Sealy Optimum Cava

[phoenix]

Hi Kozyrox,

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!

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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

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 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

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