Review of Arizona Premium Mattress Co / mattresses.net

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
61

We are only human here and fortunately for us we were very busy during the holiday season. Unfortunately for you you had to wait longer than normal. We do our very best to bring our customers the highest quality components at the lowest possible prices day in and day out. It was a lesson learned and now we have many of our suppliers drop shipping direct to our customers which has relieved the pressure on our own manufacturing and shipping departments. I am not always available on the phone because of the volume of calls I personally process each and every day and Iā€™m only sorry that I never got the chance to personally address your situation. I realize that we cannot please every person every time but we do give it our very best.

Part of the problem is that we (and me included) have become spoiled with services like Amazon and the quick shipping associated with many online companies. Our products here are not already made up and ready to ship. They have to be hand made one at a time because each order is different. With so many types of latex, so many firmness choices, sizes and covers to choose from, we simply cannot stock everything. To be more cost effective we make everything to order. Yes it takes longer but the cost savings should be apparent. During normal business flow there is no company out there that will give you better personal attention and advise than us. As many of you reading this know, I have spent hours on the phone with some of you answering questions and designing the latex mattress that is right for you. Our commitment here is to you. If you want to speak directly to me and cannot reach me by phone, just email me your number and I will get back with you as soon as I can catch my breath.

Ken

1 Like
62

Hi Ken,

I am certainly among the ones who know this and have been fortunate enough to have spent many hours on the phone with you taking advantage of your knowledge and many years of experience in the industry :slight_smile:

Phoenix

63

Just a quick update - I exchanged our medium 100% talalay with the 2 inch topper for the firm core. The medium with the 2" topper was way too soft. So, I called and was told to switch the topper to the bottom and sleep on the core. Still way too soft. So, I called and replaced the core with a firm.

Prior to switching we were having a really difficult time sleeping on the mattress because of a rolling sensation - it felt as though the edges all the way around - head, sides and feet - rolled downward so when you slept close to the edge, you felt as though you were falling off. Also, I slept in the middle, I had a strong sensation of rolling. If I slept exactly in the middle of my side, the sensation of rolling to the side was better but, I had to scoot a few inches down in the bed to get rid of the sensation at the head. Anyway, I actually took a carpenterā€™s level and put it on the bed near the edges and the bed absolutely did slope to the sides/head and feet. I then put it in the middle of the bed and it absolutely sloped down both sides from the middle.

Anyway, the firm core is definitely better and the rolling sensation isnā€™t as bad but, itā€™s still there. I absolutely can not lay in the middle of this bed because you can feel the division in the two sides - there isnā€™t as much give at the seams which is what I think is causing the rolling sensation. So, thatā€™s a bummer.

I really wanted to love this mattress and so far, no so much.

Oh and prior to getting the mattress, I researched on this board and called the owner about foundations. I have a bed similar to Ikea style beds where you donā€™t use box springs but you have the option of laying sheets of plywood or using some type of slat system. I wanted to see what was the best foundation for the type of bed I was buying, if the type of foundation mattered as far as comfort, support and if there were warranty associated with the type of foundation used. I was told by the owner that the type of foundation didnā€™t matter. If I wanted to feel like I was sleeping on a board then go with a solid plywood type foundation but, any slatted foundation would work fine. I specifically asked about the flexible slats and was told those would be perfectly fine.

So, I bought a foundation with the flexible slats.

So, the delivery guy gets here with our firm mattress exchange and tells us the foundation is likely contributing to the problems we have had. That the flexible slats donā€™t provide nearly enough support for this type of mattress and could be the cause of the too soft mattress, the rolling sensation - everything. Iā€™m pretty miffed. I specifically called and asked about foundations and was provided with really no information other than I could use anything I wanted. You would think if youā€™re going to spend $2,000 on a mattress, the people youā€™re buying it from would know a little bit more about what foundation would work best with their bed.

64

Hi wildflower,

Thanks for the update but I should also clarify a few things you mentioned for the sake of others that are reading this thread because your comments are somewhat misleading.

The reason the bed ā€œslopesā€ if you measure it with a carpenters level is because the mattress has a tight cover which compresses the edges when it is zipped up. This is completely normal and is common with many mattresses including latex mattresses. It is part of the ā€œfeelā€ of your mattress. You also mentioned earlier in the thread that you noticed this when you tested the mattress so this was something that you knew to expect at least. For some people the elasticity of latex is not their favorite ā€œfeelā€ and for others they couldnā€™t imagine sleeping on anything else. Softness and firmness are also subjective perceptions and what feels firm for one person is soft for another. Each person can have very different subjective perceptions on the same mattress. Of course the quality and value of your mattress is great but this is only part of what is important in a mattress purchase and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) are just as important.

This is also very unusual and for the large majority of people a wool quilted cover and the layer of latex on top of the mattress would completely mask any possibility of feeling a split (and for most people even a wool quilted cover would mask a split even in the top layer) but some people are much more sensitive than others. Here again though at least you had the chance to test the mattress in person so you knew what to expect.

Actually this isnā€™t quite correct and you mentioned what they told you earlier in the thread here ā€¦

What they told you is correct. Your question was about the warranty and they said they would honor the warranty with any suitable foundation but that a solid surface was preferable. This is accurate information.

As you mentioned earlier ā€¦ They did let you know what would work best but itā€™s also a little unusual that someone would consider that a ā€œdelivery guyā€ had the same level of knowledge as a manufacturer that has been successfully manufacturing latex mattresses for decades. That makes no sense. There are also some manufacturers that actually prefer flexible slats with their latex mattresses and sell them as a ā€œstandardā€ option with their latex mattresses. In Europe where a much higher percentage of people sleep on latex itā€™s actually the norm (generally but not always with a thinner mattress). Slats that can adjust can actually work in your favor because they can create a firmer middle section to improve support while allowing for a softer area under the shoulders. Even flexible slats that canā€™t be adjusted are preferable for some people over a rigid surface although for others it can also work in the other direction if they have too much give under areas of the body that need firmer support. Everything depends on the individual and on how they interact with the mattress. Again ā€¦ the information they gave you though was accurate that the warranty wouldnā€™t be affected by your choice but that it was preferable (but not necessary) to have a firm non flexing slatted foundation. Iā€™m not sure why you are suggesting that they should ā€œknow a little bit more about what foundation would work best with their bed.ā€ when itā€™s clear that they do and that you made a preference choice. Whatā€™s ā€œbestā€ for one person is not the same as whatā€™s ā€œbestā€ for another and in general the ā€œbestā€ choice is a support surface that is similar to the one you test with the mattress.

You could also test the mattress directly on a firm surface (such as the floor or with a sheet of plywood over your bed) or if the slats you purchased are adjustable the you could also use this to fine tune your mattress to see if it makes a difference for you.

Overall ā€¦ I certainly appreciate your feedback but Iā€™m not sure why you seem so predisposed to such negative comments when the fact is that much of what you are mentioning is about preferences not the quality of your mattress and much of what you are experiencing was evident from your original testing and you have been given accurate information all along.

I know itā€™s always frustrating when a mattress you purchase doesnā€™t turn out to be your ideal choice but when your choice was based on your own testing and you were given accurate information then your comments donā€™t seem fair or reasonable to me when your choice was based on your own testing and preferences in the showroom. Nobody else can speak to someone elseā€™s preferences except the person themselves.

Latex is a very high quality material but that doesnā€™t mean that itā€™s everyoneā€™s preference and there are many people prefer other materials or mattress designs. If you donā€™t like the ā€œfeelā€ of latex or a particular mattress (which is most of what your comments appear to indicate) then it would make more sense to just acknowledge that you made a mistake in your choice and went against your testing experience (on the mattress) and the advice you were given (for the foundation) than it does to imply that somehow you were given bad advice.

Phoenix

65

You are correct, he did say the solid surface is preferable but, that most people do not go with a solid foundation because it feels like you are laying on a board. We discussed more things than just warranty - i asked him about the various foundations i had found and he again told me that a solid foundation would be like sleeping directly on a board which certainly discouraged me from going with a solid surface. He said I could go with whatever foundation I wanted. And Iā€™m not taking the delivery guys advice over the manufacturer. I never got advice from the manufacturer other than a solid surface is preferable but most people find that uncomfortable so, whatever I want to use is fine. Clearly we will adjust the foundation and see if that makes a difference.

Yes, I understand the tightness of the cover pulls the sides down but this was way more than that. It is not normal that one would only be able to lay directly in the middle of one side of the bed or else feel like youā€™re rolling off the bed. That is not normal. It is not normal to not be able to lay in the middle of your bed comfortably.

And yes, I laid down on the mattresses in the showroom for a matter of minutes. You, yourself are constantly telling people to give it weeks before making any decisions. Iā€™ve given the various configurations months and was just sharing my experiences.

I truly donā€™t believe Iā€™m being negative at all. I didnā€™t realize that only positive experiences were allowed?

66

Hi Wildflower,

Positive or negative is not the issue as much as fair, reasonable, and accurate commentary that doesnā€™t take disappointment as an opportunity to criticize unfairly, misrepresent something, or mistake preference choices for quality choices. If you re-read your specific comments and the ā€œtoneā€ behind them I think you would likely see what Iā€™m referring to.

The response of your mattress would be ā€œnormalā€ for any mattress that used latex with the same firmness level as what is in your mattress with a similar cover. Different people with different perceptions, different preferences, and different body types would feel the same thing and describe it differently. This is what I mean by individual preferences. This is what a mattress with the layers and components you have feels like for you. Of course there is nothing wrong with making a mistake in your choices and anyone who has purchased a mattress knows that this is always a possibility and this is part of what sometimes happens with any choice but this is not the same as implying that there is something ā€œnot normalā€ or ā€œwrongā€ with your mattress. Latex is latex and it generally comes from the same group of latex manufacturers no matter who uses it in their mattress. This is why a return policy, layer exchanges, or a manufacturer that will make comfort adjustments to their mattresses are good options to have for some people who are unsure about the suitability of their choice.

A few minutes is not enough to test a mattress well although based on your previous posts it was enough to indicate much of what you are now experiencing. If you follow the guidelines in post #1 here and test a mattress carefully and objectively it would increase your odds significantly of making a choice that is more predictive of your longer term experience. The goal of good testing is as much as possible to replicate your actual sleeping experience. Nothing is certain of course and while good testing can provide a very good indication that is accurate for most people ā€¦ there are always exceptions.

The reason for giving it weeks is that there is both a break in period and an adjustment period for any new mattress but this is not the same thing as using accurate testing to get close enough that only fine tuning is needed (once a mattress has broken in and is closer to the floor model that was tested) and to give you a good indication of the overall feel and response of different materials.

Phoenix

67

About two months ago we ordered a bed from APMC consisting of split dunlop firm/medium core and 3" natural talalay top layer, with the wood foundation. Greg was very helpful when making selections and ordering, and delivery took only slightly longer than promised. At first my side felt a little firmer than I expected with the soft 3 inch top layer, but Ken explained by email that it took time for the very tight cover to stretch out and let the latex give and that it should feel softer once this happened within a couple of weeks, and as it turned out he was quite right. At this point everything is working out fine.

68

Hi Pspa123,

Thanks for the update :slight_smile:

Itā€™s always good to hear when the initial break-in period gets you to ā€œjust rightā€!

Phoenix

69

I bought a mattress with a firm latex core and 3 inch soft topper. It was delivered almost 2 months ago.

After less than 60 days, thereā€™s a ridge in the middle and body impressions. Iā€™m 165 lbs and my wife is 30 or so lbs lighter than me, so I donā€™t expect the impressions to be there in this short amount of time.

Considering their return policy is 60 days, Iā€™m running out of time and will need to send this mattress back (at my cost, which is probably around 150 bucks since it cost me 150 for them to ship it to me in the first place).

So Iā€™m going to be out $300 and still have no idea what mattress to get.

70

Reply to scb,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

With a new all-latex mattress, most firmness in the center of the mattress, where people usually donā€™t sleep, is still a remnant of the ā€œfalse firmnessā€ of a new mattress, and in a situation such as this mostly from the mattress cover being used. Some covers take more time to ā€œbreak-inā€ (usually those using wool quilted to a stiffer cotton covering, or those with some polyfoam quilted to the covering). While all foams soften slightly with use, latex, even softer latex, will generally have the smallest amount of change in the support factor during this time.

One other thing to check would be the foundation that youā€™re using (you donā€™t mention the size of the mattress so I donā€™t know if it is a split foundation or one piece), just to make sure that it is a solid surface and not at all contributing to excessive sag in your product.

Overall, you will expect some body impressions in any product. The presence of body impressions doesnā€™t necessarily indicate a defect, nor does the absence of body impressions indicate that a product is of high quality and in perfect working order.

Based upon the basic information you provided, thatā€™s about as specific as I can be with my guidance. I hope that information is helpful.

Phoenix

71

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks for the quick reply.

My Arizona Premium Mattress replaced a Sealy Springfree (Beachside/Garden Vine/known by many names) that I got back in early 2009. That was an all latex mattress with some polyfoam on top, so Iā€™ve had latex before. The mattress from Arizona Premium mattress feels like the Springfree did after 8 years, though this oneā€™s less than 60 days old. I got rid of the Springfree because of the ridge in the middle and body impressions that got bad enough to hate it after 8 years. I didnā€™t expect my new mattress to feel like the old one did after 8 years, but theyā€™re pretty similar.

I ordered a queen from AZ, and itā€™s on a foundation that I donā€™t believe is the issue. The foot of the bed has 3 storage drawers, so the quarter of the bed by our feed is a solid, flat platform, and the rest of it has 9 slats . No split foundation. 6 legs.

The base of the AZ mattress is split, though. I have 2 firm latex cores with a single 3 inch 19 ild topper.

The Mattress cover is a zip cover that came with it that you put the foam in and then zip closed. It doesnā€™t feel thick enough to really be contributing to any feel.

Basically, if you lie flat on your back on one side, and then move to the other side (still on your back), it feels like youā€™re going up and down hills.

72

Hi scb,

While the feel may be ā€œsimilarā€ in your new bed to your old one, this would be for different reasons. Your new mattress doesnā€™t use inexpensive polyfoam in the upper layers, and the quality of the latex being used is higher as well in your new product. If using softer latex on top isnā€™t to your preference, that would be another issue where you may wish to change out the upper layer, but it would be very rare for a latex layer to have a failure, especially after 60 days. And while the cover may look thin to you, it does contribute to the overall comfort and will become softer in the area where you sleep.

One thing you may wish to check is the assembly of your deeper layers of the mattress. You mentioned you have a split core. Make sure that the core is aligned properly in the center, and because of the elasticity of the latex, it can feel a bit firmer where the cores meet if you donā€™t put a side to side ā€œwaveā€ through the latex, as it can ā€œbunch upā€ (this wouldnā€™t be visible) almost accordion-like where two pieces meet and can feel a bit firmer in that area.

Overall, if you have further questions about the appropriateness of the product of performance, Iā€™d suggest a phone call directly with Arizona Premium to discuss your thoughts and find out what options might be available to you.

Phoenix

73

I actually cut the polyfoam out of the Springfree to get to just the latex below towards the end of its life. I was surprised at just how much cheap ā€œegg crateā€ material was in there. Unfortunately, the latex below even had impressions, so thatā€™s why it got tossed

I did open up the zip cover of the new mattress to make sure the split cores were lined up, and they seem fine (I did it twice to make sure), so Iā€™m not sure whatā€™s going on.

Iā€™m calling AZ in a little bit.

Thanks again for the replies.

74

Hi scb,

Yes, there were many complaints and there were issues with the density and amount of polyfoam used in those products, as well as the latex. Unfortunately it happened with your mattress.

Hopefully youā€™ll get some good information/results from your phone call with AZ later.

Phoenix

75

I spoke with Ken from AZ, and he thinks maybe we somehow got a defective topper. He advised me to take the topper off tonight and to sleep on just the firmer cores to try to eliminate the cores as the issue. Iā€™ll report back tomorrowā€¦

76

Hi scb,

Thanks for the update. Iā€™m glad that you were able to speak directly with Ken, as he is quite knowledgeable and I do think highly of his advice. I hope with his assistance youā€™re able to determine the cause of your concern.

Phoenix

77

Weā€™re swapping out the topper and going to see how it goes from thereā€¦

78

Hi scb,

Thank you for the update. While itā€™s an uncommon occurrence, Iā€™m hoping that the top layer was the issue. Iā€™ll look forward to your (hopefully positive) update!

Phoenix

79

So the medium topper came on nov 14. Itā€™s definitely a different feel than the soft and solves the ā€œhillā€ problem.

But now the combo of firm base/medium topper is too firm. I think medium/medium will be perfect (I was told that medium/medium and firm/soft are the top 2 sellers. I guess I went with the wrong one at first)

Iā€™m told I can swap the firm core for a medium core if I pay for shipping to send my firm core back and if I pay for shipping for them to send me a medium core. I think this could easily cost me over $200ā€¦

80

Hi scb,

Iā€™m glad that your new top layer solved your previous issue.

If you can, Iā€™d suggest a few more weeks of adjusting to the new system and see if it still feels ā€œtoo firmā€ for you. If you do need to make an exchange, give Ken a call and he should be able to give you a better estimate of what the actual shipping charges would be for a core exchange.

Phoenix