Hi Phoenix,
We are a little concerned over a recent purchase we made. Bought a king mattress at Texas Mattress Makers. We know they are reputable and have a high level of trust based on reviews and your mentions on this site. However, we are concerned now as to whether we made the right choice in mattress. The mattress we purchased is called the Barcelona. It is what I believe is a double layered pocketed micro coil system . It has a fairly thick layer of what is supposed to be high density high quality polyurethane foam at the bottom and 2 inches of foam on top. When we tried the bed in the show room, we got the impression that it met the PPP requirements that you describe.
I now have a few things that I am questioning. First, is there truly any advantage to this micro coiled system? There is a significantly higher coil count but does this count really matter? Apparently, the higher coil count and micro coil system apparently accounts for this mattress being on the upper end of the price range of the mattresses available.
Second, this mattress had a 2" comfort layer of polyurethane foam. Is this too thick or should we perhaps have bought a bed with 1" of memory foam instead? I became concerned that 2" of foam might be excessive after reading on this website. In the show room, we were told that the 2" would be better than 1" as we are side sleepers.
In the end, we want to make sure that we have a bed that will hold well for any years to come. If it seems as though our choice of mattress could have been better, we would like to consider doing an exchange. If you can please let us know your thoughts on our questions, we would greatly appreciate it. Thanks very much.
Hi Britchap,
Yes … microcoils are a type of pocket coil that is designed to provide pressure relief in the comfort layers. They are a very durable component and have the advantage that they are generally a lower cost than specialty foams such as latex and memory foam. There are many high quality mattresses that use them in combination with other materials and choosing a mattress that uses them would be a preference choice based on how they feel and PPP. It certainly wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress or a durability issue.
Of course using a microcoil in a coil on coil mattress would increase the coil count of a mattress (because the number of coils in the microcoil would be added to the number of coils in any innerspring) but coil counts are more about marketing and mostly irrelevant anyway … especially when you are using a coil count that includes two separate components.
There is no such thing as a layer that is “too thick” or “too thin” because if a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP then the type and thickness of the materials are “right” for you. These are all choices that would be based on your personal testing and preferences.
I’m not sure where you read that 2" of foam would be excessive in terms of suitability but if the mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP then the individual layers and components are the “right” thickness for you. Side sleepers do tend to need thicker and softer comfort layers to relieve pressure points than other sleeping positions but your testing will confirm whether any mattress is suitable for you regardless of the specifics of the design.
In terms of durability (which is a completely different issue from the suitability of a mattress) … I would tend to be cautious if a mattress uses 2" or more of lower quality/density materials in the comfort layers (see the guidelines here) but polyfoam comes in a wide range of grades and quality levels and Texas Mattress Makers uses higher quality materials and foams in their mattresses than the major manufacturers. They will also provide you with specific information about the type and quality of all the foam in their mattresses.
If you have tested the mattress for PPP and it’s a good “match” for you and you know the type and quality of all the materials and components in your mattress and there are no weak links in the mattress then you would certainly have no cause for concern.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thanks very much for a very informative and helpful explanation. In terms of PPP, we are happy with the mattress. Also have heard consistently positive reports on Texas Mattress Makers. Thanks again.