Quality comparison ?

Hi, I am new to the forum, and wanted to reach out for a bit of guidance on some specific mattresses and their overall quality.
I have read everything I can on this site for a few weeks now, and based the following specific choices on what I have read, my price point, and what my husband and I feel meets our specific comfort level. This included driving around and laying on all the one sided beds in our area (I did call around and no one has a double sided in the state of CO)
A tad bit of background: I had a fabulous 2 sided bed firm springs with plush top for around 10 years. In the last couple years, the plush top got lumpy, and both my husband and I had backaches, so we decided to get a new mattress. A year and a half ago, we bought a brand-y new, no flip, great for your back and green for the environment memory foam mattress in firm. Yay, until 6 months went by, and it is horrible. :angry: We are in worse pain now than before. We have decided to go back to innerspring, as we both need the support. We have been careful to try a lot of mattresses at our local suppliers. (all one sided) Invariably we always like the ones on the firm side, but not hard, with a bit of pressure relief. We both have and need lumbar support. Hip pain is an issue. Anything listed as “plush, pillow top, feather soft” was too soft for us. But, I want a double sided; seriously not sold on this one sided it doesn’t last and you can’t ever flip “new” mattress. So begins the online shopping.
Here are the ones I came up with.
FLEXUS COMFORT POSTURE SENSE MATTRESS: 10" BODY PRINT TRI ZONE POCKET COILS, 15 gauge, 810 count 1.5 LB CERTIPURE EDGE, SAME CUSIONING 2" FOAM, 1" BAMBOO QUILT, CENTER 3RD LUMBAR SUPPORT $675.00 – Pro- looks like good quality. Con- no return policy, shipping around 225.00.

CORSICANA SLEEP INC 270 TRADITIONS FIRM : 12" MATTRESS 3/4 " FOAM, FIBER PAD, 2" EXTRA FIRM FOAM, OFFSET COILS 14.5 GAUGE KING 1015 COUNT $776.00 FREE DLIVERY, 100 DAY TRIAL. Listed as “hard” Pro- free delivery and 100 day trial allowed. Con- not sure if this is a decent quality mattress, is “hard” so I may need to play the topper game.

Alternates:
Serta Perfect Sleeper Hotel Bronze Suite Supreme Double Sided Plush King Size Mattress- $776.00 Quilt - Top of Mattress Temperature Control Pillo-Fill Fiber FireBlocker 1/2" Serta PillowSoft Foam Comfort - Padding Layers 1" Serta PillowSoft Foam Serta Insulator Pad Coil System: High Profile Continuous Support System Coil Gauge: 13.25 Count King 664 Foam Encased Edge Support - Pro- states that it is listed as plush but is actually more firm Cons- not sure if the materials are quality, is a Big-S company

Restonic Comfort Care Andover Firm Double Sided King Size Mattress - $549 Quilt - Top of Mattress 2" Quilted Cover with Marvelous Middle Features Outlast Technology Comfort - Padding Layers 1" High Density Firm Foam 1/2" Memory Foam SystemHeavy Duty Insulator Pad Bonnell Innerspring System Border Rod Gauge: 6 Coil Gauge: 12.75 KING 520Metal Edge Support – Pro, its cheap Con- it’s cheap

Wolf Gemini Flippable King-size Innerspring Mattress/ 336 high profile mattress - $609.99; Mattress Top: Plush Top, Quilted, Tight, Density: 1.5 Pound, Product Features: Double-sided, Thickness: 10 Inch, Mattress Type: Foam, Innerspring, Support: Plush Firm
Pro- other sites have them as a good company with good quality beds, shipping is free, price is nice. Con- I couldn’t get any more information on exactly what this beds specs are, such as type of coil and gauge.

I know this is a really long message, I am so sorry. I know no one can pick for me, that’s not what I am after. Just a comparison on the quality of each is all I am really looking at, as some have no return policies, and I want to make the most educated decision possible.
Thank you!

Hi Slumpy,

I’m not sure where you live in Colorado but if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area … and some of them may have some two sided mattresses (I believe Verlo for example still makes some two sided mattresses). There is also more about the pros and cons of one sided and two sided mattresses in post #3 here but I wouldn’t necessarily assume that a two sided mattress is “better” than a one sided mattress because it would depend on the specifics of the materials and components in the two mattresses you are comparing.

I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps most importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

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).

I would also keep in mind that as long as the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice.

While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP 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 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 information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines I linked 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.

As you probably know … Flexus is one of the members of this site which means I think highly of them and I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency and would certainly be well worth considering. The materials and components in this mattress meet the quality/durability guidelines I would suggest and are no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress.

If you can find out the information here and post it on the forum I’d be happy to let you know if I can see any lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that would be a cause for concern but without this information it isn’t possible to make any meaningful comments about a mattress. Corsicana tends to use lower quality/density materials in their mattresses and you may have some difficulty finding out all the information you would need about the materials and components inside their mattresses that you would need to make an informed choice (see this article) and I would avoid any mattress that uses lower quality/density materials or where you can’t find out the quality/density of the materials and components inside it.

Again … most of the most of the major brands (such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta) tend to use lower quality materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay and I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (and the major retailers that focus on them) along with any mattress where you aren’t 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).

You may have a little more success in finding out the quality/density of the materials in a Restonic mattress (and again if you can post the specifics on the forum I’d be happy to make some comments) but this will depend on the ability and/or willingness of the retailer you are working with to find out all the information you would need from the factory. Many if not most retailers have little idea about the quality or durability of the materials in their mattresses and as sad as it is most of the members here that have spent a few hours on the forum will know more about mattress materials and components than most of the salespeople that sell them in the mainstream industry.

Again I would need more specific information to make any meaningful comments about this mattress.

The Corsicana uses an offset coil and the Serta uses a continuous coil and both the Restonic and the Wolf use a Bonnell coil which are all “linked coils” so I would make sure you are comfortable with the potential for motion transfer if that’s important to you.

There is more information about the different types of innersprings in this article and in post #10 here.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and any firmness level options they have to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to first finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in (either locally or online) and that you have confirmed can provide you with all the information you need to know to make an informed choice and make meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

  1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

  2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

  3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Thank you for all that information. I have been trying to gather the details about each mattress and will post when (if) I receive a reply. In the meantime my zip is 80919 but I’m not adverse to driving across state if need be to find a good mattress. Latex is out of my reach financially, but a quality innerspring seems like a good option.

I’m choosing double sided (presuming it’s made well) because I don’t want to do this again in another 2 years… I’d like my purchase to be a little less disposable.

Please let me know if there are any good options to shop out here.

Hi Slumpy,

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Colorado, Springs, CO area (subject to making sure that any mattress meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines I linked in my last reply) along with a link to the Denver list are listed in post #3 here.

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each 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 (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability 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 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 and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” would be higher as well.

There is also more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.

A mattress would need to use some very low quality materials (or be on the edge of being too soft for you when it’s new) to only last for two years … even if it’s one sided.

Phoenix

Thanks for the list, I will try some of the smaller ones in the Boulder area. Of note, Denver Mattress is not the same company they used to be. They are on par with Mattress Firm these days. Maybe that is just the one in my area however.

My current bed was listed as very firm, and quite hard almost when we got it. It is now broken-in and softer in the places we sleep than the middle or edges. Pretty natural I expect, but its like sleeping in a trough, and by the middle of the night we are both edging into the middle because its firmer. We have turned it every month as recommended but this hasn’t made much of a difference. Maybe its a low quality mem foam, our first one and hey we didn’t know and trusted the sales specialist at the store (Denver Mattress BTW) We both miss our old bed, but you can’t buy that anymore. So hoping to find something of similar construction and quality or maybe even better. We are older now, and have aches and pains, mostly in the lumbar and upper back. We both sleep equally on our backs and sides.

I travel a lot and know there are several mattress I have slept on that were quite comfortable at the hotels I stayed at. They were innerspring, with the exception of one sleep number which I did not like.

I googled mattresses in Denver and found a couple of these manufacturers, some very much out of my price range, but among the multitude of Mattress Firms, AFW’s, and DM’s, I did not see the ones near Boulder. We will try up there before making an online purchase.

Hi Slumpy,

They still make some good quality/value mattresses that would be well worth considering but I would avoid the mattresses they carry that they don’t make themselves.

If your mattress is one of the Green Choice mattresses then you can see some comments about them in posts #9 and #13 here and the rest of the topic. They are an imported mattress and use lower quality/density 3 lb memory foams which is a low quality material and would be a weak link in the mattress and I would avoid them as well.

The level of knowledge of the different salespeople at Denver Mattress can also vary widely but it’s always a good idea to make sure you know the type and quality/density of all the materials in any mattress you are considering before you buy it (regardless of what you are told about the mattress) to make sure that there are no lower quality/density materials or weak links that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
Do you have any ideas about the quality of a Verlo mattress? We are thinking of driving up there (Denver/ Boulder area) in the next couple weekends and wanted to swing by there. Reviews (and I did see your note about not taking too much stock in these) are mixed on the overall quality. Some people seem to love them and others not so much, though it seems they may have been expecting too much.

Hi Slumpy,

It would depend on the specific mattress you are considering.

I would be very cautious about brand shopping in general because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and most manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Many manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from lower quality and less durable materials to higher quality and more durable materials in a wide range of prices. The name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress (which are the two most important parts of a mattress purchase). There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here.

There is more about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP 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 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.

Verlo is transparent about the type and quality of the materials in their mattresses (which is one of the most important parts of choosing a retailer or manufacturer that you are considering for a purchase) so if you can find out all the information about the type and quality of the layers and components inside any of the Verlo mattresses you are considering (see the previous link about “mattress specifications you need to know”) and post it on the forum I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials inside it and let you know if I can see any lower quality materials or weak links that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of the mattress.

Without this information it’s not possible to make any meaningful comments about the quality or durability of a mattress.

Phoenix

The do post the specs on the website for each of the mattresses, it looks to be complete, but I may be missing something since I am not used to looking at these closely. (I’m still learning) Here are links to two of the mattress collections. Is this a pretty complete list of specs?

http://verlo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/v5_Specs.pdf
http://verlo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/v3_Specs.pdf

Hi Slumpy,

Both of your links include partial information about several mattresses although most of them are missing the density of several of the foam layers which you would need to find out. Which specific mattresses are you considering?

As an example … if you were considering the V3 Pillowtop it has the following layers (from top to bottom) and I’ve added my comments about the information you would need that they don’t include in the description …

MATTRESS COVER
• Stretch knit fabric woven with polyester fibers
• Fire-Retardant Fiber Fire-Safety Certified
• Polyester Fiber quilt layer: I would want to know the thickness of this layer
• 1" Poly Foam Normally a layer of quilting foam that is no more than “about an inch or so” thick (less than 2") would be fine regardless of the density but if the polyester fiber layer is 1" or more thick then the total of the polyfoam quilting layer and fiber would be 2" or more in which case I would want to know the density of this layer.

I would also want to confirm the order of the layers

COMFORT LAYERS - PADDING
• .5" 4lb Gel Memory Foam
• 3" High-density Poly Foam: I would want to know the density of this layer.
• Bonded Cotton Insulator Pad
• Posturized Center Insulator Pad

I would also want to confirm the order of the layers

BASE SUPPORT
• 504 Coil Open-Offset Innerspring Unit
• Bonded Cotton Insulator Pad
• 1" High-density Poly Foam
• Coil Gauge: 13.75

I would also want to confirm the order of the layers.

I would also want to know the thickness of the innerspring so you can add up all the layers and confirm that they add up to approximately the thickness of the mattress to make sure no layers are missing although you would need to make a small allowance for the thickness of the insulator pads and the fire barrier. Having said that … it’s very unlikely in this case that any layers are missing so if you don’t get the thickness it would still be OK.

This would be similar to the information I would need about any of the other mattresses as well (particularly any missing density information for any polyfoam layers in a mattress).

If you can find out the missing information about any of the specific mattresses you are considering I’d be happy to make some comments and let you know if there are any lower quality/density materials or weak links that would be a reason for concern.

Phoenix

That’s great! Thank you for clarifying. I will be sure to get this information if we decide we like any particular product.

okay, we went up there Saturday, and left a message for the manager to provide us with the information above since the salesperson had no idea what the answers were.

The manager was very helpful and said to call if I had any further questions.

answer was: quilt layer is 1 1/2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam with 1/4 inch poly fiber fill.

answer was: 2 inch poly at 1.8 lb density

additionally, the coils are 6" in height, posturized open offset coils, gauge is 14.5, count 1389, with a wire border of gauge 6 wire.

The layer order was given as:
1.5 inch poly foam quilt layer with .25 inch fiber fill,
.5 inch 4 lb gel foam
2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam
1/16- 1/8 th inch poly pad
6 inch 14.5 gauge wire coils with poly reinforcement wrapped coils in center 3rd
1/16- 1/8 th poly pad
2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam
.5 inch 4 lb gel foam
1.5 inch poly foam quilt layer with .25 inch fiber fill,

Did I miss anything?

How would the quality of this mattress compare to the flexus comfort posture sense mattress, as that is still on the the list pf potentials?

We did lay on this (Verlo V5) mattress for quite some time and really liked how it felt for both of us, but the price is certainly up there from my original comfort zone.

oh, i missed the 2 inches of wrapped micro coils under the 2 inches of 1.8 lb poly foam.

thanks!

Hi Slumpy,

[quote]answer was: quilt layer is 1 1/2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam with 1/4 inch poly fiber fill.

answer was: 2 inch poly at 1.8 lb density[/quote]

Both of these exceed the minimum quality/durability guidelines I would suggest for a two sided mattress and wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress.

[quote]The layer order was given as:
1.5 inch poly foam quilt layer with .25 inch fiber fill,
.5 inch 4 lb gel foam
2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam
1/16- 1/8 th inch poly pad
6 inch 14.5 gauge wire coils with poly reinforcement wrapped coils in center 3rd
1/16- 1/8 th poly pad
2 inch 1.8 lb poly foam
.5 inch 4 lb gel foam
1.5 inch poly foam quilt layer with .25 inch fiber fill,

Did I miss anything?[/quote]

The layers and components you listed come to just under 15" so if the thickness of the layers and components you listed add up to be very close to the thickness of the mattress (outside of some leeway for the cover) then you wouldn’t have missed anything.

I can’t speak to how the Flexus Comfort Posture Sense will feel for you or how it will compare to the Verlo mattress in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP but in terms of durability it uses 1.5 lb polyfoam which also meets the minimum I would suggest for a two sided mattress although 1.5 lb polyfoam is a lower quality/density material than the 1.8 lb polyfoam in the Verlo. Of course it’s also a lower cost mattress.

The microcoil is a good quality and durable material but a 2" microcoil on each side of the mattress would add 4" to the thickness of the mattress (so the mattress would be close to 19" instead of 15").

Phoenix