Hi Phoenix. Love and have poured through your site. I bought a Prana Samadhi 4 Queen almost 5 years ago for my adjustable bed. It was fine in the beginning but developed deep impressions after only a few years. It has been unbearable for the last 2. The company determined it was defective after having significant bumps. Iāve read what you have written about this bed and the inferior layers they had, so I was not surprised. Oddly the significant bump they found is not where I sleep. Furthermore, I only weigh 100 pounds so it seems strange that I could make such an impact. However, a sales person said heavier people create less impressions because their weight is more distributed. Is that true?
I now have a credit of $4699 at the store. I do not need the base, just the mattress. I tried out and liked the Prana Super Vinyasa 5 Super Plush. That would be $4099. But I also liked the Tempur-pedic Flex Supreme Breeze Plush at $3799. I think, but am not sure, that the new Prana is a bit firmer that my current bed. I donāt recall trying out all the Tempur-pedics so I was going to go back and try the Countour Rhapsody Luxe, Countour Elite Breeze and Flex Supreme Breeze (no plush) just because they are higher price points. Also, I did really like the Serta Icomfort Savant 3 Plush but at $1774 but I would be leaving close to $3000 on the table. And no, they wonāt let me buy 2 or 3. I asked!
I use the adjustable bed all day long with the back raised, so one of my concerns again is the impressions. Also, I often use a heating pad on my back, which Iāve heard is not good for the Tempur-pedic. I am a side sleeper, have many back problems and Fibromyalgia. Currently my knees seems to get stuck in the dips and I wake up in pain.
I am very nervous about this decision because I donāt think Iād get the trial period. Iām hoping you could offer any advice. Thank you in advance.
Iām sorry that your Prana mattress isnāt working out well for you.
I canāt see your mattress so I canāt speak to what was deemed a ādefectā in the product or speculate why that may have happened. And using a power foundation could have caused some issues within the product as well.
Lower density foams will tend to be less durable, regardless of weight, but people with a higher mass will tend to āwear outā materials faster with more mechanical stress than someone with less mass. If someone is smaller and only sleeps in one area of a mattress, you may notice more readily any resulting body impressions or phantom/virtual body impressions, versus someone who was so large that they used the entire mattress at once (which would be a rather large individual) or someone who was a ātravelerā and used the entire mattress every night, butā¦I wouldnāt agree with your salesperson on that particular statement (mass and area covered arenāt necessarily related).
This mattress uses a 6" Talalay latex core, on top of which is 3" of Talalay latex and 3" of polyfoam. The blend of the latex is not provided (although it is alluded to on the Prana web site that it is 100% NR), and there is no information provide about the density of the polyfoam, which would be important to know. This mattress is somewhat similar in design to your old mattress, but not exactly the same. I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the 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.
This obviously is a different style of mattress from your current latex product. The Flex Supreme Breeze uses a pocketed coil innerspring unit, on top of which is 2.5" of 1.6 lb polyfoam, 1" of 5.3 lb Tempur memory foam and 2" of 4 lb Tempur memory foam. This mattress is adjustable bed friendly. For your mass, there would be no concerns with the density of any of these materials, but I would advise caution for those in a slightly higher with range with the 2.5" of 1.6 lb polyfoam and the 2" of 4 lb memory foamā¦
While you have a rather larger credit to work with at this store, make sure to choose any product based upon the quality of componentry and the appropriateness for your sleeping style and personal preferences, and not only trying to use all of the credit you have available. I donāt think this is the case, but I wanted to mention it just to be sure.
Iād advise caution with selecting this particular model and make sure that you find out (if possible) all of the specifications of the layers contained within that mattress. The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses 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 regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you arenāt 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).
Nice try! :lol: At least they are offering you the choice of other items, instead of simply sending you out a replacement of the same mattress.
You are correct, Tempurpedic does not recommend the use of a heating pad with their products.
Nothing can replace your own personal testing, as you do have some specific health considerations. Youād obviously want to consider something that allows for enough surface comfort while sleeping upon your side and also assists with pressure point relief, while still overall being resilient enough and provide enough support while both sleeping and seated. Your knees waking up in dips may be due to the product being too soft overall on top or the foams being lower in density and not as durable as you require.
I can certainly help with āhowā to choose. However, itās not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for a mattress or combinations of materials or components because the first āruleā 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 (especially with your back problems and Fibromyalgia) 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or ātheory at a distanceā 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).
While I already provided some links about what information to find about any mattress you might be considering, along with durability guidelines to rate those specifications, the next thing Iād recommend you review is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice for your mattress exchange.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP, and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā 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 based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Iāll be interested in learning about our next visit to your retailer, and any other information youāre able to find about any potential mattresses youāre considering.
Hi again. Thanks for all of the links. I had read a hundred posts last year before I knew they would take my mattress backāgot myself ready for one of your companies. Anyway, here we are. I went back and tried the Prana Super Vinyasa 5 Super Plush again. The salesman was not very forthcoming on the layers, but after a drilling here is what I found from 2 different visits. (Might not be in correct order)
Mattress 12.5-13" tall
6" latex core, then 3" layers of latex.
Latex is 55% blend, 45% synthetic material
Also said Radium 100%
Then thin layer, looked like under .5", of wood pulp material
Ticking is Outlast Poly Rayon
3" of 2.5 lb Poly, but also said 1.5" Poly Euro foam synthetic
Iām sure you can make sense of this. It still felt good and I actually took a good 45min nap in the store. Woke up ok but dazed and confused as you can imagine!
I also did like the Tempur-pedic Contour Rhapsody Luxe. It is definitely firmer. I was thinking it would soften somewhat. However, I really do use my heating pad behind my back a lot and even with a towel I donāt want to cause problems. But I was late after my nap and didnāt get the materials for the Contour. If I donāt make it in this week I will just call them and hope they spill the details. But regardless, I think Iām leaning towards the Prana.
One other note. I read a recent post about the adjustable bed and not wanting the materials to bunch up. Thatās a concern, as it was a big problem in my current Prana. What I discovered is the company gave me a free thick bamboo mattress pad that I used, and over time it really stretched out. Bad news! So for 2 years I had even bigger lumps until I realized it was the cover that caused most of the problems. After that, my thin cotton/nylon? blend has been better. Now I just have the regular body impressions from sitting up, comforter falling and bunching, and some of the top bedding bunched initially but went the other way after timeā¦
Also, can I be nosy and ask how you became such a good writer? You are so clear and thorough that I wondered if were a writer too before you began this great site. Finally, can you spill if you are a male or a female, or is it a secret? I love the name but it could go both ways. Just curious as I feel Iāve come to know you from afar after a year. Thanks Phoenix for everything.
[quote]I went back and tried the Prana Super Vinyasa 5 Super Plush again. The salesman was not very forthcoming on the layers, but after a drilling here is what I found from 2 different visits. (Might not be in correct order)
Mattress 12.5-13" tall
6" latex core, then 3" layers of latex.
Latex is 55% blend, 45% synthetic material
Also said Radium 100%
Then thin layer, looked like under .5", of wood pulp material
Ticking is Outlast Poly Rayon
3" of 2.5 lb Poly, but also said 1.5" Poly Euro foam synthetic
Iām sure you can make sense of this. It still felt good and I actually took a good 45min nap in the store. Woke up ok but dazed and confused as you can imagine![/quote]
From the information you provided, it seems as if they are sourcing their latex from Radium in the Netherlands, which means it would be Talalay (which is confirmed on the Prana web site). The blend of 45% SBR (synthetic)/55% NR (natural) doesnāt make sense. Radiumās blended Talalay is 70% SBR / 30% NR. Prana says on their web site that their latex is proprietary and has three times the amount of natural latex as the ānormalā Talalay, which in this case would mean that their Talalay would be 100% NR, which is what I had previously thought they used. Regardless, the 6" Talalay core and the 3" Talalay latex on top of that would be a good quality and durable material. On top of this is placed a 3" polyfoam quilt panel, which you say they list as a 2.5 lb. density, which would be a good durable material. Iām not sure of the second ā1.5ā Poly Euro foam synthetic", but an educated guess would be that the 3" quilt panel is comprised of two 1.5" pieces of poly foam. The .5" of wood pulp material is the cellulose used for the viscose dope for making the synthetic fibers used in combination with silica for the inherent non-toxic flame retardant barrier. Overall, the material you listed would be good quality and there would be no āweak linksā in this mattress.
The Tempurpedic Contour Rhapsody Luxe uses two 4.75" polyfoam Airflow base layers that are each 2.0 lb. density. Above this is placed a 2" of the Tempur memory foam at 5.3 lb., and on top of this is placed 2" of the Tempur-HD memory foam at 7.1 lb. density. The materials used in this mattress are good quality, and as you have a store credit, certainly would be something worth considering. Normally, I would advise that one make a careful value comparison on this item, as it is in a higher budget range for the componentry used.
It would be normal for mattress pads like the one you described to stretch out a bit over time, and thicker mattress pads and thicker quilt panels (like what the Prana uses) may be a bit noticeable with creases as you bend up and down, but these are rarely a cause for discomfort, especially with the type of ticking used in both the Prana and the Tempurpedic youāre considering. The slight ābunchingā of material youād witness with these items bending up and down isnāt permanent, and combined with the point elasticity of the foams under the covering, are generally allowed to ābend inā to the mattress so as to be unnoticeable in most applications when you lie upon the mattress, especially if you start from the flat positon and adjust from there (as most adjustable bed manufacturers recommend).
Thank you for your fine compliment. Writing has always been a passion, and I apricate your kind words. OU can learn a bit more about Phoenix here.
Iāll be interested in learning about your final selection for exchange.
