Recommended Manufacturers in the Los Angeles Area

Hello Phoenix. Thanks for all the introductory information on steps you advise are necessary for purchasing a new mattress. There is quite a lot to digest but very useful information. We live in Glendale, Ca. My wife and I have been sleeping on a memory foam mattress purchased about 8 yrs. ago from a local manufacturer/retailer. Not sure about the specifics of this mattress but it came in a small box that eventually expanded to fit our bed frame and is about 8" thick… This is the first time I am truly interested in educating myself before making my next purchase… I’ve spent about 3 hours reading and digesting as much knowledge I can from your site all the way to the numerous blogs and boy have I learned a lot in those few hours. Now I am really interested in moving forward and actually excited to start with the buying process with hopefully a little more knowledge than I previously had which was next to zero. Anyway, my wife and I are really suffering from lower back pain, restlessness and overall general discomfort from our current mattress which is too soft that I wake up literally in pain. I am 5’8" , 175 lbs. and my wife is 5’4" and about 135 lbs. We are both side-sleepers predominantly although the wife tends to sleep flat on her back about 30-40% of the time. I know our current mattress is causing our sleep problems/discomfort as my back doesn’t hurt as much when I sleep in the other bedroom or even on the sofa. We both have chronic back pain from previous car injuries with mine being more acute. I suffer from major back spasms and is currently under the care of an orthopaedic doctor who has told me from recent MRI’s that I have 2 herniated discs and that I really need to take good care of my back. So changing our matress ( which by the way sits on a platform bed that I reinforced with a 3/4 plywood on top of the regular slats that came with the bed frame originally) is our priority for now but would really appreciate your guidance. L.A. is a big market and I’m sure there are several noteworthy direct manufacturers you can recommend as a starting point. Initially, I started researching the Saatva mattress but after reading some blogs from your site, I am highly discouraged and confident I can find better elsewhere. I am also curious to find out your opinion about Bed In A Box which is another brand I found on the internet with good reviews. They have interchangeable layers that can be adjusted to fit your needs and that caught my attention for a while too. Any recommendations would be highly aprreciated. BTW, I am flexible with my budget. We were ready to purchase what Brookstone was selling as their best bed which was one of the higher end Tempur-Pedic beds only to find out that they no longer sell this brand and instead switched to selling a different brand also made in Sweden. They discouraged me from pursuing my initial interest with their previous Tempur-Pedic beds for obvious reasons of course. Anyway, I think I am confident with what little better knowledge I now have.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations you can offer in my quest for the best mattress I can purchase…

Hi pinoyski,

Welcome … and I’m glad you found us.

It sounds like you have done steps 1 and 2 in the tutorial and are ready to start testing mattresses :slight_smile:

While only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to suggest a specific mattress that would be a good match for you in terms of PPP with any certainty based on specs (either yours or a mattress), health conditions, or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here), there is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress in post #2 here that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them and help you make a more suitable and less risky choice.

[quote]We live in Glendale, Ca,
L.A. is a big market and I’m sure there are several noteworthy direct manufacturers you can recommend as a starting point.[/quote]

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the greater Los Angeles region (subject to the “value” guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here. You certainly have some very good options available to you within reasonable driving distance.

You’ve probably read this already but just in case you haven’t you can read more about Saatva in post #1 here and a forum search on Saatva (you ca just click the link) will bring up more information, comments, and feedback about them as well. While they would generally be a “better than average” choice compared to most mainstream manufacturers … for most of the members here they wouldn’t be in the “best value” range compared to many of the other options that are available (either locally or online).

You can see my comments about Bedinabox in post #2 here. I wouldn’t consider any of their memory foam mattresses (or any mattress that includes thicker layers of 3 lb memory foam). A forum search on bedinabox (you can just click this link as well) will also bring up more information, comments, and feedback about them.

If you are comfortable including online options in your research then the mattress shopping tutorial includes two links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step).

I would also be very cautious about using mattress reviews (positive or negative) as a reliable source of mattress research or information and in many cases they can be much more misleading than helpful (see post #13 here).

This should be enough to get you started and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and or course any comments or questions you may have along the way that I can help with.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, I was able able to locate specs on my current mattress. Maybe you have some comments and can provide me with better insight as to what’s causing us major sleep discomfort for the past few mos. if not years. We have an 8" mattress with 60% visco elastic polyurehtane foam with 40% PU foam, made in China, maufactured 5/15/06. Sounds like inferior material doesn’t it? And we’ve been putting up with this for a long time. Also, just to mention, I am probably leaning towards natural latex material with several interchangeable layers and probably a zoned construction for better pressure relief and spine alighnment. Since we are side sleepers and I have broad shoulders with a deeper curved spine and heavier hips than most men in my weight category, does it make more sense to lean towards this approach before lining up my visits with the different local manufacturers? I’ve also read your post on EZ Sleep Beds which you highly respect for their good value and reputation. Although this is an online order would it be a safe approach. I’ve also read some great testimonials on their site but like you mentioned also it might be better doing my due dilligence and actually testing products and know the construction before making a decision. I’m thinking of visiting Flexus Comfort in Covina also and maybe a few other local manufacturers. The reason I mentioned EZ Sleep is that I am ready to buy and do not have the luxury of spending days and days of testing, searching and going through so much technical information. In short, maybe I’m sounding a little desperate. You also mentioned you highly recommend Select A Bed specially the SoftPedic line that Dr. Scwartzburg manufactures. I went to the sight and it looks good but at $2500, can I get a better deal for the same type of similar product elsewhere locally? Also, this is a memory foam mostly with a layer of latex on the support layer. The zoned construction sounds appealing too. On the other handI am leaning more towards natural latex with multiple interchangeable layers as being a safe bet because of breathabilty and durability issues.

Hi pinoyski,

Unfortunately the information you listed doesn’t say anything about the specifics of the mattress or the quality of the materials inside it. All it does is list the type of materials based on weight and all materials (including polyfoam and memory foam) come in higher and lower quality versions. While there are many low quality and “cheap” mattresses that are made in China … there are also some higher quality mattresses as well. There is always more uncertainty and risk involved when you are considering a mattress made in China (see post #6 here) but I would need all the information listed in this article to be able to make any meaningful comments about the quality and durability of the materials in any mattress or the mattress as a whole.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.

Unfortunately it’s not possible to “diagnose” the reasons for any particular person’s back pain on a forum (it would be like a doctor trying to diagnose any health issue without being able to see you or assess you in person) or the extent to which it may be caused by the mattress or by the condition of your back … it’s very likely that your mattress reached the end of its useful lifetime some time ago relative to your specific needs and preferences and either wasn’t a suitable choice in the first place in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or used lower quality materials that resulted in the premature softening or breakdown of the foam fairly rapidly and the loss of comfort/support that goes with it.

Having said that … if you find that you have “symptoms” (back pain etc) when you wake up in the morning and they go away soon after you move around and stretch or if sleeping on different mattresses leads to better quality and “symptom free” sleep then it’s much more likely that the primary cause of your “symptoms” are your mattress and it’s time to replace it (see post #3 here)

If you are interested in the more complex information that can help you with the detective work that can be involved (even though you are replacing it and it won’t be as relevant for choosing a different mattress) … there is more about the more common “symptoms” that people can experience on a mattress and some of the most likely reasons for them in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

Post #2 here and post #4 here has more information about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to each other and to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress that may be helpful in clarifying the reasons for your symptoms as well.

I would keep in mind that the type of materials and components in a mattress are a preference choice … not a “better worse” choice. The suitability of a mattress in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is more closely related to the specific design of a mattress … not the type of materials inside it. Any type of materials can be used to build a mattress that can be a good match for a specific person in terms of PPP if it has the right design.

I would tend to avoid trying to predict which type of mattress may be best for you ahead of time based on specs or “theory” because there are far to many unknowns and variables involved. There is more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either online or locally) and how to identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here but deciding on which mattress will be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP will really come down to careful and objective testing (locally) or a more detailed conversation on the phone with an online retailer or manufacturer.

While zoning can certainly be an effective approach with more “challenging” body types or circumstances … specific zoning patterns can either be helpful or detrimental depending on how well the specific zoning and design of the mattress “matches” the person or people sleeping on the mattress. There is more about zoning post #11 here and the posts it links to. Zoning may be less “necessary” with latex (see post #7 here).

I don’t recommend any specific manufacturers or mattresses and while I do think highly of Select A Bed … there are not a member of the site which are the only manufacturers and retailers that I “recommend” as a group (not as a specific choice).

I also think very highly of both Flexus Comfort and SleepEZ of course who are both members of this site.

I would take some time and not rush a decision that will have a more significant effect the quality of your sleep (and waking hours as well) over the next decade or longer than almost anything else you will buy in the same time. Rushed buying choices are one of the most significant causes of buyers remorse much too quickly after a purchase.

I also wouldn’t get overly involved with specs or “theory” or more technical information which can often lead to information overload and “paralysis by analysis”. While too little information can lead to poor choices … too much information or a tendency to overemphasize “specs” or “theory” that has little meaning to you in your own personal experience can be just as likely to lead to poor choices as well. You need “just enough” information to recognize the retailers or manufacturers that already know what you would otherwise need to learn. In the simplest terms … once you have decided on which retailers or manufacturers you would prefer to deal with or visit (step 3 in the tutorial) … your choice will really come down to …

1. Testing a mattress for PPP (or a more detailed phone conversation if you can’t test a mattress in person).
2. Checking to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering.
3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, my wife and I recently visited Flexus comfort in Covina, Ca. today. James, brother of the owner, was very helpful and patient in helping us choose the right mattress. So far we liked the queen-sized 10" all-natural latex. From bottom up, we tried SF,F,S and F,F,S. The top being a 3" talalay and mid and bottom layers of Dunlop material. My wife likes the firmer configuration while I liked the softer feel. James discouraged us from getting a split configuration (wife’s side firmer than my side)unless it was absolutely necessary.
We didn’t have time to visit the other place, Dreamland Mattress, due to time constraints. However, I spoke with the owner Bruce earlier today and maybe should visit him too. What I gathered from him though is that he is not a direct manufacturer unlike Flexus Comfort. He has quite a bit of knowlwdge though about mattresses and told me to check out his innerspring lines as it could the best value overall considering the quality of the materials, construction and of course the price.
Any thoughts?

Hi pinoyski,

As you probably know … Flexus is a member of this site which means I think very highly of them and I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency. A forum search on Flexus (you can just click the link) will bring up many more comments and feedback about them.

I have also talked with Bruce at Dreamland and while they are not a factory direct manufacturer … I think highly of his knowledge and experience as well and they would certainly be worth including in your research and they also have some good quality/value mattresses available. They are a member of the forum (you can see their posts here) although they are not a manufacturer/retailer member of the site. A forum search on Dreamland (you can just click this link as well) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.

There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either locally or online) in post #2 here that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them and the link I included in my previous reply about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase can help you make more meaningful comparisons between specific mattresses.

Phoenix