Searching for a local manufacturer

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

I am in the market for a new mattress and after reading this website for only an hour, I am now convinced that a local mattress manufacturer is the way to go. My problem now is finding one. I live in Jackson, MS but am moving to Memphis, TN soon so I can visit any store close to either town. We visited a local store and fell in love with the Serra icomfort prodigy. After reading the forum on the sorta icomforts I don’t think it is worth the price($3000). I don’t know if there are any local manufacturers close to where I live and I really don’t like the idea of buying a mattress that I haven’t lied on. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

N

2

Hi Nbj1985,

There are not a lot of local manufacturers near Jackson, MS. The closest one (and the only one within a couple of hours) I’m aware of is …

http://www.mermat.com/ Factory direct manufacturer in Meridian, MS. They make a fairly wide range of mattresses and use better quality materials than larger brands in the same price range. They make Bemco mattresses but this is just a label (because it’s known in the area) and the designs are his. He also has a latex hybrid mattress. Tends towards lower budget mattresses with good value. Tom is very knowledgeable and has been making mattresses for a long time. Very open and helpful and would be worth a phone call and/or visit depending on what you are looking for.

Some wholesale manufacturers that would also be worth looking on their site (or making a phone call) to see if they have any retailers near you in either location includes …

Jamison is a regional manufacturer in the area which makes high quality mattresses including latex and memory foam and is fairly widely available in the region and often has better value compared to mainstream manufacturers…

Pure Talalay Bliss is a national brand that makes some high quality Talalay latex mattresses and they also have a retail locator on their site which may be worth looking at for nearby retailers that carry them.

Dutch Craft is another Tennessee manufacturer that makes some high quality and good value mattresses and they may also be worth a phone call to see if there are any retailers close to you (there is a list of retailers listed by state on their site).

Some other retail outlets near Jackson that would take some research (I would suggest a “phone interview” before paying any a visit) but may have some better value (subject to being able to need to find out the materials in the models they sell) include …

http://www.miskellys.com/ Retailer with an outlet in Jackson. Carries Restonic which has some models which may have better value but would require some research into the models that they carry.

http://www.tillmanfurniture.net/index.html Retailer in Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, Magee, Brookhaven, and McComb, MS. Carries Symbol which may have some better quality/value but again you would need to confirm the quality of the materials in any mattress you are considering.

http://www.rossfurniturems.com/ Retailer in Jackson which carries Englander and Jamison which also make some mattresses which may have better value but would also require some further research to make sure you can find out the quality of the materials.

http://www.shopangelles.com/index.html They are an even longer drive away in Hattiesburg. Carries Pure latex Bliss and also carries some Restonic models which may have better value (but again would require some further research).

In the Memphis area … there are two factory direct manufacturers close by …

http://www.switchboard.com/business/mattress-factory-showroom-memphis-tn They are a factory direct manufacturer right in Memphis that will make “anything you can sleep on” including latex, memory foam, innersprings etc. This looks to be one of the best choices around Memphis and they fit the profile of the type of local manufacturers that I like.

Baker Furniture & Mattress 4614 Quince Rd, Memphis, TN 38117 - superpages.com Memphis, TN. They are another local manufacturer in Memphis. I talked to the owner Lisa here and they will also make anything you wish including latex, one and two sided innerspring mattresses, and memory foam. They have been making mattresses since 1950. They have a small showroom in Olive Branch that is open by appointment where you can test some mattresses and they will also build a mattress to your specifications including side to side split firmness. They are knowledgeable and transparent and also make custom sizes and would also be one of the best options in the area…

Retail outlets in the area that may be “possibilities” but would also require more research into the specific of their mattresses include …

http://www.mattressmaniaonline.net/ Southaven, MS. They carry a range of regionally produced alternative brands which includes Englander, Capital bedding, Southerland, and Jamison that may have some better quality/value.

http://www.royalfurniture.com/ Memphis, Cordova, TN. Southaven, MS. Southerland.

http://www.sleepstationmattress.com/index.html Memphis, TN. Symbol.

http://www.bartletthomefurnishingsmemphis.com/ Bartlett, TN. Jamison

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

3

Thank you for the help phoenix. I had one more question for you Do you know anything about the Symbol response gel memory foam mattresses? They carry them at a local store in Jackson and seemed like a high quality mattress but I have never heard of them and have not had much luck finding anything about them. Thank you for your help.

-N

4

All I know about Symbol is they are built here in CT, and their BBB rating is pretty good. I came across them while searching for retailers in my state.

5

Hi Nbj1985,

Symbol is one of the larger privately owned wholesale manufacturers in the country (I believe they are the 4th largest of the privately owned manufacturers). I have often mentioned them as a possible source of better value than many larger brands however this would depend on the specific outlet selling them and the prices. Many retailers have also told me that they are very responsive and provide good service to their retailers and consider them to be among the better wholesale manufacturers in terms of value and service.

Knowing the specific “quality specs” of the materials though is just as important with any manufacturer and this is often “missing” from the descriptions of the mattresses and can be difficult to find.

In online research … the Symbol Response gel mattresses seem to use good quality polyfoam base layers (1.9 lbs) which is a “plus” in their favor. The density of the memory foams they use are often missing from the descriptions though and I would want to know this before buying them. They do a good job at describing the thickness of the layers they use.

The actual gel memory foam uses particles rather than being infused into the polymer matrix itself and this is similar to the iComfort and I believe that the odds are higher that this type of gel foam (or any foam with particles in it) are likely to be less durable. While I would certainly want more information about the mattress and it would depend on prices … they certainly compete well with the iComort. My own personal preferences would probably lean towards the 13" version.

Overall … and provided that I could find any additional information I would want (which can be quite difficult) … I believe that Symbol would tend to be a better value choice than most larger manufacturers and are certainly well liked and respected by many retailers but having said that … I would never buy any mattress where I didn’t know the quality of the materials inside the specific mattress I was considering.

Phoenix

6

Hi Nbj,

Actually i am here to find the best mattress for the upcoming season, As phoenix help to find the best one. I did not find the gel memory foam mattress as good as the memory foam mattress because one of friend had a problem with gel memory foam mattress.

I hope you will also get the good one here!

7

Hi alexjones,

There is actually no such thing as “best mattress” for the upcoming season (or any season) unless of course you define “best” in a very specific way. If someone for example defined “best” as “cheapest”, then for them the best would simply be a matter of looking for the cheapest mattress that they could find and this would be the best for them.

In most cases though … the “best” mattress is the one that provides the pressure relief, the alignment, and the overall “feel” that you need and prefer and this is very individual for each person. What may be among the “best” for one person may be among the worst for another if their needs and preferences are different.

This is one of the dangers of going by the opinions or experience of others who may have very different needs and preferences. The experience of one friend with gel memory foam (and there are many different types of gel memory foam mattresses that are very different from each other and your friend has probably only tried one of them) may be completely different from your own.

So overall … the first step is to define what is important for you in your own personal definition of “best” and which of the many different pieces of the puzzle are most important to you.

Phoenix