Thanks, Phoenix. I think I already did read some of the pages and links you suggested, and forget that I did. Sorry. So much information to absorb!
Ultimately, I’m not sure I want to take the PHd course in mattress technology. I may be too neurotic for that, and am not sure knowing everything there is to know about mattresses is going to dramatically improve my chances of finding a mattress that works for me anyway.
Generally, knowledge is power, but I think in this case (or my case) that power may be limited when we’re dealing with such subjective issues. I’m thinking understanding some basic things and generalities might be enough to take a plunge since it all seems such a crap shoot anyway.
Question: if a specific mattress has 600 hundred “5 star” reviews online and 40 “1 star” reviews, isn’t there a decent chance I would fall into the 5 star category of reviewer myself? If a vast majority of users express satisfaction with a product even if they don’t know the foam density level or whatnot, isn’t that information alone enough to take the plunge on something so subjective anyway?
(I realize some people write reviews too early in the process to properly evaluate their mattress satisfaction, but many also seem to write things like “I’ve had this for a year and it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought!”).
Glad to see you endorse adjustable beds it looks like. Was worried they were really just gimmicks that people soon tired of or had other problems with. (Speaking in generalities of course).
I completely agree with this sentiment. Knowing too little will almost always lead to poor choices but trying to learn too much can lead to poor choices as well and “paralysis by analysis”. The goal is to know just enough to recognize when you are dealing with knowledgeable people who have the experience, knowledge, and integrity to help “educate” you and help you make great choices and when you are dealing with people who will sell you anything they can based on “marketing stories”.
The guidelines are meant to give you “just enough” information to help you connect with the experts who already know what you would otherwise have to learn instead of having to become one yourself (which I don’t recommend).
You can see my thoughts on mattress reviews in post #13 here. In general they are not something I would pay much attention to as far as the quality, the value, or the suitability of a mattress. They can provide you with some limited information about the business itself though in some cases. Reading reviews is certainly not the same thing as meaningful mattress research.
I don’t know if I “endorse” them but we certainly do like ours. For us it’s a preference and luxury for things like reading, watching TV, working on the computer and such but we use it in the flat position to sleep (we’re side sleepers) and have no health conditions where it would be helpful so it really has no benefit for sleeping itself for us … it just something we like to have
How about this, kind sir? Just recommend to me three memory foam mattresses you think are decent for under 900 bucks or so? There’s gotta be a couple of specific ones you think could be good, right?
I can only speak to the quality, and value of a mattress and help you connect with better sources because there are just too many variables and unknowns for anyone (including me) to use a “formula” to know which mattress would be most suitable for you out of the many thousands that are available or which would be the best match for your personal value equation. That is always best left to your personal testing and more detailed conversations with manufacturers or retailers you are considering. there are no shortcuts unfortunately if you are looking for a mattress that has good quality, good value, and is suitable for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences.
All of the choices on the lists I provided would be good ones (and if you let me know your city or zip I may be able to provide you with some local options as well) in terms of quality and value but you will need to talk to people and do some testing on local mattresses to know which one (or three or ten) would be the best for you in terms of suitability or your personal criteria.
I may have missed, or misunderstood, one of your links or posts. Are you saying you provided a few sellers who you believe sell good memory foam mattress for under 900 bucks? That would be good info. As mentioned, I’m in the 10706 zip. Scarsdale and White Plains have many mattress places, but many are chains. The Bronx and upper Manhattan aren’t too far away.
But I would think specialists and custom bed makers online would only bother dealing in higher cost models, no? (And of course, I’d certainly fear having a custom made mattress made and then hating it).
And I think I read somwhere that you don’t think any of the internet bargain type mattresses like Sleep Innovations, Bedinabox, Lucid or bodipedic mattresses are any good, correct?
Yes … I provided a link in post #6 of this thread.
The memory foam link was in the same post where I also provided a link to the better options in the general Scarsdale / White Plains area but your options are limited in the immediate vicinity (and I looked at all the options I’m aware of in the general area when I researched the post) and there is much better value in either the New York direction or in the Connecticut direction that I also linked
Local manufacturers and better online manufacturers or retailers make or sell mattresses in every price range from low budget to high budget but in most cases the smaller manufacturers will have much better quality and value in every price range than mainstream mattresses made by the largest manufacturers that you will typically find in chain stores. Many online retailers and manufacturers may also be able to give you the names of local mattresses that may be similar to some of their models in terms of feel and performance so you can get a general sense of how they feel. They will also generally be able to tell you what others that have a similar body type and sleeping style would normally prefer “on average” although your local testing may indicate a preference for a mattress is not in an “average” range for your body type or sleeping style in which case you would need to take this into account in your conversations with them. Many of them also have exchange or return options of various types and with various costs involved (some with no cost and some with higher costs) in case the choice you make is not ideal.
I evaluate mattresses based on their construction and what is inside them … not by brand. When you know what is inside a specific mattress then you can make meaningful comparisons in terms of quality and value with other mattresses. Without this information … there is no way to make any comparisons because you can’t know the quality or value of what you are buying. The label that is on a mattress means very little. You can see the criteria I would suggest when you are considering a memory foam mattress in post #10 here. If a mattress meets these criteria and compares well to other similar mattresses that use similar quality materials … I would consider it. If it doesn’t … I wouldn’t.
There are many good quality mattresses in your price range … and lots of junk sold by people who know little about mattresses, mattress materials, or what would be suitable for different types of people, and who will sell you or promote anything that will make them a profit.
I feel closer to seeing the light! I see that this dixiefoam place in Manhattan and Brooklyn bedding I think sell some affordable models. Perhaps I should visit those showrooms and buy from a place like that if I can? Hell, if I can go to Manhattan to buy a lamp or a pair of shoes I can’t find in my area, I should certainly be willing to do that for a mattress.
Also, did I see somewhere in a link I can’t find now that you think some ikea mattresses might be decent?
Great. So Dixiefoam is one place to visit. Any others in Manhattan that sell memory foam in my price range under (800 or so) do you think? Some of the retailers listed in your link didn’t seem to have prices on their websites, which makes me think they might be too costly. Did I miss any other afordables?
I noticed on the Broadwayfuton site they offer a memory foam for 369 bucks. A good bed, or too good to be true?
Also, on sites like the broadway futon one, and the dream bedding brooklyn one, does one really learn much by visiting the store, or might one just go ahead and order from them over the internet sight unseen? Since it’s very hard to tell how a bed will make your back feel after sleeping on it for 8 hours a night, day after day, just by lying on it for 10 minutes in a showroom, how helpful are such short test rides, really? Does one learn helpful info by seeing and feeling in person?
I probably wouldn’t make that assumption although it could turn out to be correct. I would call the ones that are possibilities and give them your criteria and see if they have any mattresses that they carry that fit them before you visit them. Dixie foam would certainly be among the best quality/value in the area IMO.
A mattress is only as good as the quality of the materials that are in it so you would need to know the details of its construction and the density of the foams inside it to make any meaningful assessments. Memory foam mattresses range from cheap junk that are often made in China that use filled memory foam to make the density appear higher to high quality and more costly mattresses that use higher quality North American or CertiPur certified foams and everything in between. You can see the criteria I use for memory foam mattresses in post #10 here. If it meets the criteria and you are confident in the accuracy of the description and the knowledge and integrity of the retailer … and if it meets your needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) I would consider it. If it doesn’t meet these criteria I wouldn’t.
I think that meets the criteria you mentioned? Not positive. The only criteria I have a good handle on so far is the weight one, and that it should be at least 4lbs/ft I think.
You can see my thoughts about Craigsbeds in post #2 here and the thread also includes a conversation with Craig as well (CTF on the forum) about selling mattresses where a retailer is not able to provide consumers any meaningful information about the quality of the layers and materials inside it.
More and more, it’s looking like Dixiefoam is the only place in NYC that’s both on your recommended list and includes a few memory foam options under 1000 bucks. (unless I missed one). One frustrating thing about what I’m seeing online though: All of the four or five memory foam mattresses for sale seem to be short in total height. From a surprisingly short 5" up to only 8.5" if I’m reading right.
Ideally I would want a ‘taller’ mattress, mostly since the sheets I use and love are not meant for short/shallow beds, and don’t fit my current 8" or 9" mattress very well. I’d prefer maybe 10 to 12" or so. I was hoping to kill a couple of birds with one stone and get a mattress that reduces my pain and discomfort AND fills out my sheets better. (I briefly tried gadgets to keep my sheets taut, but they were more trouble than they were worth.) Obviously comfort is more important than the sheets fitting well, but both would be swell:)
As far as the NY area list goes you may be right except perhaps on a store by store basis where a particular store may carry a mattress line or model I’m not aware of (the forum lists are certainly not all inclusive of course because I don’t know every product sold by every retailer in the areas I research and in many if not most cases I have found store websites are not up to date which is why I talk to them to find out what they are currently carrying as much as my time permits).
There are a few memory foam wholesale manufacturers that use Chinese memory foam that are CertiPur certified and are usually transparent about the materials in their mattresses (although this may depend on the retailers willingness to call their sales rep or the factory) but I would evaluate each mattress you are considering to make sure it meets the guidelines I listed earlier in terms of foam density because some of them may also use lower quality materials. They are EasyRest in Portland, Bed boss, and mLily which all have some better quality/value mattresses that are sold through retail stores but you would need to call them to find out if they have any retailers in your area and of course I wouldn’t know the knowledge or experience of any of the retailers that may sell them or the prices they may charge. I would also read post #2 here and post #6 here to make sure you are comfortable with some of the uncertainty involved with foam that is made in China.
Dixiefoam only has the one memory foam mattress listed on their site which is 8.5" (probably finishing at 9" with the cover) although they may be able to customize it to some degree. It’s more common to have thinner mattresses in lower budget ranges because of course more foam in the mattress costs more to produce (unless the foam is low quality and only there to create thickness and the “perception” of better value at the expense of material quality and durability). The base layer of polyfoam is very high quality/density and is 5.5" and the memory foam layer on top of this is 3" and is high quality memory foam.
They do make some thinner mattress that are just a single layer of latex or their high quality polyfoam but these have have no memory foam.
Thanks, Phoenix. Yes, I suppose the thicker the mattress, the more it usually costs. I was just surprised that the dixiefoam’s seemed shorter than usual. But if the 8.5" one works for me if/when I visit the store, I could certainly live with that size.
Am I correct in assuming that you don’t think any of the mattresses I can buy at sleepy’s or similar places are any good? Or are some good, but just overpriced?
There are several issues involved when you are shopping at a typical chain store.
First of all the staff is usually not very knowledgeable about mattress materials and components and are taught to avoid these types of conversations (this information is only for engineers etc).
Second … most of the mattresses they sell are major brands which takes up most of their floor space and these brands don’t disclose the contents of their mattresses mostly because they use lower quality materials and sell them for higher prices.
Some of their mattresses use higher quality materials (such as Tempurpedic) and in some cases information about some of these is available but these also sell for much more than other mattresses that use similar materials.
So overall … they sell a wide range of mattresses from lower prices to higher prices but in almost all cases they don’t and won’t disclose what is in them and in almost all cases they have much worse 'value" in every budget range than smaller independent manufacturers that either sell factory direct or through better sleep shops.
I would avoid them completely … and after spending an hour or two on this site you will know more meaningful information about mattresses and materials than the large majority of the salespeople who work there.
I do understand the limitations and negatives of the chains from what I’ve read on this site. But that said, are there specific chain store models that you think are actually good, even if not priced great? (i.e., “The icomfort genius is an excellent mattress, and so is the beautyrest comforpedic, and i like the Sealy Whatever xyz as well” and so on.)
Uh oh… Just found these words elwewhere on the site:
“I am not a big fan of memory foam (especially if it is a thick layer) for back issues and a thick polyfoam comfort layer in a mattress is also not so great for backs and will also wear out too quickly. If memory foam is your preference then the thinnest, highest quality comfort layer that will relieve pressure is usually the best.”
I’m mostly a stomach sleeper, with occassional side sleeping, who has back issues. Is there some other type of mattress besides memory foam I should be looking at?
Not particularly no … although it would take too much time to look at every mattress sold by a chain store (which constantly changr as well) to evaluate each of them to try and find one I would consider.
Some of the Tempurpedic models use good quality materials (although they are not good value at all) and if you look at some of the highest end models sold in some chain stores they may also use higher quality materials (although many of the most costly ones don’t).
Materials are a matter of preference … and no matter what material is in a mattress … PPP is what is important and any material or combination of materials in the right design for a particular person can provide this although some people will have strong preferences for the “feel” of one material over another. The mattresses section of the site has more on the different materials used in comfort layers and in support layers and you can read more about the pros and cons of memory foam here and the pros and cons of latex here (which is the other main premium foam).
With combination side/stomach sleepers (which is probably the worst combination because the needs of each are completely different and this is the most difficult combination of sleeping positions to accommodate) the thinnest and firmest comfort layer that will relieve pressure on your side would be the “safest” in alignment terms for stomach sleeping which is the most risky sleeping position because of the likelihood of sleeping in a swayback position with the lower back pain that can go with this. There is more information here about different sleeping positions.
