I’m so glad these sources of information exist. It is exhaustive and exhausting to read through, but it’s so rad that you’re single-handedly taking on an entire predatory industry like this. The way you answer each person and then reference your old posts makes it a lot easier to navigate. Thank you, and thank you for reading the below
I’m in Memphis, TN. I’m 6’ 3", 260 pounds. I’d like a queen sized mattress, likely firm (to account for my added weight over time), and innerspring for sure because I don’t like the sinking feeling of these gel/latex/memory foam mattresses.
I’ve been through your posts about this area, and the pickin’s are unfortunately extremely slim. Baker furniture is literally a 5-minute walk from my home, but they closed years ago, as did the other independent Memphis manufacturer you’d recommended. So I’ve got to find independent manufacturers and which stores have them.
One of my biggest questions is how to evaluate mattress comfort coming from decade old saggy mattress. It doesn’t cause me any problems, but I’ve had other bed guests remark on how not supportive it is. Coming from such a bad bed, literally anything I try (that’s firm) is going to be amazing. I don’t see how to make any meaningful judgements if I’d be super happy with something inexpensive. (is that the answer right there?)
The most helpful thing I found here by FAR was when you made a post with specific stores and specific brands. Once I had an idea about some brands, I could finally move forward with the search. You mentioned Jamison repeatedly, but Bartlett furniture no longer carries them. One store downtown says they carry them, but they’re only open M-F 8:30-4, so I can’t ever visit due to the work schedule.
Symbol is mentioned repeatedly. Sleepy ZZZ’s (extremely well reviewed store) has two models, the Catskill for 200 and the Saranac for 300. They’re both basic models, but there’s no real information on the site and the retailer doesn’t seem to have any more details:
Victoria Furniture carries the Dortmund by Symbol. It’s the only mattress I actually tried out, and it seems perfectly fine. The owner helped with my questions and seemed like an honest person. She had me lay on the plush Symbol mattress beside the Dortmund and noted that I sank down in an improper alignment, but seemed correctly supported by the Dortmund, so she at least knew a little. (And I knew that the plush definitely isn’t for me). What’s strange is that I cannot find the Dortmund on their official website. Victoria is charging 900 with the box spring included. Here is it from another retailer:
The mattress is specifically two-sided, does that make any kind of difference? Should I be worried that it’s not on their website? What makes this mattress cost 3 times more than the next most expensive one I could find from this same brand? I can include the data sheet from the Dortmund’s layers, but it’s like “air flow foam, comfort foam, HD convoluted foam, High density foam” and that seems like marketing buzzwords.
Reviews from Symbol online aren’t bad. There are only a few google reviews, and a few reviews on the bedroompedia site. Do these kind of user reviews have any kind of meaning? How do you get a sense of overall brand quality/durability with these smaller companies?
The next brand is Southerland, which is made in Nashville (kinda cool). There are a lot more google reviews and bedroompedia reviews, BUT they aren’t quite as good as Symbol (several 1-star reviews about the beds sagging). They’re also super cheap compared to the Dortmund, with the most expensive one here being almost half the price.
https://www.royalfurniture.com/browse/scs/southerland-mattresses-and-mattress-sets/3321
(Note, Barlett Furniture carries Southerland and the woman on the phone seemed much more informed than at Royal. Their delivery fee is also half the price at Bartlett).
After Symbol and Southerland, there’s an in-house brand from Ashley
https://www.ashleyfurniture.com/c/mattresses/ashley-sleep-mattresses/?sz=28&gridOffset=[]
I have no idea how to find information on their reviews for the in-store stuff. When I went to the Sleepy ZZZs place, I tried all their Ashley couches and it didn’t seem quality at all. But I have no idea if couch-quality translates to bed quality. I assume this is a brand to avoid but I wanted to throw it out there in case I was wrong.
Finally and most interestingly, there’s the overstock mattress store Sleep Station. When I called they said they don’t really have specific information about what’s in the mattresses, but it does seem like they have the biggest selection of independent mattress brands. Does anything here look good?
I know you say to steer clear of Sealy, Serta, Simmons and all, but if I can get a good discount at this store, would a good deal on a name brand trump retail price for the indie brands?
It’s challenging because I haven’t found SPECIFIC material information about any of the beds anywhere. Nobody seems to know the information you suggest they should, and that seems to be the main way you’re suggesting to make distinctions.
And comfort seems like it’s going to be hard to judge without actually sleeping on it and moving around for a while, so my in-store trials are really just to be sure they aren’t immediately uncomfortable. I can afford up to $1000 to get something that will last, but since I’m basically fine on my super-bad one now, I might not need to spend that. Should I just do a shootout between the Southerland’s at Barlett and the cheap Symbols at Sleepy ZZZs?
Thanks for any help narrowing this search further.