Ready To Buy a New King - Seeking Advice

I was very happy to find this forum as I am a very frustrated mattress buyer. I purchased an S&F queen 20 years ago at Macy’s (I know I probably got ripped off). I loved it and it has been relegated to the guest room - still a solid mattress. I moved to a new house and bought a king bed and needed a mattress quickly. I went to Sears and bought something that could be delivered ASAP. It was a quick and inexpensive choice. Boy do I regret it. We used the mattress for a year and threw it away. Went to Raymore and Flannigan to buy a new king about 3 years ago. I forget the brand (I can update this post tonight if anyone is interested). 3 years later it is sagging and we wake up sore. It was not a cheap mattress (maybe around $1,500).

So my mattress buying experience has been horrible. However I am hoping this will change thanks to this forum

We recently went on a trip to Richmond and stayed at a new Residence Inn. The mattress was awesome and we decided to try and find out if we could purchase it. I called the hotel and also Sealy - but it seems like it is something they don’t sell to the public. This is what was on the tag:
Model: 508849
Manufactured by Sealy
Date of Manufacture: 11/2014

So I started doing some research and found this forum.

We are located in New Jersey so I was thinking of going into NYC to Charles Rogers. I then saw Shovlin on the forum (never heard of them) and also the Original Mattress Factory. All are drivable and I like the idea of getting a mattress direct from the manufacturer. I read through the educational posts and feel much more educated than in the past.

I am looking for an inner spring mattress as that is what I am most comfortable with. However I may look to a hybrid as I do get hot at night and it seems like the hybrids help with cooling. I am about 200lbs and sleep on my side then flip to back. My partner is 150 and sleeps on back. We both get up frequently at night and I want something that will not disturb the other. We are looking for something that is plush yet firm and trying to keep to a $1,500 or less budget.

Any advice on which manufacturer I should head to? Or even a model that would fit our needs. Thanks in advance. I am excited about finally making a mattress purchase that will satisfy two frustrated sleepers.
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Hi jtmcgann,

You’ve done very well if you have a mattress that has lasted you for 20 years although they certainly don’t make the same quality mattresses as they used to any more.

[quote]I am looking for an inner spring mattress as that is what I am most comfortable with. However I may look to a hybrid as I do get hot at night and it seems like the hybrids help with cooling. I am about 200lbs and sleep on my side then flip to back. My partner is 150 and sleeps on back. We both get up frequently at night and I want something that will not disturb the other. We are looking for something that is plush yet firm and trying to keep to a $1,500 or less budget.

Any advice on which manufacturer I should head to? Or even a model that would fit our needs. Thanks in advance. I am excited about finally making a mattress purchase that will satisfy two frustrated sleepers.[/quote]

As you probably know from reading the tutorial … while I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress. There are just too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

It’s good to see that you’ve read the tutorial which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and perhaps most importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones … but 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”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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’m not sure where you are in New Jersey but the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Monroe Township/Newark, NJ areas (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering is completely transparent and meets the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #7 here.

There is also a list for the New York City area (with a fair bit of overlap) in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Hi! jtmcgann,
Welcome to these community. Already read your thread and can see that now a days you fall in indecision.
Actually if you are interested to buy mattress within $`1500 then you’ll be found better mattresses. Must all of them will be comfortable for you. Hybrid also better. Few days ago I bought TEMPUR mattress. Now feeling comfort. You also can try for it.

Thanks for the advice - I am going to head to Shovlins this weekend and hopefully find a good deal. Anyone know if Shovlin runs sales or promos?

Hi jtmcgann,

Like most factory direct manufacturers or better retailers in the industry … Shovlin doesn’t normally have “sales” on their mattresses and sell their mattresses at their “best possible” prices every day of the year.

Better manufacturers and retailers don’t generally “negotiate” (see post #6 here) or have “fake sales” with large discounts based on the time of year or holidays (see the guidelines here and post #5 here). While they may occasionally have sales with smaller discounts or sell floor models at a reduced price … I would treat retailers or manufacturers that negotiate their prices or have “major holiday sales” with “huge” discounts as a red flag because manufacturers or retailers that sell good quality/value mattresses don’t need to negotiate or have “fake sales” with misleading discounts to create a false sense of urgency and they sell good quality/value mattresses every day of the year at prices that are already very fair and reasonable.

Of course they are a member of this site so the forum members here are eligible for a 5% discount on their mattresses.

Phoenix

Makes sense - thanks Phoenix. How do you get the 5%? Just mention the forum?

Hi jtmcgann,

Yes … you just need to let them know you are a forum member here.

Phoenix

Hi Jt! shopping for a new mattress can be a real pain, and it’s super easy to pick the wrong mattress, which is why it’s important to do a little research before making any decisions. There’s a lot of forums and websites, and the mattress underground is a great resource - I recommend checking out the sleep sherpa and mattress clarity too, they have a pretty good list of online retailers on both websites. There’s a great new review on the Layla mattress here: http://www.mattress-guides.net/layla-mattress-review-complaints/ and there’s plenty more to be found with a simple google search!

I went to Shovlin this weekend and bought the Nirvana Latex Mattress. They were very helpful and the mattress is very comfortable. I am getting it this Thursday - looking forward to seeing my 3 year old mattress go out the door.

Hi jtmcgann,

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

You certainly made a great quality choice and I’'m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

I will get an update here once I get settled in.

Thanks to this forum I would have not made the smart decision I made - thanks to everyone and I look forward to a good nights sleep.

First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for all the valuable information over the last several years of posts. I am hoping, and assuming, that the details are still relevant.
We live in the Lower Mainland area of BC, and b/c of the info here and some preliminary searching in person, we have narrowed down our choices to Savvy Rest and Sleeptek, and that decision came about as they have the various organic certifications. If there is something else you think we should really add to this short list, please let us know. It is a challenge to go from all the big names to largely unknown brands, at least unknown to us.
What puzzles us, and causes us to hesitate, is there is just one outlet for each of these in our area, a place known to be forward thinking and healthy. Sometimes websites are not updated - could we be missing some locations? Should we look to Alberta for better pricing? Any comments are welcome.

Hi Dash,

I switched your post into a new topic of its own because it was outside the scope of the topic you originally posted in.

I’m not sure which details you’re referring to but I took a look in the lower mainland area and added several options to the list for the Greater Vancouver region here so now it’s up to date as far as I’m aware (although of course it’s certainly possible that there are some additional options I’m not aware of).

Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress. There are just too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local or online lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

There is more information about the 3 most important parts of the “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).

Some wholesale manufacturers (such as Renelle or Snugsleep) may have several retail stores in the area that carry their mattresses but they may not all carry the same mattresses. Others (such as Sleeptek) may have just a single store. The best way to find out if a wholesale manufacturer has more than one retail store in the area that carries their mattresses is to check the retail store finder on their website (if they have one).

The only way to know whether a store in Alberta (or any other province) carries the same mattress at a better price than a store in the lower mainland would be to check their websites or talk to them on the phone.

Phoenix

Thanks for your very informative reply. You’ve given us plenty of information and tips, and we now feel better prepared to make an informed and satisfied purchase. I’ll do a follow-up on the results later.

Hi Dash,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any other comments or questions you may have along the way that I or any of the other more knowledgeable members of the site can help with.

Phoenix

Hi jtmcgann,

How are you liking your Nirvana mattress from Shovlin?

I am considering the Nirvana as well but am not sure which model to purchase. Which model did you end up going with (Firm, Medium, Soft, Plush or Ultra Plush)?

Thanks,
Nowhisky