Restonic Elevate

[phoenix]

Hi lexibright,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I had specifically asked if the true comfort core was a 2.0 HD foam like the Brooklyn bedding. The rep told me that while there’s a wealth of information on mattress underground some of it is a little outdated and that now they refer to the core as being measured by something called soy" instead of a specific density and their soy is 28 in both models . I’m not sure what they’re talking about and while those mattresses were very comfortable I came away just more confused than ever as to soft or medium being my best bet on the Brooklyn bedding.

Your rep is more than a little bit confused if he/she doesn’t understand that “soy” isn’t a measure of density or firmness at all. Some types of polyfoam and memory foam have replaced a small percentage of the petrochemical polyols that are used to make polyfoam and memory foam with a soy based derivative but this has nothing to do with the firmness or the density of the foam (see post #2 here). So called “soy foam” comes in many different densities and firmness levels and is also measured for firmness in ILD/IFD just like regular polyfoam.

Every layer and component in a mattress will have an effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component above and below it and ILD is only one of several variables or “specs” that will determine how soft or firm an individual layer or a mattress “as a whole” will feel to different people (see post #4 here). In addition to this the ILD of different materials or different types and blends of latex also aren’t always directly comparable to each other (see post #6 here) so using the ILD of a particular layer or combination of layers as a reliable indication of how any mattress will “feel” or how firm will feel to you compared to another mattress with a completely different design can be more misleading than helpful . For example a top layer that is only 1" thick can feel completely different from another layer that is 2" thick if the rest of the materials and components are the same. It would be much more useful and you would be better off just to “rate” a mattress as either soft, medium, or firm and decide whether you tend to prefer or do better on softer, medium, or firmer mattress in more general terms based on how they feel to you relative to other mattresses you have tried than trying to analyze how a mattress compares to another one based on complex combinations of specifications.

Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would only be a very small percentage of people) … I would tend to avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex combinations of information or specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you or how it will compare to another mattress and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience. While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … when you try and choose or compare a mattress based on complex combinations of “comfort” specs that you may not fully understand then the most common outcome can be information overload and “paralysis by analysis”.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (which would include Brooklyn Bedding) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

Trying to compare two mattresses with completely different designs, materials, and specs outside of very general “soft/medium/firm” comparisons will usually end up becoming more of an exercise in frustration than a reliable way to help you decide on the firmness level of a completely different mattress.

Phoenix