I just stumbled upon the Mattress Underground and I think it is wonderful!! It is nice to finally hear the truth about mattress manufacturers and their quote "own little world." I used to work for a major mattress retailer before they were bought out by the biggest mattress retailer. Even though I had a 3 week training course in mattresses, I can easily see that their information was all slanted towards them. Their only concerns were how much profit they made and they didn't care how we made it(to a certain extent).
My question now is that I have a Simmons Nature Rest latex mattress and box spring and it is about 7 years old. It started sagging about 1-2 years after I bought it. I'm a heavy person (5'11" and 292 pounds.) I probably weighed about 250 when I bought it. The reason I bought it was so that this mattress would last and not sag but I was wrong. Now I sleep in a"ditch" but there is nothing I can do because you know as well as I do, the warranty on the mattresses are worthless. Mine sags but you will never see the 2 inch depression in it because it is not there. But if someone would lie on it they would know!!!
I live approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from Yankee Mattress in Agawam, Ma. and after talking with them, I would like to purchase my mattress there. This is what I would like but I want your opinion and guidance. I'm overweight ,have sleep apnea and arthritis in both knees. I sleep 99% of the time on my side and I love a plush(sinking feeling) mattress. I want latex definitely because of its resiliency and cool sleeping abilities. I need support but I like soft. What would you recommend for layers in my bed? Individually pocket coils as the base with various ILD'S of latex or some type of resilient foam? Memory foam I don't like. It is too hot and develops a "memory." Now my wife is 5'6" and is a side sleeper but she weighs only a 140 lbs. We don't want a split bed but one with the same density throughout. What combination is going to last me the longest and why? Yes, money is a factor but $1500 should get me what I want.
Thank you for your time and all the effort you put into this column.
Unfortunately your experience with a major brand mattress (and your training when you sold them) is much too common in the mainstream industry. All the major brands (such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta) tend to use lower quality materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (and the major retailers that focus on them) along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
I would also agree with your comments about warranties. Unfortunately your experience here is also not unusual at all and is more the “norm” than the exception with mattresses that use lower density polyfoam that is typically used in the upper layers of most mainstream mattresses. Foam softening and the loss of comfort and support is the biggest reason that a mattress needs to be replaced and these “virtual impressions” don’t remain once you are off the mattress and aren’t covered by mattress warranties which only cover defects in a mattress and not the loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening or “virtual impressions” (see post #174 here). A large percentage of warranty claims are denied because the “unweighted” impressions in the mattress aren’t deep enough to qualify for warranty coverage even though the softening of the foam has resulted in the loss of comfort and support and the mattress is no longer suitable for you to sleep on.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … I don’t 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 and there are 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” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your 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 accurate 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’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial 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 that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP 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 would also keep in mind that as long as the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. Testing different types of mattresses that use different types of materials and components will be the most reliable way to know which type of mattresses you tend to prefer.
There is also more information in post #3 here and the posts it links to that would be helpful for those that are in higher weight ranges (and/or that sleep with a partner that in a lower weight range and has different needs and preferences)
While the process of how to choose a mattress would be the same … most people in higher weight ranges will generally need or prefer firmer mattresses (firmer materials will feel softer because you will sink into them more) and materials and components that are higher quality and more durable than those that are in lower weight ranges (the materials and components in a mattress will soften and break down faster for those in higher weight ranges than they will for someone that is in a lower weight range that doesn’t compress the mattress as much). I would be particularly cautious about mattresses that use more than “about an inch or so” of memory foam that is less than about 5 lb density or polyfoam that is less than about 2 lb density … particularly in the upper layers of the mattress.
I think highly of Nick and his staff at Yankee Mattress and as you probably know they are one of the members here which means that I think very highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, service, value, knowledge, and transparency.
They will already know what you would otherwise need to learn and they also know more about their mattresses than anyone else (including me) so in combination with your own careful testing they will be the best source of guidance about which of their mattress may be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP, the quality and durability of the materials and components, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback after your visit.
