the only way to go right? It’s what my folks have, a little firm but I can add a topper or something. I don’t love the idea of a lot of chemicals in a memory foam. And I assume there is no safer memory foam right?
Yes I am reading a lot and trying to absorb as much as possible. Still more reading left I will have to put off till tomorrow since I can only remember so much lol. I will be so happy when I am done
I’ve been to Bed Co and Parklane which were in the link you mentioned. I have not been to the others that were in the other thread. Of all of them, does one have the best prices? Thank you!!!
The foam manufacturers that are CertiPur certified and which of their foams that have been certified are listed on their site here*. These are the foam manufacturers though and not the mattress manufacturers. Only a very small percentage of the mattress manufacturers that use CertiPur certified foams are listed on the CertiPur site in the products section*. In more practical terms … I would be quite comfortable if a foam was manufactured in North America and would only make sure it was CertiPur certified if it was manufactured offshore … especially in China or Asia. Most reputable manufacturers will tell you if their foams are made in North America or elsewhere.
The other certification you are probably referring to is Oeko-Tex which is a certification that is more common for latex as well as other materials such as fabrics. There are other certifications as well. Even “organic” is a certification. I’m not so sure I would try to become an “expert” in any of this and would tend to stick to the “basics” unless there is a particular reason that you would need or choose to spend a lot more time on a very confusing and controversial subject. I would tend to keep it simple.
No not at all. Latex has some great qualities but so do other materials as well and the choice of materials that are in your mattress is a matter of personal preference. The goal is to make sure that no matter which type of material you prefer … that it’s the highest possible quality because all materials have lower and higher quality versions. Like other types of foam … latex comes in a wide range of firmness levels from very soft to very firm.
All memory foam and polyfoam is made from chemicals but the real question to me is one of safety which is where the certification or country of origin comes in. The question of “how safe is safe enough” is something each person needs to answer for themselves. There are people that are ill or have multiple chemical sensitivities or weakened immune systems or even some who as a matter of personal belief want more “absolute” answers and this can lead to many years of frustrating and confusing research and still no clear or “black and white” answers in many cases. There is memory foam that most people would consider to be "safe’ (made in North America or CertiPur certified) and yet others would say that there is no safe memory foam and point to examples of people who have reacted even to CertiPure certified foams. I personally tend to avoid extreme or more “absolute” positions unless it’s for very specific reasons that are more important to me than they would be to most other people.
For some people for example a bee or wasp sting can be life threatening and they would go to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. Others would take more reasonable precautions because it was uncomfortable and some may not even worry about it at all. Exposure to the sun would be a similar example. Since eliminating all risk completely … in mattresses or anything else … is impossible, each of us needs to decide for ourselves what is “safe enough for me” and how much research and time they are willing to invest before any buying decisions can be made.
That depends on how you define “best prices” and on which specific products you are comparing. It’s not the norm that you would find two mattresses that are exactly the same and be able to make this kind of “exact” assessment. I think in terms of “value” rather than price and price is only one part of what I call each person’s “personal value equation” when it comes to mattresses. “Best” is always relative to what is most important to each person and what you are comparing it to.
Having said all that … I can tell you that Parklane is an invited member of this site which means that I believe they are among the best value in the country. Of course that doesn’t mean that only the members here have great value or that they are the only source of good value in an area (there are others as well) or that there isn’t a single mattress in Portland that by some person’s definition may not be “better” than one of theirs but that there is always a point of diminishing returns where the extra hours days or weeks it may take to find out may not be worth the potential small gains and you would need to compare a specific mattress to another specific mattress to know. I can also tell you that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any mattress that they made that was suitable for me in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences).
Oh man I just lost everything I wrote, the system keeps making me log in all the time. Well the Sleep Innovations Nova Foam is apparently made in the U.S. and also Certi Pur certified, but it’s only 4 pounds memory foam. Do you know how many pounds the memory foam for the Aspen is at Parklane? I don’t think I see it: Explore Our Portland Mattress Stores | BedMart
I may go back to test it again, it’s listed as firm which isn’t ideal, wonder how it compares to the Novafoam, but I don’t think I can really afford a true medium feel. I thought denser meant softer because more memory foam is added but not all seem to be like that. I may need to add a topper for these firmer mattresses. But the topper I bought from Costco, a Novafoam I think, is sooo soft.
Based on my conversation with you, someone knowledgeable and unbiased, I think I should go back to Parklane and/or go to the other locally made stores you referred me to. I just wish Parklane didn’t close it’s outlet store last summer and wish I realized then that a 20 year old mattress is bad news so I could have gotten a floor model or slightly irregular for a discount, they don’t do that anymore.
One of the things that I’ve learned over many years of posting on forums is to make sure I highlight and copy a post before I click submit. If you have been writing for some time and your internet connection is temporarily lost … your session will time out and if you click submit you will lose what you’ve written. This has happened to me many times on many forums and highlighting a post and copying it is a habit now … even though it always seems to be the times that I don’t do it that i get caught and lose an hours work.
Yes … Sleep Innovations is both an American manufacturer and CertiPur certified. I don’t know the details of the mattresses at Parklane other than what is on their site so you would need to talk with them to find out the specifics although another member here indicated it was 4 lbs.
Softness and firmness is relative to each individual so your personal testing will tell you much more than a “rating” that may not apply to you. There is no such thing as a 'true medium feel" except what you may consider it to be. There would be no way to compare it with the Novaform in terms of “feel” except with side by side testing. The only comparisons you could make outside of that would be comparing materials … but not how it felt or performed.
With memory foam and polyfoam … density has little to nothing to do with softness or firmness. Both higher and lower density foam can be made softer or firmer and with many variations in how they feel and perform. There are also many properties of memory foam that can be changed with different chemical formulas. Post #9 here talks about some of the many types of memory foam and how very different they can be … even in the same density.
If there is good value available locally (and in your case there certainly is) … I would tend to lean in that direction before I considered an online purchase … even if it was only to establish a reference point of the type of mattress that works well for me. A mattress purchase is one of the most important purchases you can make and has more effect on your overall well being than almost anything you can buy. Years from now you will remember much more about how long a mattress lasted and how well you slept on it (or not) and its effect on your overall health and well being than you will how much you paid for it. The “value” of a mattress purchase includes much more than the “raw material value” of the materials in the mattress.
Yes I copy and paste but that time I didn’t for some reason.
Thanks Phoenix you are soooo wise!!! You are the only one whose taken the time to help me out and I’ve tried online believe me. Because at the bed stores the salespeople may know or they may not know. But even if they are knowledgeable, it’s hard to trust some of them to not steer you wrong.
I know what’s good for you may not be good for me and vice versa. But I am just curious as to what mattress you use? How did you learn so much!!? WOW. I will read those links tomorrow in depth.
You are so right about how important it is and how a few hundred dollars shouldn’t keep me from making the right choice, the choice that will affect me every single day and for what amounts to just cents more a day over a cheaper one that doesn’t last. Since high price doesn’t mean it’s automatically quality and more so doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the one for me, I can’t go by that only, but I shouldn’t allow price to be dictate my decision so much either.
I think that’s Murphy’s law in action … and it’s always the few times I don’t do it where i get caught as well.
I completely understand this. I think one of the most valuable parts of all the more detailed information on the site is not so much to learn it but to have something to compare what you are told “out there” to help you identify who really does have your best interests at heart.
The “real” reason I may know whatever I know is thousands of hours talking with many people and manufacturers who have been very generous with their time and knowledge sharing what they have learned about mattresses over many years or in some cases generations. This along with thousands of hours of more technical research into the more technical aspects of mattress materials and design and hundreds of hours spent lying on mattresses. Believe it or not it was originally an outgrowth of my own search for “the perfect mattress” which turned into something else completely as I became more and more immersed into what I was discovering and learning.
In a more light hearted vein … the “alternative” reason that I may know whatever I do is in this article
Hi P,
Between your using a latex mattress, my folks using one, knowing they must be more expensive for good reason, and hating the idea of toxic fumes, I am wanting a latex now. I have 2 auto immune illnesses and I worry about long term effects But since I can’t afford it and also can’t afford more damage by sleeping on the sinking hole I call my 20+ year old mattress, then I likely will have to find a memory foam that works for now until Betsy starts making real money.
What bothers me is not being able to know exactly what is in the mattress in regards to fillers and how much. For instance, I am assuming the Novafoam has lots of not so great fillers, based on the price only, but I could be wrong. I am assuming that the local manufacturers use less toxic materials. But how do I really know? I got all interested in finding a 5ilb memory foam last night by silver something company for a low price, but when I did a search on here, I realized that just because it’s more memory foam, does not mean it’s all memory foam or all even the quality memory foam (per your link), and especially with that company.
I am wondering if any Costco mattresses are worth considering at all.
I am glad to have read your custom made bed was perfect. You deserve that and so much more for all the time and energy you put in helping us. I will go read your other links too now.
Hi Betsy80. I’m another newbie–maybe a couple of weeks ahead of you on the learning curve. I’m the bargain queen, very frugal (DP says “cheap” ), so I have done a ton of research trying to find what I want for what I can afford, so I might have some ideas for you. Sounds like you were looking at memory foam but are now leaning toward latex “in theory.” Then you should try out some latex mattresses first–different types and ILDs and configurations. The company I bought from online–SleepEZ–wouldn’t even sell me a mattress until I’d done that. What does that tell you?
Having no idea what will work for you, but just thinking outside the box a little: If you do decide to go latex but can’t afford an all-latex bed, how about an inexpensive “hotel quality” firm innerspring (no pillowtop or fancy ticking) with a latex topper? SleepEZ (some of the best prices) has an innerspring for $207 full. https://www.sleepez.com/innerspring-mattresses.htm If chemical-free is important to you, that makes it a little more difficult, but if you can get your doctor to write a prescription for a chemical-free bed, some companies offer beds with a simple cotton cover with no FRCs, but it requires a Rx; otherwise you have to get the expensive wool cover. And BTW you should also check your insurance to see if they would 1) pay for it, 2) apply any of the cost toward your deductible. At the very least you can deduct it from your taxes as durable medical equipment. Every little bit helps! DP says I’m crazy, but I’d even consider buying a used innerspring in good condition (pre-2007, it may not have the FR chemicals), and then you could go all-out on a topper.
But I think you need to narrow down what you want first. Than I’d be happy to help you “bargain shop”; I’m pretty good at it!
Sleepy1’s comments and suggestions are great ones … and coming from someone with experience in searching for value. I would also re-inforce that a latex/polyfoam or a latex/innerspring hybrid (with a few inches of latex over either a polyfoam or innerspring support core) would be in a similar budget range to a good quality memory foam mattress (which is typically a few inches of memory foam over a polyfoam support core). A “hybrid” like this is a very popular way to have some of the benefits of sleeping on a latex comfort layer while reducing the cost of the mattress compared to using latex in the support core as well. An example of this would be something like this one at Parklane.
This is where Certipur comes in (for memory foam or polyfoam). They test for harmful chemicals in the materials and also for VOC’s (harmful offgassing). You can see what they test for here*. Oeko-Tex which is a common certification for latex and fabrics also has a list of chemicals and VOC’s that they test for which you can see here. Other certifications would (or at least shoud) have a similar list.
ADMIN NOTE:*Always check CertiPur site for the latest guidelines available
Smaller local or independent manufacturers usually use American made foams which are usually CertiPur certified (in the case of polyfoam or memory foam) or Oeko-Tex certified (in the case of latex). Their value is more in the service and knowledge they provide and because as a group they they use higher quality materials in each budget range than the larger manufacturers. They are usually more knowledgeable as well in the differences between different types of foam and other mattress materials.
The only real value of Costco or other Big Box stores in general is their refund policy which can lower the risk of experimenting with mattresses where you have little real idea of how suitable they may be or how they may feel or perform when you sleep on them. Because they have little knowledge of their mattresses and because they sell a large number of lower quality/value mattresses … it can take some detailed research to have a good idea of what you are buying from them and which ones are the better quality/value “exceptions”. Even with a good refund policy … if your mattress softens to the degree where you lose comfort or support in a year or two down the road … the return policy is generally not available any more and you can end up with a mattress that needs replacing much more quickly and no recourse (warranties don’t cover the loss of comfort or support which is the main reason people need to replace a mattress).
I would personally avoid Costco unless you have a great deal of knowledge about mattress materials and design or have done enough local testing and are enough of an “expert” to make up for what they don’t know about mattrersses or which type of mattress would be most suitable for you. In your case … there is great value available locally anyway so it would be hard for me to imagine taking the time involved in research or the risk of making a blind purchase from a big box store when it had little benefit compared to what was available to me that I could actually test in person.
so the eco friendly at parklane are sort of a latex hybrid? What about the other 2 in the same category that are a bit softer?
phoenix someone said they were considering the following mattress and you said I think that it was good? Amazon.com
What I’m wondering is the memory foam poundage. It says “3” of 4lb gel memory foam, 2" of 5lb memory foam, 8" base of premium base foam." Others only say just one number if at all. When you talk about it you refer to one number as well. In this case is it the 5ilb or 4ilb that counts? I won’t buy the Novafoam but like to compare their 4ilb with the rest so when I pay more I understand why completely.
So in the above example and your criteria below, I think they answer question 2 right ?stating it’s 13" Gel Memory Foam Mattress with 3" of Gel Memory Foam. Question 1 was where it’s made and if it’s passed the tests and this one is made in the U.S. question 4 they answer I think by indicating the poundage and question #3 is unanswered right? I am trying to apply what I learn here to mattress specs out there.
If someone else knows too please feel free to answer, I feel bad I am probably overwhelming Phoenix here!
Never buy a mattress that includes memory foam without knowing the density and layering of the memory foam layers.
Never buy a mattress that includes memory foam without knowing the type and quality of the support layers underneath it (either an innerspring, polyfoam, or latex foam).
Use the least amount of memory foam that is suitable for the pressure relief you need and never buy any memory foam which is under 4 lbs.
The description of each of them is on their site (if you click the description tab)
A latex hybrid generally is used to refer to a latex comfort layer and a polyfoam or innerspring support core.
The Aurora has a polyfoam support core and a mix of latex and memory foam in the comfort layers. Some people really like a combination of latex and memory foam in the comfort layer.
The Seneca is also a latex hybrid and the latex comfort layer is a little thicker and softer than the Breeze.
Dreamfoam (a brand name for Brooklyn Bedding) is also a member of this site which means I believe they are also among the best quality/value in the country. They are only sold online. A forum search on Ultimate Dreams (you can just click this) will bring up many posts (a few hundred) with comments and feedback about the various mattress they carry on their Amazon site and they are now just launching a new line on their Brooklyn Bedding site as well (see post #7 here).
Every layer “counts”. Many mattresses (including memory foam mattresses such as the Tempurpedic Cloud series) use several layers of different foams to create the different types of feel and performance that “matches” different body types, sleeping styles, and preferences. Each type of foam has a different feel and the density is the weight of the foam per cubic foot and is the most important pare of foam durability.
All of the mattresses you are mentioning “pass” the criteria I use (either Certipur certified or made in the US). The goal is to ask each one for the information you need so that you can find out if they will tell you and whether they have the knowledge and experience to help you make good choices.
I suspect though that you are getting too caught up in technical issues rather than “connecting with experts” that actually make the mattresses. I wouldn’t try to “become the expert” but only learn enough so that you know when you are dealing with one … and both Parklane (where you can test the mattresses in person) and Dreamfoam (where you can’t but they will help you choose based on “averages”) are “experts”, can help you make good choices, and have great quality and value mattresses. In your circumstances I would strongly suggest local testing no matter where you decide to make a purchase in the end and talking with the people who make the mattresses.
Amazon bed above:
13 inches thickness
Three Layer construction
3" of 4lb gel memory foam top,
2" of 5lb memory foam on 8" base of premium base foam
Novafoam
12 inches thickness
Two layer construction
2.5" of 4lb NutraTemp® temperature-neutral, premium-quality memory foam top layer (polyurethane viscoelastic)
9.5" base superior support foam 2lb(what is superior in this case? Is this polyurethan viscoelsatic too?)
I called to get Novafoam again to find out the numbers and material.
That’s a big difference in density by 3 inches! Plus an additional inch for thickness of mattress, and the 3rd layer over 2.
OK, I hate to say this, didn’t want to before, but I bought the costco one already [is emberassed]. In fact, I bought it right before I discovered this forum because I was having doubts. But I didn’t want to say I bought it so no one is biased, not that anyone would be, but you guys know what I mean. It’s too late to cancel I was told so I will have to wait to receive it. Gah.
Awww no one will judge you… Are you sure you don’t want the mattress? If so, get on the phone and make it happen, girl. There’s no such thing as “too late to cancel.” Even if it has shipped, UPS can reroute packages (there’s often a small charge.) Probably you need to go up a level of authority from the “order taker” you spoke with at Costco. Also, what’s their return policy, will they take it back once it’s out of the box, and I assume you’ll have to physically take it to the Costco store, and what does it weigh? If you really don’t want it, get on the phone and let them know very nicely they can either do this the easy way or the hard way plus annoy a good customer (member?). Also ask them to expedite your refund as you’re in severe pain and need to be able to buy another mattress quickly.
We did the “return the mattress to Walmart” thing and what a chore! Without DP to heave and carry (and curse) I would have had to hire someone to do it. We have a Jeep but it was like transporting an elephant!
Thanks Sleepy for your sound advice. I like your username, would like to change mine to sleepyhead! My friend thinks I should try it out, at least for comparison sake, since it’s in transit anyway and I have nothing to lose. But since I feel confident now that it won’t be right for me, I feel like it’s a waste to test it and them losing out, even if they are a big profitable company. Or maybe it’s actually Novafoam that loses. I realize it’s not my loss but theirs, yet I still feel kinda guilty you know? So that’s when I think it’s better to not open it and return it to the store. It will be hard enough to move around in a box let alone once it’s been opened, like you experienced returning yours, transporting an elephant! Whereas in the box it’s merely a large bear hahaha. Don’t get me started on Wal-Mart, all the stories I hear about their service make me not want to step foot there, no matter their prices.
What was frustrating for me wasting time at the chain stores is the fact that they had different names for the same mattresses so you couldn’t compare. I learned too that Sleep Country owns Mattress Discounters and Bed Mart owns Americas mattresses or vice versa. Shute, I don’t remember, but bottom line is that 4 major stores yet 2 owners. I don’t like that, kinda misleading.
IDK if your concern is durability, would trying it out help? Or if you’re just concerned it will be too soft/too hard, then maybe it could work out better than you think; that’s your call. As far as feeling guilty, I don’t think this is an ethical issue; I mean, these stores count on a certain number of returns and build that into their prices. You’ve done nothing wrong. I think you should do what’s best for you. Corporations always do what’s best for them, no worries about that.
You are very right Sleepy. I may call them tomorrow again. If all else fails I will take care of it when it arrives and figure things out till then. At least costco is super close to me and I drive a baby truck. Have you ever called Costco? Oh boy, it’s a minimum of 20 minute wait. Well I will let you guys know how it goes, I will do some looking around this weekend too at the mattress stores Phoenix recommended .
My other issue now is the bed I bought smells like cat poo. Otherwise it’s perfect pristine condition. Why didn’t I notice when I bought it from the owner that it smells like cat poo? Maybe because her apartment had an odor mixed in and it was just confusing. Being I’ve never owned a pet, I like everything clean, neat and fresh smelling in my home all the time, I am neurotic about odors. She gave me the mattress too, I was like, “no, I have one on the way, I only came for the slats and headboard.” But next thing I know I am driving home with that nasty mattress with cat fur! Ewwwwww!!! I didn’t even help her, how did she put it in my truck herself and when!!?? She was moving and thought she’d give me more junk lol. Thank god she didn’t force me to take her moldy green married with children couch. I can’t wait to get rid of both the mattress and bed. Craigslist, grrr…sometimes it’s good (for show tickets) sometimes it sucks (for goods).
There’s no reason to be embarrassed as Sleepy1 mentioned. The goal here is always to get to the best possible outcome no matter how many missteps there are along the way
Just for reference … density is the weight per cubic foot of a layer of foam not the thickness of any of the materials in the mattress. The thickness is the “amount” of materials (no matter what the density) and of course the thicker a layer of similar density the more the raw materials would cost.
Costco also has a great return policy (see the details here) and they will pick up the mattress the same way they delivered it (curbside if that was how it was delivered) if you decide to return it. Just keep the original box if you decide to try it out. This at least makes it possible to test it now that it’s coming anyway without any real risk.
The Novaform is also reasonably good value in terms of “raw materials”. 4 lb memory foam is medium density/durability and the base layer is good quality as well (2.0 lbs is not the best but is good quality). The problem isn’t so much one of poor value but because you won’t know whether the mattress is suitable for you until you try it. With 2.5 inches of memory foam it may be somewhat on the firm side but this will depend on the firmness of the polyfoam base layer.
Of course it’s not in the same value range as the Ultimate Dreams which has twice as much memory foam (the most costly part of the mattress materials) and the memory foam and base foam is also higher quality (density). With this mattress you could also test the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe locally (which is widely available) to get an idea of how it felt (they say it’s just a little bit firmer than the Luxe) so it wouldn’t be as much of a blind purchase and you could get a clearer sense of how suitable it may be for you.
For you though … I think that the best of all options since you have it available and when you are facing the kind of “debilitating back pain” you are facing would be to work “in person” with a local manufacturer such as Parklane that has high quality and value mattresses because the suitability of a mattress is just as important if not more important than just the price alone and you would have more testing options there and some “in person” guidance that wouldn’t be available with an online merchant.
At the very least I would narrow down a local choice to the one that was “best” for you and then once you have a better idea of the type of mattress and combination of materials that is best for you and that you prefer … then compare it to a similar online option as a “value reference” … keeping in mind that it wouldn’t be exactly the same as the one you tested so there would still be a little more risk involved if you went in that direction.
Hi Phoenix I bought this Novafoam topper when I realized how bad my bed was sinking but naturally it didn’t help. Now I am using my folks guest bed which is a hard latex from Parklane. Since I stopped sleeping on the old sinking mattress, my lower back pain is soooo much better, I could hardly walk before. My usual head/neck/tmjd/jaw pain remains the same and not good. But it was my back that was so bad with the sinking bed.
Anyway, I tried the topper on top of he latex bed because it’s a bit hard. The topper is soooo soft though, I sink in it, reminds me of my sinking bed only it’s an all over sink. I thought the hard and soft would sort of mix, but all I feel is the soft. So the mattress I have coming is going to be a bit hard, I am prepared for this. But what kind of topper do I buy that won’t be overly soft yet softer than the hard mattress and that will work with my mattress, whichever one I will end up with. Even when I buy a better mattress, it will likely be a bit hard because the softer are spendier. Based on my experience with this super soft topper, whatever mattress you have underneath doesn’t seem to matter, whether it be a 3K tempurpedic or a $300 Kmart mattress, because all you feel is the topper! What do you think?
), so I have done a ton of research trying to find what I want for what I can afford, so I might have some ideas for you. Sounds like you were looking at memory foam but are now leaning toward latex “in theory.” Then you should try out some latex mattresses first–different types and ILDs and configurations. The company I bought from online–SleepEZ–wouldn’t even sell me a mattress until I’d done that. What does 