Other than materials, what are the general advantages and disadvantages of the Prana versus the VI Spring? The local store we went to had both, and we’re told that with the VI Spring, you get a lifetime warranty, and the Prana was only 10 years (then the warranty depreciates after that). Any thoughts? Is the VI Spring really worth the price?
Really Depends on how big you are ( BODY MASS INDEX), and what your budget looks like.
- if you are very large, and looking at the most basic Vispring (the ELITE from $2300), you may be better off spending your money on one of the better PRana beds. The vispring elite, for example, while still a ebautiful handmade, natural mattress with a Lifetime warranty on it-- May just not be substantial enough for a very large person (especially if you arent getting the Sprung Divan with it).
If you have a little larger budget, and are considering most any other model, it is extremely tough to beat VISPRING in any area. - As far as longevity goes, you must consider:
i. Will the bed develop depressions?
ii. Will the comfort of the bed change?(softer/firmer over time)
iii. How well will the bed hold up before the cover tears/springs poop through/latex breaks down/etc.
Due to the usage of natural fibers that don’t decompose AND a very thorough hand-stitched process around the side of the bed that keeps the coils in place(+ the Pocketed Nature of the Coils) + a Hand-Tufting going all the way through the bed to keep the materials in place(this creates the quilting look)… VISPRING beds last longer than about any other mattress. Specifically, the Comfort will not change, and the bed will not develop depressions(Some people in the UK have had the same bed for 40+ years).
NOTE:It is necessary to flip/rotate a VISPRING mattress every 3-4 months, as they are designed with loose-fill fibers(wool/cotton/horsetail//cashmere) that may settle a bit. This is NOT Permanent; in fact Just as you “Fluff” a pillow; turning the mattress over lets you sleep on what feels like a new bed (ideally distribute natural materials), while the comfort materials on the bottom-side of the bed are slowly and evenly re-distributed-- through even pressure & gravity-- to the natural consistency & Comfort Levels present when originally crafted. Flipping = Rejuvenation.
The latex in the Prana’s should hold up well also, but the 3" “quilted layer” in the construction is cause for worry. If you are really concerned about longevity, stay away from thick quilted layers in foam beds; generally speaking these layers will form impressions rather quickly (a few years). - if you are looking at the classic, shetland, sublime, signatory, or masterpiece, you’d be hard-pressed to beat these beds in terms of health benefits or longevity. They are remarkably well built, and the materials that are used in them simply do not break down like synthetic materials generally do. These beds are where vi-spring shines, AND in fact it is cheaper over time to go with a premium VISPRING bed, because it literally will last a Lifetime (and is backed by a company that’s been around since 1901 in the extremely rare event something happens).
- Main benefits of vi-spring in my opinion are as follows:
a. Arguably the Most Luxurious bed in the world. 1)Very cool-sleeping. Especially the Classic (horsetail bed), which is perhaps the most breathable bed in the world. 2) Customize the firmness(split firmness available) in all models, choose the thickness of the base, as well as a myriad of optional Headboard, Fabric, & Color Options. Custom size also available.
b. These guys stand behind their product unlike any company that I’ve ever worked with, as they know one negative review could kill 100 $20,000 bed sales. [you can see the just how much natural fibers vi-spring puts into just one side of their sublime superb or signatory in the picture i attached. this is the reason you don’t get sagging or settling; the natural fibers are incredibly tightly packed already. You just don’t get this in quilted layers in many other beds].
c. Customization gives you the ability to get ideal support. With any mattress line, there is likely one bed that is the ideal feel for comfort. Often times it is not this bed that provides the best spinal alignment and muscle support; with vi-spring every bed comes with 4 distinct support levels; coil tensions based on your BMI body mass index.
d. Organic. No company in the world takes the strides that Vi-Spring does in terms of being organic. How important is this? Directly, it depends who you ask; INDIRECTLY it is crucial… While Important for Health, IT IS Imperative for Longevity, Comfort & Support because the materials needed to truly create an organic bed like this, also happen to be the most durable and by many folks’ opinions, the most comfortable! That being said, latex beds can also be very natural- some say organic(depends on definition), so you must get into the details when searching for a bed.
e. People literally FALL IN LOVE with VISPRING mattresses. This is how you should feel about your bed-- any bed-- and there should be NO COMPROMISES when it comes to getting your needs met & your comfort expectations Surpassed. - If you are going with a latex bed, my recommendation is to go with something that has little to no quilted layers. Very, very few companies put the amount of filling in a quilted layer, the right way, to ensure sagging won’t occur over time. a stretch top or very thin quilted layer is the best way to go in my mind. When I see 3" and 4" layers of “quilt flex” or similar materials, especially when it’s over what would otherwise last 15-20 years or more (10" of quality latex for instance), it really makes me wonder what the designers were thinking. As far Prana, inquire about their “quilted layers” perhaps the “high density foams” they are referring to are not the typical quilting materials.
Ultimately though, you should test both out to see what fits you best. A mattress isn’t a One-Size-Fits-All item; Rather, it should be looked at like a wedding dress: “FIT TRUMPS ALL. IF THE FIT ISN’T THERE, AND YOU AREN’T COMFY & SUPPORTED PROPERLY WITH ALIGNMENT, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.”
Hi Warrenjadams,
As Matt mentioned … the two mattresses you are trying to compare aren’t really comparable and are very different “animals”.
The Pranasleep mattresses would be more comparable to other Talalay latex mattresses or latex hybrids (depending on which model you are considering). I would also share Matt’s caution about the thickness of the polyfoam in the quilting layers (see post #3 here and post #2 here).
As far as the VI Spring you can see some of my thoughts about them in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Thanks to both of you. Very helpful. Matt: let me know how to get ahold of you.
Just to reiterate, the Vi-Spring warranty is only for manufacturing defects, not your comfort. However, they do offer one comfort layer swap pretty indefinitely, but only one. There is a cost to it, in the range of a few hundred dollars plus shipping.
Sorry, but what is a comfort layer swap?
Hi WarrenJadams,
You can see the details of their comfort guarantee on their site here. They will exchange your mattress for another one with a different spring tension as long as you buy from a local dealer that has given you expert individual advice.
Phoenix