I’ve found three mattress’s at Yankee Mattress, that appear to be a good fit for both my wife and I. The problem is that I’m not sure which mattress is the best deal in terms of quality construction/durability, as the salesman’s comments and suggestions tended to contradict what I’ve read on this site.
I snapped photo’s of the mattress information cards, and added some text to fill in the details based on answers given to me by the salesman;
[i]I tried in ask about customizing the mattress’s with different comfort layer materials, but the salesman’s reply made it sound as if the type of materials used are set in stone… “We can make it softer or firmer for you by adding more to the comfort layer, or reducing some of the material. But which materials are used are based on the mattress model”.
Also while I take it with a huge grain of salt, all the mattress stores in the are have a lot of negative things to say about the quality of Yankee mattress’s… any real cause for concern ?[/i]
Edited to add:
I’m open to other options, if folks know of better mattress companies in the New England area that provide a better product and/or higher levels of customization to customers.
You can read more about the different factors that affect durability in post #4 here but you would need to be a mechanical engineer to understand or calculate this down to the last detail so I would just look for relative comparisons and whether any of the mattresses you are considering have any obvious weak links.
The top few inches of the Mystic are 1.5" of 1.5 lb polyfoam and 2" of 4.5 lb gel memory foam. There are no obvious weak links in these layers (4.5 lb gel memory foam is more than the minimum I would suggest of 4 lbs and the 1.5 lb polyfoam in the quilting is in the range of “about an inch or so” that I would consider to be OK.
The top few inches of the Plymouth Custom Comfort are 1 1/4" of 1.8 lb polyfoam and another 1.5" of 1.8 lb convoluted polyfoam. There are also no obvious weak links in these layers although convoluted polyfoam is less durable than a solid layer so I would give the durability advantage to the Mystic.
The Gloucester uses 1.5" plus 1.5" plus 3/4" of 2.8 lb polyfoam (most likely HR). There are also no obvious weak links in these layers but they would be a higher quality and more durable materials than the other two so it would most likely be the most durable of the three.
While the innerspring isn’t normally the weak link of a mattress … the offset coil in the Gloucester would also be stronger and more durable than the other two although it would also be less contouring than a pocket coil.
The length of their warranties would also reflect their expectations of the relative durability of each.
This would be the norm because of the fire regulations. A mattress prototype is usually tested with a certain thickness and combination of materials and as long as the materials are the same type and the same or less than the thickness of the prototype it can be customized or changed but the materials themselves have to be the same.
I think highly of Nick and the quality/value of the mattresses they make and I certainly wouldn’t pay much attention to competitor’s comments (that may be more about selling their own mattresses) unless they give specific reasons for their opinions that can be validated. I prefer to go by the quality of the materials in a mattress which bypasses opinions.(NOTE ADDED: They are also now a member of this site)
Post #4 here includes the better options and possibilities in and around the Springfield area I’m aware of.
New England is too large an area for me to look at (I would need a specific city or zip code) but post #2 here has several more links to lists in the New England area that may be helpful as well.
Almost two months after I posted this thread I decided to have a bespoke mattress made for me by Alex at Sigma Mattress in Feeding Hills MA. It’s now been four years since I took delivery of my mattress and I am as happy about my Sigma mattress now as I was back when I put down the deposit for it’s construction.
The process of selection & elimination of materials for the custom built mattress took some time, as Alex wanted me to test out the different configurations on partially assembled “testers” before commissioning the final build. The end result was a mattress that I seriously doubt any company could equal or beat, even at triple the cost.
The funny thing is that I wouldn’t have looked at or considered Sigma if it hadn’t been for Phoenix’s response which included that link to “Post #4”. So thank you Phoenix for your assistance, and thank you for what is arguably the greatest educational resource on all things mattress related.
(funny side story; two years ago I was at a Mattress Firm location helping my Mother look at mattresses, I was talking to my mom trying to give her all the knowledge I had gained on this site & forum when a man walked up an identified himself as the regional manager and asked me if I wanted a job. Told me that he’d hire me on the spot if I was interested because I appeared to know more about mattresses than any of his regular sales people LOL).
Thanks for taking the time to provide some feedback on what you eventually chose, and I’m glad to hear that you’re still enjoying your mattress from Sigma. And I appreciate your compliments!
It’s also good to know that you have a job waiting at Mattress Firm. :lol:
I have learned so much from reading this site (although at a certain point I must be dragged from the depths of the wormhole). I wanted to post an update about western MA options for natural latex mattresses. I am trying to replace my 13 year old Tempurpedic with something more supportive, sustainable, and (hopefully) durable. I live in the corner of MA/CT/NY so any option to visit in person requires an hour or more of driving.
After doing a lot of research, I liked the idea of layered natural latex with a zippered cover so changes or replacing a layer could happen if needed, or it could be flipped.
Fly By Night in Northampton, MA has Berkeley Organics, Ergovea, and Magniflex (not latex–eco foam) and the first salesperson I met was knowledgeable and left me to experiment. I really liked the Ergovea Madera (2" med., 6" firm), but it is not zippered or flippable.
So I looked at some custom places. The nearest to me was Sigma, in Agawam. There is no showroom (post CoVid) but you can go into the hot factory room and Alex will layer things for you to try. He insisted I didn’t want all natural latex, but that I wanted pocketed coils that he then puts two 2" soy foam layers on, plus 2" of 23 ILD Talalay natural latex (because I said I wanted natural latex) and a quilted wool and organic cotton cover. Not zippered. It also seems that the sides would be polyurethane foam (because, as he said, who cares what’s in the sides). He could make me an all natural latex mattress, just one block of foam, that he would cover with the wool & cotton cover (and maybe the poly sides, I’m not sure) but he really advised against it because it was too heavy to move and it was expensive (the price seemed in line with the ones at Fly By Night). In short, he might do (kind of) what I wanted (and what seems recommended here) but he didn’t understand.
The other custom place I found on this site was Spindle. I like the looks of their website but they are 2.5 hours away, so I’m leaning toward the Ergovea. I’ll still have to order a KD foundation from somewhere but that seems pretty easy.
Congrats on your new mattress shopping adventure ! Thanks for sharing your research updates with the Forum, we really appreciate when consumers fill in the regional blanks of mattress shopping options. Good job on making the showroom visits, nc; I’m happy to hear that you’re able to make the drive and have COVID safe access for mattress testing, as having hands-on experience with each model of interest is the sure way to a point of reference.
[quote]After doing a lot of research, I liked the idea of layered natural latex with a zippered cover so changes or replacing a layer could happen if needed, or it could be flipped.
Fly By Night in Northampton, MA has Berkeley Organics, Ergovea, and Magniflex (not latex–eco foam) and the first salesperson I met was knowledgeable and left me to experiment. I really liked the Ergovea Madera (2" med., 6" firm), but it is not zippered or flippable.[/quote]
Ergovea’s Madera model is an 8" dunlop latex mattress, featuring a 2" comfort layer of medium firmness over a 6" firm support core, providing a firmer feeling mattress. Erogovea’s site features all of the certification assurances of quality, durability, and sustainability that you seek, and no doubt that an all-dunlop latex would certainly be supportive. Here are a few questions for you: do you mind sharing your personal stats of height, weight, and body type? What firmness is your current Tempurpedic? What size mattress are you purchasing and what is your budget? Yes, as the Madera’s construction is two dunlop latex firmness layers inside a sewn cover, it is not designed to have an exchangeable comfort layer or be a flippable mattress. If the ability to have either feature is important to you, this isn’t your mattress.
An experienced sales person/ owner will listen carefully to the customers’ preferences and needs before either making mattress recommendations or suggesting shopping alternatives. Sometimes, however, the sales person will gather details from the customer and move them towards the best fit they can approximate from their inventory, which seems likely in this instance. If you’re not comfortable with the options as they are presented to you, you have to trust those feelings and be direct with the sales team. I’m curious though, regarding your interest in latex as a material. As far as "natural"latex goes, are you referring to natural/ Dunlop latex, as its known in the manufacturing world or natural latex as a foam having latex certifications? The Ergovea Madera mattress uses dunlop latex, a denser foam known for its supportive properties, low motion transfer, and firmer feel. The suggested Talalay latex over pocketed coils presents a much livelier combination with potentially more bounce and response than a dunlop latex mattress. It is a matter of your personal preference of course whether you choose one type construction over the other.
You have to follow your gut here, nc. It seems odd that a manufacturer would advise against your purchasing the mattress that you want. True, an all-latex mattress is both heavy to move and is expensive; however, people buy them everyday, the mattresses are delivered all of the time, and their quality and durability makes them among the longest lasting of all mattresses available. It sounds as though either he expects his customers to work around the materials his facility has access to, or that he does not understand your request. In any case, a mattress purchase is too costly to settle for working with someone who “might do (kind of)” what it is you expect.
Thanks for considering a possible purchase from trusted member Spindle Mattress ! They are deeply experienced in the Dunlop latex category, and I regard their expertise and customer service post-sale highly. As they are a bit of a drive from your location, you are welcome to ask any questions regarding their mattress here on the forum. KD foundations are widely available; you may consider a purchase from trusted member US Box Spring, they offer an all natural, heavy duty premium wood frame at affordable pricing. Both Spindle and US Box Spring offer a small TMU discount as well as a Thank You for asking a question and supporting the trusted member program. My apologies for the delayed response, nc. Have you made any more showroom visits? Looking forward to your reply and thanks .
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