Purchase Help

Hi,
This page is awesome. Was wondering if you had any suggestions for a back sleeper in Portland, OR looking to buy a new bed. I am leaning towards Parklane Mattresses as they are a member on this site.

Their mattresses seem to get good reviews, but wasn’t sure if anyone has purchased one from them? They suggested the Alder and Woodstock to give me a start.

My biggest concern is my current mattress (springs) has some major body forming/indents and I definitely don’t want that after only 10 or so years.

Hi GoDucks,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

As you mentioned, Parklane is a member of this site which means I think highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. A forum search on Parklane (you can just click the link) will also bring up more information about them as well.

I’m assuming that you’ve already read the mattress shopping tutorial (which is the first place to start your research). The two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for, and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” 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 compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. Learning about mattresses and the componentry inside is much more important and reliable than any review you might read, either pro or con.

Outside of PPP and how well you sleep, the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the quality/durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/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.

The people at Parklane would be able to provide you with the more detailed specifics of all the layers and components in their mattresses (I don’t maintain such a listing) but as far as I’m aware all of their mattresses use high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in any of them that would compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

Part of shopping for a mattress is finding a reputable and knowledgeable retailer or manufacturer and being able to trust the information you’re provided about their products and the advice you’re given as to what mattresses or components might work best for your particular situation, I certainly would strongly consider any suggestions that Parklane offers.

You can read about componentry and durability in the two posts I linked to earlier regarding those topics, but I think you may be a bit unrealistic regarding a mattress comfort life.

While it’s not possible to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person, if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials that are well above the minimum guidelines like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.

It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a maximum reasonable expectation for any mattress no matter what the quality or durability of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.

Having said that … with higher quality materials throughout a mattress and/or for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with higher quality/density and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam or natural fibers is much more likely than with less durable materials.

Phoenix

Thank you Phoenix for your info and links! This website has been very helpful and I have explored your links you provided. Appreciate the help!

Hi GoDucks,

I’m glad the information was helpful to you. Happy researching!

Phoenix

Hi Phoneix,
I too could use some advice on selecting a new mattress. I have been perusing your mattress forum for about 3 weeks now and have ready more articles about mattresses than I ever dreamed possible. My head is spinning, but at least I feel like I’ve learned some things. We are in the market for a cal. king and are just north of Baltimore, where I now the pickings are slim. After reading some threads about locations in the Baltimore/DC area and doing some research, we have narrowed things down to a few that we feel we could live with and wondered if you had any thoughts. All 3 are CertiPUR- US.

Our choices are:
a.) The Atlas 1100 by White Dove: Home - White Dove
Specs: Hand Tufted; Heavy Duty 18-slat Amish; Wood Foundation; 12.5 gauge Heavy Duty Double Offset Innerspring System; Ultra High Density 2.5 lb Polyurethane Foam; and then we will be adding a 3" latex topper. (25 yr. warranty)

b.) HD Super Duty Hybrid by Paramount: ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: paramountsleep.com/brands/hd-super-duty/#details
This is the only information we could find and the salesman didn’t have anything more:

SPECS: Gauge Tempered Steel Coils; NEW! Tri-Zoned Foam with Gel Memory & Poly Foam -
An exclusive design by Paramount; Quilted Natural Silk & Wool Blend; High Density, Quality Foams - Only the highest-quality foams are used throughout the entire mattress collection. Memory foam, gel memory foam, latex foam and high-density foam consistently deliver reduced body impressions and long comfort life. Most importantly, these high-quality materials reduce pressure points and cradle the body in a personalized, conforming layer for the ultimate in comfort and support.; Compression Tufted by Hand; 18-Slat Spruce Wood, Zoned Foundation; 20 yr warranty

c.) Nature’s Spa by paramount: ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: Nature’s Spa® - Paramount Sleep Company®
SPECS: This is the only information we could find and the salesman didn’t have anything more:
100% Natural Comforting Latex; Quilted with Care and Comfort in Mind
Each Nature’s Spa® mattress is wrapped in a BCI stretch knit cotton fabric and quilted to natural fibers, such as silk, organic wool and natural FR rayon, to effectively wick away heat and moisture, regulate sleep temperature and provide comfort on the sleep surface.; Microcoil Comfort Layer; 5" foam core that provides greater stability and durability with layers of latex and gel quilting foam offering support and comfort. 3 layers of 45 ILD latex make up the core for the all natural models; 20 yr. warranty

We had a fourth choice: a Sleepwell double sided mattress, but the salesman wouldn’t answer my questions about density & actual components. He kept asking me what I was looking for, what type of feel. He was evasive and now I have serious concerns about his authenticity. But I have attatched sleepwells link in case you have an opinion. Home - AW Mattress

Thanks for any thought or suggestions you might have,
Slumberseeker

@Slumberseeker - I just wanted to pass along my experience regarding Paramount Sleep and their products. I had the opportunity to try several of their mattress lines when a furniture retailer called “The Dump” used to handle their beds in the Chicago area. Like many other companies they had a wide range of models of varying quality levels and prices. I made several attempts by phone and email to reach Paramount Sleep with questions that I had about details on their products and never received a response of any kind. The Dump is a clearance type of retailer who offers huge discounts on their products, but the Paramount Sleep products that they sold were regularly being offered at prices discounted up to 75% from their list prices. I’d be very reluctant to purchase any products from such a company who will not even bother to respond to consumer questions about their products. Hardly the type of transparency and customer support you’d like to see, just imagine if you had any issues which needed their support. That’s just my experience with Paramount Sleep. Good luck with your quest!

Hi slumberseeker,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

we have narrowed things down to a few that we feel we could live with and wondered if you had any thoughts. All 3 are CertiPUR- US.

The CertiPUR-US would refer to the polyfoams used within the mattress, and you’d want to make sure that all of the layers of polyfoams foams within the mattress are CertiPUR-US certified.

The materials you listed are higher quality and more durable, although you don’t list the thickness of the 2.5 lb polyfoam, and I’m wondering if there are other materials within the mattress. You’d want to be sure of the complete specifications before considering any purchase. This design is similar to the Therapedic MediCoil HD line or the old King Koil Extended Life Collection, which were better quality innerspring products.

You can read a little more about Paramount in post #2 here and the posts it links to. Unfortunately Paramount doesn’t normally disclose all the information you would need to know to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in their mattresses. The Paramount HD mattresses do tend to generally use some higher quality/density materials inside them (in a design similar to the Therapedic MediCoil HD line or the old King Koil Extended Life Collection) but the only way to know for sure whether a mattress has any weak links in terms of durability is to make sure you know the specifics of all the layers and components inside it (see this article). If a retailer or a manufacturer you are dealing with either isn’t willing or able to tell you all the information about any mattress you are considering, then I would avoid it because it would be a much too risky purchase.

This item would be the “odd man out” regarding configuration as compared to the other two. But without knowing the complete configuration and density of the polyfoam core as well as the makeup of the other layers on top of the latex (there are different models within this lineup), you’d have no way to make an informed decision.

As above, if you can’t find out the complete information about the componentry, this would be a risky purchase IMHO.

Phoenix

Hi Sweet Dreams,

I’m sorry you had difficulty in getting replies from Paramount Sleep. I don’t know that this is normal for their customer service (other members here of the site have received replies from them previously), but they generally don’t share the densities of their polyfoam (they consider it “proprietary”).

When making a purchase, I would be cautious with buying from liquidation or clearance stores like The Dump (see post #8 here) and at the very least I would check any mattress carefully for any evidence of use and make sure that it has a manufacturers warranty.

Phoenix

Thanks for your input, I appreciate any information that leads to an informed decision.

I’ve learned that buying a mattress is like buying a house - it’s what’s behind the walls that’s most important, the things you can’t see - just like what’s under the pretty mattress cover - the stuff you can’t see… I’ve learned a lot reading your posts. I wish the mattress industry was more transparent.

On that note - thanks for all the time you take to inform the general public - it is very much appreciated!

[quote=“Phoenix” post=71874]Hi Sweet Dreams,
When making a purchase, I would be cautious with buying from liquidation or clearance stores like The Dump (see post #8 here) and at the very least I would check any mattress carefully for any evidence of use and make sure that it has a manufacturers warranty.

Phoenix[/quote]
I agree completely with your words of caution regarding “The Dump”. If you do a simple search on their business what you find are an extraordinary number of complaints about the way they do business both as far as sales and after sale service (or lack thereof.) I only went there to check out some mattresses since I didn’t find them available locally elsewhere but I wouldn’t choose to do business with them. Thanks for the warning about such liquidation centers for mattress purchases.

Hi slumberseeker,

Yes, the devil is in the details! It seems the fancier the covers being placed upon mattresses, the lower the quality of materials placed inside.

And thank you for your kind words.

Phoenix

Hi Sweet Dreams,

A very wise decision!

Phoenix