Hello! Thank god for this forum! I have been reading through some previous topics in regards to the Sealy Optimum Cava. I too am in the same conundrum as another poster nearing the end of my 60 day comfort guarantee from Sleep Country. My bed was
Delivered April 5th. They set it up and I noticed a large 3-5" speedhp along the top of the bed…I asked about it and was told it was
Frozen solid and would go down as it defrosted…a wk later it did subside but continued o have a hump in the middle. SC is replacing my mattress under warranty. Problem is I’m still not sure I like it! 5 days after I got my new bed I suffered a terrible back injury. I pinched a nerve and sprained a facet joint… My back recovery is comin along but I continue to find the bed soft and it hurts my shoulders when I side sleep…I wonder if this mattress is hurting my condition more? I am
Having an extremely hard time dealing with SC and Sealy Canada in regards to information and my
questions. I keep inquiring about comfort levels and am continually told the Optimum line doesn’t have any it’s different for everyone. SC has recommended Radiance of the new replacement Cava is no improvement. I also felt hot but have switched to bamboo beets and noticed a difference.
I am going I be replacing within the same line, I hope to pay the difference and jump ship to another brand of these mattresses done work out…I gather latex is the coolest and more memory foam on top makes it softer which is bad for backs? Is buying the firmest model optimum going to get softer as it gets broken in? Why is there such limited information and reviews on the Cava? Is it a low end bed? I was told by SC it is middle of the line and told by sealy that Vibrant and Elation are the highest end ones.
Thank you for reading my novel, I would be thankful for any real honest information and advice and or recommendation of different lines than Sealy Optimum. I look forward to hearing from everyone:)
Hi Kozyrox,
This is partly true because properties like comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment are quite subjective and are also relative to each person depending on body type and sleeping style along with physiology, health conditions and many other variables. The other part of this though is that Sealy doesn’t disclose the quality/density of the materials in their mattresses which is the single biggest factor in durability and how quickly foam layers will soften and break down and without this you can’t make any quality or value comparisons with other mattresses (which of course is the biggest reason this information isn’t disclosed).
You are in a somewhat difficult position similar to other members of the forum that found us after they had purchased a major brand mattress or purchased from a chain store and when they needed to exchange it they had discovered that there really weren’t any mattresses available that were particularly good choices.
Post #2 here includes links to several of these threads with information, comments and suggestions that you may find helpful to make the best of a bad situation when you are considering an exchange where good choices are either limited or non existent.
Careful testing along the lines of the links in post #1 here has the best odds of determining the balance betwen pressure relief and alignment which is best for your back because there are to many variables and unknowns for anyone to use “theory at a distance” to make comfort choices for someone else … particularly when a manufacturer doesn’t provide any meaningful information about their mattresses.
Thicker layers of memory foam aren’t necessarily “bad” because it depends on the body type and sleeping style of each person and on the specific type of memory foam in the mattress but because memory foam becomes softer in response to heat, humidity, and the length of time it is compressed … it can be tricky in thicker layers because you may be in good alignment when you first go to bed but as the memory foam becomes softer over the course of the night you can wake up out of neutral alignment (where the heavier parts of the body and in particular the hips/pelvis have sunk into the mattress too far).
As you can see in some of the links in the “read first” post I linked … none of the major manufacturers provide meaningful information about their mattresses that allow consumers to make informed buying decisions or for the salespeople or consumers to have any idea of the quality or value of what they are selling or buying. These are mattresses sold by marketing stories not by meaningful information about the quality of the materials and this is the reason I suggest avoiding major brands and chain stores completely in the guidelines.
You can read a little more about the different models in the Sealy Optimum line in post #48 here to give you an idea of how they compare to each other in terms of design and construction based on the information I have been able to find.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thanks for your informative reply, I only wish I discovered this for before my $2200 purchase! Why is the Cava model never listed with sealy or in the comparison charts? I’m located in Canada is this why? The cava has somewhat different specs with slightly different wording…2" Opticool Gel memory foam which seems standard among models. The difference lies in 3" High Density SuperSoft Foam (Cava) vs Optisense Memory foam among the Destiny and other models. What is the difference between the 2 in regards to quality? Is the Cava something special? The last layer (Cava) uses Opticore Plus with CoreSuppory vs just Opticore among the other models. I apologize of you have covered this, I did read this forum extensively but perhaps my eyes are tired!
I’m located in Brandon Manitoba Canada, could you please put me on touch with quality mattress stores if you are familiar? Thank you for providing wonderful knowledge it has certainly
Opened my eyes!
Hi Kozyrox,
This thread and this thread are also from a forum members that either purchased or exchanged for the Cava and weren’t happy in either case.
I believe that the Cava is only available at Sleep Country in Canada and as you mentioned it’s not the same as the US models.
They don’t provide the density of the polyfoam so there is no way to make any meaningful comments about the supersoft polyfoam in the Cava,
In general terms though … polyfoam is a fast response material and memory foam is a slow response material so the feel and performance of each mattress would be different. Polyfoam is also less costly than memory foam in most cases (depending on the quality/density of each). There is nothing special about the Cava no.
Assuming the Opticore Plus is the same in Canada as it is in the US … you can read about the differences between them in the Optimum post I linked in my last reply. The Opticore Plus uses higher quality/density polyfoam than the Opticore. Quoted from that post …
The only reason I know this information is because there is one retailer in the entire continent I know of that lists it. It’s certainly not because it’s widely available and it’s not because Sealy willingly provides it to most of their retailers.
Brandon is one of the few cities that doesn’t have a list on the forum but the Winnipeg list here includes a retailer that has an outlet in Brandon which would be a good start.
Time permitting over the next few days I’ll take a look in the Brandon area and see if there are any others that seem to be better options that may help you and others that are in the area. I’ll post them in this thread as I come find them.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for providing me insight and prompt replies to my inquiries. I’ve received my warranty replacement Cava and now have another 60 day comfort guarantee that I can utilize to find something of quality more than Sealy Optimum anyhow. I will have to pay the difference and choose from a brand they have whichever is the lesser of two evils. Hopefully one of the brands they carry will have acceptable quality and user a higher quality of materials than the Cava.
Based on the specs/info you’ve given me and some reading on my own about memory foam I gather that the 1.8lb lower quality foam that Sealy uses has approximately a 5-10 yr life span. That sure makes it an expensive bed even if you can get 10 yrs!
This is what my warranty states which I find very confusing if I keep the Cava on what I"m exactly covered on…“Normal body indentation not associated with sag in foundation (does that mean boxspring) of less than 11/2” for any Sealy mattresses excluding some OPTIMUM mattresses, is not covered. Normal body indentation not associated with sag in foundation of less than 11/4" for OPTIMUM mattresses with the Warranty Code P1 or P3, or less than 3/4" for Optimum mattresses with the Warranty Code P9, is not covered. SO do I need a lawyer to translate this or what? Am I covered? For the record my Warranty code is P1 so I assume I’m SOL for everything?!
The last paragraphy states: The Sealy Certificate of Limited Warranty will cover body indentations that are greater than the measurements listed above.
I never was told or thought to ask if memory foam is more prone to body indentation? I assume it would be if they are using low quality materials.
Maybe I don’t even need a memory foam bed? I just wanted something comfortable for my back issues that would provide comfort, support, quality and be long lasting for my husband and I when we spend over $2000. I now feel more confused than ever as to “whats good” and am now understanding it isn’t always in the name or price. I have learned many lessons from this forum! Next bed hands down going to deal with the local depot Best Sleep Centre. I have heard of them but assumed they would be too expensive for my budget and always was ignorant to the “if you haven’t heard of the brand it isn’t good philosophy like the other sheep”.
I realize you don’t have time and access to every brand and their specs of the layers. Off the top of your head are you aware of any of the SC brands that has a line that does use higher quality materials compared to what I have. I also assumed if the mattress was made in Canada it would be good for me, never once considered toxins and gasses that it gives off. The more reading I did about this the more informed and disgusted at what has been happening. It makes me want to sleep on a yoga mat made of natural fibres! Haha
I hope you don’t mind my touching base with questions on some of the options I’m looking into. My last mattress was a 6 yr old Serta pillow top I believe which had body indentations and just generally became uncomfortable to us. We of course didn’t qualify for warranty because we didn’t quite hit their magic number! Maybe I should have kept that, saved my $2200 (which I saved originally for a NYC trip) and purchased a quality topper for what I had…Live and learn 
Kozy ROx
Hi Kozyrox,
1.8 lbs is a polyfoam density not a memory foam density. It’s quite possible that any polyfoam in the mattress would be lower density than 1.8 lbs (which is close to the highest density that Sealy uses and most of their foam is lower density than this). It’s usually the upper layers that are the weak link of a mattress and most subject to softening and breakdown but there are many factors that can affect the durability of a mattress that are relative to the overall design and the person sleeping on it. You can read more about the many factors that are part of durability and the loss of comfort and support in a mattress in post #4 here. in other words the longevity of a mattress really depends on how long it provides the comfort/pressure relief and the support/alignment that is suitable for a particular person.
It’s just not possible to provide any meaningful feedback about any mattress without knowing more about the specifics of the materials and design and I don’t know the specs of the Cava. For some people a particular mattress may remain suitable for their needs and preferences for years while for others that same mattress may need to be replaced in months depending on how long it stays inside the “range” of comfort and support that is suitable for their particular needs and preferences. A mattress and the materials inside it don’t “fail” so much as gradually become softer or break down till they reach a point where it isn’t suitable any longer for a particular person.
The problem with most foams is that they soften under the areas with the most weight which leads to the loss of comfort and support/alignment which isn’t covered by a warranty. Each mattress has a warranty “exclusion” (and yours is 1.25") which means that no matter how much a foam softens … if the visible impressions in the mattress that are there when there is no weight on the mattress are less than the exclusion (and they usually are because foam will still weakly rebound even when it has softened when the weight is removed) then it is not a warranty issue and not covered. There are also other exclusions including even the smallest stain on a mattress (even a water stain) or any issues with the foundation that is under the mattress or anything that indicates that the mattress has been misused. Warranties have little to do with how long a mattress will last and actual impressions are the last stage of foam softening. You can read more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
Memory foam is just like other foams and the likelihood of softening and impressions depends on its quality/density. higher density memory foams are more durable and less subject to early softening and impressions.
Memory foam is a preference and some people do better on it than others. It also depends on the quality of the memory foam and the overall design of the mattress. You can read some of the pros and cons of memory foam in this article. Unfortunately most people who are shopping for a mattress go by brand which is among the worst ways to shop for a mattress and in the mattress industry the major brands not only don’t disclose the quality of the materials they use but they tend to use lower quality materials and charge more for them than most smaller independent manufacturers. You can read more about this in post #12 here as well as post #404 here which is why I started this site.
Manufacturers will use a range of foam densities in their lineup and it’s important to know what is in a specific mattress you are considering because it may use better quality materials than other mattresses made by the same manufacturer (or lesser amounts or lower quality materials). Outside of Tempurpedic (which uses mostly but not all good quality materials but are priced much too high) all the manufacturers that they list on their site are major brands that have the same issues. I don’t have a list of any of the specs for any of the SC mattresses and they would need to provide them (which of course they usually won’t). In many cases though they may be able to provide you with layer thickness details and in this case the “safest” way is to minimize the amount of polyfoam (which I would assume is lower quality) or other lower quality materials (like synthetic fibers used in many quilting layers) in the upper layers of the mattress (which generally means their firmer mattresses which are also generally less costly because they use less foam). This way you can add a high quality topper which is more durable for your pressure relief and comfort needs. It will also help extend the life of the comfort layers in the mattres under it.
The challenge with this approach is that choosing a topper can be difficult unless they have good options in the store that you can try as a combination with a specific mattress but the topper guidelines in post #2 here may be helpful.
I certainly don’t mind answering any questions you have to the best of my ability. I should also mention that once a mattress has softened that it’s really too late for a topper. A topper is good to soften a comfort layer that is too firm because it can be added to a mattress but if you add a topper to a mattress that has soft spots or impressions then the topper will just follow the impressions underneath it (see post #4 here). Fixing issues that are connected with materials softening (or choosing a mattress that is too soft in the first place) would involve removing and replacing the faulty layers rather than adding to them. It’s much easier to “fix” a mattress that is too firm than one that is too soft and most solutions that involve trying to “fix” a mattress that is sagging (see post #4 here) would be a temporary or partial solution at best unless you resort t “mattress surgery” and remove the layers that are causing the problem and replace them.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
When I contacted Sleep Country today I was told they are no longer carrying the Stearnes and Foster Line. They did mention Restwell Mattresses which are manufactured in Surrey British Columbia. I have never heard of this brand, do you have any opinions or had any forum member inquiries in regards to this line? My Cava has been killing my shoulders since I got it Saturday, I’ve been sleeping on the couch.
Thanks for any comments. I’m going to get in touch with this company and ask for the specs on some of the mattresses they carry. What should I ask for specifically, besides the layers of the mattress…The components and materials used in each layer? I want to make sure I’m asking the right questions, who knows what type of info they will give me!
Thanks again,
Kozyrox
Hi Kozyrox,
Restwell as you mentioned is a wholesale manufacturer based in Surrey that makes their own mattresses and is also a licensee for Spring Air.
The name of the manufacturer though is not nearly as important as knowing the specifics of what is in any mattress you are considering because most manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses ranging from low quality to higher quality. Unfortunately … Restwell is also not particularly informative about disclosing what is in their mattresses.
A forum search on Restwell (you can just click this) will bring up more information about them (although there are some other mattress manufacturers named Restwell so when you scan through them you will need to make sure that the post refers to the one in Surrey).
In general terms … and like many other larger manufacturers … their mattresses are not in the best value range and they are also not particularly open about the details of what is in their mattresses which means that in most cases making meaningful quality and value comparisons with other mattresses wouldn’t be possible.
You need what’s called a spec sheet which lists all the layers and components in the mattress from top to bottom. Each layer needs to include information about the type of material or foam, the layer thickness, and if it’s polyfoam or memory foam the density of the foam (which determines the quality and durability) or in the case of latex the type and blend of the latex.
Phoenix