Please help me choose an Ikea mattress (and/or a mattress in general)

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hello everyone I’m new to this forum. I recently bought a MYRBACKA latex mattress, which was supposedly semi-firm/medium-firm: I couldn’t stand to sleep on it ONE NIGHT (let alone a few hours!) because it felt unbearably stiff on my back. No matter how tired I was, it felt like sleeping on the pavement.
Now I say it’s “supposedly” medium-firm because I slept on a “firm” Sultan Fjordgard for years without trouble: I didn’t sink in it like I am in memory foam Sultan Flokenes, which I also own and is a bit too soft for me (idk if it’s because it’s getting old, though, I’m only sleeping on it in recent years).

What is also weird is that I own a latex pillow which is perfect and what I expected the new latex mattress to be: soft, I sink in it a bit because it’s soft and comfortable, but “springy” enough to support my weight a bit. On this premise I actually expected the mattress to be a bit too soft lol

Me and the other person sleeping on it (it’s a mattress for two people) weigh around 150/175 pounds each. I sleep on my sides and occasionally on my back (and rarely on my belly) while the other person only on their back.

The options available in my country at the moment are:

-Hyllestad pocket spring mattress (semi-firm/medium hard -idk I’m tranlating from my language-)
-Morgedal latex mattress (semi-firm, supposedly as Myrbacka??)
-Matrand latex mattress (semi-firm, see above)
-Mausund natural latex (semi-firm, see above)

-Morgedal foam mattress (hard)
-Hovag pocket spring mattress (hard)
-Matrand memory foam (hard)
-Hafslo spring mattress (hard)
-Myrbacka memory foam (hard; i tried the latex “semi-firm” and was too hard)
-Mauranger foam mattress (hard)
-Hamarvik spring mattress (hard)
-Hokkasen pocket spring mattress (hard)
-Geresta foam mattress (hard)

No “soft” options apparently.

I know I have to feel the comfort of the mattress myself, but any suggestion as of what you guys think would best fit for me would be much appreciated. I don’t have any knowledge in this field.

I also read this guide https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/how-to-look-for-and-find-the-best-mattress-for-you-read-first/#8240 and since I need two mattresses (one has to be Ikea bc return money, the other can be anything) I’d like to ask about “step 3”: how exactly am I supposed to tell a good “knowledgeable and experienced” retailer from a bad one? Because some retailers in my area tried to sell me “brand name” mattress at more than double the price I found it on its manufacturer website (shipping fee included).
I don’t know about the materials (are springs good or bad? Is memory foam really the evil or it can be sustaining enough?), and I also don’t know how am I supposed to understand how soft a mattress is by simply trying it out at the store, since I know those are a lot softer because many people lay on them.

Any help is much appreciated.

2

Hi Lofom.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum. :slight_smile:

Thanks for sharing your experience! Sorry that you’re having pain on your new mattress. Hopefully I’m able to offer you some guidance to help you make a more suitable choice moving forward.

To answer some of your questions…

What you are looking to find out is their ability and willingness to disclose the materials in their mattresses and their knowledge, experience, and ability to give you the guidance that is necessary to help you make meaningful comparisons and your best possible choices. They will have the knowledge and experience to help you “match” a mattress to your specific needs and preferences so that you are less likely to buy a mattress (even if it is great quality and value) that may not work for you.

A reputable retailer, like our Trusted Members, put the legitimate best interests of their customers above their own profit.

We don’t make specific recommendations as, like you mentioned, only you can feel what you feel on a mattress. That said, I would suggest reading this article on the comfort layer needs of the varying sleeping positions, and our Mattress Durability Guidelines - with particular attention to the adequate types of foams for your BMI.

Steps two and three of this article may be able to help guide you.

I know I’m giving you a lot of reading here, but you can visit the following (linked) resources to learn all about the different materials used in comfort layers and support layers and their strengths and weaknesses.

Memory foam is not evil and definitely can be supportive and durable. If you are within a normal BMI, these are our foam recommendations:

  • Polyurethane foam (often called polyfoam): If the mattress is one-sided then I would make sure that the density of any polyfoam is at least 1.8 lb per cubic foot or higher. If the mattress is two-sided then I would use a minimum foam density of 1.5 lbs per cubic foot or higher.
  • Memory foam (or gel memory foam): If the mattress is one-sided then I would make sure that any memory foam is at least 4 lb per cubic foot. If the mattress is two-sided then I would use a minimum density of 3 lbs per cubic foot.

We always recommend before making any mattress purchase that you have a detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced online retailer or manufacturer and provide them with good information about your body type, sleeping style, general preferences and history, some general information about mattresses you have tested and done well with, and any other specific information or circumstances that could affect your choice of a mattress.

I hope this helps you get started as you move forward in replacing your mattress.
NikkiTMU