Seeking reputable mattress companies in the Seattle/Tacoma area

Hi Pheonix, I am still mattress hunting. It is so tempting to get the Serta iComfort Epic model as I loved the feel of it in the store. I tried contacting Serta again to get more information about the density of their foam layers. It has been over 2 weeks since I contacted them and still no response.

I’m still exploring other options. Do you know anything about the bariatric mattresses that www.absolutecomfortonsale.com sells? I am nearing 400 lbs and they offer 2 different foam mattresses for heavier people. One for persons up to 300lbs and one for persons up to 400lbs. I have been in contact with one of their salespeople, Terri, who doesn’t seem very knowledgeable. I asked if their foam was Certipur certified and she didn’t even know what that meant. I explained to her that I like a super soft bed and they can custom make a bed to your specifications. They said they could make a mattress for me that is a little bit of an alteration from their standard “Comfort Max 400” bed. It would have a 6 inch base of HR poly foam with a 24-45 ILD, and a 4 inch topper of 12-14 ILD of Dunlop latex. Still waiting to hear back from her regarding the densities of the foam.

I am very, very, very hesitant to buy another mattress online, however their prices are very reasonable, so I am reconsidering. Another concern I have is that since the mattress will be custom made, it is not returnable and I would have no recourse if I didn’t like the feel of it.

I also contacted Easy Rest, and they said their Bella Pedic model is their softest model. It is very reasonably priced as well. However no one in my area carries that mattress, so I can’t try it out. I also would have no recourse if I purchased that mattress online and didn’t like the feel of it.

I am like the princess and the pea. I laid on about 15 beds before finding the perfect “feel” with the Serta iComfort Epic. That is why I’m so hesitant to buy online. However the local mom and pop stores prices are quite high, and their financing options (if any) are limited. The only reason I would be able to afford the Serta iComfort Epic is because I qualified for their 4 year, interest-free financing. Out of pocket I could never afford it. Max out of pocket expense for me would be around $1,500, so that limits my options.

So I am not sure what to do at this point. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi marshmallow,

It’s quite likely that you won’t get the information you need since Serta usually doesn’t provide it. It’s also the retailer that should be providing you with this information about any mattress they sell. I certainly wouldn’t consider any mattress where you can’t find out the quality/durability of the materials … especially with your higher weight.

Post #3 here and the posts it links to has more information that may be helpful for those in higher weight ranges. It will be particularly important to make sure that all the materials in any mattress you are considering are very durable. I would also keep in mind that what you “need” and what you may “want” may not be the same and you may be looking for mattresses that are too soft for your body type. I would make sure that you do some careful and objective testing so that you have “just enough” pressure relief in your most pressure prone position so your risk of alignment issues is less. I would also keep in mind that you can make a mattress that is too firm softer by adding a topper but it’s much more difficult to make a mattress that is too soft any firmer because it would normally involve removing and replacing the foam layers that are too soft.

You can see my thoughts about them in post #2 here.

I agree that she probably doesn’t know a great deal about the mattresses since the ILD range of the polyfoam is probably wrong and the mattress description says the mattress uses Talalay not Dunlop. A polyfoam layer doesn’t come in that wide a range of ILD’s in a single layer and if it really is Dunlop then the listed ILD of the Dunlop is most likely lower than it really is. If it’s Talalay and it really is 12 - 14 ILD then I would be very hesitant in considering latex that was that soft at your weight. In any case when you are considering an online purchase that you can’t test in person and you aren’t completely confident that a mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP based on your conversations with them then the return or exchange options you have after a purchase would become a more important part of most people’s personal value equation.

I would probably avoid the softest model with any manufacturer and once again when you can’t test a mattress in person and you aren’t confident that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP then the return or exchange options you have after a purchase would become much more important.

If you are considering purchasing a mattress online then there are many good online choices that have much better return and exchange options that are linked in the tutorial post so I’m not sure why you are considering those that don’t unless you are completely confident that they would work well for you.

The best advice I have would be to follow all the steps in the tutorial post one by one and you may need to either visit some of the other stores in the Seattle list or talk to some of the online manufacturers that are linked there if there is nothing of interest locally (although you have more options available to you locally that you haven’t mentioned). I would also make sure you talk with each store you plan to visit before you go there to make sure that they have some good options available that you are interested in testing and that are in your budget range.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, thanks for your prompt and detailed response. I contacted Serta again today and was able to get information on the densities of the foam layers in the iComfort Epic Directions mattress. Based on the numbers, it seems like the mattress probably wouldn’t hold up very well for me over time, due to my weight. I do not know if their foam is open cell or if it is Certipur certified. They don’t advertise this, so I’m assuming its not. Here are the different densities of the layers, from the bottom up:

6 inch foam support core: 1.5 lb density

1/4th inch pods gel activated support (each pod is about 1/4th inch in thickness): 1.2 lb density for each pod

1 inch foam that the pods are encased in: 5.6 lb density

2 inch cool action dual effects gel foam: 4.25 lb density

1.5 inch cool action energy foam 2.8lb density

1 inch pillow soft foam: 1.2 lb density

2 inch evercool gfx foam 4.4 lb density

Total height: about 13.5 inches

Anyway, I wanted to post this information as it was very hard to come by and has taken me multiple attempts of contacting Serta both by phone and email to finally get this information. I am hoping it may be of some help to anyone who is considering purchasing this particular mattress.

Hi marshmallow,

Thanks for finding out the specs and posting them to the forum … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

The specs you listed actually aren’t all that bad and there is really only 1" of “low quality” 1.2 lb foam in the comfort layers which is inside the guidelines I would normally use.

The top 2" are 4.4 lb memory foam which is a medium density/quality foam.

The 1.5 lb polyfoam in the support core is a little lower than I would like to see in a mattress in this price range but it has over 7" of foam above it so it wouldn’t be likely to be a weak link in the mattress.

I don’t think that this mattress would hold up well under your weight but for those that are in a more average weight range it would be a suitable choice in terms of durability.

I think the biggest issue with this mattress would be it’s relative “value” since it’s in a much higher budget range than other mattresses that use similar quality/density materials.

Thanks again for sharing the specs.

Phoenix

Your welcome. Glad I could be of some help. I heard back from Absolute Comfort on Sale regarding the Comfort Max 400 that they offered to design for me. The thing that I find appealing about it is that they can customize the base layer. Maybe I haven’t done enough looking, but it seems like most companies don’t do that. Seems like most mattress companies usually only customize the top comfort layers. Here is the response I got from Terri at Absolute Comfort on Sale:

Sorry, I did not clarify that the range of poly foam was not in a single layer. Simply we have the option to choose the poly foam pieces (glued together) with ranges of 24, 36 or 45 ILD.
The head of our production department thought since you want a very soft mattress you might choose a combination of 4" 45 ILD with a 2" 24 ILD on top of that for the 6" total poly foam core base. Then the 4" dunlop latex soft topper (12-14 ILD) will be removable when you want to replace at a latter date, by simply unzipping the cover. He uses dunlop latex for durability and to support higher weight ranges.

Hi marshmallow,

There are a number of local or online manufacturers that will customize the base layers in their component mattresses but it’s more common with latex base or transition layers than a polyfoam base layer. There are also many that allow you to exchange your layers as well after a purchase (sometimes just the comfort layer and sometimes any of the layers) so you can fine tune either the comfort or support (or both) of the mattress based on your actual experience. Some of them also have a good return policy if none of the configurations they offer works well for you because with more challenging circumstances or weights “theory” may not agree with your actual experience in terms of PPP. A list of many of the better component latex or latex hybrid options I’m aware of that are members here is linked in the tutorial post.

Just for reference as well … the Comfort Max 400 is described as having a 5" polyfoam support core with 5" of Talalay latex on top of that but the description you were given was a 6" + 4" design with Dunlop latex instead of Talalay.

I would want to clarify the construction and as I mentioned it’s unlikely that the Dunlop layer is in the 12 - 14 ILD range and I would ask about the density of the Dunlop as well.

Based on the type and quality of the materials it would certainly be worth considering as a possibility for one of your final choices depending on your confidence that it would be a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you (including any exchange or return options that are available).

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for all of your help. I am no longer considering the Comfort Max 400, due to the no return policy and also due to the fact that the company who sells it is not endorsed/recommended by Mattress Underground. I am going to stick strictly to mattress companies/manufacturers that are recommended by this site.

I know I said I didn’t want to order a mattress online again, however I am reconsidering that option. As long as the company has a liberal return policy and is recommended/endorsed by your site, I feel it is worth the risk of ordering online.

I spoke with Jordan at Select a Bed. Wow. So impressed. One of the most knowledgeable, kind, informative, and curteous salespeople I have ever dealt with regarding mattresses. So I am considering ordering from them. It is just a matter of getting a low-interest or no-interest credit card to cover most of the purchase since they don’t offer financing.

I am also considering Novosbed as they are very reasonably priced.

Anyway, I will keep you posed on my mattress purchase! Is there any way I can donate to the Mattress Underground? I can’t donate much but I want to donate something as I feel the valuable advice I have recieved is worth paying for. Again, thank you.

Hi marshmallow,

That makes sense to me and if I was in similar shoes and was uncertain about my choice then even though the quality of the materials was good and the price was reasonable (which are both the case) I would also make the options I had after a purchase a more important part of my “personal value equation”.

That also makes sense to me and there are certainly some very good options listed in the online lists that are linked in the tutorial post that do have good return policies.

Yes … while they are not a member of this site, they are knowledgeable about what they sell and are helpful on the phone which is why I included them in the list of the better memory foam options in the tutorial post.

Novosbed is also not a member of this site but they are another option that I think highly of and they have a great return policy which is why I also included them in the memory foam list.

Of course both of these are memory foam mattresses and are quite different from the latex mattress you were considering previously. In general terms … latex will be a more durable choice than memory foam but it also has a different “feel” and response compared to latex. There is more about the pros and cons of latex and memory foam in post #2 here but in the end the choice between them is a preference choice. If you do choose memory foam then I would tend to focus on higher density memory foam (5 lbs and higher) because it will be more durable with higher weight ranges than lower density options. The tutorial post also includes a link to the members here that sell latex mattresses online that have a wide range of options, designs, and budget ranges and a range of return and exchange options as well.

While a donation is never required or expected … a small donation and more importantly the thoughts behind them are always appreciated. There is a “somewhat hidden” link under the services section of the main menu which has a paypal donation button.

Thanks for the kind words and your questions and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, just wanted to give you an update. It has been a difficult decision, but I think I am going to get the Harmony by Novosbed. It is supposed to feel like the iComfort Savant mattress. I have actually had an opportunity to lie on the Savant mattress, and I liked it. Comfort-wise, I would say it is a close second to the Epic Directions mattress.

I spoke with Andrew at Sleep Warehouse as well. Wonderful company and wonderful product.

My ideal choice probably would have been the Tri-Pedic Diamond mattress from Select a Bed. However I wasn’t able to get the credit line needed to make that purchase.

The only reason I’m choosing Novosbed over a mattress from Sleep Warehouse is the air-flow feature. I tend to sleep hot so some type of additional cooling measure appealed to me.

I know it is considered a big “no no” for a person of my weight to buy a memory foam mattress that is less than a 5lb density. However, I don’t like the feel of memory foam that is a higher density. It is very slow responding and much more heat sensitive. I prefer a faster responding foam and something that will not give me the feeling of sinking in quicksand. I tried out a few Tempurpedic mattresses and I absolutely hated them. I sunk down into a hole which made it very difficult to roll over. I did not get that feeling with other big name memory foam mattresses that I tried. I’m guessing thats because Tempurpedic uses a higher density memory foam than most other big name memory foam mattresses.

I understand that a memory foam mattress with a lower density foam will probably not last me very long. I am ok with that. Comfort is more important to me than longevity. Buying a new $1,000 mattress every 5 years works out to less than $20 a month if you break down the cost. That is a price I am very willing to pay in order to be comfortable.

I haven’t made my purchase yet. I am waiting to get my new low interest credit card in the mail first.

Will keep you posted. Fingers crossed that my internet purchase will work out better for me this time around.

Hi marshmallow,

The Tempurpedic 5 lb memory foam is slower reacting than many other 5 lb memory foams and gel memory foams or gel memory foams and there are different “versions” of memory foam made by different manufacturers in the same density (see post #9 here and post #8 here) but in very general terms 4 lb memory foam will tend to be softer and faster reacting than 5 lb memory foams).

As long as you know the tradeoffs involved then you would be making an “informed” purchase which is always the most important part of good research … and if you’re happy then so am I. As you know I think highly of Novosbed and they are a good quality/value choice.

So congratulations on your new mattress … and I’m looking forward to your feedback once you complete your purchase and have had a chance to sleep on it for a bit :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, how are you? Just wanted to update you on the Novosbed mattress. I’ve been sleeping on it for about a month and it is still uncomfortable. It feels as hard as a rock to me. Unless it softens up dramatically, I’m going to have to return it. At this point, I feel like I am out of risk free online options. Brooklyn Bedding is risk free and so is Select Foam, however I have spoken with both of those companies and they said their mattresses are designed to feel exactly like Tempurpedic, and I strongly dislike the feel of Tempurpedic. The local mom and pop stores have quality mattresses that would probably suit my needs, but their prices are high and they have limited, if any, financing options. As I said I feel like I am out of risk free online options so I am now trying to decide if I should get the Serta I Comfort Epic Directions mattress or if I should go with an el cheapo mattress given that I will probably have to replace the mattress frequently because of my weight. Regarding the el cheapo mattress, I am considering one of the Dynasty brand mattresses sold on Amazon. They use a 4 lb memory foam on top and a 2.0 lb high density base. They are also certi-pur certified.

I also wanted to add that I spoke with Jackie at Restava on two separate occasions and was left feeling very frustrated. She told me I need a latex bed, when I explained that I didn’t care for the feel of latex, she recommended a memory foam bed that would be too tall for me. I have an adjustable base that is on the lowest setting. Any mattress thicker than 13 inches will make the bed too tall, and require me to use some type of step stool to get in and out of bed. The bed she recommended was 15 inches tall. She said that was their softest bed and she didn’t have any other recommendations. I explained that I didn’t like the feel of Tempurpedic because the foam was slow responding. I asked her if they used a faster responding memory foam, and she said that “all memory foam is the same”. I then explained that that wasn’t my experience, and that when I laid on top of the Serta I Comfort, that it responded more quickly and that I didn’t experience a sinking feeling. She then said, “I’ve never heard of that before, because all memory foam is the same.” Anyway, very frustrating conversion. Not to be rude but it seemed like she didn’t know very much about memory foam. They may be risk free as well, but given my experience with them so far, I don’t think they would be an option.

Hi marshmallow,

Thanks for the updates … and I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out for you.

IMO … the risks involved in buying the Serta iComfort Epic Directions would be much higher than most of the other options you have remaining (including some of the remaining online options) … especially in your weight range. Based on the relatively high retail price of the Epic … you have many options remaining that are in between an “el cheapo” and the much higher price (and less durable materials) of the Epic that would be much better choices.

I would also be aware that the “feel” of a mattress is different from the pressure relief of a mattress which in turn is different from the support/alignment of a mattress and you may find that some of the online options you have remaining may be similar to the Tempurpedics in terms of pressure relief and support but have a different “feel” because they use memory foams that are faster responding and are more more similar to the iComfort gel models than the Tempurpedic models. It would be well worth a more detailed conversation that addressed “feel” with them before deciding to exclude them.

I would also encourage you to do some additional local shopping because you certainly have additional options available in the area that use higher quality materials and are in a lower budget range than the iComfort Epic Directions and your circumstances and criteria may make local shopping less risky than an online choice.

I also would be very cautious with any of the Dynasty mattresses and they would also be a very high risk choice at your weight. You can read more about them and some of the higher risk involved in buying an imported Chinese memory foam mattress in post #4 here and the other posts it links to.

If you do choose to go in that direction (lower budget online options) … then some of the lower budget options that may be worth considering are listed in post #4 here.

Of course as long as you are making a purchase with your “eyes wide open” and you know the risks involved in any purchase you make then only you can decide if the higher risks involved in the purchases you are considering are worth it to you and which mattress is “best for you” depends on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. IMO though … buying the Serta or a Dynasty would be among the worse options you have in terms of quality, value, and durability and you have many better options available.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, thanks so much for your advice and for steering me in the right direction. Your help has been invaluable to me. I checked out the posts you recommended. I am now trying to decide weather or not to go with Dreamfoam’s Ultimate Dreams memory foam mattress or My Luxury Mattresses Elegant mattress. The Elegant mattress is nearly double the cost of Dreamfoam’s, and I’m wondering if it’s worth it. My only reservation about the Elegant mattress is that they have a layer of 1.8 lb foam (I can’t remember if it’s memory foam or poly). I guess the best thing to do at this point would be to call both companies and have an in depth discussion with them, especially regarding the mattress “feel”. I will keep you posted. I agree that shopping locally would be a good idea except I have spoken over the phone with nearly every local company you recommended and they all suggested mattresses at a price point that I cannot afford. The only reason I could afford the I Comfort Epic is because of the 4 year interest free financing.

Hi marshmallow,

Post #13 here has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase that can help you decide whether any mattress purchase is “worth it” to you.

I think this would be a very good idea. I would also keep in mind that between support/alignment, comfort/pressure relief, and your more subjective preferences of “feel” that the “feel” is by far the least important because you can only “feel” a mattress when you are awake and the two main functions of a mattress (posture/alignment and pressure relief) are both much more important parts of the quality of your sleep when you are asleep. Some of the “feel” of a mattress can also be changed relatively easily with various mattress pads or toppers.

With your weight most knowledgeable manufacturers or retailers would normally recommend a more costly mattress because it would likely use higher cost but better quality and more durable materials that would be more suitable for your body type. If your budget is more restricted and you have no alternative ways to finance a mattress outside of in store financing (which isn’t actually “free” but is part of the purchase price) then I would be clear when you talk with them on the phone that you are looking for the “most suitable, highest quality, and most durable mattress available” inside your budget range and make it clear that you understand that none of them are likely to be as durable as a mattress that was in a higher budget range but that this was a tradeoff that you understood and were willing to make. This way they would be better able to tell you whether they carried any mattress that would “fit” your criteria with the understanding that you were comfortable with the durability tradeoff. After these types of conversations then you could decide whether to visit them based on your conversations. In effect you are doing the same thing with the Epic (choosing a mattress that is less durable and isn’t as likely to last you very long) except you are financing it and it’s in a much higher budget range relative to the quality of the materials and where the length of your financing may very well be longer than the useful life of the mattress.

Phoenix

Hi Everyone, although the Restava mattress may be good, their fulfillment is TERRIBLE and they charge your credit card immediately and then pass you off to a “white glove” delivery service (in our case Non Stop Delivery in Tampa) that postponed delivery repeatedly and NEVER SHOWED UP THE THIRD TIME.

I would urge everyone to shop elsewhere as Restava has yet to return a call or email regarding this matter.

Hi bjlowell,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience with Restava and your delivery issues are certainly unfortunate.

While the problems with your delivery company are beyond Restava’s direct control because they involve another company that they have no control over … they certainly should be able to follow up on your behalf and help resolve any delivery issues so it’s important that their customers are able to reach them easily when there are situations like yours or that they return emails and phone calls in a timely manner.

I don’t know what is happening with the difficulties you have had in having them return your calls or emails but I certainly understand your frustration and there are also a few others that have had similar experiences as well. I’ve switched your post into a different topic where these and some other issues concerning Restava are currently being discussed so that others that are considering Restava will be able to read them as well.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences … even though they weren’t the best. I hope you have the chance to let us know what happens once you are able to connect with them and resolve your situation.

Phoenix

Thank you for your response, but our issues are no where close to being resolved at this point.

Restava has contracted with a third-party for delivery and accepted money ($200) directly from us, e.g. Non Stop Delivery did not accept any funds for this transaction directly from us. We had no option to select a reputable delivery service, so they lock you into this situation–and then provide no support when things “go south.”

From a transaction perspective, we were charged immediately for the product, although it took several weeks to even get a delivery date scheduled and that was after we had to repeatedly call the delivery company because the link in the email Restava sent us did not work (when we called Restava we were advised to just wait a day and check the link again.)

We have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (I noticed there are unresolved claim against Restava) and have turned this matter over to our attorney. We will let you know when this is resolved… but given this company’s lackadaisical approach to customer service, it could be a while.

Cheers.

PS, this was a curious response. It appears that mattress suppliers may have paid subscriptions to this site which contradicts the notion of an unbiased site for consumers.

Hi bjlowell,

I’m not quite sure what you mean by “curious” since I hope my reply has made clear that I understand your disappointment and share your concerns. This was part of the reason that I switched your post to this topic so that others could see that your concerns are shared by others and are not unique to you.

As to any “biases” that exist on the site, this is a question that I encourage about any source of information on the internet and has been asked on many occasions by other members as well or by others that have “challenged” the neutrality of the information provided here. I think that questioning the credibility or accuracy of any information that is involved in any major purchase is always a good idea.

The two articles on the front page of the site talk about my “biases” and the reasons for them but in a nutshell my biases are towards manufacturers and retailers that are knowledgeable, experienced, and transparent and provide better quality, value, and service to their customers regardless of their membership here.

There are currently 37 business members of this site who have been invited and agreed to become members, paid a membership fee, have agreed to provide a discount or a bonus to consumers that are members of the forum that purchase a mattress from them, and who pay referral fees on mattresses that the members here purchase from them. You can see the membership list here and the page you linked shows what they agreed to and the referral fees they pay when they became members of the site. These are the members who share the goals, ideals, and values of the site and support the time and effort it takes (about 12 - 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for over 3 years) to do the research, provide the information, answer questions, and run the site so that people can benefit from the information that is provided here. It goes without saying that any project of this size and scope wouldn’t be possible without a source of income (no matter how much of a “labor of love” it may be) and in some ways the source of income is very similar to the BBB which is also a private business which depends on subscriptions to support the site and the services it provides.

The difference is that membership here is by invitation only because there is no advertising allowed and to become a member they need to meet certain criteria. The business membership here also represents only a small percentage of the mattress purchases that the forum members here have made as a result of the information on this site because I “point to value” wherever I see it regardless of their membership here in the hundreds of local forum lists throughout the forum that identify the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in almost every area of the US and Canada. Over time some of the better manufacturers or retailers that are currently included in the local lists will hopefully be added to the membership as well. The site started with 8 members and has slowly grown over the years but I have turned away many more requests for membership that didn’t meet the criteria (including some of the largest retailers in the industry) than I have invited to become members.

The goal of the site has always been to provide information about “how” to choose a mattress that provides the tools and information that will make the quality and value of a purchase self evident so that each person has the knowledge and information to be able to assess the quality, value, and suitability of a mattress purchase for themselves based on their own unique criteria regardless of what anyone else may prefer or recommend. It’s the difference between helping the members here know “how” to choose vs telling them “what” to choose based on preferences or criteria that may not be relevant to them (or the difference between giving someone a fish or teaching them how to fish). There is more about how and why the members here are invited to become members in this article and in post #5 here and post #2 here and in post #2 here.

Post #4 here and post #404 here has more about the history of the site and how and why it came into existence.

This article has more about the values, goals, and ideals of the site.

As you can see … membership here is a form of recognition of what already exists and while the members here are “among” the best in the country there are certainly many other sources of great quality, value, and service throughout the industry that has always been included in the information that the site provides in the hundreds or even thousands of forum lists and replies throughout the forum (many of which may also be invited/choose to become members here over time as well).

In the end … I am happy for any of the members here to use the help and information that is provided here in any way they find helpful or beneficial and I encourage every consumer to decide for themselves on the accuracy, relevance, objectivity, or bias of any site they use to help them in their research and the purchase choices they make.

Phoenix